Caroline Starr Rose

picture book and middle-grade author

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Thinking a Book and the Job of the Reader

4 Comments

cottonwood sunset

It doesn’t take a long time to write a book, but it does take a long time to think a book, and even a longer time to think a series. Reading a book is an act. You simply sit down and read the book.

Writing a book is not an act; it’s a process with thousands of decisions the writer has to make…and on and on and on…until the book is finally published, then it is up to the reader to carry the story on by sharing it with their friends and family, holding the story’s hand, walking it into the future, while the author works on the next book.

— Roland Smith

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Filed Under: books and reading, the writing life

Comments

  1. Linda says

    October 17, 2015 at 11:01 am

    Thank you for this. 🙂

    Reply
  2. Kimberley Griffiths Little says

    October 17, 2015 at 10:03 pm

    This is a GREAT Quote – love it. Thank you, Caroline and Roland!

    Reply
  3. Caroline says

    October 18, 2015 at 9:32 am

    Isn’t it just right? I found this at The Nerdy Book Club ages ago. The only thing I would alter if I’d said this myself would be the first line — it *does* take some of us a long time to write a book, too!

    What I most love is the reader carrying on the story. We all play a part, don’t we?

    Reply
    • Kimberley Griffiths Little says

      October 19, 2015 at 12:59 pm

      Yes, and sometimes it takes us 10 years to get a book(s) right . . . I have too much personal experience with that! 🙂

      Reply

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