What's Your Novel About?

How many times has someone asked me, what's your novel about?  And how many times have I balked, trying to gauge how they'll react when I tell them it's about three gay men trying to find love?  Too many to count.

Then, after working on the bloody thing for about five years, it came to me a few days ago.  Sure, on the surface, my novel is about three gay men trying to find love.  But below that–and the real reason why I'm writing it–it's really about the tragedy of never experiencing love.  Or, more specifically, the tragedy of never experiencing love with a special someone–and for oneself.

Now, when people ask what my novel is about, I'll have a more general–and more specific–answer for them.  I'll have the best answer I can give, without going into too much detail, and without potentially taking away from what I'm trying to do.

(Although the woman I'd never seen before, who sat beside me last October in Victoria, at Chris's twenty-fifth anniversary dinner, working for the provincial government, and who was totally cool when I told her my novel is about three gay men trying to find love, and asked me amazingly accepting and insightful questions about the story and process–she set the standard for how I'd love to talk to people about my work.  And, if I hadn't been open with her, I wouldn't have had such a gratifying experience.  Thank you for that, whoever you are.)