Josh Ritter Prepping First Novel, 'Bright's Passage'

While not every musician can dabble into long-form fiction, Nick Cave and Joe Pernice -- who both released novels last year -- certainly proved it can be done. Now, Brooklyn, N.Y.-based folk singer Josh Ritter is getting into the book game too, with his first novel, 'Bright's Passage,' due in Summer 2011.

Currently, Ritter's on tour supporting his latest release, 'So Runs The World Away,' and he says that 'Bright's Passage' was first intended to be a song on this album, but eventually grew into something much larger. "I actually wrote this story as a song before," Ritter tells Spinner. "I had the major theme, but it turns out when I finished writing it, it was a different thing."

So, what is 'Bright's Passage' about anyway? "It's about a normal guy from West Virginia who comes home from the first World War with an angel that he didn't have before. The angel tells him to do things and it hardly ever works out."

"It's a comedy," he adds. "It's entertaining and it was at the end of finishing up a really intense period with the record." For those that are scared of long-term commitment, don't fear -- Ritter says the book clocks in at around 55,000 words, which makes for a pretty quick read.

"It's 'get in and get out,'" he says. "It's like a song: For me, you get an idea and riff on that idea. I'm learning a lot. Working with an editor is like working with a producer: You have to figure out stuff, solve problems. I love it so far."

'Bright's Passage' is due out on Dial Press. Until then, we'd suggest checking out Ritter's new one, 'So Runs the World Away,' an album that's chock full of stories.