September 2018
I’m excited to be done with Blake Jordan #5. This was the hardest book I’ve ever written, in so many ways.
I was supposed to start on January 1st after publishing my last novel the day before my birthday last year (my goal was to have 4 novels done before I turned 40).
But January 1st rolled around and I wasn’t ready. A week went by. Two weeks went by. Three, then four. Finally, second week in February, I started writing without a full outline and decided to outline a few chapters along the way as I moved forward, step by step.
For those who aren’t writers, that’s like walking a high-wire without a net! Blindfolded! Exciting if you know what you’re doing and you’re careful. Very messy if you don’t.
I moved forward anyway, even when I didn’t think I was ready. Because you can’t always control the outcome, but you can control the process. My process was to beat writer’s block and show up every day with faith that I’d figure out what to do that day.
So that’s what I did, day in and day out, for eight long months.
I battled so many dragons along the way…
Self-doubt. A harsh critique at a writer’s conference in NYC which made me take a long hard look at myself in the mirror and decide if I wanted to be bitter or really get better. Procrastination. The dragons were all different, yet they were all the same. They said, “You can’t do this. Turn back and go home. You don’t belong.”
It was so grueling. There were times when I wondered if I was going to make it to the end of the high-wire. I could hear the cheers from the crowd far below (thanks for all your encouraging emails!) which made me want to keep going, slowly, step by step.
I learned a lot along the way. Lessons that are helping me become a better writer.
Believe me when I say, while it was hard, this new novel is the best book I’ve written.
I’m so proud of this new story and I can’t wait for you to read it.
If you have a dream and you’re stuck and scared to walk that high-wire, do me a favor.
Stop hoping for everything to line up for you. Take some time to plan your work the best you can, then start working your plan. Take a step in faith. See what happens.
Because hope is praying for rain. Faith is bringing an umbrella.