An Unseen Danger

JOURNAL ENTRY #11

It had only been a few days before I stumbled upon a ruin in the high mountains. Ruins can be dangerous places, and I tend to supress my curiosity in order to carry on with the goal of my expedition. Unfortunately a raging storm has forced me to shelter within its stone walls, and now I am quite possibly trapped.

I have learned, too late, that the name of this ruin is A Reader’s Expectation. From the look of it, many travellers have been led to its venomous snare and here have perished. It is a place where authors have dared to shift their literary style (even momentarily) and have been met with suspicion from those most familiar with their work.

I suppose I should explain myself a little better. It appears I will not be escaping the depths of these damp corridors in the near future anyway.

The new manuscript I have taken with me on this expedition is titled Titch the Itch. It is a story about a small and invisible creature who discovers that no one in his family wants him. As a result, he sets off on a journey to find someone – anyone – who would be willing to live with an itch.

In this book, I wanted to examine the idea of friendship from a slightly different perspective. See, often we think of friendship as something that we accept based on someone’s desirable qualities. I wanted to challenge that, and ask the question, what if friendship has more to do with someone else’s acceptance of us.

I think the main concern readers have of the book, is that the tale ends in a kind of dissonance, thereby transferring the unsettled question to the reader. It is here that I may have unwittingly caused consternation among some of my readers. The cause, if you will, for my predicament. As an author known more for literary harmony, I have dared to use a literary device heretofore unknown.

Yet, the more I consider this, the more I am convinced that it will all work out for the best. Though I currently find myself wandering through dark tributaries, I will not give up. I have been caught in more dangerous waters than these. In the end, I can only write authentically – and this, more than anything else will remain consistent – despite all the unseen dangers in these challenging lands.