So, I decided to write a book, The Widow Chose Red?… maybe you’ve been told that you should write one too?
It’s seems like a simple enough process, especially if you are someone like me, who has been journaling, Okay maybe a bit sporadically, for most of my life. How hard can it be to write the stories of your life and get it published?
Well, it depends on what you want your book to accomplish… Is it for posterity? To make an impact in the world? Or only for your family, so they can recall with accuracy your life when you are gone? Is it to share something that you hope can help people as they live their lives? Is it in hopes of becoming a bestseller and boosting you to fame and fortune?
So, right there, it may be a bit more involved than you think.
Then there is the actual story. What is being included? What’s the time frame? Personality? How much of the story do you want to tell? Then the editing process. Having someone else read your ramblings and put them in some kind of coherent order, something that will make sense to the reader. Are you exhausted already?
Then it’s cover design, layout, publishing, distribution, marketing, beta readers, etc. No, writing a book is not for the faint of heart!
While I have always had a certain amount of respect for authors, it has grown to a whole new level for the accomplished and acclaimed ones.
Being a good writer and storyteller is no small feat. It takes practice, persistence, and purpose.
John really wasn’t big on sharing our story while we were living it, and I respected that. Social media didn’t exist then the way if does today.
And that for me was probably a blessing in disguise. I see too many people living their life out loud and proud on its platforms and it makes me wonder… I’m not condemning it, I’m just curious.
I’ll get back to that at another time…
Now that John has been gone for over 12 years and my boys are grown and on their own, I am now in a place that I feel called to get it down on paper! If you need a bit of background on what I’ve been doing, check out I’m Back!
My hope with my book is to remind us that there’s a superpower in each of us. If properly accessed and harnessed it will get us through all the events of our life, no matter how messy or messed up.
No, that power doesn’t come from a Marvel superhero, it comes from something much more powerful and real…The Holy Spirit. The One that Jesus left with us, to be a Comforter and a Guide. One who would be much more powerful and would provide us with direction.
If you were with me during this particular part of my journey, I would love to hear from you. Your recollections and memories would be of such value and interest to me, especially since you were experiencing this from a different point of view.
Our legacy lives on in many ways, The Widow Chose Red? Is just another way to honor a life well lived albeit one that…
Ended too soon.
With Appreciation,
Rachel
