What's a FictionDoldrum?

The Doldrums, if I understand the nautical term, refers to a region of light, shifting, and sometimes completely absent winds. In times past this area around the Earth’s equator was notorious for trapping sailing ships for days (or even weeks) without enough wind to power their sails. Colloquially, to be in the doldrums refers to a time of personal listlessness, despondency, inactivity, and stagnation.

Knowing what the Doldrums are, when paired with the term Fiction, it would be understandable if one took this blog to be about writer’s block. But it’s not.

Instead FictionDoldrums is my attempt to fill a void. While there is a great deal of verbal and written conversation about how-to write a novel, and how to find and agent and a publisher. It is nearly all given as advice from someone who has found success and is doling out their impressions after the fact.

What I hope to do here is share the painfully slow and halting process with you as I go through it. Starting now, having worked for about ten months to complete the manuscript for my first novel Good For Nothing and moving forward as I try to find a proper home for that manuscript.