Aug. 23, 2022, 11:01 a.m.
THE ARCHITECTURE OF BOOK WRITING
The hardest thing about writing a book isn’t writing the book
Monday Monday
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The hardest thing about writing a book isn’t writing the book. It’s deciding you are worthy of telling the tale, putting pen to paper, and sharing it with the world. It is deciding the first draft of the proposal is good enough to send to the person who is begging to champion your work, even when you took a year to email her back.
It is making the choice to write the first sentence even if no one is asking you to
I sent the rough draft of my next book proposal to my agent yesterday. You would think writing the book itself would feel more daunting than sending this email but this is not the case for me. Hitting send opened up a portal of creation inside of me, the hardest part was the willingness to say yes.
As soon as I hit send on the book proposal five other books floated down. Oh good, god says, now that we believe in this idea perhaps you could start to consider a few more. I made adjustments in other areas of my life : my schedule, what goes in my body, my screen time. I look forward without the question - How now do I write?There is so much unsaid, I must make a dent.
I am ever so devoted to the timeline of god and not my own, but I am surely tested over and over again on how I speak to myself about not meeting my own timelines. Virgo season swirls down from the heavens to greet me on the path of discipline to say - if we are to be disciplined we must be much nicer to ourselves in the process.
The last year of my life was not a container for book writing, it was a container for teaching and healing and weekly newsletters. It was a time to learn the land and have the greatest mental health crisis of my life. It was a time to mold my body into a new body, come out to myself yet again, relearn the safety of pleasure, and swim every day. It has been a time of formulating a web of care and trust, both within myself and my community.
The great shedding, I now turn towards my work in a romantic way. Let me date you sweet book, let me court you and stay up all night thinking about you. Let me want you more than I could want anything else that could distract me from your creation. Let me relish in the fact that this is both my job and my way through, my calling and my responsibility. To bring forth what is brought down, as above so below.
May just enough self doubt leave us so that we may bring forth the work at hand, may just enough self doubt leave us to write the first sentence, may just enough self doubt leave us to make a beginning
THE ARCHITECTURE OF BOOK WRITING
Sunday September 4, 11, and 18 + 10-12 PST / 1-3 EST
Live on Zoom, closed captions provided
Two and Three part monthly payment plans, BIPOC scholarships available
WITH GUEST TEACHERS : Jacqueline Suskin, Tamara Santibañez, and Brandi Cheyenne Harper
I am looking forward to emerging from a summer of swimming and transformation and book proposal crafting to bring you this class in making and writing your own book. I have put four books, a dozen zines, and hundreds of newsletters into the world - both as self published projects and working with major publishers.
This class is live on zoom, you get to keep the recordings forever, and we have two co-working days on Friday Sept 9 and 16 for more intimate connection
WEEK ONE : OUTLINING THE BONES
WEEK TWO : WRITING A BOOK, SHOWING THE WORLD
WEEK THREE : THE ART OF THE PHYSICAL OBJECT
I asked three of my friends who I think are the coolest people on earth to join me each week to go over outlining and organizing the work, sharing it with the world, starting anywhere, and more
You will leave this class with the understanding and empowerment to write a book. I said it! YOU WILL! I promise. It isn’t every day I feel I can promise something to my students but, I love to write books and I love to watch them change the world and I have a feeling there is a book in you too.
Let me know if you have questions, see you at book school!
Barry Lee’s beautiful newsletter - I feel really grateful to be connected to Barry via the social media landscape - I learn so much from their art and writing, and love subscribing to their newsletter - consider adding it to your paid subscriptions today
What “Dyke TV” Can Teach Us About Independent LGBTQ Media - love this article from Autostraddle
Imani Tutt’s account officially is inside my brain
I don’t follow many therapists on the internet but everything she says is really impacting me at the moment
Watching - Reservation Dogs (on Hulu) - cannot recommend enough!
This meme
There is a big bird that lives in the meadow with us now - I think it is a red tail hawk. Sometimes he is on the wooden post at the bottom of the driveway but also sits on the branch outside the window by my desk. I will probably now get into birding :)
Yesterday me and June walked around the meadow and identified as many plants as we could. I also tested to see if the green apples are ready to be picked but they are not. The black raspberries are doing good and by next week I would like to walk down the ravine to check out the red apple tree. Lots of St John’s Wort and pine trees.
June turns three on Thursday and it simply breaks my heart - Virgo Sun, Gemini Moon, Baby Dog Rising
Amanda Acker’s paintings are up at Center Gallery in Glen Arbor through Friday August 25
I listen to this a few times a day
⌇⋰ Website
⌇⋰ Email : info@marleegrace.space or respond to this email
⌇⋰ Mailing Address : PO Box 909 Northport, MI 49670
Photo of me holding Getting to Center by Chloe Sells
Architecture of Book Writing Class photo from NYT Florence Howe, center, with staff members of the Feminist Press in 1972