Thirteen-Years-Ago Me

I wrote my first book in 2011. A self-printed book called Mary’s Diary, it was a book of 25 devotions, each one following Mary as she 'wrote her diary' during the very first Advent.

The book sold reasonably well, and led to a publishing deal.

People who read Mary’s Diary – and/or the book it became, 30 Days with Mary – would sometimes ask me if there was going to be more? Would there be a Mary’s Lent Diary?

(Photo of Oliver Twist asking for more.)

"No, I don’t think so," I replied, each time. 

It was a good idea, but I was by now working on other books in the 30 Days series.

Fast forward to the beginning of this month. 

I can’t now recall why I was looking through an old hard drive but, as I scrolled the documents on it, one caught my eye: Mary’s Diary – Lent 2012.

I opened it, and discovered that thirteen-years-ago me had thought a Lent book would work. 

The Advent book’s structure consists of a diary entry, followed by a devotion, and there on the screen were diary entries for the whole of Lent.

I’m hoping to add the devotional bits, and publish the readings as blogs throughout Lent 2025.

What have I discovered in the writing of thirteen-years-ago me? What would I say to her now?

* Drop the exclamation marks!

* Your style won’t change much in essence, though there are times when you might like to remember that less is more.

* Thank you for leaving ideas for the devotional sections, even though you didn’t go on to write them. I agree with your ideas, and they are helpful.

* I have nothing against the word ‘anyway’ in principle, but it is possible to overuse a word, and you seem to have managed it. Ditto ‘then’.

* People will ask me if there is going to be more of Mary. I will say “no” for the next thirteen years. You will roll your eyes at me, knowing that ‘more’ already half-exists.

* I will wonder why you wrote 47 diary entries. After Googling, I will confirm that there are 40 days in Lent. I will remember that I am still as bad at maths as you were, so I will keep quiet about the 47.

What might thirteen-years-ago me tell today-me?

Probably, in the words of Eeyore: “Thanks for noticing me.”

As writers, and perhaps in life, we focus on the next deadline/blog/article/book/thing. 

It can be good to occasionally look back and notice. 

Thirteen-years-ago me told me that….

 Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6

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