'What an insane thing it is to make literature one's only means of support!' - Edwin Reardon [From George Gissing's New Grub Street]It won't be my only means of support, but I would love for it to happen. Reading George Gissing's novel New Grub Street has made me realise that making a living from writing creatively is nigh-on impossible. There are so many things to consider: publishers; agents; word counts; publicity; and most importantly, if not the most difficult component, a decent manuscript.
I like to think I have a good idea, and am in the process of writing it now. I discovered NaNoWriMo on 8th November. Sadly, this online novel-writing orgy runs throughout the 30 days of November and I was already at least 13,000 words behind schedule.
Next year I'll be ready though; I even have a NaNoWriMo t-shirt to completely seclude myself in and stain with baked beans and coffee.
In the mean time, the idea I had for my novel is still a go-ahead, and I do want to get the splurge of the story done quickly so that I can spend a good amount of time realising how badly written the entire thing is and changing it.
Another idea is self-publishing. Lulu.com is really awesome for this. It's a way of slowly making a name for yourself. Sort of unsigned-musician/underground type stuff. It's dark, mysterious, and I love it!
Expect more blogs and a nice layout soon.
'Uncanny' word count: 1,234
Reading for uni: New Grub Street by George Gissing
Reading for pleasure: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
