Have you ever thought of writing a book?

I have thought of it many, many times. I hope that, someday, I will. I’m afraid that I simply lack the talent though, so I’ve never actually tried. I have these grand, poetic and wonderful ideas running through my head that I think would be excellent for a book. But whenever I try to write these things down – in any kind of form – all I see is a heaping pile of fly covered shit. Ahem.

Besides, I’m so fucking confusing, even to myself, that I don’t think people would be able to get through any book I write. That’s why I keep a personal journal. Maybe as I look back on my life when I’m a lot older, my journal will be book enough for me? I don’t know…

I wrote it, then the hard drive fried. There was a lot of anger. I haven’t tried again since.

I’ve always wanted to write a book. I’ve never gotten more down than the first paragraph, and I probably never will, but I have always wanted to. The odd/interesting thing is that it really doesn’t bother me that I haven’t actually done it. Maybe that’s because I have one heck of a great paragraph.

Yes I’ve always wanted to. I just don’t really have the confidence to believe it would be any good and I probably wouldn’t let anyone read it. Maybe one day…

I’ve written two chapters of a book (in conjunction with other authors writing other chapters).

Yup.

Yes.

I wrote a book last November. I’m writing another this November. NaNoWriMo!!! Woo!!

“NaNoWriMo!!! Woo!!”?????

Gee, EP! You TALK funny!

Just imagine what my book must be like!

Oh, I get it. National Novel Write Month! Right?

Yep :)

I love me some National Novel Writing Month.

I wrote a book in high school, a fictional piece that was highly derivative. Then I started another novel but never finished it – silly me! I thought I could write when the baby napped.

Ha!

I haven’t tried again, although I have written some short stories and actually won a contest in the local newspaper with one. Maybe when the kids leave home. And the dogs die. And any number of other excuses.

I have often thought of writing a book. I lack the confidence, though. A couple of people have told me I write well, but I don’t really believe them.

The other problem is that I don’t know what to write about. No, that’s not true. I don’t know what I want to Say. If I don’t know what I want to Say, I can’t choose any story to tell that Says what I want to Say.

I’m also not sure anyone is willing to put up with multiple parenthetical comments at book length. Fluther length? Sure. It’s over soon. Book length—probably tedious.

You’ve obviously never read The Princess Bride or any Terry Pratchett Discworld stuff. They are all about the asides.

I wrote a book but it wasn’t for publication. I was at a state in my life where I had two choices write or go nuts. By putting my thoughts on paper I turned nuts into peanut butter.

@ep: no I haven’t read Pratchett. Now I know why. I must have read a story or something in F&SF of his, and been turned off. Odd, eh? I hate reading what I write!

Been thinking about it since I was six, been doing it for about four years. It has morphed several times since I started.

Yes, I think I shall.

i’m still writing a cookbook. it’s been at least 3 or four years. i edit. then i walk away from the urge to write. then i go back to it again. yes, bookwriting does take time and patience. you just have to put your mind to it and sacrifice to get it done.

maybe i should drive a vintage red convertible up into the mountains only to get snowed in trying to get back down and get rescued by a chick who lives with a pig who just adores my novels.

@charlie – The pig adores your novels? What does it do with them?

On another note, I did write a cookbook many years ago but just never made any effort to have it published. I still use most of the recipes. I’ll probably just hand the ms. off to the kids someday and let them use it or toss it.

Ever since I could read, I’ve dreamed of writing. My complete lack of self-discipline has kept me from doing so.

@Augustlan, take a writing class, perhaps one that meets weekly at your local community college or a retirement center: a general class or one focused on some area of specialty, such as humor or memoir or historical fiction. It doesn’t matter. The class will require you to do some writing, but probably not a burdensome amount. You know, it is just amazing what can come out of you in five minutes in response to an in-class writing prompt. It’s like Dumbo—wow, I didn’t know I could do that! You can teach yourself discipline and learn the craft through practice and study, but it may take actual outside help to get started. A class, a writers’ club, or a conference can do the trick.

Writing is one of the few respected fields of endeavor that you can get into without a credential and without a significant cash outlay, but it does take time, practice, and hard work—difficult to commit to without something that gives your confidence a boost.

It’s crossed my mind a few times.

I have had 2 therapists tell me I should write a book about my family….yes, my family is that dysfunctional….

I have too! Last November I wrote a novel for NaNoWriMo, (Woo!!!) as well, and a novella last spring for my creative writing class. And I’m working on another for this November.

Congratulations and hats off to everybody who is doing or has done NaNoWriMo!

@Jeruba: Thanks for the advice : )

@Cheeb: My family, too!

I started to write it in tattoo but I ran out of skin.

I’ve had the first few lines for my “Great American Novel” floating in my head for many years. The body of the story evolves as my life does; but life is what happens while I’m thinking baout writing my novel!!

It’s on simmer.
Going to be very good though once it is served.

I have thought of writing a novel for quite some time. My teenage years with my best friend were very eventful and interesting, and we often thought what it would be like if we had our own reality show, but that never happened. Alot of drama went on, and i think many people could relate, so yes the thought has been floating around for a while.

Yup; have done. The secret was building a simple outline based on chapter titles and content. Then I just needed some time to work. Result: 3 published non-fiction, one more in press.

Now, a novel (which turns out to be what people usually mean by “writing a book”)—not so much, although I’ve got several first and second chapters mouldering in old files.

Here’s another Fluther question: Why do we value fiction writing over non-fiction?

I know why I do—it’s that act of pure imagination that makes us so gloriously human.

Imagination is what makes us human and what makes us unique, it’s a wonder all in itself! Perhaps the value comes in our envy of those who can translate it into words and onto paper. Certainly non-fiction is valuable, but it seems more of a recounting rather than a creation.

@eagle: Good for you! I’m envious ; )

@asmonet- That’s horrible! What was it about?

@eagle- I value a well-written book of any kind. I don’t think all people value fiction over non-fiction. They serve different purposes. Actually, to me the ultimate genre of book is the memoir, because the line between fiction and non-fiction is blurred when recounting memories. Imagination fills in the blanks.

I’m very impressed that you’ve had your works published. What subjects did you write about?

I actually actively am. It’s pretty good so far.

@jkap: Good for you, too! : )

@SuperMouse,
>Maybe that’s because I have one heck of a great paragraph.
And how many people can say that?

In several hundred thousand words, I am suddenly not sure if I have a great paragraph.

Oddly enough, I had forgotten that I actually have published one non-fiction book, and a few copies even sold. It was my Master’s thesis. Fiction is much harder than non-fiction because there is so much fact-checking to do. You are tempted to let your imagination just go, but when someone else reads your work they will notice things that just can’t work the way you have them work in your imaginary world. So either you have to learn how that whatever it is does work, or you have to invent convincing rules that apply in your own world.

With non-fiction, you just go check the sources or your data.

@shadling21 One education, one history, one environmental. The in-press one is education, too. My royalties over ten years would about cover a couple of nights at a Holiday Inn in a non-destination town, but it’s been fun.

Thanks!

@shadling: It was 364 pages of epic gothic fantasy spanning about 70 years – not gothic like vampires, think more dark and creepy. Written at the tender age of fourteen. With everyone talking about writing again in the questions and chat room I think I might just have another go. I have a ton of ideas, it’s just sitting down to start gets me angry at the last time, I think I could barrel through it though. We’ll see. :)

@asmonet, I am so sorry about what happened to you. I am a compulsive backer-upper because I fear that very thing. I save frequently, I keep prior drafts, I store backup copies on my husband’s computer (on our LAN), and once a month I copy everything onto a CD to be stored offsite (I take it to work). I back the whole works up periodically from desktop to laptop, and I copy important stuff onto a grab-and-go flash drive that is attached to a batteryless windup flashlight (a true emergency device). And when I reach milestones I print out a paper copy so that in a pinch I could retype.

The only measures I have never had to fall back onto when I got into a fried-computer or clobbered-file jam were the CD at work and the flash drive. All the others have saved my neck at one time or another, and the most I have ever totally lost was a week’s worth of work.

Thank you. That’s definitely compulsive backer-uppering. Good for you, I don’t have that kind of motivation, I opted for giving up. I might take a few pages from your book the next time around. :)

Many times. Even started twice but never got the thing finished (and later burned one of them). Now I feel compelled to try again for the third time. First of all it is something I need to do, and secondly I am sure that it will sell (for a variety of purely practical and media-related reasons). So perhaps this pressure will help me get it done. All the ideas are already there and I’ve even done a few chapters in my mind.

Yeah, but wifey beat me to the punch, and if I start now it’ll be like, me too!

@Yetanotheruser That’s just an excuse not to do it.

@EmpressPixie , that was just a tongue-in-cheek response. The actual response should be that wifey and I have each been writing all our lives. My writing mostly took the form of songwriting and journaling. Hers, up until recently, has been mostly science fiction. Lately, however, she has been writing more non-fiction, and she has actually been talking to publishers.

@Yetanotheruser Good luck to both of you : )

@augustlan Thanks.

I’ve decided not to write a book because I don’t want anyone to read it. What are you staring at? Stop looking at my book. I would make blunders whose existence in print would irritate me forever, like scratches on the sunglasses of my soul, or like the phrase “scratches on the sunglasses of my soul.” My unwritten book, on the other hand, is perfect. Not a single word in it reads false. Not writing it is probably the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done, next to not having children.

@augustlan Ditto re lack of discipline. There is an excellent online writing course that you can access at www.winghill.com. Accessing will not be a great deal of help though. I did that, think it is excellent, but still have not written a book.