Ross Perot said, “There are but two things worth living for: to do what is worthy of being written and to write what is worthy of being read.”

I just finished reading a book that had been on my “must read” stack for quite some time. It was written by one of my favorite authors and I had really been looking forward to reading it.

It started out pretty well. It met all of my expectations. It was a page turner.

However, about the middle of the book things started getting bogged down. Plot problems, character problems, difficulties with point of view. There were even errors in grammar and spelling.

I considered giving up on the book because the author just wasn’t delivering the goods. I was disappointed. I had spent about twelve hours reading the book so far, and was at the point where I would either have to cut my losses or keep reading in hopes that the author would be able to pull it all together in the end. It might not be a total loss…

Whether the author is well-known or new like some of us, all readers ask is that we deliver on our promises. Right? Before buying a book, the back cover, reviews, advertising and friends’ recommendations help make for a somewhat informed decision. After the purchase, readers settle into that comfortable chair and expect to be wowed.

So, I write this to encourage each of us to write each the best we can. If you are a well-known writer with a huge following, it is just as important as for those of us who are yet to be published.

We all know that it’s no fun doing rewrites, throwing out a chapter or two, or saying good-bye to a character that just never quite comes to life the way we’d hoped. Having to do these things may disappoint us as writers—especially new ones like myself who are excited to be nearing the end of our first book—but the fact is that we should enjoy writing for writing’s sake—fulfilling our creative passions. Beyond that comes the satisfaction of having our books read and appreciated by our audience and, of course, earning an income from what we do from our hearts.

It may take a little longer before that next book comes to the marketplace, but it will be more satisfying if we know that our readers are getting the “good read” they expect—and deserve.

If you recognized this as a major vent, thanks for reading on to the end. I feel a lot better now.

Brenda