Considering my last post was entitled “Dig Deep”, and I haven’t updated in over a week, you must have assumed I was on quite the excavation into my soul. I was, for part of the week, writing the first twelve pages of my memoir as an assignment for my new writing class, which I love by the way. The assignment proved to be much harder than I thought it would be. Stupidly, I assumed that because I have been living this project so vividly for the last year, that it would be easy to just jump in and start writing a book. Aren’t I fancy? But instead, I found myself staring at a blank computer screen and sending Brian texts like…“this writing a book thing is no joke”.
When the judgmental blank computer screen would become too much for me, I would retreat to the couch to read “Tiny Beautiful Things” and escape from the question looming over my head…how do I want to start my book to? It’s a BIG question that I didn’t have an answer for. As my writing teacher, Richard, put it so eloquently- “If the first fifteen pages don’t grab the reader, they aren’t going to read to twenty.” No pressure, Richard. No pressure.
You will be happy to know that I soldiered through it and finally put words on a page. I’ve started my book! So what that I am only ten rough pages in- IM IN! This first assignment made me realize that this is going to be a very long and laborious process of love. Like birthing a baby! That’s probably unfair of me to say since I have never birthed a baby but I’m going with it. It has definitely awakened something in me. I’m finding it hard to go to bed at night because I have so many ideas racing through my head. I’m feeling very alive by the process.
You know what didn’t prove to be a hard but fun process last week?? The stomach flu. It proved to be an awful, awful, awful experience. It knocked me on my ass for three days. It was hard for me to even move from the bed to the couch. At one point I was so exhausted by it all that I just crumpled on the bedroom floor in my ratty t-shirt, sweat pants, disheveled hair and started sobbing to Brian, “pleeeeease make it stop”. It was quite a display. Have you ever been so sick that even blinking hurts? That was my reality for the latter part of the week.
On another note, we are off to Asheville, North Carolina tomorrow. I am a fan of getting out-of-town and I hear Asheville is gorgeous, so I am excited. I can’t wait to tell you all about it!
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Welcome back! I’m glad to hear you survived the flu. I had something similar a couple years back where like you, it honestly hurt to blink. I remember feeling as though I’d been hit by a truck & perhaps the same truck decided to stay parked on top of me for a week!
Congrats on the book writing & the upcoming trip! Sounds like some exciting things are happening 🙂
Thanks Sarah!!! Hope you’re great too!!!
Babe lived in Asheville when we first met, in a house on the top Blue Ridge Mountain, complete with wild turkeys and black bears in his backyard. He recommends visiting a place called the Sky Bar, a gastropub with a view of the entire city. Feel better soon! I can currently attest to being sick and, by extension, pretty pathetic. MISS YOU. xo
Hey Miss Lynzie! Tell Babe we say thanks for the tip. We plan on trying it! Sorry you are feeling sick. Wishing you a speedy recovery. MISS YOU xx
The only good thing about the flu is that it comes and goes, relatively quickly. Asheville is such a marvelous area. Hope you have a fantastic time. 🙂
Thanks!!
I’m from Asheville and I highly recommend it! You’ll fall in love if you soak up all the little local places downtown and enjoy the nature around the area. I love it so much, that even though I live in Sweden, I am planning to move back next summer. Nothing beats the funky, eclectic, diverse, natural vibe of Asheville. Hope you have a great trip!
And good luck on your book! Yay for getting started!
I’m looking forward to exploring your home town! Thanks for the words of encouragement too!
Good, good, good for you! Getting started really is the hardest part! Whenever I’m hung up on a chapter, my lit agent tells me, “Just sit down to write a ‘blog post,’ only allow yourself the freedom to say as much as you want and make it as long as you want.” When I think of it that way, the words always come flowing out. Probably applies to your book too since we’re both writing books based on our blogs. 🙂
Thanks for the encouragement Sarah!!That piece of advice from your lit agent is pretty great. When you look at it that way a book seems totally possible!!
P.S I will be the first one in line to buy your book 🙂
I hope you write more about the challenges of writing a book for those of us who plan to do the same in the future. It’s be awfully kind of you :).
I plan on sharing it all!! 🙂
Hooray!
Asheville is gorgeous! Enjoy the fresh breaths of oxygen (from what I remember it was lush and green and filled with trees) … and maybe fall colors. 10 pages is a feat – congratulations! Would love to hear more on the writing class and how its shaping your big goal!
Thanks Erin!! I would love to tell you more about the writing class and hear all the new things shaking with you….coffee next week?? xo
Gah!!! You are coming to NC!? Creepy me wants to come up and meet you!;). So you know I have to share the tidbits I know. Technically this is not in Asheville but it is not that far, I pinned it: http://pinterest.com/pin/65020788340134961/, it is called Craggy Gardens. Doesn’t it look lovely? I wish I knew you were coming I would have recommended a B&B in Black Mountain that I really want to stay in when I finally come up to visit Craggy Gardens myself. I know Brian is a nature boy so there is also Brevard (also not that far with a car). Brevard is nicknamed “The Land of Waterfalls” (you know cuz it has waterfalls). I have not spent a whole lot of time in downtown Asheville but there is Double Decker Coffee & Company which my British blood couldn’t ignore because it literally has a double decker bus in front/side of the place:). I hope you have fun. If you ever end up on the west side of NC you must clue me in.
I am sorry you were so sick. I remember once many years ago being so sick my skin hurt and I felt like I was being cooked (I had a 103 temp). I also cried and begged for it to end. On a positive note I am super excited you started your book though. This makes my heart happy. If I may put my name on the list as one of your first purchasers of the book;).
So I saw this Freshly Pressed Blog and it made me think of you:
http://theviewfrommymat.com/2012/08/14/youre-probably-a-yoga-instructor-if/. The video link on it is pretty funny;).
Sophia you are the cutest!!! We will be in Asheville for a wedding (with his parents) so it will be a jam packed weekend of events otherwise I would say come up to hang! I will of course let you know if I make it down to the west side of NC. Those craggy gardens are just gorgeous. Brian says thank you for the tip about the waterfalls- he wants to go there to take photos!
Thank you for your kind words about my book- they really mean so much to me. I imagine those words will come in handy when I feel defeated by the process of writing it:)
Hope you are happy and well.
P.S. that yoga list is hysterical!!
i just love that you’re writing a memoir.
Thank you, Christine. I appreciate your support!