I has been about a year since I decided that I wanted to write a book. And, in all honesty, I am only marginally closer to being an author today then I was then. Essentially, all have to show for a years worth of (non)work is approximately 50 pages of notes covering very little material.
I feel mostly like I have accomplished little, only rehashing what is already covered in hundreds of books and on my website, among a myriad of others. I am frustrated, but I can’t seem to think of anything new or a new spin.
I am wondering, since I am trying to write about spiritual matters, that maybe I am not spiritual enough. Maybe I need to experience more of life. But if I can’t write about spiritual matters, what can I write about?
Needleworker, Knitter, Crocheter, Sewist, Cricuteer, and more!
As someone who’s done a bit of writing, I have a suggestion that might help. Try writing as if for yourself. If you think you don’t have something new to say to others (which I doubt is true, that’s likely just your internal critic talking) then look at what you have to say to yourself.
I find that writing often, more than anything else, helps me sift through my thoughts and put them in some logical order or into meaningful forms. It sometimes brings things up from my subconscious that I wasn’t even aware I thought or felt. In writing for myself, I discover these ideas, and only then am I able to make them available to others.
It may sound self-absorbed, but it really isn’t, when you consider that you’ll speak to yourself on a more equal footing. You won’t provide unnecessary explanations, nor lapse into wording that’s pedantic or condescending. Your words will be more authentic to you and your natural voice.
It’s also important to keep in mind that writing is a little like sculpting. We may start out with a lot of raw material that seems to be without value, but in the chiseling phase we cut it down to the true form within that bulk. Like Michelangelo freeing angels from rock.
Hiya,
This is just a thought from the side winds, but why not collect all your blog entries and try to find a print publisher? I’ve been visiting your site fairly regularly for about a year and a half now and always enjoy reading your posts. I don’t read any other blogs regularly, but find your candid narratives very appealing.
The Griffin and Sabine series became famous for it’s unusual presentation of letters exchanged between two strangers. Isn’t that what a blog is? If you can think of a good layout for a book, I think you’ve completed something very unique and valuable.