I’m pretty sure with all of your loyal followers and the many lurkers out there – it doesn’t matter WHAT you write, we will buy it. Because we heart you.

I think anything that comes from you is going to be brilliant, stop self-sabotaging and get writing! :)

Proud for you that you’ve taken the dive. Brave, brave, brave. And you can always change the main character’s name later. You can do this.

I second the buying-ness. Also, heartily recommend Wil Wheaton’s blog about self-publishing and for how he struggles with being a writer and the doubts that can accompany that. Stepehn King’s “On Writing” is also a good read. Good luck!

I love it already. Good luck!

Your writing has “Dawg, you can sing the phonebook” appeal. I will buy your book, and it will be really well-written and kick-ass, and when friends ask to borrow my copy, I will make them buy their own so you get royalties.

Good luck, the first step is the hardest. Except for the step after that.

I’m so excited for you. I think it’s one of those “You can’t win the lotto if you don’t play” scenarios. You’ll never write a book if you don’t sit down and start typing something, anything. I think it’s better to try and fail (which I don’t for a moment believe will be your end result) then to always wonder if you could have done it. Kudos!

Even if you print out the word document and hawk it on your blog, I will buy it. As long as it isn’t too expensive…teehee!
Good luck!
g~

My son wrote an entire 160 page book last summer. I’m only telling you that in hopes someone kinda hates him for that as much as I do.

Sign me up for a copy! I’m sure it will be great. You can always clean it up later, just write (like I almost know what I’m talking about). As a mathematician, I have great respect to those who can put words together well. And coherently. In a story. Good luck!

Is your character’s name Renesmee Carlie Cullen? No? Well then, it’s not the worst character name EVER.

Oh! And kudos to you for starting a book. That’s BIG.

Have you read Anne Lamott “Bird by Bird” – if not get your hands on a copy ASAP. Until then just take it bird by bird (one step at a time)

OK, sounds like you are freaking out a little bit here and I would think that’s totally normal in book writing, right? You know if this story isn’t the ONE that is meant to be then that would be OK, right? Because it would be like a practice run? Or something? I bet best selling authors have tons of partial drafts and stories they just abandoned when something better came along in their brilliant brains? Right? Maybe? Or maybe this is the one and you’ll get there and be happy with it, mouth breathing and bad character names and all. Heh.
Well, I am super excited and proud of you and of course I will buy whatever book you produce.

Congratulations! And yay – that’s a very exciting prospect for those of us who like to read your stuff. Wherever this goes, or doesn’t go, it’s sure to be an experience worth having, along the way.

I admire that you’re trying something outside your writing comfort zone; that isn’t an easy thing to do. I’ve sat back and helped three friends edit books that they have written (two have publishing contracts, because I make up for my lack of talent by having Talented Friends), but I myself do nothing to prod the little girl inside to maybe give it a try already and *write something*.

Anyway, I wish you the best of luck. If you do make it through the end of the book I’ll happily read it, badly named main character be damned. Hell, you can always throw in a few zombies to distract from that if necessary.

Yay for you! That is awesome. Me and my girlfriends all have said in the past that you should write a book! Good luck!

Why don’t you write a book about a 35ish year old very talented woman who wants to write a book but can’t see the cover for the trees.

I think some of the best stuff there could ever be – is what you have already written.

Make a compilation of your blog posts and pepper in a paraphrase of some of the best responses you’ve enjoyed.

Janet – Miami fan

And that, exactly, is what stalls all my projects. But my photography? I’ve decided to go the whole way. I’m taking classes and last night I realized that if I’m going to really do this, I have to not only take the classes and pretend I’m studying. I have to study and do the assignments and practice. It is the actual work of it that scares me, what if I work really really hard and it comes to nothing?
Like your other commenters, I will read your book.

Just go. Write. See what happens. No matter what just take a page from Nike and Just Do it. “What if” and “fear” don’t actually exist any where but in your mind. We are all behind you and read you every day with bated breath. So go, do. We are right here with you.

very cool. I am here to say encourageing things and not put any preasure on you at all but I really think a book from you would be fun to read just write how you do to us and you got it made in my opinion that is.

I saw a blouse on ebay that was advertised as having “artsy puckers.” Since then I’ve been trying to work up a character named Artsy Puckers. Makes me laugh every fucking time I say it. AL

Good for you! And remember that for almost all writers, writing is painful. Awful. We all SUCK at it. We wring our hands and scowl and pace. We think nobody will read it, and if they do happen to read it they will think we are talentless hacks. All this is part of the process. And in the end your horribly named teenager’s story will be. . .wonderful.

Congrats to you!! Starting is the hardest part! I have already finished my novel…so I’m on the trying to find a publisher part! You’ve taken the first step with writing a few hundred words!! Best of luck!!

Taking the attitude of “who cares” helped me with my novel-perpetually-in-progress. I let the characters dictate where things go, I really have no say in the matter. I never intended my main to have a love interest, and 16 chapters in, she got one. Go figure!

I would buy a book full of BLANK PAGES if it was YOURS…because I would owe you that much for the enjoyment I get out of reading what you write HERE.

Also, Artsy Puckers…guffaw!

Who cares if anyone besides your husband and parents read it?! You will have written an ENTIRE book! That is amazing in itself – what percentage of the world is truly capable of doing such a thing? Just have fun!

Way to go!

You know we will all read it.

Good for you … I started two books for National Novel Writing Month and finished neither. My husband finished one year. It isn’t great, but it’s a book, and it’s his.

Hooray! Also, that’s what edits are for. And, practice makes perfect so if it sucks you’ll learn from it and make it better next time.

Yea, you! Seriously — never start and never finish. Start, and maybe you’ve got a creative outlet for your life going on. And if it’s a best seller, so much the better, right?

I’m sure someone has already written this, but I think you’re awesome for even trying! And I have no doubts that anything you write will not be lame.

Oh my gosh! Awesome! The act of writing, in and of itself, is an accomplishment and I’m happy to hear you’re getting on that horse or…whatever metaphor would be good here.

I actually did the exact same thing the other day, just finally kicked myself in the own ass enough to open up a damn Word document and start writing, already. (I wrote about 65 pages of a “novel” a few years back, but evidently it was going nowhere so I scrapped it and started anew). I get hung up on the SAME, uh, hang-ups and my brain nags at me with the SAME irritating, intrusive thoughts, but to hell with it.

“I’m worried that if I fail, I’ll lose that little dream that has lived inside me for so long, the part of me beneath all the self-sabotage that secretly thinks I could maybe write a book someday, and what then?”

Thank you for articulating this! This is the answer to the question I’ve been asking myself of late – what are you afraid of? Somehow knowing the answer makes me a little less scared.

Good luck, I’m rooting for you.

Have you ever thought about going to a writer’s retreat? There are some great ones in the area like Hedgebrook (http://www.hedgebrook.org/). I know several people who have gone there.

And if you have a week or weekend to spare, there’s my favorite, the Iowa Summer Writing Festival (http://www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/iswfest/) My husband and I took their week-long session a couple of years ago and it was amazing. I highly recommend it.

YAAY!! At the beginning I was hoping that you were in fact serious and you already DID have a many-figured deal settled with, oh, Harper Collins or someone – but this is lovely.

I can’t wait to read it!

I just started reading your blog maybe a month ago. You are a wonderful story teller and I’m rooting for you. Don’t give up! I believe you have what it takes to write an awesome story.

Just keep at it. It may change once the characters are developed but don’t give up. You are a great writer and have a distinct style and flair. If you keep at it, you will succeed.

It was 23 years ago I attempted to write a book, why, because I had a great character name and what I thought was a fantastic opening line. What I didn’t have was any life experience at all to support the story or give it any authenticity. I got about 3 hand written chapters done before I decided it was crap and put it away and just ignored it calling me from my stack of writing.

…..Abigail Spender sat with her fingers curled around the receiver of her phone. “I can’t believe I am doing this” she said to herself crushing out her cigarette. It was 3:30 to early for a drink. She lit her second cigarette in six months. No Answer. She got up and poured herself three fingers of Scotch, no ice and then dialed Tracy…..

Yep, still Crap!

You’re amazing. Good luck to you.

Gah! I meant awesome *book*. We’ve already established you can write a great story, now how’s about a *BOOK*?

Good on you! Mine is rattling around in my noggin. I’m too afraid to even open the Word doc.

Good for you! Just write – don’t get too picky about the details because you can always go back later! Good luck to you!

I AM REALLY EXCITED! I’ve been wanting to read your book(s) since I started reading this blog.

That is all.

Too bad Nike already uses the “Just Do It” line. How about “Just Write It” for all of us closeted novel writers?
Good Luck!

Good for you! I have an idea and even have an opening line, but haven’t even typed it up. It’s in a notebook beside my bed. Because I am afraid that I’ll start and it will suck and then that dream will be squashed.

Good luck!

I have faith. And not a small amount of envy. But you love to write; you’re very good at it; you are engaging; and I’ve read your short stories that you’ve put up in your oldest archives. I think you would be doing yourself a disservice NOT to try to write a book at some point. Hell, I’d buy it in a heartbeat.

This sums up EXACTLY what’s going on in my head, except I’m still at the ‘muddling around thinking about the goal of book-writing but not writing one solitary word’ stage. I think the fact that you sat down and wrote even one word is a huge step forward. If you keep writing about it here on your blog, you’ll be guilt tripped into continuing!

You listed the reasons most people don’t follow through with projects such as this. My advice, have fun with it. Don’t take it too seriously and don’t have any expectation as to what will happen to it once it’s done. Do it because you have to/want to do it, otherwise you will quit.

I would highly suggest reading Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamont. She tells how she writes, bit by bit, day by day, and it’s a great read. I read a lot and I read all kinds of genres, but you, my dear, are one of my favorites. You are salty and sweet all rolled up into one. I would buy anything you wrote the first day it’s out and would order extra copies for my friends.

Good for you! I started writing something several years ago and then deleted it because I started editing it right away and I wish I would have kept it. Then I thought, I’ll start writing it again while I was on maternity leave. I’ll pause while you compose your laughter from that one. And now, he’s one year old and I have yet to write one single sentence. Kudos to you for taking that first step.