September 21, 2007

Gifts

Finally.
I used to be appalled at how long authors said it took to get a book from start to finish. Now I know myself to be lucky that it only took a little less than a year. Thanks, A.F., for going over and over and over and over it, until it was done.

And now, while I sit here and think, "What now!?" a word from Our Jane:

A writer has many successes:

Each new word captured.
Each completed sentence.
Each rounded paragraph leading into the next.
Each idea that sustains and then develops.
Each character who, like a wayward adolescent, leaves home and finds a life.
Each new metaphor that, like the exact error it is, some how works.
Each new book that ends--and so begins.

Selling the piece is only an exclamation point, a spot of punctuation.

© 2000 by Jane Yolen

8 comments:

Sara said...

Okay, I'll admit it: seeing one book is thrilling, but a whole STACK of them? That's just like row after row of cupcakes. Oh, they look beautiful!

Anonymous said...

I'm with Sara. The books look wonderful! I'm so happy for you.

Sarah Stevenson said...

Eeee!! Wow, that's something to see. So exciting!

Erin said...

Wow! So exciting.

Jackie Parker said...

AAAHHH!!! Fantastic! Fantastic!

Disco Mermaids said...

They look absolutely beautiful.

Congratulations!!!

- Jay

Charlotte said...

Congratulations! How wonderfully tangible.

MotherReader said...

I suppose it's the Pinnochio experience. Now you feel like a real writer. Congrats!