Best Book Ever


I find the idea that there’s a single “book of my heart” a little…dreary. It’s akin to saying, “those were the best days of my life.” It’s the forever optimist in me, but, damn it, I want today to be the best day of my life. And, tomorrow, I want it to be better than today. I extend this concept for my books too. I want them all to be books of my heart. Totally and completely.

I need to feel passionate about every one of them. I need to pin all my hopes on them. I need to love and hate and get horribly frustrated with them. I want to write recklessly. As Katherine said, I need each word to be drops of my blood on the page. While I’m writing, I never want to hear the voice in my ear telling me I’ll never sell this manuscript. I never want to fear I’m not good enough.

I want to write for myself and love every minute of it, even when it’s a struggle.

Of course, in practice, I never quite achieve any of that…and realistically, I know I won’t. Just like not every day is the best day ever. Some days are pretty crappy (*gasp*). But the goal gives me something to strive for and that, I believe, pulls me in a general upward direction. If I take a global enough look, I’m generally happier with my life now than I was one, five, or ten years ago. It's the same with my writing. I’m more passionate, more committed, and I push myself harder now than before. And, day-by-day, I strive to make each book more of my heart.  

3 comments

Oh great. Now Spongebob's Best Day EVER is stuck in my head. ;)

We have many, many "books of our hearts"--sometimes, fragments and pieces of them come at us for years. When they're finally ready, they're ready to be seen by the world. Sometimes we try to push them and don't realize until later that they were still teenagers at the time... not completely matured, not percolated to their full potential yet. Time is the one thing that benefits those moments... interweaves them and makes them stronger as we write and write and write (and read) and improve. And when we go to them and realize they're ready for everyone--that it's TIME--that really IS the best day ever.

Jessica

And if your heart is always changing, it stands to reason that the book of your heart can change, too. Like the book of yesterday's heart was this and tomorrow's heart will be this. And they're all true.

Jessica & Ryan - Very insightful. I agree with you both 100%. And to have the stamina to write ANY book, there must be at least some heart in it.

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