I've been intrigued lately by the idea of writing a 'big book'. Can't say why, precisely. Back when I was self-published, I thought I wanted to be traditionally published because I thought it might lend me an air of respectability. Now that I'm traditionally published as a 'genre' author (small town police procedurals at the moment), I feel a tug toward writing something of lasting literary value.
Sometimes I think I'm just too future-focused for my own good.
Genre fiction--mostly private eye and thriller works--has been good to me. After three Shamus nominations and two Derringer wins, I feel like I've acquired a certain amount of street cred. I haven't made a lot of money, but since I don't care much about money to begin with this hasn't been a problem.
I am also aware that, as hard as it is to be published in commercial genre fiction, it's practically impossible to get a literary 'big' book into print. Literary fiction contains most of the same characteristics of crime fiction, including tension, conflict, characterization, realistic dialogue, and even the occasional murder. Somehow, though, there is a perceived difference between literary fiction and genre fiction.
I know a lot of authors who have ventured outside of their genre-based comfort zones, with varying degrees of success. I tend to think, for instance, that S.J. Rozan's Absent Friends was a kick-ass title that signalled her transition from a highly successful mystery writer to a first-tier literary author. Her followup title, In This Rain, broke my heart with its portrayal of the impact of big-city backroom politics on the 'little people' who don't have the pull or cash to influence the march of big business juggernauts. There is a sense of pathos, desperation, and even occasional futility in her characters' lives that makes her writing something so special.
What's S.J. writing now? Why, she's back to Bill Smith and Lydia Chin PI novels. Great novels, to be certain, but genre fiction. There's money in genre work, and S.J. makes her living as a writer.
So, why spend a year of my life researching a literary 'big' novel? I tend to think that I already wrote one almost fifteen years ago, a book entitled Bobby J. Remember it? Really? I'm not surprised. It's been in print for over ten years, and I've sold something like a hundred copies during that time. Most people tell me the first chapter is so raw that they have a hard time getting past it. Which is a shame, since the damn thing runs about 140k words, and most of it is heartbreaking. My good friend Alan says that it is one of the "most relentlessly depressing novels" he has ever read. Believe it or not, I find great comfort in that. It means that I achieved my goal when I wrote it. You should read it someday. Just stash the razor blades and take the bullets out of your pistol first.
Bobby J. was a fine book, and I'm still very proud of it. Unlike real 'big' novels, however, it was not painted on a grand canvas. It dealt with the machinations and personal conflicts brought on in a small city by a single senseless and brutal crime committed by a fifteen-year-old boy. The title character isn't even the central character of the book, but rather a catalyst.
I want to write a book that examines the impact of global events on three or four intertwining lives. I think I've found my canvas--the futility and horror of World War I. I also think I've figured out what my story is going to be. I see a book that will run up to 150,000 words, or about six hundred pages. Not quite War And Peace, but maybe its kid brother.
Now for the big question--am I enough of an author to take on this challenge? Time will tell. I have lived most of my life by two mottoes:
1) When a door opens, walk through.
2)Nothing can stop the man who doesn't know he can't.
I've taken on tons of projects in my life that--had I really considered the odds--would have seemed impossible. Because I either didn't know, or denied, that the task was futile, I went ahead and did it, and in many cases succeeded.
I have time. I have two books to write before I can take on my 'big' book project seriously. That will give me time to do adequate research and outline the fabric of this book, which will include complex patterns of woven lives, as should be the case in 'big' books.
I'll keep you posted as the process continues. I see this as a three-year project, though it could take longer. Stay tuned. This should be interesting.
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