This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Another week in which lovley secret writer Emily Tootsweet tells us about life as a writer in hope of publication. Say hello to Emily in the comments, or by dropping by her blog!
I *heart* book shops.
I went into my favourite book shop last week to do a bit of window shopping. Money’s a bit on the tight side at the moment so window shopping is all I can do for now. I don’t know about any other pre-published writers but whenever I go into a book shop, after a bit of browsing, I head to where my book would appear on the shelves and try to visualise my book with my name on it sitting on the shelf waiting to be bought. It’s just a little writing fantasy of mine. I hope it comes true one day.
I hated walking out the book shop empty handed. I usually only go in when I specifically want to buy a book so I don’t know what made me go in when I knew I couldn’t buy anything. This might sound daft but I always feel at home in a book shop. The relaxed atmosphere, the smell of new books and coffee from Costa… It’s fab!
Now, I know I could join a library and that way I get books to read and save money but I have to admit I’m a book snob. I don’t like the smell of books from libraries. I don’t like not knowing who’s had the book before me (They might have been reading it on the toilet – who knows!?) I like having my own copy of a book to do with it as I please (Read that as: so I can look after it, don’t break the spine or fold the corners over!) I have been tempted to join my local library in the past but it gives me the heebie-jeebies to read books other people have handled – Told you I’m a book snob! So I buy books. Luckily my family and friends know I’m a bookaholic so they give me book tokens/vouchers for Christmas/birthdays/Anniversaries and I get books by using them.
The general fiction area of my favourite book shop is okay but I wish it was slightly bigger and the writing section is pretty much non-existent, which annoys me completely as I have to get all my how to write books from the internet and I don’t get the same buzz from buying books online than I do going into an actual book shop. But I get by. It’s the only real book shop I have in my city so I make do with what I have.
I did have a dream to open my own book shop one day. Just a little independent book shop that gets by despite the large competition out there. There would be large squishy chairs to sit on and read the books you’ve just bought. I would brew fresh coffee for regular customers and sell lovely cakes too. I would order books in for customers if I didn’t already have them and I would make the shop a lovely quiet haven for those who loved books just as I much as me. Its just a dream and I know it’ll never happen but there’s no harm in dreaming…
So keep dreaming… ;o)
Yours,
Emily Tootsweet :o)