This week I happened to hear a statistic that made me want to know more. Apparently 81% of the population would like to some day write a book. Of those, approximately only 3% write and finish their manuscript then an even smaller percentage have it published. I had no idea!
I think I will always refer to myself as a surprise author. The truth being I never had a life-long burning ambition to be an author.
So why did I write my book?
When I arrived home from my Thai adventure at the end of July in 2023 my husband handed me a thick ream of paper secured with a giant bulldog clip. He’d printed out all my words from my daily Instagram posts. I could hardly believe that there were over 40,000 words on those pages.
Once I'd decided that turning those words into a book might actually be a good idea, I remember innocently thinking I’d just need to add a bit here and there. Just tidy up what I had written and that would do. How completely naive I was.
Looking back I'm sure that worked in my favour. Having no idea what was ahead of me kept me bumbling and stumbling along. I may have otherwise just spiral bound my 40,000 words and popped it on my book shelf.
While reading more about those that do write a book I also found out that the two most common reasons people give for wanting to write a book are:
* Everyone tells me I should write a book, and
* I have a story or a message I am burning to share with the world.
And that was certainly true for me. I wanted to be able to reminisce, relive and never forget the moments that made for such an unforgettable time in my life. I would only need to look at a photo and immediately I'd be transported back. The words just tumbled out and I found myself often tapping away at my keyboard for hours.
For the first time in my life I understood what it meant to be completely and utterly absorbed. The time I spent writing was pure escapism and I really did love it.
I want to share more with you about my writing journey from finding an editor to sacking my first cover designer to discovering the difference between line editing, copy editing and proof reading. Oh and I have a story about a proof reader I hired who decided she had her own stories of her time in Thailand that she then began inserting in my book, I kid you not!
Tell me, do you want to write a book?
About the Author
They say we all have a book in us. This had never crossed my mind. Well that was until I arrived home from my five months living in Phuket in 2023.
These blog posts will be random in nature. An extension of my book. A spot for me to share more stories and some of the bits and pieces that never made it into my book.
My musings will be real, raw and hopefully interesting for you.
Mel x
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