Gestating My Book

The response to my book announcement has been overwhelming! The concept of putting a book out into the world had been abstract for me, until now. All the positive feedback has made it so much more real. Thank you readers!
So, let me tell you a bit about the journey my book and I have been on...
In March 2020, instead of writing a book, I was supposed to be embarking on a 6-month counter-clockwise road trip from Seattle, WA: down the West coast, across the South, and up the East coast of the United States, crossing through Canada, and ending in Alaska, with a ferry ride home through the Inside Passage back to Washington State. I intended to teach along the way, and check out places in the country that I might want to set up a homestead.
Instead of going on that road trip, there was a pandemic.
I didn’t have a home other than my van, and nowhere to park it to live in it, so as news of a lockdown spread, I spent the weekend - which grew into weeks, then months - on my son’s couch (thanks again, Rahsaan and Sonnie!). Surely the pandemic would be over soon, right?, and then I could get back on the road...
While waiting for the pandemic to wither away, I wrote. Every morning I would wake up on the couch, turn on my laptop, and write. I wrote nearly every day until May 30.
After two months of taking over my son’s living room, I decided to make my way to a friend’s house. She was sheltering in place and had a spare room I could stay in (thanks, Margaret!).
As I settled in and we established our Golden Girls routine, my writing waned. It became apparent that the pandemic wasn’t ending any time soon, and the work I had been doing – traveling around the country training childbirth educators and birth doulas – was not coming back. I needed to find new work. I gave myself permission to put my writing on the back burner until I had figured out my next career.
In July 2020, I trained to become a Certified StoryBrand Guide. Over the summer, I launched my new business, Storyline Marketing. I also found a beautiful place to park and live out of my van on Whidbey Island.
And my book patiently waited until all the necessities of my new life were settling and I could focus on writing again.
In March 2021, I opened my manuscript, read through the 32,460 words I had already written, and picked up where I had left off. To give my book the chance it deserved, I enrolled in a 9-month coaching program for writers called Get Your Book Done. The program has been incredible. I have learned so much about the craft of writing, the process of creating a book, and the industry of getting books to market (editing, cover design, promotion, publishing, layout, and more). I chuckle at my naiveté when I started writing - how I though I’d just sit down and write the book from start to finish, and then get it proofread - yet so grateful I had that beginner’s mind or I may not have ever started writing.
Now that I'm settling into the role of being a writer, I see the rest of this journey unfurling before me. It is a long one. I hope you will follow along and celebrate with me at the end.
Thank you for reading, and thank you for being you!
One of the lessons I learned during the pandemic is how precious time with my family is; I can’t bear to live too far away from them. Prior to the pandemic I assumed I could fly home once a month to visit; now, we can’t take flying anywhere for granted. Do me a favor and tell someone you love - especially if they are far away - how important they are to you today.
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