Writing fiction and nonfiction are radically different pursuits. I do both and in fact on a weekly basis I have to write an 800 word essay for a small newspaper collumn up north. It is not that one form of writing is really harder than the other; both require work. But personally, I find fiction comes more naturally to me. Both forms of writing require research. Currently, I’m researching a historical novel and the research alone will probably take me, overall, a year’s work. But there’s just a difference in the mental process that is less natural for me.

And of course, there’s the fact that writing a book seems never to end. I write the book. Then I rewrite. Over and over. I let my friend who reads all my stuff read it. Then I rewrite some more. Then I write a proposal, which consists of a summary of what I wrote and a chapter by chapter outline and the first two chapters. Then I rewrite that and my friend looks it over and I rewrite some more. Finally, it goes to the editor who, even if he or she likes it, will want “some changes” and so the whole process continues. I rewrite, I talk to my friend, I let my friend read what I’ve written, I change it some more: back and forth, rewrite after rewrite and finally back to the editor. Sometimes it feels like a book is never done. But, that’s the nature of writing. Glamorous it isn’t. It’s just hard work. And most of the time, McDonalds pays better and the work is easier.

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