Ever since I’ve decided to get into the novel writing zone, the question has been plaguing my mind. What will I write? The truth of the matter is that I have no idea. Every time I think about it, the idea slips away from me like water between my fingers.
It’s not like I haven’t thought about it. Ever since I was a child, all I’ve ever done is come up with stores. I haven’t written them all down, but on any given day, I work my way through three to four story ideas at the very least. I always have. Every car ride, every bus ride, every stop on the subway, every night before bed and every long stretch of silence I’ve ever endured in my life has been dedicated to stories. Sometimes I’d do it to entertain myself, other times I’d dream of starting my novel and imagine the content of my first chapter. Sometimes I’d ponder over what fanfiction to write next, and other times I’d hope to someday finish the fanfiction stories I’d already started. If you’ve ever thought me absent-minded or aloof or an outright day dreamer, you’ve been right all along. But I hope you’ll forgive me because I’ve been working my way up to this very question: what will I write about? Sadly, after 30 years, and countless unwritten stories ideas, the answer still happens to be ‘I don’t know’.
I don’t expect to answer this question today, but I hope to get a bit closer to answer at the very least. Let’s rule out the things I know I’m not going to write. As you can probably tell, I’m not much of a comedian. My comic timing mostly involves physical clumsiness, self-deprecation and overall awkwardness that most people find endearing for some reason. As a general rule though, I tend to bring out the vague sentiment of ‘Oh Shivs’, which is usually accompanied by a shake of the head and a snort. So, that is to say that people laugh at me, not with me, which is alright. That being said, I’m not the clown of the class and you won’t see me writing a laugh riot any time soon.
I never really found myself gravitated to mysteries either, though it is a much-loved genre amongst people from all walks of life. I always like to have an element of mystery in my stories, but that’s just a way of withholding the cards until the right moment presents itself. To dedicate an entire novel to mystery would prove to be too tedious for me however. So not that either. Same with horror, freaks me out, not going to happen. I’d love to write historical fiction like Phillipa Gregory or use art history the way Dan Brown does for that matter, but I’m pretty sure you have to have a solid background in history for something like that. I’m not sure it’s my thing. I won’t rule it out completely though.
Tragic romance, now there is something I could get behind. Most of my favourites have been tragic romances: Fault in Our Stars, Song of Achilles, The Time Traveller’s Wife and The Great Gatsby being at the top of that list. I’ve ached all over after reading these beautiful books, haunted by their characters and shaken by their loss. It’s a bitter-sweet escape and I can’t seem to get enough of it. If I could create characters half as beautiful as the ones in any of these books, I’d be happy. I think I have a knack for romance and an eye for tragedy (pun not intended).
Then there is Young Adult Fantasy Fiction. Oh how I wish I could be as imaginative is the likes of J.K Rowling, Cassandra Clare and Rick Riordan. The arrogant creative in me wants to say yes, I’m all of these and more. But really, the YA section is littered with fantasy series, what could I possibly have to offer? I’d have to put pen to paper for that one and see what comes out, because it’s too vast and too consuming a genre to grasp without having a place to start. But I do know that I’d enjoy writing fantasy, especially in the YA genre. I think this is another great place to explore.
The next option is to write what I know best: my life. There are a lot of upsides to this. One, I know the plot of the story and the main character is not that hard to pin down. The second is that it would be a true and meaningful topic and has the highest chances of connecting with a large audience. But then there are downsides of it too. I’d have to be braver than I’ve ever been in my whole life. I’d have to see myself as an outsider would and confess to all my shortcomings. But that’s not even the hardest part actually. For a person who talks as much as I do, I only share certain things about my life with a chosen few. Am I ready to expose these other sides of myself to the world, and more importantly to the people I know? And then there’s the matter of everyone featured in the book. Would they be happy to a part of something bigger? Would they feel exposed? And is it fair to put other people’s lives on display, even if I’m okay with putting mine? Those are tough questions to answer, and I’m not sure I’m ready to answer them just yet.
As you can see, I’ve got a bit of exploring to do. Let’s see what the next couple of weeks have to offer. Any suggestions? Thoughts? Ideas?
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