Guest Blogger Nathan Bransford reflects about this past decade with the constant of books by his side.
The following is excerpted from Nathan’s December 30, 2019 blog post.
So much can change over the course of a decade or two. Thank goodness the books we read and write will still be there waiting for us when we need them.
When the clock struck midnight to ring in January 1, 2010, I was a literary agent with Curtis Brown Ltd. in San Francisco, I was married, and the ink was barely dry on my first book deal for the Jacob Wonderbar series.
Little did I know that within a year and a half all that would change.
Amid all this change, amid all of this upheaval and turmoil, there’s only one thing in my life that hasn’t changed.
Books.
The first time I visualized my current life was during a vacation in 2010 in Hawaii. I looked around and felt like a bolt of lightning hit me.
I thought, “What if I just focused on helping authors with their manuscripts, wrote my own books, and worked remotely?”
It took me a whole decade to achieve that dream. What if I’d leaped when I first had the idea?
Regrets are pointless, lessons are valuable
As much as we might want to change the past, the truth is that the past makes us who we are. (Something I explored at length in Jacob Wonderbar and the Interstellar Time Warp).
I know I needed to go on my career odyssey to see what was out there, to learn new skills, to make new friendships, and grow as a person.
I’ve definitely made some huge mistakes along the way. When I look back, the worst ones happened when I didn’t follow my own instincts, whether because I had talked myself out of what I was feeling or because I lacked the nerve to act on my gut.
The comforting power of books
In a world where things constantly change and often disorient us, there’s something comforting about the way books are stuck in time, artifacts of a particular moment and place. They provide that soothing certainty that we can return to them and they’ll be there, unchanged, ready for us to revisit.
This especially applies to the books we write ourselves. It’s such a powerful and meaningful pursuit to write a book.
Note from Marlene: I hope Nathan’s story inspires you to pursue your writing project.
Click here to read the entire reflective post, including an endearing letter from Nathan to Roald Dahl.
Nathan Bransford is the author of How to Write a Novel and the Jacob Wonderbar series. Nathan is dedicated to helping authors chase their dreams.
Nathan’s blog has everything you need to know to write, edit, and publish a book. Can’t find what you need or want personalized help? Contact Nathan for help with your book.
