When I was 16 I learned that Jack Kerouac wrote “On the Road” on a single sheet of paper 120 feet long. For those unfamiliar with that story, Kerouac wrote his quintessential stream-of-consciousness masterpiece in three weeks during April of 1951. The scroll has no page breaks or paragraph breaks, and was format-inspired by a rambling letter sent to him from Neil Cassidy. Kerouac had spent many years compiling his thoughts for “On the Road” in pocket notebooks during his life of adventure. After completing the scroll, Kerouac would spend another six years editing and refining the manuscript for publication. Since I was 16, I have been captivated by the romanticism of that single act and have sought to try something similarly ridiculous.
Therefore, I now christen this blog my 120-foot scroll. I’m sure thousands of authors have written hundreds of thousands of feet of scroll-paper ramblings since Kerouac’s time, which is why I am not writing this on a physical scroll of paper. It is the heart of the act that I care to emulate.
With the afore-mentioned inspirational memory in my heart, I am publishing my latest fictional novel 500 words at a time on this website. This was once a blog, but I have come to realize that there is enough self-obsessed pontification being slung on the web these days, so the market won’t miss the withdrawal of my ramblings. Instead of bantering on about opinions and ideas, I think it is more entertaining to use this blog to cultivate and harvest my creativity. Besides, every writer puts their opinions in their work anyway so consider this just a better dressed version of my same ramblings.
This is a science fiction novel currently titled “Roth Burke.” I have some general plot and character sketches, but frankly I’m not fully certain where it will go. This is a first draft, and there will be continuity and other such problems, but I intend to leave postings unchanged once they are published. This will prevent readers from having to worry if they have missed something from before. Each entry will simply be titled with the date I wrote it for clarity. Consider this more of an opportunity to peak over my shoulder as I create a book. Feel free to comment or make interruptive approving/disapproving sounds.
I do not know how long the novel will be or when I will finish it. I’m not even entirely sure how often I intend to publish new pages. I only have two definite answers for you: It is science fiction, and it will be published 500 words at a time. I have chosen to endeavor into the science fiction genre because I believe it is the most pertinent way to comment on the contemporary human condition. And I have chosen to publish in 500-word increments because I have grown fond of that word count due to my job as an online content author.
Now you know, so on with the show!
Sincerely, mr.Lou
