A Writer’s Thoughts on Writing ~ C.R. Moss

I’m currently reading my way through Frank Herbert’s Dune series and in the beginning of Heretics of Dune he has a commentary on when he was working on Dune – “When I was writing Dune there was no room in my mind for concerns about the book’s success or failure. I was concerned only with the writing.” He goes on to tell about the series, the aspects of life the books would explore, and how the books slowly gained momentum and ultimate success. Toward the end he talks of success and says “Looking back on it, I realize I did the right thing instinctively. You don’t write for success. That takes part of your attention away from the writing. If you’re really doing it, that’s all you’re doing: writing.”
When I read that, it struck a chord in me. Granted, deep down all authors would love to become the next big name on the charts, but Herbert was right, when you’re truly into your story and working your craft, you aren’t thinking of much else. I know I don’t. I write because I love to craft pieces of art with the written word. There are times when I’m consumed in writing a story, sometimes to the exclusion of all else. Yes, you may think that can be lonely or might not be much of a life, sitting at the computer and typing for hours on end with no significant social interaction. But it’s what makes me happy. If through a story I can divert a reader’s mind from reality, help them forget life for awhile and make that person happy or at least feel different than they had before, then it’s worth it.
At the end of Herbert’s introduction he also writes, “There’s an unwritten compact between you and the reader. If someone enters a bookstore and sets down hard earned money (energy) for your book, you owe that person some entertainment and as much more as you can give. That was really my intention all along.” Like Herbert, my intention is to entertain people, suspend their disbelief, spark their emotions and imaginations, even if it’s only for a little while. And, in hopes of showing you that I’m not full of hot air or blowing my own horn (ah, gotta love the cliché!) I’ve included comments of others. In a reader’s review of my first book Deliverance, they had this to say, “Any emotion is good emotion and those you elicited from me were heart stopping and heart wrenching. My compliments to you in not only stirring them, but inciting them so strongly. Do not change your ability to affect readers in that spectacular manner. That's a gift, and a valuable one. I loved Deliverance and am looking forward to the next part of the series.” Then in a professional review for Deliverance from Alternative-Read.com reviewer WitchGiggles said, “I found this an interesting read that gave pause to the theory that woman is the weaker sex. I found the characters realistic (in some cases too much so) and believable. It was an overall good read.”
Deliverance, Book One of the Si’Ludo Sisters trilogy can be found, along with Salvation – Book 2 and Atonement – Book 3 at www.extasybooks.com. In the next few weeks my first print book, The Mystics, a compilation of the Sisters trilogy and a fourth story only to be found in the print version, will be released. On Halloween Dirty Little Secret a short Fantasy Games horror story will be available. For a look at more books feel free to visit my website: http://home.earthlink.net/~cr_moss and/or join my MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/cr_moss
Come, let me entertain you in my world, if only for a little while…