One of the most self declared annoying things about me is that I have been “writing a book” since I was 17. I have started and stopped countless projects, it’s never been the vision that’s lacked, but the discipline. So many of them were almost completed, or could have been set forth into the world as is but I got distracted, disenchanted or frankly disengaged with what I was writing about. It aggravates me to no end that I have operated in this way, and said over and over for years ‘I’m writing a book I’m writing a book’ (please imagine me saying this in a mocking tone, with a mocking voice)
Often, I find myself fighting against writing what I feel like has already been said, ad nauseum - which by the way I recognize as a completely self sabotaging mindset. But finally, one day post-partum in the wee unholy waking hours I finally decided that the most cliché, over written about subject off allll -NEWBORN MOTHERHOOD- would need my two cents. A 2023-24 perspective about bucking the system, the groups, the books, the what you should and shouldn’t do, ect etc etc etc.
I found an app and a somewhat disciplined way of tackling this collection of essays, It’s called Wersmith for anyone curious. Needless to say this might be the one and only book I ever actually complete, and holy batman shit am I excited about it.
In honor of DAWN OF BOY I wanted to share two past covers of projects I never finished that I love dearly still, along with a test I did of DOB’s cover.
I’ve always loved how covers happen, the magical feeling they invoke when they just feel… right. There’s one project I didn’t have a cover for called Depth of Frames that I’d like to mention just for the fact that I clearly have a thing for the letter D. Date + Time, Depth of Frames, and now Dawn of Boy.
Man, clearly I’m not lacking in vision haha. Just execution.. or completion maybe. But I’m not sure that is even the problem. There was a whole year I churned out DRCP mags completely on my own. and I mean chuuurrrnnned. I know organization has always been a struggle for me, and feeling overwhelmed by all the details. With this project I have maintained a -write first, edit later- mentality though, just keeping everything together with the hope that when its all there I will: 1.Have more than enough to cull through. 2. Have someone else expertly organize the pieces in a way that is excellent. and 3. Have the confidence that what I’m saying is worth reading.
I’m a little over halfway through my wordcount goal. I’m trying to make sure I have double of what I need so that the culling process doesn’t leave it completely naked. Part of me feels like sharing this is potentially condemning, but I’m really trying to break those old patterns. So CHEERS!