Have Written

This month is National Novel Writing Month and I am once again participating. I “won” last year, finishing an unreadable and at times embarrassing novel in 30 days. This year I had an awesome concept for my next fiction book but I have not been able to find the time to finish the non-fiction book currently making the rounds. So instead I am writing non-fiction this year.

It is still a phenomenal experience–writing a book. Since I am a writer by trade, I am often told, “Oh, I always wanted to write a book.” A survey shows 81% of Americans want to write a book but less than 1% actually do. And as my college professor, Wally Metts always said,

“No one wants to write a book. They want to have written a book.”

Each day I struggle to log off my work computer, after having written press releases, web copy and blog posts for my clients. The last thing I really want to do is start writing again. I write my NaNo book on my beat-up laptop, on the couch, at Paneras with the DANG group, in the WordWorker’s writing studio, in Barnes and Nobles or anywhere else I can find. It’s not always fun. It certainly isn’t romantic. No one applauds as I complete my daily word allotment. It’s work.

And sadly, when November is over, I still won’t be done. Then comes the hard work of editing, fixing, tweaking, reworking and editing again. All of this work goes into a book that has no promises of being published.

But at the end of it all, I will be one of the 1% who has successfully written a book. I will have relayed the message that is on my heart. I will have been obedient to the call I hear in my head.

I will have written.

N@