How I Wrote a Knitting Book
Like all journeys, this one began with a single step. I was at a house party and innocently told a friend, "I'd like to start a writing group."
"Well," advised the friend, "you should talk to (name withheld to protect the innocent)." And a few short weeks later the Mayne Island writers' group was formed.
I immediately began to benefit from the group. The first lesson I learnt was in order for skills to be sharpened, you have to practice them. So I made a commitment to write daily.
I had tried this strategy before and had failed miserably. Not wanting this same fate, I decided to go public by way of a blog.
Daily writing is difficult. I began to run out of ideas. When that happened, I had to dig deep. I had to carve off the fat to reach the bone. What really mattered to me began to be exposed. I began to write from my heart.
I began to write about my passion: knitting. Each time I did this, my readership grew. People were actually logging on to read my writing. Go figure? It amazed me.
The idea of writing a book began to percolate in my brain.
Still, the sheer volume of writing scared me. Even a short book is 100 pages. How could I write 100 pages?
Day after day, I wrote. I kept the good bits and forgot about the bad.
I shared my best stuff not only with my blogging readership but also with the talented writers of the writers' group. They gave me the feedback I needed in order to grow.
I soon began to realize that my goal of writing a book was attainable.
Living so closely with my story endeared it to me. Visualizing a stranger, an editor, moulding and forming my baby under the direction of another stranger, a publisher, made me churn. At the time, I was unprepared to take that leap of faith. The only solution for me was self-publishing. I wanted to tell my story in my words in my way.
I have always thoroughly enjoyed clicking my knitting needles to the sound of audiobooks. I knew there were many other knitters who felt the same. I was surprised that I was unable to find an audiobook written by a knitter for the knitting community. An audiobook that celebrated knitting called out to be written. How could I publish it?
Fortunately for me, the man I married has considerable computer skills. It is due to his patience, dedication, and talent that Novelty Yarn has such high-quality sound.
The family I married into is jam-packed-full of talented musicians—such as my brother-in-law Tim Dyck. He composed and performed the beautiful instrumentals that knit the readings together.
Self-publishing is a misnomer. Many hands were involved in the creation of Novelty Yarn. From the members of the Mayne Island writers' group who carefully edited it, to Mayne Island's Alea Design and Print, who designed the CD cover.
Recently, a friend, clutching the CD in her hands, said, "You should be very proud."
Know what? I am.
I immediately began to benefit from the group. The first lesson I learnt was in order for skills to be sharpened, you have to practice them. So I made a commitment to write daily.
I had tried this strategy before and had failed miserably. Not wanting this same fate, I decided to go public by way of a blog.
Daily writing is difficult. I began to run out of ideas. When that happened, I had to dig deep. I had to carve off the fat to reach the bone. What really mattered to me began to be exposed. I began to write from my heart.
I began to write about my passion: knitting. Each time I did this, my readership grew. People were actually logging on to read my writing. Go figure? It amazed me.
The idea of writing a book began to percolate in my brain.
Still, the sheer volume of writing scared me. Even a short book is 100 pages. How could I write 100 pages?
Day after day, I wrote. I kept the good bits and forgot about the bad.
I shared my best stuff not only with my blogging readership but also with the talented writers of the writers' group. They gave me the feedback I needed in order to grow.
I soon began to realize that my goal of writing a book was attainable.
Living so closely with my story endeared it to me. Visualizing a stranger, an editor, moulding and forming my baby under the direction of another stranger, a publisher, made me churn. At the time, I was unprepared to take that leap of faith. The only solution for me was self-publishing. I wanted to tell my story in my words in my way.
I have always thoroughly enjoyed clicking my knitting needles to the sound of audiobooks. I knew there were many other knitters who felt the same. I was surprised that I was unable to find an audiobook written by a knitter for the knitting community. An audiobook that celebrated knitting called out to be written. How could I publish it?
Fortunately for me, the man I married has considerable computer skills. It is due to his patience, dedication, and talent that Novelty Yarn has such high-quality sound.
The family I married into is jam-packed-full of talented musicians—such as my brother-in-law Tim Dyck. He composed and performed the beautiful instrumentals that knit the readings together.
Self-publishing is a misnomer. Many hands were involved in the creation of Novelty Yarn. From the members of the Mayne Island writers' group who carefully edited it, to Mayne Island's Alea Design and Print, who designed the CD cover.
Recently, a friend, clutching the CD in her hands, said, "You should be very proud."
Know what? I am.
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." LaoTzu
Don't be afraid to take that step.
Next post:
The Lure of Yarn (short story)is from Novelty Yarn--my first book.
It's a tongue in cheek look at being addicted to knitting.
Published on April 22nd at approximately 5 PM PT
Sharing my author journey...
Thought this week...
You don't have to like your lead (main) character (protagonist), but you should at least find her interesting. After all, you'll be spending a lot of time together. And, if things go well, you'll be writing the book together.
Next post:
The Lure of Yarn (short story)is from Novelty Yarn--my first book.
It's a tongue in cheek look at being addicted to knitting.
Published on April 22nd at approximately 5 PM PT
'Abby beachcombing' ldyck
Thought this week...
You don't have to like your lead (main) character (protagonist), but you should at least find her interesting. After all, you'll be spending a lot of time together. And, if things go well, you'll be writing the book together.
