Why wash my dirty words in public?

I’ve explained why I want to write the novel. That’s clear enough. But what about this running description of the trials, tribulations and (I hope) triumphs of the process of writing it? Why expose myself to the cruel taunts of an army of critics out there—that’s you, dear blog reader? Why commit myself to a very public parading of what is under normal circumstances a very private process? (There can be nothing more private, after all, than the intimate conversations you have with your characters, and the even more intimate conversations you have with yourself about your characters.)

Well, there are a few reasons. One, it’ll help me write the damn novel. I’m a relatively busy person and it’s always easier to set the novel aside in order to work on my latest script. A public commitment to writing so many chapters a month, to a deadline of so many months hence, will be a considerable help to me in this respect.

Two, it’ll be of use to Josie and me in constructing the writing courses that we offer in Johannesburg, face to face with our students, and on the net, on this website. A thorough “de-construction” of the process of putting together a novel should (I trust—there is no way of knowing in advance) give us both insight into the skills—the dos, the don’ts, the cans, the can’ts—of the process.

Three—and you can see what a trusting person I am—I’m hoping that I’ll get the odd bit of advice from you out there. Messages of encouragement are always nice, of course, but what would be more useful are responses telling me what you like about what I’m doing, and what you dislike about what I’m doing. What you like about the characters (as they evolve); what you like about the story (as it evolves). In fact, you could regard this as a joint enterprise, in which we together write a novel. I’ll hang on to the royalties, if you don’t mind, but I undertake here and now to credit every single person who helps in the construction of the book on its flyleaf. Subject, of course, to those of you who do make suggestions, comments and desperately unfair criticism, identifying yourselves, at least by your first names.