Writing a novel is a craft.

I think a lot about the subject of writing a novel.  I have learned it's not an activity most people are interested in, not really. Not normal average folks. They want to read a great story but not talk about how it is conceived.  So it's like sex only opposite.

If writing a novel is a craft then it has it's unique elements and characteristics. That's to say, it is unlike other media. The printed word is historic. The Story is older. There is no limit to the ways one can express herim self. And although the market place is always searching for something new, some things never change but are only toyed with and occasionallly altered for the better..

So us wont-ta-be writers study the craft of the masters then we grow wings and fly around like seabirds.

Once strong enough maybe we learn to soar and not crash in a field of stupid birds who have no craft to help them explore their imaginations.