My Dream to Write a Book Came True

To everyone who ever encouraged me to write a book, thank you. I’m excited to share that I’m a contributing author in the recently published collaborative book Reclaiming Me: Embracing Life and Purpose With an Empty Nest. In honor of the book’s launch, I thought I’d share my “how I got here” story.

The origin of a dream

Becoming a published author was a “someday” dream when I was 10, but back then I imagined myself creating the next Nancy Drew. In college I read mythology and classic fantasy, and thought how cool it would be to create worlds and pen my own epic. While raising my children, I entertained them by making up stories about the adventures of the bears, horses, and dinosaurs they played with. At that time I figured if I ever authored a book it would be fiction. 

Why did I wait so long to pursue my dream to write a book? 

Because life happened, the timing wasn’t right, my priorities changed. I focused on nearer goals, and the someday dream slipped further into the future.

When I was the valedictorian of my junior high class, I quoted the Chinese proverb, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” in my graduation speech. I talked about expecting to encounter forks in the road, potholes, detours and other roadtrip metaphors. Such cliched wisdom from my untraveled, idealistic, 13-year-old self. Turns out, I needed to walk my road for a thousand miles before I found out where my journey was taking me.

The faith to dream

My first step was one of faith. Literally. Deciding to trust Jesus as my savior was the beginning of this journey, and following him is how I navigate this path he’s leading me on. The trail will end when I learn how God wants me to use the gift of writing.

I started this blog when my kids were in college. I wasn’t ready, knew nothing about DIY-ing a website, and didn’t really have a plan. I just wanted to bring a little levity into a world that insisted we take life so seriously.

After a couple of years of blogging in isolation, I joined several online Christian writing communities. I met new friends, took workshops, and was encouraged to pursue my writing dreams by others on the same journey. Last year I went to my first writing retreat. I also took a 6-month writing mentorship that helped me figure out who I want to write for and what I want to talk about.

Here is the clarity God gave me: to use my writing to serve empty nesters like me, sharing the uncertainties of this new phase, encouraging them that there is still an important role to play in our adult kids’ lives. 

The dream becomes reality

You may have noticed I stepped out on this new road earlier this year. Shortly after beginning to write focused content from an empty nest perspective, I learned that Hope*Books publishing put out a call for writers to contribute to a collaborative book about empty nesting. Was this a signpost the Lord erected for me? Was he calling me to write a book? I believed so, and stepping out in faith, pitched my idea. 

They accepted. I prayed, asking God to shape my words into his message. Then I wrote. And now, “Matriarch Mamas: the New Voice in Influencer Culture” is chapter 4 of Reclaiming Me: Embracing Life and Purpose With an Empty Nest.

And “someday” is today. 

Somebody pinch me. I must be dreaming.

Thank you all for your encouragement as I pursue this dream. What “someday” dreams have come true for you? Please share in the comments!

Here are the links to the book and the writers’ groups that I mention above. 

Reclaiming Me on Amazon: https://a.co/d/2FHiTP1

Hope*Writers

Writers’ Bloc community and mentorship