I started writing the actual words of the story yesterday. For those of you familiar with On Swift Wings, I intentionally chose a very verbose, almost essayist style to pay homage to Jonathan Swift and the original narrative. I spent a great deal of time selecting the best word, and choosing a longer one where a shorter one might feel more natural. I wrote in an extremely formal, often over-the-top, again to respect the sort of voice present from the original, Gulliver’s Travels.

Those of you who have read it will have no doubt found that the foreward, at the beginning of the book, inspired by a similar dedication in the original, is possessed of a thoroughly over-written style. The most common feedback from that small section has been, “I didn’t understand a lot of the words” or “Are you trying to scare people off of reading the book.” Not exactly, it is more an exercise in capability, and, as I have no doubt repeated far too many times, about paying respect to the original source material. I thought it appropriate for that novel to demonstrate a deference for a great piece of literature, while creating my own world within its rules and limits.

I knew from the start of this, that I was not going to write in the same style. I’ve been there, done that, and now I’m going to try to write something that is entirely more accessible, and hugely different in tone and humour. Some of the content satirizes modern people and society, in precisely the way I intended, others move the story along in a transitory state. This novel is meant to be different.

I am endeavouring to produce a sort of work that, rather than elicit intellectual guffaws, and pushes society-challenging ideas, will instead tickle the funny bone regularly, and as the narrative progresses, keep the reader interested and enthusiastic about continuing. I expect some people will see in this voice reflections of some of my favourite authors, actors, and comedians. I hope that this is seen as an imitation out of respect. It is certainly meant that way. Also, it is written in exactly the same style as this post is not.

Now I’ve written (and re-written) about the same amount as this blog post. It is probably time for me to take a nap.