Today, I received the page proofs for The First Annual Grand Prairie Rabbit Festival. While still a stack of unbound pages, it is a stack of unbound pages on which the words, page numbers and other things have been typeset as they will be see once the book is printed.
There is the title. There is my name under the title. And I’m suddenly all nervous. Why? At this stage, it’s too soon to worry about sales. No, what’s been worrying me lately is the prospect of anyone in real life assuming anything in the book is based on them (uh, rather than all of it being based on me).
I guess the “pure” artist would say, “To hell with what other people think and feel. The novel gets what the novel demands.”
Myself, I think “pure” artists are assholes.
Then again, as I didn’t base any of the characters off of real people, I shouldn’t be worried about it. I guess it’s just realizing I’ve crossed the point of no return. There’s the line in the letter accompanying the stack of papers. “Please be aware that only corrections can be made at this time; text cannot be rewritten at this stage of production.”
Dear lord, it’s set in stone. Except on paper.
So that’s that. Okay. End of nerves. No one likes a neurotic. Especially when the neurotic should be celebrating his good fortune rather than nibbling on his nails.
KEN WHEATON 
Are you kidding? People love neurotics. How do you think Woody Allen made it so big?
Congratulations are in order. Looking forward to reading the book since I’m reasonably sure none of the characters are based on me.
If you based anybody on me, that’s okay. I’m pretty sure a character based on me would improve anybody’s novel. (It also would increase the number of times the word “boobs” appears.)
Just do a shot (or two or three…) of Jack and you’ll feel fine. BTW, did I tell you I finally found a reliable source of local rabbit here in NYC?
Leave the nail biting for those waiting to see if they scored funeral tickets.
Your novel is going to rock, and I can’t wait to read it.
Enjoy the ride. Nothing lasts. It’s the act of creation the counts, not a bound book that will fade in a century at most.
I may now have to read it.