I received the same message from two of my favorite essayists this week. In a speech to an audience of Comic Book creators, Neil Gaiman told them to create good comics. He then defined “good” as comics you (the author) would like to read. Gaiman said writers should pay attention to their obsessions. He said that if a writer is obsessed with something, that is his mind’s way of telling him what he should write about.
A few days later, on a podcast Tim Kreider said that he writes essays and that this means he makes very little money as a writer. Kreider said that publishers want him to write books on a single subject because that’s what people buy. Kreider, instead has continued to write essays because that is what he’s good at.
It was good timing for me to hear this message this week. Lately, as I’ve been expanding my reading choices and revisiting the world of fiction, it has crossed my mind several times that maybe I should write a book.
A friend, who’s an author and former writing professor, encouraged me to write a book on business using my blog posts from Inside Sales Dude. I have absolutely zero interest in doing that.
As for fiction, I love reading it. I am in awe of writers like John D. MacDonald, Robert B. Parker, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury and many others who have created compelling characters, interesting storylines and books whose messages reverberate in my head for years after I’ve read them.
But, here’s the rub – I cannot write fiction. I am terrible at it.
I can write nonfiction essays all day long. I find it relaxing. I can tell stories about my experiences and draw comparisons to broader life lessons that might reverberate with others.
But coming up with a unique character or a futuristic science fiction world is baffling to me. I simply don’t have that type of creativity within me.
It has been fascinating reading Gaiman’s book because it consists of essays, speeches and dedications he’s written over a 30+ year career as a successful fiction writer. I have no interest in his fiction work – his genre is fantasy/horror/mythology. But, In his book, as he tells stories of his own reading and writing experiences, it is clear that he and other fiction authors have an obsession with fiction.
They have stories that are built up within them yearning to be released.
I have plenty to write about that is pent up inside of me. It’s just that it all comes out as nonfictional essays.
And so, I will let the fantasy of writing a fictional book wither and die. It’s not for me.