people tell you the best thing about having written a book is getting to call yourself a published author or sharing your vision with the world but really the best thing about having written a book is that you don't have to write it anymore
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Hell yes, I carried my book around in my head for years, 18 chapters piled up. I had to get it out of my head. I hated the whole process of getting it out, editing, proofing, dealing with such awful literary types. Easy vow to never go through that process again.
The best thing is when someone else has read the crazy words I decided to put into this world and then ask me
"Hey what is up with ______?" In my book.
My advice would be don't waste your time. Write well-researched Wikipedia pages – you're still a published writer and not only do you get immediate satisfaction but you have the additional benefit of remaining anonymous. I should know.
Not the same, clearly, but I wrote policy and technical manuals and training materials for 20ish years. I felt this way after each one. And, after every quarterly update.
Ha ha... good one. I just published my first book and, just like with my first album, I'm glad it's over... I wish I could redo it... but I'm glad I can't.
Oh my gosh, yes. I was thrilled to call it a day on that one and move on. Knee deep in book 2 and magic still happening on the page. I hope it lasts for another 40k words.
Last time I finished a novel I stood up from my desk, walked straight into the pool and didn't leave until it threatened to become a medical emergency.
To paraphrase Willis Alan Ramsey, who put out a widely esteemed record album in 1972 and not yet another, when folks asked the invariable question: “what’s wrong with the first one?”
You don't have the urge to go back and make changes?
This is one of the reasons I don't re-read my own code too soon after I commit it. I'd be there forever making changes.
It’s great seeing writers reply’s. First time writing a short story for me. I now feel it’s a never ending story that keeps me anxious. Thank you for posting.
Dobby doesn't tell people this very much but he is writing a book. He has never written anything in his life and it's the single scariest thing he's ever tried.
I've written 2 self-pub books, working on a 3rd, and have tons of unpolished stuff waiting for me to get to. I can't speak for anyone else, and I don't want to judge, but in my case, I'd tell you the best thing about having written a book is that you got to write a book, and you get to do it again.
Well, the book that I wrote was about security vulnerabilities in Twitter and Facebook. I was hoping for a safer social networking experience. So glad I don’t have to write that again, but it might be prudent.
I can never decide which is better, writing or reading. There is a ton of catharsis in getting a vision thats in your head out. Sometimes they don’t go away till you do, even if no one reads it.
At the very end of my book, I killed off the main character. God! did I get tired of him!
So I let him freeze to death.
Serves him right. He deserved it.
I would say it’s not the vision or the chore of writing it that’s the best part, and it’s certainly not the title of “published author”, but the creation of a new world where we can escape whenever we tire of adventures in this one. And it’s our world, we make the rules.
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"Hey what is up with ______?" In my book.
That shoots through me like drugs lol
This is one of the reasons I don't re-read my own code too soon after I commit it. I'd be there forever making changes.
See: Cult of Done
Well done!
“…blah, blah, blah, he was so lost in his thoughts, he never saw the truck.”
So I let him freeze to death.
Serves him right. He deserved it.
The best part is walking into a bookstore and seeing your book by the counter.