The Joy Of Writing

I was sitting down today to do some writing – actually a lot of writing. It is July 4, 2005.

Writing on a national holiday? Yes, and enjoying it. I was up today at 4:00am to get started and basically used the time to organize some notes for my next book for Cisco Press. I wrote the bulk of the first chapter between 4:30 and 6:00 and am planning on doing the second and perhaps third chapters today as well. I want to get ahead on my schedule. This, I am certain, will make my editor very happy.

Recently, I was in Vegas for an authors reception. The event, Networkers, is Cisco Systems big yahoo each year. Vendors, training, etc. My publisher has a big presence there and it was an opportunity to meet people with whom I have traded emails and some phone conversation. Now, many of them will have actual faces.

I flew out for a day – not really attending the conference, but for an authors reception at the hotel. It was fun and allowed me to personally thank many people who have made this such an enjoyable trip – the writing process, I mean.

I did find out that many of their authors have no desire to write. In fact, I’m a bit of an anomaly for them. Because so much of what they do is technical, my material is more loose and fun. It allows them to spread their publishing wings. So the relationship is a bit symbiotic in that regard. We get some great stuff from each other.

I get a large, reputable publisher who is willing to put up with my quirkiness and stories to get their product. They get an author who actually likes writing – sitting down and creating content – words on paper. They don’t have to prompt me for ideas and they don’t have to prod me to produce. I like both.

I found the revelation that most of their authors are not really that interested in writing to be or coming up with new book ideas to be interesting. Why write? But I realize, with the positive impact my book has had on my career, that many of their current authors are in academia where the old adage, “Publish or Die!” is still true.

And so, with this blog, I want to once again, thank my publisher and editor for signing me on for a new book. It is in mornings like this that I find true joy! I put ideas on paper – and most of them seem decent. I’ll look it over later tonight and see if I still agree – but I suspect that I will.