Inspiration comes in many forms.
Yesterday, I had coffee with a woman who had bought my book and wanted me to sign it. She’s a writer, and from the background she shared with me, an experienced and talented one. The problem she shared was that she was having trouble getting to her writing. She had some great ideas in mind, but she, like me in many ways, is easily distracted.
As writers, we can find many excuses not to write. Some of them very valid: other work, fatigue, family demands, illness (ours and other family member’s). But when the excuses are no longer there and we don’t pay attention to the muse within us, frustration mounts.
Two years back, I was bugged (here’s that fly again) by my inability to get my novel out. I had to examine what I was doing. A fly helped.
This is what I wrote on my blog then
A
fly landed boldly on my desk. It sat there for a moment, between me and my computer.
That was odd enough but even odder still, it landed in an upside down position. It then righted itself and flew back to the window, semi-hidden by my venetian blinds.
It (she or he) got my attention again when it buzzed. I looked over to see her upside down again, resting on the window glass. And then as before, she flipped over, right side up, and was gone. Quite the trick!
It’s a trick worth copying
That whole notion of flipping. For me, it was my thinking that needed flipping. I had hoped to publish my novel traditionally. It wasn’t an unreasonable expectation. I’d been agented before, both in Eastern and Western Canada, years back for my screenplays.
Story is story, so I thought it shouldn’t be hard to find an agent again, but it was.
Reasons why I couldn’t find an agent
*The writing (oh, God no, not my writing),
*the story (same thing),
*the subject matter (put romance in and it should sell, right?)
*or my age (I’m a grandmother, enough said).
I didn’t want to admit it was any of the reasons I’d listed, but I began to wonder as the pile of rejections threatened to bury me at my desk.
Was I discouraged?
Of course. But my choices were clear. I could lament about my difficulties, or I could do something different. I could flip my thinking, inspired by the fly. I believe in craft and story. And though I couldn’t trust myself to be objective, I had enough support from fellow writers to know that my story was worthy of publication. It was also a story I wanted to read. My choice was: do I keep waiting and pitching or do I do something different?
Flipping is like Reframing
The idea of flipping, inspired by a fly, reminded me of the days when I was a clinical social worker and helped clients reframe their problem. Flipping is like Reframing. So, like the fly, I was now prepared to flip, not my body, but my thinking on how to get my novel published. And thought, like the old cliché, (which I’m quoting, because it’s good), let the chips fall where they may.
And the chips have fallen
So, I began to immerse myself in all the how-tos online about self-publishing. Even bought a few books on the subject. I self-published A Cry From The Deep in the fall of last year. It became a best-seller at Coho Books, our local bookstore and garnered some lovely reviews on Amazon. It’s still building an audience. With over nine million books out there (and growing), I’m content that when customers find mine, they are satisfied with a good read. I’ve been compared to a few successful authors out there, and for that, I’m grateful.
Five months after my novel debut, I’m busy revising two more books.
So, the sky’s the limit (another cliché) because that’s where I’m at right now.
How about you? Have you had anything like a fly to inspire you? Or a child saying something, a fortune cookie, a quote, whatever. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
I love this analogy for changing one’s thinking, Diana. And I can totally relate to the excuses and distractions. I remember reading an advance copy of A Cry From the Deep and am so glad that the story I loved is being enjoyed by so many others!
Thank you, Karen. You are such an inspiration, yourself. Hope your writing is going well. Look forward to more connections. Hugs.
What a great post! And what a fun photo! Congrats!
Thanks, Julia.
I’m so glad you changed your thinking so we could all enjoy your writing.
Aw, shucks! Does anyone use shucks anymore? Thanks, Jo-Anne.
Hi Diana! Good for you for bucking the system and figuring out how to accomplish your dream. I think one danger all of us have is getting stuck with thinking there is only one way to reach that goal and we forget that most of it is simply what many others have said, “a failure of imagination.” There are ALWAYS more ways around a problem than we usually realize. While I never had an agent I did have two different books published by two different publishers but when I decided I wanted to write a novel I couldn’t find anyone interested so I, like you, published it myself. I’ve been VERY happy with the process and am now working on a 3rd self published. And you know what, I don’t think I would go back to having someone else publish me. But sometimes until we reframe or turn the problem upside down we can’t imagine a better way. Thanks for the reminder! ~Kathy
Kathy, glad to hear you’ve had such a positive experience with self-publishing. It’s a mountain of how-tos to climb but well worth the effort. It’s also nice to hear from an author who’s been on both sides of the fence and likes the new side she’s chosen. 🙂
When I finish my book, I have already decided to self publish. If you have to do all the marketing anyway, why let a publisher in on the deal?
I LOVE your photo- you look radiant, confident and like a successful, happy author!
Thanks for stopping by, Michele. Good luck with your book. It’s a wonderful journey, putting something together and giving it all the love you can before sending it out in the world. And thanks for your nice thoughts about my photo. It was the day I did a book reading in the community square and then went over to the local bookstore to do some book signings. Thank God it didn’t rain until later. 🙂
Hi Diana, Indeed inspiration arrives in sometimes unexpected ways. Congrats on the new design of your page!
Thank you, Bryan. And glad you like my new design. As you know, it takes awhile to get these revisions up.
Everything happens for a reason! Self-publishing is looked at as a step down from traditional publishing by some. That’s not the case at all, as I’m sure you can attest to. It’s just as great of an accomplishment!
Kristen, nice of you to stop by and leave a comment. So true, it is an accomplishment. Took me over 10 years, what with caring for my mother, being there for my grandchildren, and making sure that my book also had the best care. And for that, I hired two different editors, a book cover designer and a formatter. I wanted my book to be able to stand proudly next to any traditionally published book on any shelf. The best of luck in your work as well.
Diana, I am so happy you commented on my blog. Thank you. It brought me to your blog and I plan to read a few more posts in a moment. But first, I wanted to say how much I enjoyed this one.
For me it was a cliché that brought me to indie publishing. Someone said to me in a conversation about something – I don’t even remember what – “Life’s too short to hang around waiting till she makes up her mind.”
I had a book out there seeking an agent. I suddenly thought, ‘Yes, it is!’ Didn’t even wait for the rejection slip, but turned to indie publishing. That was 2008 and I was already a grandmother in my sixties. Life was getting shorter.
I now have six published books that are receiving lovely reviews and fan mail.
Oh joy, Christine. How lovely to meet you here. I’m glad we’ve connected and it seems we’ve gone through a similar thought process regarding self-publishing. I’ll re-visit your blog and see what else I’ve missed on your site, too. Have a great 2016!