It’s hard to know what to believe: do Facebook, Twitter, and texting encourage kids to read more, or actually discourage sustained, focused reading? Has the internet improved comprehension scores—or not?  Have electronic media (encompassing movies and TV) stimulated storytelling, or separated the elements of story so that students no longer have a firm grasp of cause-and-effect and character-driven plot?

I’ve heard the reading debate from all sides, and all sides interest me.  But in the meantime, I have a problem: I’ve started a story that I’m not sure how to end.

The idea came from a picture that my caricature-artist son drew on a slow day.  Car-less in Los Angeles at the time, he was thinking how much easier it would be to get around if he just had a nice set of wings.  The picture shows a young boy sailing over a pastoral landscape with beautiful pearly-white plumage outspread.  It’s a lovely scene, but I couldn’t help thinking how awkward a pair of wings might be for the average boy, at least when he wasn’t in the air.  And with that thought came another: There has to be a story here.

Here's the picture (sorry it's fuzzy; I'll get a better one soon):

The story is Birdboy, a full-length fiction manuscript for readers 10 and up, that’s been sitting in my computer for almost a year.  It does have a conclusion; I’m just not sure I like it.  So here’s my thought: how about putting it up on my website, a chapter at a time, and let readers tell me what they think? 

I could call it The Birdboy Project!  Here’s how it works:

Starting in late December or early January, I plan on posting one or two chapters per week on my website.  Each would have a brief introduction of what I’m tying to accomplish with this section of the story, plus one or two questions about story structure or character development to encourage thought.  After reading the chapter, participants can link over to my blog to leave comments: either answers to the questions or their own thoughts.  (Not that they have to, but feedback is one of the main reasons I’m doing this.)  Each post may also contain links to websites that provided story material , such as Weekly World News (remember BatBoy?).  As the novel unfolds, I would like to give readers a sense of how stories work (or don’t)—how  causes produce effects, how character influences plot (and vice versa), how foreshadowing pays off.  

As the novel stands now, there are 23 chapters at an average of 11 pages each.  At one to two chapters per week, the entire novel will be online by the end of April.

The “Project” will work best if it’s voluntary, but it might make an interesting discussion group for students who would like to participate.  Anyone can join at any time, but I would like to have an email list to notify participants when new chapters are online, as well as possible contests, changes in the manuscript, or other news.  To sign up, all they have to do is go to my website, click on the “Talk to Me!” link, enter your name and email in the Direct Contact form, and type “Birdboy,” or simply “BB” in the message box.  The list will be for Birdboy-related updates only—no marketing, recommendations, or grandbaby pictures.

If it sounds interesting, pass the word!  I remain, in fear and trembling, your humble author.

To return to my website, click here.

Or go directly to the first chapter.

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