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| WHEN SOME DAY COMES KNOCKING |
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How often have you encountered this scenario? You are amidst a group of people at a gathering. An individual holds everyone’s attention with a story from his life – an event at work, something that happened to him, the antics of his children. When he completes the story, some one comments, “You ought to write a book.” The story teller replies, “You know, I think I will someday.”
Perhaps you have been the story teller and time and again, someone has said to you, “You ought to write a book.” “Some day . . . some day, I just might do that.” And the thought lingers in your mind for the rest of that day and even part of the next. You wonder, “Could I really write a book, some day?”
I have been that person many times through my career. Actually the first time I thought about writing a book was on a hot summer day when I was ten years old. I was visiting my cousin and on the spur of the moment we decided that we each would write a book – a best seller of course – starting right now! We grabbed pencils and tablets, dashed out to the front porch where there was a cool breeze and we began to write. No planning, just writing. Our pencils flew across the lines on our tablets. We labored with excitement and anticipation. After what seemed like an eternity, I looked at my watch: 15 minutes had gone by and I had written one page. Clearly this was going to take a lot longer than I had anticipated. My cousin and I looked at each other, glanced at our output, shook our heads and laughed. We dropped our pencils and tablets on the porch floor and ran off to play. So much for that some day.
Yet the yearning to write a book never left me. Wouldn’t it be great to pick up a book “some day” and see my name emblazoned across it as “author?” But what would I write about? I didn’t possess any revolutionary ideas or unusual experiences to share. At least that was what I thought.
Then my someday came . . . sort of. A colleague challenged me to write a book. She suggested a topic and format. The manuscript would be built upon writing I had done in my career in ministry. I wrote; my colleague edited. We went in search of a publisher. I would delight in telling you that within a year, my manuscript was published as my first book. However, to say that would be to lie. Thirteen years, 27 rejection letters and 3 re-writes later, that manuscript was published. During those 13 years, I wrote two more manuscripts. Each was published.
Three times I’ve been able to call my wife, my sons, and my friends and suggest they check out Amazon.com: type my name in the search area, click on book and then search. Inevitably I hear a chuckle or Wow! I know that they are looking at the cover of a book – my book, right there on Amazon.com. It is an amazingly wonderful moment.
Resources abound to help folks write books, stories, plays, memoirs. Check out the writing section of any bookstore or online bookstore. Similarly one can purchase or subscribe to magazines whose focus is on various elements of writing and helping the emerging writer become a seasoned writer. Many communities have writing groups. An internet search will uncover writing groups one can join on line.
Be pro-active in making “some day” a reality in your life. Take the plunge and start writing – not as I did decades ago as a ten year old but as a wizened adult with a plan. Go to your library. See what is available on writing. Search the internet for articles. Buy a magazine or two that are devoted to writing. Decide which speaks more to you then consider subscribing to it. Most importantly, simply begin the journey. Sit down and start to write. Your some day has arrived. |