One guaranteed strategy to start (and finish) your book.
It begins and ends with you.
Praise yourself.
The image of the struggling and unhappy artist is outdated — at least in my world. Been there, done that and it made writing a book more task than joy.
Kind of a bummer back then, since I bought into the notion that art should be HARD. I had to prove my worth as a WRITER. I mean, all of those pictures of the smoking, drunk, suicidal artists, right? That’s what it meant to be an artist, as long as you had an agent and publishing house. Published books meant you were really a writer. Those scraps of unfinished work meant you were a loser since you weren’t published.
That is an illusion.
Such a restricted frame never worked for my picture, though I did publish many books under the pressure of my own perfectionistic tendencies — nothing wrong with wanting to make my art as beautiful as possible — yet if isn’t fun, what’s the point? I could just hire a hypnotherapist and dig all that stuff out instead.
This new iteration of Raven is done with “hard” art. Done with serious, dour spiritual teachers / principles. If it doesn’t make me laugh, it doesn’t come through the door.
Same goes for writing.
When I first began I Was Once A Person two years ago, I gave up after a few notebooks. The story wasn’t going anywhere. I wasn’t having any fun and found myself creating another woo book. The last thing this world needs is another woo book, so I put it aside. My main character Xandra hadn't arrived, so the story was a drag and I said, Well, guess that goes in the pile with all the other stuff. No big deal. I’m really not a fiction writer, anyway.
Yet the story wasn’t done with me — and I returned the following year with a fresh new idea. Ex-wives Xandra and Beatrix, meeting at THE RIVER OF RESENTMENT in the — possible — afterlife with serious grudges and more to say (they’re lesbians — always more to say).
I laughed and laughed and laughed.
Whenever a great scene came up or beautiful sentence flowed, I praised myself. This is so good, Raven — so funny. Amazing! I loved how the story came together, notebook after notebook — and if frustration ever arose, I stopped for the day. Joy, not task. Ease, not pressure. I’d say, Hey, if this takes 5 years or the rest of my life, no big deal.
It was a whole new level of pleasure — and since I wasn’t my usual “memoirist” self while constructing I Was Once A Person, I was able to became the observer, the scribe as I cracked up at Xandra and Beatrix’s antics.
Praise started my book — and praise continues as I finish the very final edits before sending my child into the world. I’ll continue to praise and congratulate myself because I created another book — and it’s the best I’ve ever written. Happiness and excitement brought the Creative Force of Ages to my desk and what emerged is so incredible, I can’t wait to share it — no matter if my book receives the highest praise mixed with whatever else.
Xandra can absolutely take care of herself.
I love being a writer. I’m proud of myself. It’s a proven strategy that works — every time. That’s all that matters.