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Books and Babies Are Similar
A seasoned writer’s 10 essentials for slogging through and surviving anything daunting and (at times) discouraging
The first time I held it in my hands…the infant version of my book, the advanced reader copy ( “ARC”), joy coursed through my body. It wasn’t the pride that I’d done it, finishing the 200+ page manuscript at age 80, no less — which many regard as “old.” The delight was that I could now hold it in my hand. It has been born.
“It” existed first in my mind, gestating, and growing into more than an idea. It is a story that takes on a mind of its own. Until this moment, I’ve “known” it mostly on a screen. Now it is on paper, with a spine and glue that holds it together. It took nine months to conceive. I delivered it to the publisher as a final draft. And as any parent knows, it’s just the beginning.
How dare I compare giving birth to a child and bringing an idea into the world? Books and babies are similar. Both are like any important and weighty undertaking. Nothing happens — not the gestation, labor, delivery, or the after care — unless you’re thoughtful, disciplined, and determined to make…
