Friday, December 7, 2007

The Third Book

Ok, I officially feel guilty. I have been saying that writing should not be about being able to hold a book in your hand or pointing to a byline and saying “I wrote this!” Writing should be about communication. Whether it is a reference book, a novel or an article in a magazine, writing should be about the author communicating with or teaching the reader. Writers should not be defined by the paper that is produced but by what they communicate. If they take pride in anything, it should not be that they have their name on a book or on an article, but it should be in what they have been able to communicate. It all sounds good, but I received an unexpected package today and now I feel guilty.

This afternoon, when I arrived home from work, I found a small package on my front porch. It looked very much like one I received a couple of days ago. When I opened it, my suspicions were confirmed. This was the second copy of my third book, How to Become a Bible Character. As I began to think about this book, I began to think about the differences between this book and the one before it. The cover is so much like the one before it and yet it is very different. It reminds me that this is not the first book, but the third book that I have written and yes, I will admit that I feel a little pride because of it. It is the culmination of many weeks of work. Of the three books, this was the hardest for me to write. Nothing was easy about this book, but it is finished and there is something about being able to hold it in my hands. Even if sales are dismal, I feel as though I have accomplished something.

Yes, I know that may seem like it goes against my ideals about writing. Yes, I know that it may seem like vanity and perhaps it is, but I am enjoying it none the less.