Day 42 - WRITING A BOOK

I just responded to an email from a young woman who is interested in writing a book. Years ago (yikes, decades ago…) John F. Kennedy, Jr, published the magazine, George, with the tagline, “Every Life has a Story.” I loved George (with stories of the famous, infamous, and regular folks) and I adopted the tagline. I do believe everyone has a story to share, and the young woman who wrote to me truly does!

I have often been asked, “Do you think you’ll write another book?” For many years, my standard answer was, “No. I hope I never have another story like this to share.” But in more recent years, I have thought about it. As I continue to live with the long term effects of a spinal injury - and the trauma of a tragic event - I realize I might have more to share. My story is told in What Though the Odds; a story that has a beginning and an end. But there is no end to this. As I have learned through the years, it does not go away; it is a journey. And I have started making notes, talking through, and writing down what that journey looks like.

Tonight, responding to this young woman who was looking for guidance, it was fun to reflect on the writing process. It was easy for me to guide her, to ask the probing questions: Why do you want to write this? Who is your audience? And to help her create her own blueprint for the writing process. And I, again, started thinking about my own (next) book, and realized it’s easier to ask the questions than it is to answer the questions myself.

I remember a day back in early 2008, when I was frustrated with the writing process, and Jamie said to me, “If writing a book was easy, everyone would do it.” It’s not easy. Even though everyone has a story.