“Wisdom Found in the Pause – Joie’s Gift”

Help Me Pick the Cover for My New Book: “Wisdom Found in the Pause – Joie’s Gift”

07A-front  07B-front

UPDATE:  Thank you everyone! Between the comments here, Facebook, and emails from some of you, over 350 shared your choice.  Stay tuned as I’ll announce which book cover chosen soon!  Thank you again!!

It’s an exciting time having finally finished the editing portion of my new book and now onto putting it all together!

I’ve been working with Caryn of Lantern Glow Design and have narrowed a book cover down to the two choices above.  You will note there isn’t much difference – the only difference being the backgrounds – either floral or sky. While I realize the ultimate choice is mine, I’d sure love your input!

Please let me know by leaving a comment below which you like better- the one on the top, #1 or the one on the bottom, #2.  Thank you!

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When a Writer Dances

Celebration! from Barbara Techel on Vimeo.

I just had to do it.

Earlier this month my manuscript came back from my editor. When I made all the changes and updated areas that needed more attention, I sent it back to her for a final proofread. In my experience from the other books I’ve written, a proofread normally meant small tweaks.

But this time there were more changes and updates to be made which meant I felt more comfortable printing the whole manuscript out yet again and going through it line by line, word by word one. more. time. After reading my manuscript over and over, this is when it starts to feel rather tedious, and sometimes like torture.  But it’s how my brain works and how I work to feel comfortable before putting a book out into the world.

This process of writing this book has been an almost three year endeavor with many labor pains along the way. But when I got to the end of the manuscript yesterday, it was a whoosh! of many emotions that ran through me.

As I laid the last sheet of paper down on the table beside me where I’d been hunkered down in my over-sized wicker chair the last few days, the song “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang popped in my head, so I played it on Youtube… and this writer danced!

A dance of joy, a dance of accomplishment, a dance of perseverance, a dance of determination, a dance of gratefulness, a dance of celebration.

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On Writing a Book. Question from a Reader. My Insight.

On Writing a Book. Question from a Reader. My Insight.

I often get asked how to write a book. Recently I received this question from reader, Jennie: “I have felt for several years there is a “book” inside of me but I just can’t seem to put it into words.”

So I thought I’d share my insight here to not only hopefully help Jennie, but to help others who face this question too.

I want to first start by saying that I feel there is no right or wrong way. The key, I feel, is to find out what your best practice is for accomplishing a goal such as writing a book.

But let me back up for a moment and share some writing advice I’d heard a few years ago. It resonated with me, so perhaps it will you, too.

It really is quite simple – just begin.  Put your pen or pencil to the paper or your fingers to the keyboard and begin. Everything we do, no matter what it is or whatever art form, you have to just begin, right?  Brush to canvas, hands to clay, one foot in front of the other.

Some other advice I heard at one time is this:  Start with 15-minutes each day. Just write. Don’t edit. Send that critic who will no doubt show up, out for coffee.  And while the critic is heading out, send the perfectionist along with her, too. If you start with 15-minutes each day that roughly equals one page per day. If you did this for 365 days you’d have more than enough for a book at the end of the year. Now, this isn’t something you can publish as is. But this is then where you begin to edit, revise, and hone in on how you want it to take shape. Of course, if you want to accelerate the process you will have to write for more than 15 minutes a day.

That analysis simplified it for me. I realized how often we tend to look at an end result and how huge it can feel, instead of taking that first small step and just beginning.

I’ve found that there is also something to getting into the motion of beginning to write, and then the words will come. While I am definitely one who feels I must be inspired to write, I’ve also come to understand that if I sit my butt down in the chair, even if I have to stare at the blank screen for a while, that eventually I will begin and words will follow one after the other.

I tend toward the side of perfectionist, so this has taken practice for me to know it will not be perfect the first time I sit down to write. Nor will it be perfect the second, third, or fourth time. Nothing will ever be perfect. But if I put my best effort forward, and I continue at that without judgement of myself (which believe me, isn’t always easy!) I find that I’m quite happy that I made the effort. I started. And starting creates this forward movement.

Just the other day I was also talking with an author who just released her first book. We had a great discussion!  She said at the beginning of her writing career she tried to write like how one or another writer writes. Or got hooked into the “10 best ways” to write or the oodles of articles on writing that are out there. I shook my head enthusiastically as she talked as I could so relate!

Like this author, I no longer do that. I follow my own inner impulses and try to stay as tuned into them as possible. Outside distractions are always going to vie for our attention, so you have to know what makes you tick… or not tick, for that matter. And this, my fellow friends wanting to persue writing, is a practice – an ebb and flow – and give and take – a seek and find.

All these insights I’ve shared above have come clearer into view as I finished my manuscript recently for Wisdom Found in the Pause – Joie’s Gift. I had fits and starts. I beat myself up internally for not being where I thought I should be with it at certain times. I wanted to throw the towel in a handful of times. But I kept at it not truly knowing if it would turn into something or not. It took me three years to write it. I didn’t write everyday. But I thought about it an awful lot, though there were times I didn’t want to think about it at all.

And I realize sitting here today that this was my process for this particular book I’ve just finished writing. It wasn’t meant to surface fully until now. There were things I still had to learn and experience that became part of the manuscript that make it feel complete to me now.

So just begin. Be curious about where it will take you. Be gentle with yourself. And most of all….enjoy the ride!

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