The Writing Process: Celebrating by Rebecca Seaton
The
Writing Process: Celebrating by Rebecca Seaton
Look, I made this!
My mini-series draws to a close with ‘Celebrating’ which really
combines many of the elements of the writing process I’ve already discussed,
but particularly sharing and advertising.
The Bible says, ‘Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with
those who weep.’ (Romans 12:15) If you have been sharing the process then your
friends and early readers have suffered the process with you, so let them also
embrace the result! I think we sometimes hold off on this because we want to demonstrate
humility and don’t want to seem to be elevating ourselves above others who have
been less successful. However, if we acknowledge the role of God and other
people in our writing journey, we are not doing this. In addition, our success
may be an inspiration to others, especially if they know that we have had
doubts and obstacles to deal with along the way.
How can we do this?
Tell people! My process is very simple. At any successful step (being
shortlisted, finishing the book, launching the book, etc.) my first thing is
always to thank God: for the process and the opportunity as well as the
success. Then I have a small group of close family and friends who I tell next.
After that, it’s other friends and groups. By the time I get to this stage, the
word may already be out, which is always nice! To celebrate specifically for my
own writing I found a book launch great fun. It’s fun to invite people to and
feels like a good day/evening out. I was fortunate to have someone who
organised it and interviewed me on the night, which I’d also recommend if
possible. There are also plenty of group events where you can celebrate your
writing at the same time as encouraging others. Many local libraries run events
and groups like ACW or SCBWI are good places to share your success whilst
supporting others. There are a surprising amount of places that want to hear
about the process as much as the end result: my magazine interviews have very
much celebrated both.
Jeremiah says, ‘”For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord,
“Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”’
(Jeremiah 29:11)
Our celebration is a fantastic way to share our journey of faith
alongside sharing our writing triumphs.
#amwriting #amwritingfantasy #ACW
Rebecca earned second place in the 2017-18 Pen to Print Book Challenge
with her first novel, A Silent Song. She is currently writing her next novel,
The Prophet’s Grace, the first in a fantasy trilogy.
Very good point, Rebecca. We don't want to brag but it's also so important to rejoice with each other. I am quite nervous about the thought of a "real" face to face book launch, so I liked your idea of the interview. That had never occurred to me. Along with so much else. I suspect pouring fizz down the audience's throats may predispose them to like me ....
ReplyDeleteCelebration is so important, isn't it. I'm glad your book launch went so well, and you could celebrate. Ruth: I was at a launch recently that also had the author interviewed and, as Rebecca says, the format worked really well.
ReplyDelete