From blog to book
I walked into the doctor's office this morning, surveyed the number of people in the waiting room, and thought, "Maybe I'd better hop into the bookstore next door and get a book." My other self, the one whose middle name is Reason, screamed, "What, are you INSANE??!?!"
Why, oh why, do I never have a book with me when I need one? I have so many at home that I haven't read, but when I actually have the time and opportunity, none of them are anywhere to be seen. I hate waiting, and reading is the only thing that makes waiting bearable for me. How could my other self expect me to survive that long wait in the doctor's office without a book? So I ignored the voice of Reason and ended up getting not one, but two books.
Maybe I am insane.
I went next door and my eye happened to fall on a book called The World According to Mimi Smartypants. The blurb on the back cover says, "Her daily musings first appeared on the Internet..." and I thought, wait a minute, that name sounds familiar. Isn't she a blogger? I seem to remember vaguely some blogger with a similar name getting a book deal.
Then I looked at the price. $39.90*!! But... but... I was almost sure she is a fellow blogger and I wanted very much to read her book. I mean, she's living my dream -- the dream of getting published -- and maybe I might be able to get some tips from her writing style? Maybe I could learn how to make my writing more interesting. I know, I sound pathetic... but anyway...
I bought the book. Of course I did! What's more, I promptly hopped over to an Internet cafe to google "Mimi Smartypants". Lo and behold, she is a fellow blogger! My memory isn't that bad after all. (Phew.)
On a different note, I wonder if I could possibly become a fictional blogger. I mean, write a diary sort of blog that's completely based on fiction. Make up a narrator, make up stories about his or her life, make up the people he or she knows and meets. Like what this guy did, you know? I can't get my head around that. Wouldn't it be really hard? Especially if it's cross-gender. I mean, like if I were to blog as a guy, how would I know how a guy thinks and how his mind works? Wouldn't someone be bound to suspect the truth sooner or later? Hmmm...
Note:
To my knowledge, only two three other bloggers have received book deals based on their blog writings... one is Belle de Jour, the other is the Real Live Preacher, and the third is Salam Pax.
(Updated on Nov 8 to add Salam Pax: thanks to The Visitor for reminding me!)