The Birth of a New Book

The Birth of a New Book

About four months ago I began the process of putting new thoughts down on paper.  This process requires me to stay still and think.  Think about what I want to say and how I want to say it.  It all seems so simple.  But, it is not simple at all.

As ideas began to form, I realized that I wanted to change the format of this new book.  The previous two were filled with observations and experiences that happen to all of us.  We all share many similar joys and challenges during our time on this earth.  The feedback from those who read them was encouraging.

This one would be different.  Thoughts would appear in my mind as I was driving or answering mail or even visiting with friends.  Ideas came unannounced.  With the ideas came questions.  Should this next book be the same?  Should it be different?  If it were different, what would it look like?  Should it be longer?  Shorter?  How would I begin the writing?  As a life experience?

I understand what is involved in putting a book together.  So many decisions.  So many revisions.  So much proofing.  Emails back and forth between the woman who formats and me.  Constant conversation.  Sometimes as many as twenty emails a day as we work through a challenge.  No, it is not easy.  There are many, many small details that require attention.  My attention.

By the time a book is as together as it will be, I am exhausted with it.  Tired of it.  Critical of it.  Until the proof arrives from the printer.  Every emotion changes when I open the package and remove the proof.  Turning the pages, seeing how it actually looks in book form is such a rush.  Not tired anymore, I tackle the job of proofing.  I do not do this by myself.  The mind fills in words that are not there.  Fresh eyes are needed to read the actual words, check the punctuation.  Yes, I understand the work involved.

Thinking through the process, I realized that I wanted to write something different.  Something that the reader could share in a new way.  Readers  shared with me that they had underlined, highlighted,  written in the margins, dogeared pages.  A few shared they had used parts of my books in speeches.  I learned that a few of my essays had been used in conjunction with Sunday School lessons.  Knowing how people were using the books gave me the idea for this new one.

I would write short thoughts.  These thoughts would be placed on beautiful pictures of nature.  Mountains, valleys, rivers, meadows, flower gardens, clouds, rainbows to name a few.  I would use my photographs and ask friends to share their photos with me.  So, the writing began.

One would think that writing short thoughts would be easy.  Maybe for some it is.  For me it proved quite a challenge.  Every word has to count.  Especially when there would only be a few lines on each beautiful photograph.   The floor of my office became a huge garbage can.  Discarded thoughts littered the floor.  Yet the  thoughts continued to come and eventually made sense.

Yesterday the proof arrived.

I wish you had been here to share this moment with me.  We would have placed the finished product on a table and began turning pages.  We would have talked about the beautiful photographs.  We would have read the quotes.  We would have noticed how wonderfully put together it is.  We would have discussed the pages included for personal reflections by the reader.  It would have been such fun.

All corrections made, the wait begins.  In a few weeks a large box of books will arrive at my door.  All the hard work, the thinking, the cussing and the crying will be replaced with laughter and joy.  A book is born.