Randolph the Writer: My Big Thrill

As a writer who is far more obsessed with what he's writing rather than why he's writing it, I don't actually think about what motivates me too often. The laws of mystery, love and that which we should not define tells me that's a good thing. As many mystics and wise men have said; to explain a thing is to dispel its magic, or its special power over us.

As a romantic and a writer, I don't want to over analyze anything, as I'm prone to do on occasion, but a notion occurred to me today that I thought I would share with you.

I had just finished planning out the main plot line for the third book in the Spinward Fringe series (that's my sixth science fiction book this year, for those of you following along), and was rewarding myself with a third glass of scotch when a thought occurred to me: I love torturing you people.

The thought of a reader standing up, throwing one of my books down and screaming at because of some twist or emotional height between the covers elates me to heights that, if properly described, would be obscene. It thrills me even more when you reach down and pick it back up and continue reading, that's true fulfillment right there. I wouldn't mind being called the "king of cliffhangers" but I have good news to all of you who like endings.

In the third book of the Spinward Fringe series there are real endings. As planned the major plot lines all have conclusions. Some are happy, some are sad, others are not at all what you'd expect.

In conclusion, I truly do write to entertain, and the height of that entertainment is evoking a true emotional response from my reader. I'm a big meanie; I want to make you cry, strive to make you scream, and endeavor to make you hunger for more. Sounds like the habits of a good lover as well, except for the crying part under most conditions...

Well, there's a fourth belt of scotch calling my name, so I'm off. No more drinking and blogging for me. At least not tonight.

Cheers!

RL