Hey, all! I’ve got some honest news for you. In the process of rewriting my entire book, I have no emotional energy or mental stamina to write a full update for you. Let me just send you a big thumbs up and tell you that everything is going great!
I had to take a break from writing my book for a little bit because my husband and I went away for four days. The drive back and forth from our destination gave me a lot of time to think and process. From that, I was inspired to write an article that I posted on Monday night. Since then, I’ve been reading a book for my Bible study, working, straightening up the house, and mustering the strength to write a chapter of my book. I don’t exactly have a hard deadline, but lately, I’ve been writing a chapter a day.
No one (except for myself) is pressuring me to finish this book.
For those of you who do not share my passion for writing, here is an inside look at what it’s like to value writing just as much as you value breathing. It was very late (about ten o’clock), and my husband and I were settling down to bed. I knew I had to get up early for work, but for some reason, I could not fall asleep. I tried sorting out my feelings by venting to my husband, but all the poor guy wanted to do was snooze. After a few minutes, I gave up and decided to try closing my eyes.
When I finally relaxed, a thought came to my mind. No, not just a thought…a chapter. In the five seconds it took me to gain consciousness again, I had conjured up a full chapter outline in my mind. All I had to do was write it down, since I knew that such a genius idea would fly out of my head quite quickly.
There was only one problem: my journal was in my purse…in the other room, and not by my bedside.
Did I really have to get out of bed to write down my fantastic ideas?
Then I remembered: we’d brought the mail into our apartment, and we received a letter that had come in an envelope. That envelope had enough blank space for me to write the sketch of Chapter 4!
I groped around in the dark, trying to find the envelope that I had tossed on the floor. My husband leaned over and asked what I was doing, since I was moving the bed in the process. “It’s OK, honey,” I whispered, “just trust me.” He is not one who values writing as much as breathing, but he did respect my need to get my thoughts on paper. Finally, I found the envelope on which I could release the thoughts that had been caged inside my mind.
And now, the outline of Chapter 4* is safely written on two sides of said envelope. Now expanding on my ideas, especially on a Thursday night, has been like pulling teeth. But it’s fun, trust me!
*Chapter 4, as well as the preceding chapters, will be available to read once Chapters 5-31 are rewritten. Stay tuned!
Elisabeth Warner 