The Start of My Novel Journey

Welcome to the first post on my first blog as I start the journey to complete my first novel.

Chances are that now is not the best time for me to begin this journey. My job requires me to work seven days a week, and in about 7 months I am going to be a first-time father. But as I've learned before, if you wait for a good time to start something, you'll never begin.

I'm also hoping to pick up some fellow travelers along the way. I'm convinced that the journey will be easier and more enjoyable with some company. Who knows? As we share are stories along the way, we might become the modern-day equivalent of the Canterbury Tales.

A word of warning, though. I'm not a published writer (other than through some online communities such as Helium). I'm not even an English major. I was an aerospace engineer with NASA for 14 years, and I now teach English as a foreign language in Asia. My only credentials are a passion for writing, access to websites filled with advice from "real" writers, and a willingness to try.

My goal is to show and share the process of writing a novel, starting from the very beginning. If there is interest, I would love for this blog to develop into a writer's critique group, where we share ideas on the craft of writing and share our efforts for comment on by others.

The good part is that this community is likely to be small, so we will all have a chance to submit our writing for comment and learn from each other.

If this journey sounds appealing to you, lace up your hiking boots, strap on your knapsack, grab your walking stick, and let's get ready to go!