I am here with an interesting theme that I think has not been emphasised very much. I want you to imagine that you are writing a book, a process that can be exhausting and stifling, but also creative, educational and joyful. This time is different for everyone.
There will be people who support you. Maybe your friends will ask you a lot about it, your family will be proud, or it will come up in conversation with someone you don’t know at all. There will be moments that make you feel good about your creative process.
And when you’ve finished your book, who will you dedicate it to? This is a great way for writers to express their gratitude, humour or sentimentality. Will you dedicate it to yourself for working hard and succeeding against all odds, to your loved ones who have always supported you, or to humanity in general? I rarely see authors dedicating a book to no one, but some of those who do can present it in unusual ways.
I did some research on the subject and found that there are many ways to dedicate a book to someone. In this article we will look at some of them.
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They are often dedicated to the friends, children or family members who have been most important to the writer. For example, Scott Fitzgerald wrote “Once more to Zelda” and dedicated it to his wife, with whom he had a tumultuous relationship.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry dedicated it to the person he called his best friend. “…All grown-ups were once children — although few of them remember it. And so I correct my dedication: To Leon Worth, when I was a little boy”.
On the other hand, Charles Bukowski, known for his varied writing style, made a dedication by writing that he did not dedicate his work “Post Office” to anyone. “This is presented as a work of fiction and dedicated to nobody”.
Like him, Douglas Adams saw fit to present “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency” in a way that suited him and made readers smile: “To my mother, who liked the bit about the horse.” Feedback is important indeed.
Another valuable dedication comes from Neil Gaiman. At the beginning of “Fragile Things”, a book of 25 short stories, he paid tribute to expert writers. “For Ray Bradbury and Harlan Ellison, and the late Robert Sheckley, masters of the craft”.
Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series. The dedication in one of his books was quite interesting. “To my wonderful readers: Sorry about that last cliffhanger. Well, no, not really. HAHAHAHA. But seriously, I love you guys.” This different approach makes you curious.
In addition to all these examples, there are many writers and dedications who mention the names of people they prefer not to thank, pay their respects ironically, prefer to crack their enemies, quarrel jokingly, dedicate to their deceased relatives, make references, propose marriage (and actually get married), reject marriage proposal (this is another one that ends in sadness), write acrostic poems, and advise to enjoy life. If you are interested, I suggest you search, you will find some really unexpected things.
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In my opinion, this section is perhaps the only one that can be independent of the work. That’s why it has the potential to be even more memorable. Its immortality is more pronounced. Therefore, not knowing what to write and/or wanting to write too much is quite understandable.
I think it would be valuable to crown the beginning of your book with a dedication that suits your personality, that reflects you the most when read, that affects your writing phase or you in the process. If there is someone who comes before everyone else at the very beginning of your book and whom you include on the page for the sake of it, I think it can be one of the best gifts to express your respect and love in a way that suits you.
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