In my last blog, Planting the Seed in the Ground, I shared with you how I take the seed of a book idea and actually put it in the ground where it can root and bloom into something beautiful. This is a big first step! I don’t know about you, but I have let many seeds rot in dark drawers… Therefore, I tend to celebrate each time I accomplish planting it and so should you!
Now comes another fun part: Nurturing that planted seed so you can watch your story grow.
Life is busy. It just is. So it is completely understandable that sometimes we simply forget about it or have a hard time making it a priority. Here are ways that I overcome this and nurture my book ideas into reality:
1. I think of the book idea as a living thing. For me, it actually isn’t that big of a stretch because these things truly do take on a life of their own! When I see it as a living thing with a spirit, it appeals to the caretaker in me. I just want to give it love and light and delight in what it does as a result.
2. I keep it where I can see it. For my current book series idea, I have a doodle of one of the characters on a notecard propped up against the lamp on my desk. I see it constantly. I get ideas and add them to my Google Doc. I get excited and write a little or sketch a little. In such tiny increments, it feels easy to find some time to fit it into my schedule and I get the satisfaction of regular progress.
3. I play with it. Kids naturally learn by playing. They don’t sit there banging their head against a wall trying to “figure it out.” They get their hands dirty, turn things over, move them over here, and combine random things together. This makes the process much more fun, lighthearted, and engaging. I actually want to work on the book idea when I take the pressure off and think of myself as a kid exploring something new.
4. I listen to it. This goes hand-in-hand with playing with it. Maybe this sounds a little “out there” to you, but something that has always been true about creating for me, is that the creation is often in the lead. As I play with things and try them out, it tells me what it likes and doesn’t like. Even though I am writing the story, it always surprises me in many ways and this is a magical part of the journey!
5. I love and accept it at any phase. I once had a mentor that said, “You are perfect the way you are… and you could use a little work.” I love this paradox. Even though I want my story to fully bloom into all its potential, I also want to love it at each phase in the process because it is all important! There is always a phase where nothing is working quite right and I am frustrated, but I have grown to appreciate this phase the most. That is when the most unexpected things can emerge and the story becomes more than I imagine it could be.
6. I let it breathe. No plant is watered for hours on end. No plant is fed all the time. No plant is moved constantly. If I were that plant, I would just want to stay underground... Know when you are smothering your idea and just let it be for a while. Go do something else. Come back when you feel refreshed and inspired.
7. I forgive myself. Sometimes I get overwhelmed or frustrated and give up on something that I wish I hadn’t given up on. Sometimes it feels like too much time has passed and it would be silly to revisit the idea. But no idea is lost if you feel called to work with it. Your book idea would welcome your attention once again. Your story is longing to be told if you will forgive yourself and start once more.
What story do you want to nurture? Need help getting started or have a story ready to go? We can help at any phase in the process. Reach out now and let that story bloom!