E What? Or Maybe Just Eeek!

March 3rd, 2012

OPI, JPEG, GIF, Tiff, bit map….once again, the more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know.

Today our Cape Cod Writers Center held a full day workshop on e-publishing and marketing. It was wonderful – the presenters really knew their stuff and presented it in a clear, factual manner. It was in depth and a lot of ground was covered, but after marching through the foreign land of EPUB and MOBIT, (at least I think that’s what it was) I headed for the nearest Dunkin Donuts to clear my head.

Writing, and eventually publishing and marketing a book, both in hardcover and e format, has taught me more than any other life process I’ve ever been through. The first thing it taught me was to proceed slowly. I have the rest of my life. Take small steps in this foreign land. Peer around corners. Listen carefully. Process slowly. Ask questions. Ask for help. Don’t be afraid. Don’t get upset when I feel stuck. Sit tight and wait for God to show the next step. Realize that my beach walks are time spent on my writing, not time wasted aimlessly wandering. (This was a hard lesson – to realize creativity has to be nurtured by “alone time” and “artist dates” with myself.) As important as the alone time is, the writer’s life cannot be a solitary one. I had to get out there and make friends and go outside and play with them. Find mentors and be a mentor to new people who are where I was two years ago. Learn to use and play on social media. Blog. Learn from this blogging everyday. Discover my voice. Learn what and how I write. Learn how hard or how easy it is for me to write. Write for others. Write for me.

Write from the heart. Be honest. Always give my readers the best of me.

If you ever want to know who you really are, pick up a pen or a keyboard (or in my case a smart phone), and just let whatever’s in your head fall out on the page. Free yourself by knowing no one ever has to see it – you don’t even have to ever go back and read it. Spend ten minutes doing this everyday and you will be amazed at who you discover lives inside you. Writing truly is a journey to the heart.

And so, as another day goes by, though it’s the hardest road I’ve ever walked, I wouldn’t trade this journey for anything, and I have written.