Appreciation for Those Who Write Books

I saw a funny photo on Facebook this morning. Hundreds of scrabble tiles were pictured tossed helter-skelter. The caption was Buying a book from Ikea! It made me laugh, and then I looked again at all those tiles with letters and started thinking about what a book it takes to create a book.

Then I remembered the photo-quote in my files that talked about what a book is. It's not only a cute drawing but some lovely thoughts, as well. I like the part where it says the ...an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you. Even though thousands might read the same book, each reader feels like the author is speaking directly to him/her. 

Back to the letter tiles. Consider the number of letters it takes to make the words that make up a book. While a carpenter who makes furniture is the master of his trade, so is the writer. Every author has to know how to put those letters together to make words, then how to put the words into sentences and paragraphs which have meaning and will hook readers and keep them reading. 

The successful author not only uses those letters to create an entertaining story, but he/she must do so using good mechanics of writing. Without them, even a fine story begins to get lost in a muddle. 

Maybe the quote above is a bit outdated because we can now read books on a Kindle or some other online place. Some readers love reading electronically while others much prefer holding that golden book in their hands. They love turning the pages. Count me as one of those readers. I have read a few books on my Kindle on my laptop, but it would never be my first choice. 

The author of a book starts the process, but then an editor and printer and marketer all step in and help a book come to its final phase where it is sold or loaned to someone who is eager to read those letters combined into words turned into paragraphs and chapters and... 

The next time you read a book give some thought to how it was created. For those who are writers, do the same. You are the ones who know the intricate details of how a book is created. I am in full agreement that yes, a book is an astonishing thing.