by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner
After a little bit of a creative panic, I am now far more comfortable with the direction of the third act of this first draft of this first novel. The learning curve for finally writing a decent first novel has been far, far more difficult than I could possibly have imagined.
But once I finish this first novel, I will have a solid cornerstone for what I hope with be six novels in the same universe. And, not only will readers of this project know way, way, way, too much about my personal life (in a way) I hope to put a new female action-thriller character on the stage for Hollywood to play with on the silver screen.
I would prefer, of course, not to drop dead of a widowmaker heart attack at any point during this process. I want the cool stuff. I will be 20 odd years too old to swing with 24 year olds in “Dimes Square” in NYC, but I find the success I believe I can, I will at least be as interesting a person as Thomas Wolfe. He’s the kind of guy I could see myself immulating in my later years while I run around being interesting as everyone else my age checks their watch and contemplates retirement.
I just can’t help that I’m a late bloomer and I’m 20 years too old for anything. I should just lie in my bed with the lights out, twiddling my thumbs and waiting for death. That’s what society believes I should be doing, at least. I have, as always, come to the party too late and everyone is grabbing their coats and heading for the doors.
“But I just got here!” is what I’ll say if I become a success at this point.
And, yet, that’s just my lot in life.
Of course, the above is very delusional. Selling a novel is not only like winning the lottery, but also no assurance of any great success. If do manage to get what I want — a breakout novel on a par with Stieg Larsson’s “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” I’m probably going to become a hypochondriac because I’m going to assume I simply won’t be able to enjoy the fruits of all my hard work given how fucking old I will be.
Anyway, wish me luck. I’ll put a move on you….
