Quotation of the Week

I am truly excited tonight. Last November I started writing a story and posting it on a publication website, all under a nom de plume. I've since started a second story, and both stories have gained followers on two separate websites.

But tonight my first story, currently at 47 chapters (very short 2500-3000 word chapters), has passed the 100,000 reads mark on the first website. In addition, the story has amassed 1,000 votes, and my pen name has acquired over 200 fans. These are some impressive milestones, especially considering that I don't really regard myself as much of a fiction writer.

The first story has been a definite success. However, my second story, started last month and only encompassing a short 500-word prologue and three short (2000 word) chapters, has already accumulated over 3,300 reads, 100 votes, and almost 150 comments from readers. Considering that I've only posted nine pages, those numbers are impressive.

I've always considered myself a writer of nonfiction. More of an expository writer and blogger than a creative one. Before I started these two stories, I had only attempted one other work of fiction since graduating from college (where I wrote only one or two fiction stories for a creative writing class). I have worked on the previous book during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) 2008 and 2009, but it still remains unfinished and extremely autobiographical. Probably too much so.

So to receive such amazing support from a particular audience (mostly teen girls, actually--a few are in their twenties) is extremely encouraging. I'm planning to take my second story--the one that's only nine pages long right now--and explore it during NaNoWriMo 2011 this November, using the month to draft the majority of the story. I'll then revise each chapter before publishing online.

In honor of the surprise success of fiction writing, I chose this quotation as the theme for this new week, written by an author who balanced the writing of fiction and nonfiction flawlessly:

"Literature is a luxury; fiction is a necessity."
--G.K. Chesterton

On that note, I bid Sunday adieu and prepare to write Chapter 48 of my first story as the fans are becoming restless, one claiming that she "has nothing to read."

I'll get on that.

Still in shock,