Franky Benítez

Ever since I went back to a day job earlier this year, this blog went into a state of inactivity.

Two weeks ago I brought it back, changed its name one night and started writing The Two Worlds of Franky Benítez, an online novel (Junot Díaz meets Mario Puzo, with a working title most likely changing) that will keep appearing in installments once or twice a week.

Sure, I am not the first person who started sharing fiction online, and I definitely won’t be the last. I could self-publish, and as someone who knows about book creation and production, that is still a viable option. But I have crazy dreams, just like millions and millions of other aspiring authors.

So my idea is a simple one, and I’m sure others have thought about it.

Why not create a transparent novel?

That is, continue writing installments on a weekly basis, but use social media to present a fuller and more robust picture of the entire creative process.

What would this even look like?

Here are a few thoughts:
• Reader comments become “advance reviews.”
• Brief videos could add a back story to every installment.
• More in-depth posts about certain parts of the book based on reader questions.
• Audio recordings of certain excerpts by guests from my social network.
• Photos and other clips of the places mentioned in the book.

Some ideas will stick and some will fail miserably.

And is there a publisher who would be open to creating a final manuscript for publication and willing to share how the process evolves, as if we were all witnessing it online and in real time?

That would be crazy, but it also could be kind of cool.

What do you think?