Once again, a silly idea has taken root in my thoughts and has begun to suggest itself as a feasible project. I am speaking about the Hemingway/Joyce/Stein mystery that my subconscious (or is it unconscious?) mind presented to me the other night. It poses an interesting challenge: not only will I have to devise all of the intricacies of a compelling murder mystery, but I will also have to emulate the style and voice of three very famous, very different writers. This is not just a question of ability but also of legality. How long does someone have to be dead before you can use them in this way? I don’t want descendants and executors descending on me and legally executing me. Does the “this is all made up” disclaimer at the beginning cover your bases?

I’ve also been thinking about this blog as a sort of vanity press. I’ve been considering serializing this novel here on my blog. I’m extremely good at coming up with ideas and beginning to develop them but I have yet to complete an entire project. This has been a real hindrance in aspirations of publication. I’m thinking that serialization will provide me not only with immediate feedback from impartial (or even partial) readers, but it may also encourage me to get the damn thing done so as not to let people down. I tend to work very well under pressure. Deadlines and demands are good for me. I’m not sure about the wisdom of this, though. Will it hurt or help my chances of future publication? Will there be royalty and copyright issues down the road? WordPress terms of service are somewhat vague.  I would appreciate any thoughts, advice, or information on this. In the meantime, I’ll keep mulling it over.