The Written Word
for December 17, 2000

I have now written three books and am planning a fourth to be co-authored, I hope, with a doctor. This is only at the talking stage but I would like to do a book with a medical doctor on preventive medicine and the use of alternative remedies. I should know about this early in the new year. If my present book, Rants, Raves and Recollections sells well I think my publishers, Whitecap, will be supportive.

I don’t know what it would be like to write fiction. As a non fiction writer – at least it’s intended as non fiction! – fiction seems so much more difficult. There is all that scene setting – the imagery associated with the trees, the mountains or perhaps the dank east end of a city. And there is the conversation, especially the intimate dialogue. Most of all there is the creation of characters and making them grow and alter with the times.

Perhaps, though, fiction writers would say gee I’m glad I don’t do non fiction where you have to research facts and make supportable arguments. Where you must debate with an unseen audience and run the not inconsiderable risk of libel suits. Perhaps as with so many things, that which looks difficult to the person with no experience or bent for doing it seems impossible whereas it’s all a matter of aptitude.

I don’t consider myself a particularly good writer. I feel something like the late humorist Robert Benchley who said “I have no aptitude for writing but by the time I found that out I was too famous to quit.” I do, however, love writing and love it even more since I started using a word processor back in the early 80s – which coincided, coincidentally or otherwise with my modest success in the field.

I love doing editorials and newspaper articles but I must say that a book is a bit different. It’s rather like my treadmill – I look forward to getting on and very much look forward to how I will feel when it’s over but actually doing it is a big pain in the ass.

The hardest part is editing. This is so with shorter pieces with this difference – you get accustomed to the article length you require. I write about 730 words to the article and the rough draft is nearly always within 20-30 words of that. With a book it is as long as it is – no more complicated than that – except you always know it’s too long! And with a book you can use your freest flowing style and massage all manner of beautiful phrases. Then you must edit. And your editor wants a book 2/3 as long. And when he or she makes suggestions it always seems to be your best phrases that go. In fact, worse than seeing the red pencil through a wonderful turn of phrase you’ve invented is the note in the margin, “I don’t understand.” Which means that the hardest part of the hardest part is keeping your bruised feelings hidden.

A book becomes rather like an unwanted lover when you’re half way through – you still want the right to play around when the mood strikes you but without any long term obligations.

But a book ends. And it’s published. And you see your name on something that will be, however unobtrusively, in all the great libraries of the world for all time to come.