Writing Cheez-Its and Eating Books

You’re standing at a company party…

Its one of those functions wherein every department intermingles and meanders and you realize that, despite having been gainfully employed there for multiple years, you have no idea who most of these people are. Now, many of you are probably like me — you do some general hand-waving and head-nodding towards the faces you recognize, and then find your comfort zone near the snack table. It’s a great vantage point to survey the vibe of the room (and to locate the nearest exits in the event that a swift goodbye is warranted). You’re relishing your small slice of quiet in the din of work-talk when, as if materializing from the stiff polypropylene carpeting, Tim from Accounting is standing beside you. He’s wearing his starch-stiff Dockers and clutching a fistful of Cheez-Its in a rumpled napkin. He gazes down at his enriched flour, cheese squares, then beams at you and says, “Geez! Whaddya suppose they put in these things, huh? They’re so addicting!”

Writing books is kind of like eating Cheez-Its.

My debut book, There Are (No) Stupid Questions… in Science, was a project that I was wildly excited to make. From early conceptualization and disjointed keywords scrawled in the margins of my research notebook, to bleary-eyed late nights of endless typing, it was a joy. But, I went into this adventure with the idea that it would be my only joy of this nature. Then, approximately halfway through my manuscript, I thought of an idea for Book #2, and then Book #3, annnnnnnnnd then a fourth book. And, here I am today, with my first book out for pre-order, my second book on-submission, and seven others waiting patiently in queue.

Writing a book makes you want to write more books; eating a Cheez-It makes you want more Cheez-Its. Page after page; orange cracker after orange cracker.

Whaddya suppose they put into the writing process, huh? It’s so addicting.