“A book writes itself. You are just the hand that puts everything on paper.” – Bangambiki Habyarimana
The first time I wrote a book, I had the story rolling around in my bones for years. And then one day, I came out of a meditation with a whole first line and a character and a voice, and within 5 minutes, I sat down to write. It was a difficult, ten year process from that moment to the moment of publication. A process that mostly involved me wrestling with my own fear and demons. But in the end, I wrote a book!
Three days ago I sat down to begin NaNoWriMo. I had an idea and a character, but it never felt right enough to start – so I didn’t. I thought that the problem was me. Within ten minutes of sitting down to begin writing, my idea and my character went out the window. A voice came through and demanded to tell the story herself. She has been talking ever since – and it’s all I can do to keep up. I don’t know where it is going, but after more than 6,000 words, I don’t think she is going to give me up anytime soon. I feel possessed.
When I wrote the last book, I wrote in the mornings before work. I thought that that is when I write the best, so when I found myself finally sitting down in the late afternoon on the first, I thought I had already messed things up. Turns out this character likes to work as the sun goes down.
So all bets are off.
Why am I telling you this? Because I want you to know that there are no rules to writing. There are no shoulds or have-tos when it comes to creation. The important thing is that you show up. Show up and see what happens. Sometimes what happens is magic.
In the past few months, lots of inspiration has come my way, and it’s not just any inspiration, but deep, rich, honest calling outs; the rallying call of wild women from all over the internet. So rather than keeping them all to myself, I thought I would add my voice to the call. Because every woman joining the call makes it louder.
And every woman creating from that place makes better art.
Mary Oliver’s new book of poetry. The poem above speaks to my soul. I am all about the Maybe.
How to Talk to Your Muse – Chris Zydel
The Year of the She Wolf – Anna Lovind
What it Takes to Write – Pixie Lighthorse
When You Write – Mary Beth Bonfiglio
The Year of the Witch – Pamela J Grossman
Why We Remember – Briana Saussy
Big Magic – Elizabeth Gilbert
Distaff Lines – another word for matrilineal lines.
Tokens – Your Edge. Our Edge. Dragonfly. by Maya Hackett
Burning Times – National Film Board of Canada (+ the other two films in this series on women’s spirituality.)
Today I Rise – an amazing amazing video. If you watch nothing else, watch this and the next one on the list.
Ms Marianne Williamson raising the call like no one else can.
My Sacred Feminine Pinterest Board has so so much more inspiration from so many more women.
And this may not seem like a rallying call – but I am binge watching Nashville as a way to cleanse my mental palate. Sometimes soft and sweet is just as inspirational.
So what inspires YOU? Please let me know. I’d love to add to this list!
xo
There were always all of these wonderful things I was going to do once I had time. I was going to walk more, and do more yoga, and meditate more, and eat better. I was going to do all of those things because somehow I thought that they would make me more spiritual. They would bring me closer to the Divine, to God, to that best part of me who was nice and made really good decisions and had a great attitude most of the time.