When I sit down with a good book I might know the authors name and his other works but I ever gave much thought to what it took to get the book to my hands. If the book was good I was happy if the book was bad I would put it away angrily and pick up another book. Not once in those years did I stop to think how much work and time went into he sheets of paper that I held. Now that I do the same thing I have begun to appreciate books all the more, even the ones I didn't enjoy as much. there are so many elements that go into writing that most people never think about unless thy're missing. time frame, character development, the small pieces of the world the story is set in. I cant speak for every author but I spent countless hours working on those things, even a detail that seems unimportant might later be what everything hinges on. those small details mean I spent just as much time researching as I do writing. blacksmithing, economics, fighting styles, weapon types and uses, names, and so on. some of the research is on what readers like and trends though I don't bank heavily on those its just nice things to know. Because of these things I you will rarely find a moment I am not working in some aspect. even when it looks like I simply sitting there watching tv I am thinking over what will happen next an what might happen far down the line.
When he time comes for me to put pen to paper I rarely sleep. Everything is planned out though sometimes the story does take a side street but in the end it always gets to its destination...so far. I will write 16 hours or more a day until my brain feels like mush. my kids hate it when I hit my working mode because honestly they end up getting very little of my attention. I try to make up for it when I'm in development mode but that doesn't always work.
looking back to when I had a normal 9-5 job I think I was a lot less stressed and had much more free time then I do now even so I wouldn't change my job for anything. I love to write and while sometimes it gets to wear on me I don't think I could find anything else to o that I would enjoy so much. I might loose sleep, a normal life, and my sanity as I fully immerse myself into my created world but I find it enjoyable and fun.
all that said next time you pick up a book stop and think about what all must have went into those sheets of paper. I don't know who said it but here is a saying that catches in my mind from time to time "writing is easy you just have to sit down and bleed."
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