Never Write a Book

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You may have thought about it, multiple times, but you must not pay much attention to it. You may have imagined your name in print, multiple times, but you must resist the urge to make it a reality. You may have a story to tell, multiple even, but you must keep them just for your dreams. You may have picked up the Mac to write, a PC even, but you must stop yourself before you open the text editor.

Never write a book, because writing is the easy part. If you love what you do and believe in what you want to say, the words will come. They will flow like an abundant river, when you are wide awake at one in the morning, writing. They will flow like the tears in your eyes, when you compose a beautiful sentence that leaves you in awe of your own ability to feel emotion. However, it is what comes after the writing that makes me assert, once again - never write a book.

Never write a book, because unlike a story, which gives the book its soul, publishing takes the life out of it. If your words are your precious pearls, the silent rejections will only impale your heart - one unacknowledged response a time. The silence of the powers that control the fate of your words will leave you confused, hurt, and it may even make you question the foundation upon which you may have built your dreams. If unacknowledged rejection may hurt your pride, never write a book.

Never write a book because its merit will be judged by Facebook Likes and Twitter Retweets. Never write a book if you don't know that Snapchat is the medium that you will need to promote it - thousands and thousands of poetic words, "Trump"-ed by monosyllabic projectiles of creativity that will determine if you and your baby will go viral. If reminding people, repeatedly, to spread the word is not how you imagined it, never write a book.

And then, the author copy arrives. The cover, just as you once thought it would be, makes you want to dance with joy. It is glossy, just as you always thought it will be. Elements and themes from the narrative - Charminar, Gateway of India, the Houston skyline, and your favorite Bluebonnets - all blended beautifully against the central theme. The title you wrote on a yellow post-it, eight years ago, looks exactly as you always wanted it to. There is a copyright and it is attributed to you. You are now the rightful owner of an ISBN. It is your legacy and you are still the rightful heir to all the effort and the heartache. Soon there will be reviews, and once again you dream that they will be generous. The words will weave magic, touching hearts, bringing smiles to many faces, leaving many eyes moist.

Pray, do write a book. Pray, do write a book.

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