has anyone here written a book?

[wilser]

I've always been fascinated by how people can make a living by writing. I'm wondering if any one here has ever written a book and how the logistics work. Do you write it then pitch it at publishers or what?

[Araillac]

I almost wrote a book. Actually, I even started but then I thought it sucked and didn't feel like reworking it. Luckily I'm different with music. Different arts are for different people I guess.

[Georynn]

Originally Posted by wilser

I've always been fascinated by how people can make a living by writing. I'm wondering if any one here has ever written a book and how the logistics work. Do you write it then pitch it at publishers or what?

I worked with a guy who was late for work one morning, when I went to check on him because he wasn't answering his phone, he said he didn't realize the time and said that he'd started writing a book. So I told him I'd come back and check on him on my way home.
Flash forward two days.
I show up at his place at 4:30pm. he says he's finished with it. It was off to the publishers three weeks later. Its still out there.

He says he heard the words as if someone was dictating it to him. He's not written another book, and doesn't even remember writing the first one.

I've only written sections of technical manuals and how-to's for a bunch of companies and for software I've written. closest I've come.

[D.Don]

Not yet, but it's one of my life goals, to write a book about "applied philosophy for the normal living person" kind of, nothing academic and nothing aiming at those studying philosophy but more of a book for normal people who are searching for something and don't really know what it is ...

D.Don

[santucci218]

Originally Posted by D.Don

Not yet, but it's one of my life goals, to write a book about "applied philosophy for the normal living person" kind of, nothing academic and nothing aiming at those studying philosophy but more of a book for normal people who are searching for something and don't really know what it is ...

D.Don

i would read that.

[wilser]

Sounds like a Bill Burroughs trip to me! Maybe he's in the Interzone.

Originally Posted by Georynn

I worked with a guy who was late for work one morning, when I went to check on him because he wasn't answering his phone, he said he didn't realize the time and said that he'd started writing a book. So I told him I'd come back and check on him on my way home.
Flash forward two days.
I show up at his place at 4:30pm. he says he's finished with it. It was off to the publishers three weeks later. Its still out there.

He says he heard the words as if someone was dictating it to him. He's not written another book, and doesn't even remember writing the first one.

I've only written sections of technical manuals and how-to's for a bunch of companies and for software I've written. closest I've come.

[MatticusMania]

Originally Posted by wilser

Sounds like a Bill Burroughs trip to me! Maybe he's in the Interzone.

I dont know... maybe if heroin was involved...

[MakiSupaStar]

Yes. Unpublished. Have started a new one. Have other ideas.

[john turner]

~165,000 words into a book atm - looks to be about halfway or so.

[NoobOnRoad]

whats the subject of yout book john.

[L-A]

Originally Posted by D.Don

Not yet, but it's one of my life goals, to write a book about "applied philosophy for the normal living person" kind of, nothing academic and nothing aiming at those studying philosophy but more of a book for normal people who are searching for something and don't really know what it is ...

D.Don

That sounds pretty good. Keep us informed, whenever that may be

[JNowiski]

my mom thinks i should write fictional books about hoboes, since i talk about them often.

[Jared Lash]

Yes.

At Berkeley they had three writing courses that I was bound and determined to finagle my way into even though I was a science/business major. They were Novel, Short Story and Poetry writing classes.

I couldn't get into the short story class but did get into the other two. The novel writing class required a minimum work of 45 pages at the end of the semester (along with other graded checkpoints and drafts) but once I started I kept cranking it out and finished with a 226 page book. After the class was over, my professor went above and beyond in helping me edit and revise it and helping me get it published during the next school year as well as submitting excerpts of it to several publications, one of which I won an award for.

I spent a large portion of my senior year debating whether or not I could make it as a professional writer. Based on the number of "books" that I've started and stopped since then, I think I made a very good decision not to.

On the other hand, my poetry was awful. At the time I knew it wasn't great, but I actually pulled out my portfolio a couple weeks ago and re-read it. It about short circuited my pretentiousness meter. Just really bad.

[Ben Lesser]

Started a few things, but that was just youthful ambition. Nothing got off the ground. But I'll write something someday. Just need to organize thoughts into a coherent plotline.

[Deluge Of Sound]

I have a book proposal that's soon to be sent out into the vicious dwelling that is the publishing houses. Hopefully someone digs it enough to send me an advance and it'll get finished.

[john turner]

Originally Posted by NoobOnRoad

whats the subject of yout book john.

fictional (obviously) autobiography of a sentient, upright-walking white tiger who is destined to destroy his world.

thanks for asking .

[ADbassman]

I've done several short stories and have been published in a few magazines before, but nothing to write home about. I have several unfinished attempts at full length novels sitting around my room, but can never find the motivation to finish them. I've also got several notebooks full of poetry, some of which is decent.

[john turner]

Originally Posted by ADbassman

I've done several short stories and have been published in a few magazines before, but nothing to write home about. I have several unfinished attempts at full length novels sitting around my room, but can never find the motivation to finish them. I've also got several notebooks full of poetry, some of which is decent.

i think the best way to guarantee you'll finish your first novel is to write the last chapter first. you can always rewrite it if it's not where it needs to be by the time you get there, but it will at least give you something to shoot for, and help keep you from wandering around too much.

[iamlowsound]

I had about the first third of a book written (aiming for around the same length as Fahrenheit 451) when my hard drive crashed and I found out that it was one of the few things that I didn't have backed up for some reason. It was written entirely as the thoughts of the narrator. It was about an average person that has his life destroyed in 21 minutes, his struggle with it and his ability to get through it and come out on the other side. I got to the part where his life was starting to unravel. I have thought of starting it again, but I don't have the ambition at this point to finish it. Most of my current writing has fallen to lyrics and political/economic commentary.

lowosund

[tplyons]

No, but I intend to before I die.