November 7, 2021

In The World According to Garp, T.S. Garp - writer, and bastard son of feminist Jenny Fields - in order to provide his loved ones a safe life in an unsafe world, intentionally writes a novel, "The World According to Bensenhaver," that is so vulgar and upsetting that it would surely be a bestseller. It would make him rich enough to protect his family, and separate himself from a perverse, degrading society.

I've come to the conclusion that I must write my own "World According to Bensenhaver."

I'm speaking figuratively, of course. The point is, I've set myself on a path to write a novel that people will want to read - either out of gross curiosity or because it will fit in with the popular niche of everything else they've read. (We all find comfort in the familiar, don't we?)

I've got a couple of ideas:

First, there's Rite, of which I've mentioned before and have already drafted the opening chapters. It deals with a violent home invasion upon an interracial family. A slew of thematic topics based on current events should be apparent, but it also touches upon just what is it these days that defines us as men and women, sons and daughters. Have the rites of passage to adulthood now become more a passage to simply being human? Of course, the narrative needs to be in a crisp, no-nonsense style. Contemporary readers haven't the time or patience for filler or excess prose - they want to get in-out-and-done. (This is one reason that author John Irving feels his writing would not succeed if he were just starting out today.)

My other idea is for an epic sci-fi fantasy series (at the very least, a trilogy; I prefer trilogies), because who doesn't like to escape into a seemingly never-ending saga of other worlds, cultures and people. Again, as long as it's a fast read.

If neither of those concepts get me where I want to go, then I'll try another.

Or quit writing altogether and immerse myself into music. Which, of late, sounds much more appealing.

Gordon Gravley

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