A Humble Introduction

Well, now, I suppose it's introduction time. So allow me to start: I'm Mck. Or Mick, if you read phonetically (loser), and I’m a writer. Of course, that's a horribly general statement, but I make a lot of those, so you should get used to it right now, or you're going to hate me. And nobody hates me and gets away with it (I’ll MAKE you like me dangit, or die trying).

But, since this is the first post and all, I guess I'll give in and expound here. When I say that I write, I mean it very literally. I write all manner of things. Primarily I write fiction of various sorts, mainly short stories and random snippets, with a few running stories. But those things are not really the point of this blog. The point is that I'm writing a novel. Yep, that's right, me, lil ol' Mck, age 19, college student, etc... Am writing a book.

Crazy, right? So here's the scoop:

The current title of the book is "The Wanderer's Lament." It's a fantasy.

Ha, I can practically hear you running away. "Oh no," You say, "Not fantasy. Fantasy is for Nerds and people with poor hygiene! And I simply will not stoop that low!"

Well, guess what, you opinionated person you: I'm a nerd. Admittedly, I'm not an archetypical nerd; I don't really fit the schema, and so on. However, I have EXCELLENT personal hygiene.

Ugh... I can't believe I’m in a situation where that has become something worthy of boasting about...

Moving on: Yes, Fantasy. But no, I do not play World Of Warcraft, I don't play any role-playing games really, except for occasional bouts of FFXII on my rickety old PS2, whenever I’m not writing, studying, or doing something more interesting (you can read that as “Really, Really, Really rarely.)

And no, The Wanderer’s Lament does not contain any of the following:

-Elves

-Dwarves

-Orcs

-Goblins

-Magic Rings

-Dragons

-Hobbits

Because, seeing as I am not an archetypical nerd, why should I write archetypical fantasy? I still believe what Tolkien taught me a long time ago: Fantasy is, SHOULD BE, intelligent. It is a valid application of a writer’s skill and talent, and can be compelling, complex, and adult, without being ridiculous, bizarre, or unbelievable. I believe that fantasy can still be a gentleman’s pursuit, and should not be limited to the grungy basement-D&D players (no offense to you though.)

But most of all, I believe that fantasy doesn’t require nearly as much research as realistic fiction. And as a full-time student who supports himself, that particular detail is something of deal-maker.

And so it is that, with all the previously detailed information fixed firmly in mind, I am writing a fantasy novel.

At this juncture it should be understood that “Fantasy Writer” is not my dream job. It might be part of my dream job, but it is not all of it. See, I started out, and will probably finish, writing realistic fiction of the thriller/suspense/mystery genre. But, I do like fantasy, when it’s done well, and it happens to be what I can write right now, so I’m running with it.

And I’m going to tell you all about it right here. Now aren’t you excited? (Hint: yes.)

Now I will provide some background on “The Wanderer’s Lament.” It started around November of last year (2008) as just a rough idea which I came up with for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, in which you try to write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November.) It didn’t work out very well, really, since I was busy to an insane degree at that point, and started halfway through November. I also had no plan at all for the Novel, and was just making it up as I went along.

Perhaps winging it works for some people. But for me, I just write the storyline into a corner and then give up and die. It’s how I roll.

And now, almost a year later, after bouncing around the idea of “the Wanderer’s Lament” extensively, I’ve resurrected it, and I’m going to do it right.

That covered, you are probably wondering one of two things. Either A) how much longer can this guy actually go on? Or B) Why now, and why write a novel at all if it’s not your chosen genre?

In answer to A: not much longer, trust me.

In answer to B: Simply put, because every author has to have a “first novel.” You know the one that fails miserably or doesn’t go over very well, or is the hardest thing he’s ever done? Yeah, THAT first novel. And the simplest road to my chosen destination (Author/Novelist) is to simply start writing, to crank out novels until one of them is good enough to be noticed, to get published. And so I’m starting right now, because if I don’t, I might never. And since I’m starting now, but don’t have the time for the extensive research a realistic story might entail, I’m going with fantasy, because if I don’t know how something works, I can make it up. (Not always, but sometimes.)

So, here’s a nutshell of everything you need to know: My name is Mck, or Mick if you prefer, and I’m a 19 year old college student in Texas. I’m writing a novel called “The Wanderer’s Lament.” It is a Fantasy, but not a cliché’ or traditional fantasy. It is original, and based on nothing. I am going to blog about my experience writing this novel, in hopes that some other aspiring reader out there might read it and either find it useful, or at least make themselves feel better by tearing me to pieces for sucking so bad. I will update at least once a week, sometimes more, on writing this novel, occasionally on just writing in general, and very rarely on life in general.

So, there it is. I’m taking my first step towards “Professional Writer” and you’re welcome to watch, laugh, or whatever. Enjoy!