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CHAPTERThe Dream
WHY WRITE NOVELS?
SURPRISINGLY, MANY PEOPLE UNDERTAKE NOVEL WRITING NOT
because they want to, but because they feel they ought to. That
defies logic. Novels are generally difficult and time consuming to
produce. The odds are against getting published.
Nonetheless, some people work at novels for years, never finish-
ing them or feeling any joy in the writing process. Why? Such peo-
ple, I believe, may have adopted the identity of "writer" as adoles-
cents and have not yet given it up. Not surprisingly, writing comes
naturally to teenagers. It helps them to make sense of their roiling
emotions. Elements of the romantic myth of the writer can also fit
an adolescent's self-image: writers, they think, are poor, lonely,
depressed, misunderstood—and full of original insights.
There comes a time when this romantic self-image no longer
serves a useful purpose. God knows, there is nothing wrong with
thinking of oneself as a writer, but when people whip themselves for
not writing, then something is very wrong.
You have probably met this type: they spend big bucks on how-
to-write books, biographies of famous authors, classes, confer-
ences, and motivational seminars. They dress the part. They acquire
fountain pens and fabric-covered blank books, yet spend more time
talking about writing than actually doing it. And they struggle.
Listening to them you would think that novel writing is a task akin
to climbing Everest or seeking nirvana.