#2 - "The Romance Writer's Handbook" by Rebecca Vinyard

All right, it didn't take long and here I am, already writing about a book that I'd rather not admit I've read. The Romance Writer's Handbook by Rebecca Vinyard and published in 2004. It seems pretty random and obscure, even for me. I guess I should just admit up front that I can be a sucker for some good romance. It's easier and more satisfying than reality, anyways. Classic romance novels such as Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen I love, and I find a lot of enjoyment in some contemporary and well-written romance novels as well, even though the educated and elitist part of me finds that hard to admit.

I can't remember when this began, but I had a crush on some celebrity, which developed into a fantasy in my head of how I was going to meet him, which developed into an idea of a story. One day, years ago, I had some extra time and I was curious if it would be possible for me to actually write a romance novel and make some money off of it. Sadly, this whole endeavor stems from the fact that I don't want to have a real job, but it was kind of fun to do. And at this point, I have actually written an entire story, which I haven't even looked at in ages, but I'm pretty sure it needs some drastic help.

Now I'm at another point where I need to find a real job, but I'd really rather not, so the idea of publishing a book sounds awfully appealing. I figure I should at least give it a real shot, and if it doesn't work I can stop fantasizing, settle down and get a real job. And if it does, I'll still probably have to settle down and get a real job, but I'll get some experience and maybe even a little spending money. I know that I'm scared to really finish it and put it out there because if/when I fail, then that dream will be over. For procrastinators like me, it's satisfying to never really try to accomplish something in order to keep a sense of the vague possibility of success.

So, this book was a way of trying to force myself into action and being serious about trying to create a publishable work. Of course, at the same time, it was a way to procrastinate through reading about writing instead of actually writing. Anyway, I found that the book had some useful tidbits and I'm glad that I read it. But I guess now is the time for procrastination to stop. And I'll take a look at what I've written. Tomorrow.