I'm celebrating!
Wednesday I finished editing a book I wrote, now let me see, it must be 15 years ago. It’s a story about the adventures of a thirteen year old boy named Joey.
I wrote the first draft of the book during the time I was in a long-ago writing group. It was an UNFINISHED CREATIVE PROJECT. (Shudder!)
Well, now it’s done. Yesterday I sent it to a copy shop via email. (Love how they do that.) And today I’m picking it up, printed and bound.
Since I finished another book back in March, that makes two books I’ve completed.
Yesterday I worked for a couple of hours on a third book that was – ahem – another UNFINISHED CREATIVE PROJECT. I’d written 14 chapters and now it’s going to get done too. That will make a total of three completed books.
But here is what is so great about this whole process. Finishing, clearing, completing, whatever you want to call it, feels wonderful! There’s a lightness and freedom each time I finish something that was very important to me. it feels like completion has created a space for me to breathe more deeply.
Yes, there is another choice for things that aren’t finished. And that choice is to let it go because it’s not important enough to put energy into. But this project was important to me and so now I’m going to be able to sit and look at two (and soon, three!) completed books and say I DID THAT.
What happens to those three books after that is another story.
So my intention for this week?
Sometimes being in the creative process is enough. It is always my choice where I go from there.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Holy inspiration, Katherine! 3 books?! Congratulations on their completion. One is admirable. Two is remarkable. And three, well, what’s your secret? Process aside, your result speaks for itself. This coming from an aspiring writer who is doing very little of it herself lately. What are the titles of your 3 books, and how are you planning to distribute them?
Abby,
The secret is to keep writing. Simple? Perhaps. But I say that because one of my books has been done for a long time. The second was started a few years ago and left unfinished until I went back to it a few weeks ago. And one of them was in process over a period of 8 years. I guess I’d never qualify to be a member of the write-a-book-in-a-weekend club!
The two fiction books that are for the youth market don’t have titles yet. Their working titles are just the name(s) of the main character(s). And I guess I have a thing about titles because the title of the third book – a memoir – was a long time coming. But I have it now. Finally. It’s called Brave After All: Opening Up to Life and Love.
I am happy to report however, that I already have a title and outline for my fourth book. For now it’s a secret. Sshh!
So having said all that, it’s my belief that writing of any kind and on any timeline is good. I’d encourage you to just keep writing and I will cheer you on.