Why I No Longer Say I'm Writing A Book

Long long long long long ago (at least, that's what it feels like), I used to proudly inform people that I was writing a book. Now?... I tell people I'm working on a book, and let's just say the proud tone has changed to one of weariness that seems to say, "Man, I can't believe I'm not finished with it yet..."

You see, I used to think it was easy to write a book. You think up a story, write it down, send it off to a publisher, and BOOM! You're an official author. But now that I've actually been at it for a while, I realize that first and foremost, it's work to tell a story on page. In fact, it's probably more work than it would be to forge all the swords and armor, sew the costumes, buy the props, act out the story with your friends for three days straight, and tell it that way. Anyone who's undertaken writing a book will know that this is no exaggeration. (If, by any miraculous chance, you do happen to be an author who finds writing easy, good for you, just please don't tell me so, lest I be provoked to jealousy.)

Yesterday, I was looking over what I thought to be the final draft of my book, and I knew almost at once that I'd need to write up a fourth draft. Needless to say, it was not a good day for me and I felt very discouraged. This brings me to say that not only is writing work, but it is emotionally, mentally, and sometimes physically taxing. If you've been able to write something particularly good on a certain day, it becomes one of the best days ever. But sometimes, ideas won't come, or you'll find an idea hard to put down on paper, and that's when the discouragement comes and maybe nothing else will seem right that day.

So what does a writer need to actually finish a book? Well, from my own experiences, you definitely need a strong sense of perseverance. Despite how excited you may be about an idea or story, there WILL be those spots that are tricky or just plain boring to write. (And then your editor comes back and tells you the boring, tricky part needs to be LONGER!) So perseverance is a must! You also need an understanding family who will sit and listen while you whine about how difficult chapter one was to write, who don't ask questions about something strange you say when your brain is 80 percent fried, and who will even keep you up to date on what Andrew Peterson says about writing a book. (thanks dad!) And, most important to me, a group of friends who are everything you need from test readers, editors, idea sources, characters, encouragers, listeners, fans, and an angry mob who will kill you if you don't finish the book.

So, all that being said, why would anyone want to undertake writing a book?

Because we are all need of stories. Stories have been an important part of humanity since before creation, when God so beautifully planned the most epic story of all time. And being made in the image of God, it's in our nature to want to create stories of our own. Even fictional stories, tales of things that never have or could happen in the real world hold a significance. Jesus Himself gave us some of the greatest truths in the forms of parables, or fiction. In the same way, our stories can reveal God and His truth in a different light, from the point of view of imagined characters and worlds. And if we can somehow show God in our fictional tales, then it's well worth whatever work we put into telling them.