Stuff Journalists Like – #26 Writing a Book

During working hours, journalists are busy feeding the daily news beast
but at night journalists have different and loftier ambitions: Writing
a book.

Buried under nearly every pile of reporter’s notebooks, papers and clips is an idea for a book.

Whether it’s a memoir, fiction or a children’s book, it would be
harder to find a journalist who doesn’t want to write a book than one with a savings account.

And journalists who really don’t plan to write a book still tell
other journalists that they are as to not appear less ambitious.

Journalists usually get an idea for a book after a notorious murder
trial, a political campaign, discovering an inspiring story of a
homeless man with no limbs who reunites with his family and becomes a
millionaire or simply being fed up of covering the same
beat for 15 years.

The transition from journalist to “writer” can be a daunting one -
as journalists must navigate through the crowded pool of other
journalists who also think they have the chops to go from writing 19
stories a week to a novel.

Journalists who aspire to be authors see be a daily reporter akin to
being a short-order cook; whereas writing a novel is like being a
gourmet chef. The goal to write a book is a promise journalists make to
themselves as a way not to get stuck writing the same perennial stories
for their daily rags. Unfortunately, a good percentage of these ideas
for books will stay just that as journalists are usually burnt out on
writing after a full day day of writing for their newspaper, blog and Twitter account.

Still, every day in newsrooms across the  country, the following
line can often be heard: “You know, that gives me an idea for a book .
. .”

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Topics:

busy journalist, journalists writing books, list books written by journalist, reporter writing, journalists write book