Isn't Fun The Point?

Remembering fiction's purpose.

It’s easy to dig into the art of fiction and forget where it all started, as both a reader and a writer.

I fell in love with fiction not because of the nuance or subtlety, but because of the fun. But I forget that sometimes. I begin to worry about the deeper meaning of stories. I stopped reading short books because they couldn’t possibly have the same value as long ones. I started trying to write my books longer to ensure I didn’t “cheat”. I thought more about theme and a story’s beauty than the actual story itself.

But where is the line drawn?

Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash

My reader perspective

There are a ton of books I enjoy. Fiction and nonfiction, fantasy and sci-fi, genre fiction and literary fiction.

But I often feel pressure (from myself more so than anywhere else) to ensure all of my time is productive. I try to read books that are considered “valuable”, even if that means they’re boring. The classics are more important simply because they’re the classics, so I should spend more time on those.

While I do think the classics are important, not every minute of every day needs to be spent in productivity. Believe it or not, leisure is allowed.

Hence why I write fiction.

Having fun with a book isn’t wrong. I set down a book series I’m reading for inspiration (it’s also very good, but I needed a break from it) to read 1776 by David McCullough. Not because I think it’s more productive, but because I think it’s fun.

This doesn’t mean reading things that are productive is bad. But neither is reading what’s fun.

If we stop reading things that are fun, then reading will no longer be fun. The interest will die, and we’ll no longer feel motivated to read the productive works.

My writer perspective

I want to write something beautiful.

I still remember my first time reading The Lord of the Rings, and I was totally taken aback by its depth. The world was ancient, and it was dying. I didn’t realize the nuance and thematic depth of the story yet, but there was something there that stirred in me an interest in literature.

Then I read other books like Dune, Speaker For The Dead, Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep, The Sign Of The Four, The Martian Chronicles, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and so many more. They were all so beautiful, had brilliant characters, and a deep philosophical throughline connecting everything together.

Some of these books even brought me to tears, and I dreamed of my work moving others the way these books moved me. I wanted to create beauty.

But I focused on it too much.

I focused on the themes of my stories and wrote them with a heavy hand instead of the precision of an artist. I repeated myself, talking down to the readers to essentially say, “Do you get it? Do you understand this thing that I did?”

I stressed myself out worrying about whether my books were as good as the masterworks I enjoyed or not. I’ll admit, there are times I’ve fallen asleep in tears after experiencing a work of art so beautiful that I knew I could never make anything as amazing as that.

And that’s what I keep forgetting.

I’m never going to be as good as Tolkien, Card, Bradbury, Christie, Lewis, Clavell, Hemingway, Dick, Clarke, Doyle, Herbert, or the other hundreds of brilliant writers who created the most amazing stories ever.

But I can be as good as me.

I love fun stories. For as much as I love thematic depth, I love flashy action. I love unique and cool concepts as much as I enjoy emotional nuance.

I enjoy cool stories just as much as I enjoy the artsy ones.

Too often, I focus on the results. What’s my story going to be like when it’s finished? How can I make the first draft perfect? How do I make every book I write as brilliant as these masterpieces that I love?

I don’t.

Why did I start writing to begin with?

Because it’s fun.

Why am I writing now? Is it still fun, or am I doing this for recognition, for attention, or for money?

If it’s any of those other three things, then no wonder I’m not satisfied with my work.

Those aren’t the point.

The point is to craft an interesting and entertaining story and have fun doing it.

The finished book that I get to hold in my hand is not the goal.

The goal is to get in the chair, open up the next book, and immerse myself in another world while chronicling a character’s journey through it.

How does this apply to my books?

My books are fun.

That’s what I’m best at.

Let’s be honest: I’m not a master writer, and I probably never will be. I’m not going to write a magnum opus that shifts our culture as we know it. I’ll be lucky if I move one person.

But I am an entertaining writer.

My books are honest and authentic. Yes, themes are present, and my values make themselves known in my characters and their journeys. I do my best to marry the two: thematic depth and entertaining fiction.

I do believe honesty is value enough when it comes to art, and my books are as honest as they come. Instead of pushing against the inspirations that got me into writing, my stories embrace the inspirations and take them further.

My latest series—Killstream—is heavily inspired by the Tron movies. I wanted to see more stories explore the idea of a digital world, and I did it by looking at virtual reality and games from a sports lens. I was, at one point, an athlete. I know what it’s like to compete, and I know how important it is to have teammates.

Killstream is authentic and has themes of community and friendship, but it’s also fast-paced, thrilling, and fun. The second book was just released last Friday, and you’re not going to want to stop reading once you finish the first.

Read the series through the link below.

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