Image Courtesy

UK-based Fantasy author Silvia Hartmann has recently launched a rather risky project called 'The Naked Writer'. A project where she is writing her latest fantasy novel called 'The Dragon Lord' and her readers can see her write her first draft 'live'.

Although most authors would be daunted with the idea of making their first draft public, but for Hartmann by allowing her readers to comment and give feedback while she writes might just work in her favor.

On 12th September Hartmann started this project using Google Docs cloud-based office suite and her fans can visit this public page to see the novel take shape right before their eyes. There is no doubt that this idea takes the whole reader-writer relationship and interaction to a whole new level. But will it really help her write her masterpiece? Well, we'll have to wait and watch.


This is what Hartmann has to say about 'The Naked Writer' project:

"This is an amazing opportunity for me as an author to push the boundaries of the author/reader relationship. It will be amazing to write knowing that people will be viewing each word, paragraph and chapter, each backspace as I go along! Some authors plan their manuscripts in advance, but my stories tend to have a life of their own and I look forward to seeing what unfolds with everybody else!"

Every author knows and understands the importance of the first line of the novel, Hartmann too has ensured that the first line instantly grabs the readers' attention, but then will she able to sustain it for the rest of the novel? While being fully aware of the fact that many people across the globe are watching every word she types?

Well, personally I think it's quite a challenge and if she is able to live up to it, then it will truly be an accomplishment.

Her first line:

"It was not every day that Mrs Delhany found a naked man in the driveway. Indeed, this was the very first time it had happened."

"I've never done this before. I do have faith that if something fits in with my vision and potentially enhances it further, it will definitely be taken on board. I am going to trust my instincts and go with what I feel is right, all the way through," shares Hartmann with Guardian.co.uk. "For example, if I have a character and I love him, and all the readers hate him, I'll probably stick with him. He might be redeemed further down the line, who's to say?"

This is the time and age of creative publishing ideas, with so many writing opportunities and even more budding authors grabbing these opportunities, it has become important to come up with creative ideas to sell a novel. I am still not convinced if this will lead to a literary masterpiece, and I am sure that many readers (and authors) appreciate what she's trying to do. A daring attempt by letting the world see the naked truth behind her writing; the actual writing before all the editing, proofreading and re-editing. Would you be able to gather the courage to do that?

Go ahead, and check out her novel in making here.