Fan the ember into flame

Writing catches fire at the intersection of solitude and community

Writing is a solitary pursuit. We sit in front of a screen, alone with our thoughts. Sentence by sentence, ideas fly like sparks from our brain unto the page. We second guess ourselves, self-edit, daydream, write a brilliant sentence, followed by three or four thoroughly mediocre ones. We hit delete and start again, trying to bring light into the darkness, building something that hopefully lights the way, or warms a reader’s heart.

Sometimes words ignite, but sometimes, ideas struggle to take hold. We persevere. We breathe gently on a little spark of an idea and coax it into an ember.

We need that initial solitude, the discipline and persistence of striking the match, creating a spark. At some point, smart writers know, they need to move from the solitude of creating to the community of collaboration. Our writing catches fire at the intersection of solitude and community.

Once we’ve done the lonely work of writing, we need to get some help. Maybe your little ember is a rough draft. To fan it into flame, you might need a writing coach, or a writing community. (Which, by the way, can be one or two other writers.)

Then, to refine your work, you’ll need an editor. To package it into an actual book, you’ll need a designer. To share the flame with others, you might need a marketing expert to help.

As I wrote in last week’s newsletter, you could just write something on your phone, and self-publish it as an ebook on Apple Books. Boom. Done. But smart writers, even those who have taught themselves the intricacies of self-publishing, need an editor. They also often want a guide or coach to help them, to light the way.

If you’re writing fiction, for example, I highly recommend author and writing coach Ginny Yttrup, whose wonderful courses and coaching have helped so many writers achieve their dreams. Visit her Words for Writers site to learn more. Whether you sign up for a course or coaching, or just grab the free bundle of writing resources she is offering right now, if you are an aspiring novelist, you want Ginny on your team.

If you’re dreaming about a memoir or personal story, you’ll find fuel for the fire of your writing at Susy Flory’s Everything Memoir. Free videos, lots of content, a lively Facebook group, a memoir coaching group that helps you write your memoir in a year—all from a New York Times Bestselling author.

If the book that’s burning in your heart is non-fiction, I can help with coaching, collaborative writing, or guiding you through the self-publishing process. I pull together a team of editors and designers to make your book shine. Use the button below to request a free consultation.

I love the writing process, I love the learning and growing that happens when I write. But I also love nurturing writers, helping them fan their gifts into flame. This year, I’ve helped several authors realize their dream of publishing a book, and that’s been very rewarding.

If you’re writing, you’ve got to do the work. You’ve got to find that spark of idea, that ember of passion for a story. You have to keep adding fuel to the fire. But to keep your dreams burning bright, find others who share your passion, who can cheer you on, and work with them to make something beautiful.

Photo by Oleksandr P: https://www.pexels.com/

Author success story

This week, author and photographer Carol Lawrence released her book, Go Outside: God is Waiting. a winsome collection of beautiful color photographs and reflective essays, the book is best read slowly, hopefully with walks outside in between each chapter.

Carol came to me with a collection of essays and accompanying photos. We worked with book designer Brenda Wilbee, who created both the interior and cover. This was a challenging design project as the photos often spread across two pages. The result was gorgeous.

Setting up Carol’s book on KDP.

I guided Carol through the self-publishing process: coaching her on obtaining ISBNs, setting up her account on Kindle Direct Publishing, ordering proof copies, and making adjustments to the cover to fit the exact specifications at KDP.

It is entirely possible to self-publish without assistance. The name itself tells you—it’s self-publishing, meaning the author is the publisher. But some writers appreciate having someone to guide, nurture, explain, and help them to set them up for success. Even when you do it entirely yourself, you need to hire an editor and designer—I pull together that team for our clients. Again, you could hire an editor and designer yourself, and coordinate all the pieces. I set my clients up so that they will get royalties directly from amazon (or another platform if they choose). I’m not a publishing company, I’m a guide who assists authors with self-publishing. Along the way, I’m teaching my clients about the publishing industry, helping them not only become better writers but savvy publishers.

Carol wrote to me: “Thank you so much for your excellent guidance, your unfailing encouragement, and especial for your extreme patience. It’s been a joy working with you… It could not have happened without you.”

I’m grateful that I get to work with Carol and other writers to help them turn their embers into flame!