My new addiction

No, it’s not a new drink. Or more textures. Or even mosaics. And although I love all the aforementioned addictions I seem to have, this is something I’m addicted to READING. And it’s a blog. (And I am not addicted to drinking. I just like drinks).

When we learn to listen to little silences, they tell us profound stories.

This is the opening sentence of an ongoing blog I began reading shortly after the holidays. It's called Leif ~ A Voyage. And nearly every day, there's an entry. Sometimes it's only a few paragraphs and other times it's a small chapter, but it's always intriguing.

The blog author doesn't post anything personal about themselves, only the story.

The story takes place in Iceland or Norway in ancient times. We are on a boat full of men and a fish-girl and we are fleeing, branded as outlaws. We’ve been banned for three years from our homeland.

I’m not going to reveal anything else about it, only that you have to start at the beginning, which is the very first post.

I interviewed the writer of this blog recently and here is what they had to say.

CG: Your blog is really unique in the fact that it's not a personal blog, which are the types I usually read, but more like a small novel. Why did you decide to set up a blog that's a story?
Author, Leif: I took an unpaid leave of absence from work this year to fulfill a longtime dream of serious writing.  A novel is to be my second work to submit to agents and publishers this year.  To submit, you need a minimum of 80,000 words.  I'd NEVER written that much before, and was nervous I would not do it.  So I chose to do it in a public forum, where, even if I had only one reader, I'd have to be  faithful to writing every day. 
Now, since it's already published publicly, that may ruin chances for a book once it's finished and I submit to agents.  But I figured it was worth the risk and the learning experience.  Plus, I have two sequels planned already.

CG: How do you know so much about the way of life in that time period, the clothing they wore and their rituals? Did you study history in school?

Author, Leif: I never, ever thought about it at all.  Never was particularly interested in this time period or subject.  The whole story just came to me in a flash one day.  I started shaking, and felt squeezed . . . honestly, kind of like a birth experience! .  . . and suddenly the whole plot was in my head. 
. . . about a topic I wanted to be historically accurate as well as educational, and knew n o t h i n g.  I have one thing to say.  Thank God for Google.

CG: I love the fact that you dole out small chapters, and sometimes as little as a single paragraph daily. Is it your intention to drive us all mad waiting for the next chapter? I'm kidding. You don't have to answer this.
Author, Leif: Yes, mad, I tell you, MAD! 
No seriously; it comes intuitively.  I work every day to translate the plot in my head into words and sentences and a story line that makes sense.  Sometimes it feels right to do a very short one.  Sometimes it wants more.
But I'm delighted to know that it drives anticipation! :-)

CG: Is the narrator of the story Leif?
Author, Leif: No.

Hmmm. Well, on that note, I’ll have to check today’s offering. Readers, this may be something you might enjoy. But remember, to begin at the beginning.

 

Until tomorrow, my friends . . .