People have written a book on their bucket list. They think about it a lot, but they don’t know how to get started. So, they don’t.
I’ve written a lot of books (over 150). But not one of them had my name on them because I ghostwrote them for other authors. I never believed I had something someone would want to read. But I could really make someone else shine!
Then one day, I attended a book writing retreat in Hawaii.
I was terrified. What in the world would I write about? Who would even want to read it? I was going to be looking at a blank screen, unable to type one word. It was going to be a grueling, humiliating, embarrassing, deflating experience.
I was the last one to enter the writing room. I was about to leave and go to the beach when someone grabbed my hand and pulled me in.
I followed the writing prompts I was given and, without any expectations, just started writing. A theme began to emerge, and it was excellent! I began writing a book entitled Can I Call You Mom? about the nine years I spent living with and raising 26 teenage foster kids. Those were exciting years with lots of pivots, police visits, drug tests, and laughs. I am weaving in my own life story and the lessons I’ve learned over the years that caused my personal, professional, and spiritual growth.
When I ask how many would want to read that, almost every person in the room raises their hand.
I’ve been writing that book for two years now. I publish books for authors all the time, but I can’t seem to find the time to complete my own.
So I started weekly writing workshops. And I committed to working on my own books, not someone else’s.
The two things that stop us from writing are very simple: time and focus. We can’t carve out time in our day to write, and we get distracted when we actually sit down to do it.
If this is you, I invite you to join these weekly writing workshops. I have 24 hours a month scheduled in, and they are on Zoom, so you can come as you are (no one cares). It is a sacred time of writing from a flow state. We get centered and allow all the goodness to begin flowing through us.
And boy, do we get a lot written!
I’ve had writers finish song lyrics, get a download of a thesis, start books, revise them, and finish books. It is so fun watching the creativity flow during these writing sessions.
For me, personally, it has been very productive. I’ve worked on Can I Call You Mom?, and I wrote a story for young readers entitled Blink. I’ve started a mystery novel called Guardian of Wynkoop Street. These last two books were based on dreams I had. I’ve written many blogs. I even wrote Chapter 3 Living in the Sweet Spot: Five Ways to Let the Goodness Come in a collaborative book entitled Wholehearted Wonder Women 50 Plus that was launched on June 8, 2021.
I found my voice!
I say all this for one reason. If I can write stories like this, you can, too!
I invite you to join our writing workshops. I think you will find some creativity that has been dormant in you begins to flow, and you may be surprised what comes out of you.