Everyone's doing it. . . .

Writing a book, I mean! Or they should be. It's funny: I get so many people who say, Oh, I'd love to write a book. Sometimes I have ideas. . . . And then they trail away, as if to say that this is such a far-off dream that they dare not even try it. To this I say: "Pshaw!" (I was going to say something else, but in the event that there are tender youths reading this blog, I shall refrain.) Take five minutes. Take that idea you had and write it down. Do it however you like: in a notebook, a diary, on the computer. Just write it down. Walk away. The next day, open up that diary or notebook or computer file, and look at what you've written- don't be shy! Add to it. Change something. Write down a first line, a last line, a smidgeon of outline. Every day, or every day that you can manage it, open up that book/diary/file, and give it just five minutes of your time. Maybe fifteen, if you're lucky. One day you will have that book written. Then get back to me, and we'll talk about editing and publication. That's another story, and not one to scare away the newbies with. But try it. If you have an idea, WRITE IT DOWN! Your ideas are just as good as anyone else's. Probably better than most peoples. (If you're reading my blog that means you have good taste and are well-read, so that's two things in your favor right there!) But I see no reason why everyone, everywhere, can't have a book of their own. Trust me, just holding a big stack of paper filled with your words in manuscript form is a rush. Seeing it bound into a book . . . ooh, baby!