The Joy of Leaping Off “The Edge”

Writing anything, a short story, blog, magazine article, book, is so cerebral. You watch the words appear on the screen in your own private little world. But to have something appear in tangable print, something tactile that has weight, scent  (I love the aroma of new books), can be held, stimulates all the senses.

To see your name on the cover of your creation is like being handed a newborn which, for us guys, has been mostly hidden inside our dear ones. The only real connection we experience before the birth is feeling the kicks on her tummy. At the time of birth, everything gets charged and changed.

The excitement of opening the package addressed to you from the publisher, seeing those white pages within, withdrawing the book, the book you’ve toiled so long on writing and editing, editing, editing, editing, (did I mention editing?) and at last, there it is, RIGHT IN YOUR HANDS!

After flipping through the pages, rolling my eyes and groaning at an omission and a paragraph in need of yet another edit, I brought my book to work and showed everyone. Two people who had dabbled in writing held it, looked at the back cover showing my picture, the front with my name as author, and said, “I can do this!”
I looked them in the eye and said, “Yes, you can. I believe you can.”

To see the light in their expression, the visible dialation of their pupils, and their smiles, showed me that after quitting for a time, they’re renewing their efforts on their stories.

Holding my own book, even the proof copy, is just another in the many steps to getting it on the book store shelf or on Amazon.com. Completion of each step— writing, editing, submission, acceptance—brings joy. The further along in the process one goes, the more the emotions exponentially increase in happiness to the point of ecstasy. This is for me as a writer.

I’m certain sculptors, painters and other artisans feel the same when the final buffing or brush stroke is complete.

That’s the long answer.  I’m really good at long answers.

The short response is: holding your very own book in your hands is a feral intoxicant that’s highly addictive.

Richard D. Nielsen has a hyper-active imagination and comes from a storytelling family. His life so far has included over 25 different employment situations, adventures a plenty through service to the government, scuba diving, interesting and unusual people, and a propensity for desiring more than a mundane existance. His book, FOURTEEN LIVES, will be available on Amazon.com soon.

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