Why I “Novel”: Part Uno (1)

(Note of clarification: The verb write is too general when describing the work novelists do. I prefer using my own verb, novel, to summarize all the work that goes into creating a lengthy work of fiction.)

I novel because. . .

Because. . .

This is going to be tougher than I realized. I do have a ready response, but sharing this with the world is proving difficult since I am very shy and have a lot of trouble putting myself out there. Setting up this blog as well as various social media accounts in preparation for the release of my novel was an uncomfortable experience and continues to bother me.

I am much more comfortable hiding behind my characters who spout out my words for me and can be blamed if they spout out something “wrong.” Without that barrier between me and the outside world, speaking freely is a scary prospect. Perhaps this is a necessary step in my development. That doesn’t mean I won’t be able to always resist the nagging urge to take down a post as soon as I put it up on the blog.

I don’t want to have any secrets, any barriers standing between us, so I’ll use this post to warm up to the meat of the matter that I’ll get to in my next post. Sorry in advance.

Why do I novel (write)? In part, because I became disgusted with the fantasy novels regularly churned out by major publishers. I learned that just because a book is a NY Times bestseller, it doesn't mean that the book is good. Aside from just a few novelists, no one is writing quality fantasy—a genre I am most passionate about. I am hungry for more; I need to be fed, yet there is nothing to shovel in my mouth besides dust. Am I alone in this? I can’t be.

About seven years ago my frustration boiled over. In spite of my minimal writing experience at the time and my deteriorating mental condition, I knew I could create better, more substantial material than the shallow drivel sitting on store shelves, so I set out to prove it.
Since then I have worked every day on my novel to make it the best it can be. Why? Because I have something good and interesting here, something original. (Yes, originality still exists. Not every story line has been done quite yet.) I just needed to tell this story and couldn't stop “telling” it until it was finished.

And now it is. While imperfect, this book is a good start, a good foundation to grow upon. And grow I will. I have seen that in the writing of my second novel, and I expect that steady improvement with each new creative enterprise.
I very much look forward to sharing my work with you and receiving your feedback. I will send out an announcement once it's available.

Have a great day, everyone. Or night. Or both.

Stay tuned for part dos (2) when things are gonna get real. Like Real Housewives of Atlanta real. Or not.

“Allow Me to Introduce Myself”

Hola!

My name is Joshua Steelman, and I am addicted to writing. Cheesy opening, I know, but it’s an icebreaker. I am an aspiring novelist with one completed manuscript and another needing a final revision. After I’m finished with the second novel, I’ll focus on publishing these in various formats.

Now that the boring stuff is out of the way, allow me to get to more boring stuff: the purpose of the blog and my grandiose plan for world domination…er…I mean my vision for this blog.

Between this blog, my public Facebook page, and Twitter, I really want to create a nice community where I can easily get your feedback and criticisms of my work and then have the ability to discuss it with you. Even though my shyness can be severe, I want to be as accessible as possible, and this is the best way for me to do that.

What you’ll find on my blog: samples of my work, explorations of writing issues and tips, news about my upcoming novels and where to buy them, and more. Not much more, just more.

While I feel silly about promoting my public Facebook page without having anything published yet, feel free to “like” it. I will use that page to post quick messages. You can contact me there as well as on Twitter.

Link to Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/steelmannovels

Link to Twitter: https://twitter.com/JSNovels

Talk to you soon.