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Sleepless in Calauan

It must be the not getting used to the silence in the province, or my feeling disconnected from my roots. But I guess there really is no sleep for the damned.

So I find myself pondering on something I would really like to do someday: write a book. I don't have a very good life story to tell (yet I think, but I guess my parents and maybe close friends will disagree) and I haven't enough expertise like some people I know in C++ programming. I do have a passion for writing as evidence of this blog and a couple others I maintain, and I do have a passion for sharing what I know.

I scooted on over to Lulu.com (thanks Charo for the link a couple months back) and asked myself three times: do I actually do it? If I do it, what would that mean to my time? I don't mind spending my time in front of my laptop(s) hacking away on code, but would I actually have the patience to write down a book in a coherent manner compared to what I'm doing right now with my blog?

I guess I could try... After all, if this works then maybe I can finally have a hobby I'm passionate about and do for a living as well -- see, I'd like to be able to concentrate on doing Open Source development as part of a community (like Boost C++ or Apache) and just work on startups with a handful of friends and business partners while I can still do that.

If I keep at it, I just might have enough resources to fulfill my dream of being a stay at home dad to a couple of kids with a wife I'll love for the rest of my life. Yeah, I know: keep dreaming.

Wouldn't hurt to try right?

So here's what I'll do. I'll start writing a book about learning C++ geared towards children -- or at least, young people who have time on their hands and would like to be able to learn C++ the quick and easy way. I'll provide copious amounts of links, sample code, and metaphors to make learning C++ programming easier (like how I remember learning it when I was 16).

Maybe -- just maybe -- that would sell for $20 (maybe even $15 if I'm feeling generous). I might even throw in some cartoons which I'll ask some of my friends to write or help conceptualize (because I have absolutely no talent with drawing).

While I'm doing that, I definitely will blog about the experience. Or not, depending on my mood and sleeping pattern.

So yes, while sleepless in Calauan, there still is no sleep for the damned. And what good way to spend time by wasting it blogging about writing a book.

CHill.

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