Writing a Book

I'm not so much writing a book as much as writing an introduction to a book that I'm putting together.  But it's something, nonetheless, that I feel very passionately about.  I've been s l o w l y  working on this book for some time now -- a year perhaps -- but I just can never seem to quite finish it.  Right when I start picking up momentum, stuff happens and I have to put it aside.  Or, I decide that I need to put it aside so life can happen.  (Wow, check out how philosophical I am.)  I tend to let projects take over my life, and with that, I miss...moments.  I've tried to take hold of my life, and so, I sometimes don't get to work on things like the ambitious side of me would like.  But, I'm totally going off on a tangent here...so, let me regroup. 

Where was I?

Book.  Lately I've been tackling the book again.  I'm really excited about it and feel good about the direction.  But holy cow!  A book is no joke people.  And I'm not even writing the book.  Sheesh.  I thought I was doing well until I started reading a book that one of my BYU professors suggested I read -- about writing book proposals.  Hello!  I'm so glad I read this book because, truly, my proposal would have looked nothing like this if I had gone on my own here.  So, it was good to have read.  A bit of an education for me it was.  However, this new-found knowledge has also been a tad frustrating because I've had to use my time differently -- instead of working on "the book," I'm doing more research and other things that, sure, they are important for the book...but I don't feel like it's "the book."  (sigh) 

For all of you who are participating in the book and are wondering what the heck is going on (because my original goal was to submit to publishers this past May...HA!  That didn't happen.  What was I  smokin'?  'Cause my visions of quickly whipping up a book and being published were delirous dreams...it's for sure going to take some time after realizing what more I really need to do), rest assured that your contributions are still beautiful and will be submitted.  I'll keep working.  My new goal is by the end of the year, but hopefully sooner.

As for me, wow.  What a learning experience this has been.  I really hope something more than just my own learning experience comes from this though.  Like a book.  Published.  With beautiful cover art.  That sells millions of copies.  And libraries can't keep it on their shelves.  Yeah, that'd be cool.  But more important than all of that...is that if it really gets published, that lives are uplifted and, perhaps even changed.  That people hear or read the book, and buy it for a friend who needs it.  That in moments of frustration or sadness, someone goes to this book and feels like they aren't alone, and encouraged to go on.  And that's what I'll go to bed thinking about tonight.