When does an idea become book-worthy? Storytelling can take so many forms. YouTube videos, blogs, lengthy threads on Facebook or Reddit. Heck, you can tell a pretty compelling story in with memes. When I was working on The Duck, I came across a youtube video about the Canada Goose. It was a similar type of story told in video instead of print. 
(https://youtu.be/Aw-jES3OvVw)

I think an idea becomes book-worthy when an author decides to put in the work.  I’ve got a list of story ideas. I’m sure just about everyone does somewhere in their mind. But an idea isn’t worth anything until you do something with it. It might be a poem that takes 5 minutes to draft and a month to polish. Or a short story, novella, or even a novel. It just requires an act of will and some follow through.

I remember watching an author talk about writers block (I can’t remember who) and they said they put in 3000 words each day no matter what. Some days they are driven by intense inspiration, others a brutal slog. But at the end, after editing and polishing, this author couldn’t remember which parts happened on the inspired days.

The difference between an idea and novel is work. Plain and simple.  

I’m random as heck. I hit up the used bookstore regularily for paperbacks, and take advantage of Boobub deals often enough that there’s always a book to read in my Kobo. I read less than I used to. In high school/university it wasn’t unusual for me to have a half dozen novels around the house that I was in the middle of. I’d pick up wherever I had left off in whatever book was handy. 

I also used to be an avid library customer, but I hit a point where I realized it was cheaper to just buy used books (epic overdue fines on a regular basis). 

So why do I read less now than I used to? Video games are part of the problem. I mean, I’ve been playing video games my whole life, but when I was younger I was playing slow-moving RPG’s, so I’d be reading a book while waiting for things to happen.

Now most of my gaming is Ingress, Pokémon Go, or Wizards Unite. Games that get me out of the house walking. When I’m home I’m either working on my YoYo business or writing.  

I also used to read in the bath every day. Then I got an IPad and discovered I could watch TV/movies. I don’t mind losing that reading time, I need time during the day when I’m resting my hands. But I still make the time where I can. After all, the key to good writing is good reading.

What about you? How do you choose your next book?

Short stories are hard to write. At least, good ones are. Crafting something that hooks a reader, builds to a climax and resolution in a couple thousand words. A tale that leaves the reader feeling like their time was well spent. That’s hard, but I like it. My ADHD brain can keep track of a short story. 3000 words later, I can still remember the beginning and keep everything in my head. 

Writing a novel is harder. I’ve got 2 novel ideas that I really want to write. I’ve started both and got stuck, for the same reason in both. I need to learn more before I can properly tell the tale in a way that will give a reader the experience they deserve. Keeping track of what has happened, figuring out what to do next. These are challenges to overcome. It doesn’t help that I’m a seat-of-the-pants writer. I’ve tried outlines, but I can’t figure out what’s going to happen next until I’ve written it.

I recently had a light-bulb moment that I think is key to the whole process. A novel is a collection of short stories under an umbrella of a bigger picture. Four or Five dozen ‘scenes’ that all work together, but have to work independently as well. 

Now I just need to get to work writing them.

 

-J.D. McKay