Purchasing another book

Amongst the e-mails I got today was one from Writer's Digest promoting an August discount for online courses. And the course this particular promotion was for is called "Writing the Breakout Novel." It starts in about two-and-a-half weeks and will use Donald Maass' bestselling book of the same as a guide.

Now I would love to take an online class. I would particularly like a course on writing a breakout novel. But money is money and I don't have a lot to spare. I have to be quite strategic in my spending. It's why I'm not in Tampa this week for NABJ's annual convention. And even with the $25 August discount, the course will still cost more than $300. That is more than I care to spend particularly when there are other options.

Since the course is based on Maass' book, it is cheaper to just buy the book and read it. It is a bestseller, as I mentioned before, and is available at Borders for $16.95. It is discounted to something like $11.99 at Amazon.com, but with the delay in getting the book -- I only have to drive two miles to the nearest Borders, which takes only minutes, as compared to several days for delivery from Amazon -- and the cost of shipping, it makes sense to just go buy the book.

But once I have the book, what then? The problem with self-improvement books is that they take time to read and have so much information it can be difficult to remember and condense it all. And I am impatient to get started on using the tools the book will provide.

There is an added problem, however, at least for me. It is the problem of reading and studying how to write a breakout novel and NOT actually writing the breakout novel. I have learned so much about publishing in the last two years but it hasn't seemed to have moved me any closer to getting an agent or in getting published. And that is frustrating. How will this book be any different for me?

Having said all that, after I finish this post I am off to Borders to buy Donald Maass' book. (I put it on hold for two days.) Maass will be at Bouchercon in October and is giving a workshop. Between the workshop and purchasing the book, I will have saved a lot more money than I would spend on taking an online course. And I will get to meet the author.

That's a bargain that is hard to beat.

Thanks for reading and keep writing.