About my book, by Rachel of Green Pastures Christian Writers

On the 17th of the month, More than Writers welcomes members from ACW writing group Green Pastures Christian Writers. This month, we have a quirky take on writing by Rachel Snell.

Now, about this book. Well, not just one, because there are many, aren’t there? Possibly too many. (I’ve heard they’re pulping them down, and making the pages into other things that they can sell.) I suspect there are more books on the planet than there are people, in dozens and dozens of different languages.

I’m told books are a dying thing now, because everything is online, and anyway nobody can focus more than a few seconds on anything, so what good would a book be? 

I’ve heard as well there are writers who have a garage full of books they’ve self-published and never sold. I was once advised not to write a book about myself and my difficulties, because ‘there were enough of that sort already’. I believed it at the time, but maybe only then…

I own loads of books myself, just like I guess some other people do. But you see I’m dyslexic, so although I like books, and like the idea that I might read them one day, I don’t actually do so. I’ve started being honest with myself, though. ‘No, I’ll never read that one. Someone else might like it’. I’ve passed three large carrier bags of books onto a charity shop. I think I need to go through the ones I’ve got left and do another cull.

But about this book: my book. People tell me my stories are really interesting. They are fascinated and want to know more. It could be a real page-turner, they say, adding: why don’t you get on and write it? The thing is, I’m a poet. I write short poems, just a handful of words or so. I don’t write long stuff, like books. I did write a very long poem once, two sides of A4 it was. It took me simply ages to knock it into shape and I still have more editing and tidying up to do.

That’s one of the things that bothers me, I’d have to read it all afterwards to edit it. Did I mention I’m dyslexic? And don’t read? (I was put in the dunces’ group when I was six because I couldn’t read. It didn’t help anything…)

Anyway, though I have no wish to write this book, I’m coming round to thinking I have to. I’ve no choice. So maybe I will write it, though who knows where I’d begin? At the beginning? Jumping in anywhere? Focussing on a theme? That’s a possibility. 

Maybe I just have to get started…