How many books have we indulged hours in, allowing our minds to be swept away to another part of the world, universe or circumstances? As a reader, have you ever stopped to think what went into creating the story that you just gobbled up? I have to admit, I never did.
As I wrote in an earlier blog post, Writing That First Novel, I didn't consciously decide to write a book. I responded to an internal nudge egging me on to write one. Writing it set me free of the call and introduced me to the world of being an author.
What have I learned?
For one thing, writing a book is hard! At least for me, it was. I'm not saying it wasn't fun, exciting and a great way to allow my creative self to flow, but it was hard. There were a few times when I was stuck, where is this story going? Like a marathon runner who hits the wall, I had to push through the pain, take stock of how far I had come, and keep on going.
A second thing I have become aware of is there are a lot of great books out there! I never really realized how many books are published. I recently went to the Book Expo America event where I found myself making a huge mental list of all the books I want to read this summer. Too bad summer is only three months and my list would probably fill three years.
Lastly, and not the only other thing I have learned, is that I don't know if I ever really appreciated the great stories my favorite authors have told me. Sure, I may have passed a good book along to a friend. I never, however, until now, took the time to write a review online, encourage friends and relatives to read these good books, or buy them as gifts. I do that now, however, as an author knowing the immense time it took the author to craft their book. This past Christmas, in fact, I gave everyone in my family a book as a gift. They loved them and it gave us more to chat about. How do you show your gratitude after reading a great book?