Tuesday, December 11, 2007 at 1:01am
How do you get there from here?
Column: Writing Down Your Soul
Writing about Writing, Part 2
I overnight-mailed the manuscript for my book, "Writing Down Your Soul," on Nov. 15, 2007. It was a blessed moment of completion. It had taken me almost six months of days that invariably morphed into nights clicking away at the computer, but I had done it: I had written a book! Or so I liked to tell myself — as well as anyone else who would listen. But my stated calculations, I knew, were inaccurate. It hadn't taken six months; it had taken 23 months. Twenty-three months from the moment I started the intention clock on Jan. 1, 2006. Let me explain.
I began 2006 the way I always begin a new year — having a Soul Day, or rather half a Soul Day, more like a Soul Morning. I always begin my year by sitting quietly by myself, blessing the past year, reviewing the evidence of Spirit's hand in my life, and clarifying my intentions for the next 12 months. The morning of Jan. 1, 2006, I wrote at length about my heart's desires. I replayed my soul's journey through the past 10 years, the journey that had led me from successful business consultant to creator of Spiritual Geography. As I reviewed how my story was unfolding, I confirmed in my heart that I was ready for the next stage. In my journal I wrote: "I am ready for my voice to be heard. I am ready for my marketing and publishing partners to appear. Show me what to do, and I will do it."
Then, I did a Medicine Card reading. (If you are unfamiliar with Medicine Cards, visit www.medicinecards.com.) I breathed on the cards and prayerfully asked for guidance for the next year. I drew four cards, one for each quarter. The last card was Raven: "magic is in the air ... something special is about to happen." That sure sounded good. I wrapped up the morning by writing my intentions for the year — including finding my publishing and marketing partners — and drew them in the shape of a round mandala, capped with a color copy of the exciting Raven card. I taped my prayer mandala to my bedroom door, and said my 10 intentions for 2006 out loud for the first of 365 days. I felt peaceful and happy. I knew, even in those first few hours of 2006, that everything I asked for was heading toward me.
The next morning, I decided to tidy up my office and clear out my email inbox. I was clicking along — delete, delete, delete — when I came to John Kremer's book marketing newsletter. I had faithfully read his newsletter (available at www.bookmarket.com) for a couple of years, but for the past few months I'd been deleting it without reading it. This time, I decided to skim it first. Toward the end, one line caught my eye: "I don't know if this applies to any of you, but if you write on spiritual topics, you might want to check out www.religionandspirituality.com."
Well, I knew one person who wrote on spiritual topics — me! I clicked on the site. Oh, my God! There it was! My forum! I spent the rest of the morning carefully (OK, neurotically) constructing an email to Larry Moffitt, the editor. When I could no longer tweak it any further, I rolled my eyes to heaven, whispered a prayer, and pushed "send." Too nervous to just sit there, I went out for lunch with a friend. When I returned, there was a voice mail from Larry. I not only had a column, I started the following Tuesday! From the moment I set my intention clock to my first column was a grand total of five days. As a young woman in one of my Writing Down Your Soul workshops said, "God works fast!"
For six months, I faithfully cranked out columns, first on forgiveness and then on prayer. On June 6, 2006, an email appeared in my inbox from Conari Press, asking if they could send me some of their books. (Oooh, let's see, free books on spirituality. How long do I need to think about this?) Months later, I learned that the woman who became my editor at Conari had been intrigued by my columns on prayer. Prayer, it turns out, is her favorite topic.
Conari and I started talking. They asked to see the Spiritual Geography workbooks that I had completed for three of the seven countries. I thought for sure that this was the answer to my prayers. Surely, they would publish Spiritual Geography. But nothing happened. I kept on working on Spiritual Geography, writing my columns, and teaching workshops on how to access the Voice of Spirit within.
After teaching in my own backyard for two years, I received my first invitation to teach out of town on Sept. 23, 2006. The timing was not perfect. I was putting together a large proposal for a bank to develop all the Spiritual Geography materials. But I couldn't turn up a chance to teach at the beautiful Unity Center in Vero Beach, Fla., and I thought it would be fun to sleep in a funky hotel right on the Atlantic Ocean. So, even though I was sure my future was wrapped up in Spiritual Geography, and I really needed to keep my focus there, and I couldn't afford the time or the money to travel, I went. Two hours into the workshop, I gave the group their first 10-minute writing prompt:
"Dear God, Why am I in this class at this time in my life? Why is this important to me? What do I want to learn, discover, uncover?"
The 11 participants put their heads down and threw themselves into the question. I wanted to be a good role model, so I picked up my journal and asked the same question. Immediately, my hand wrote: "Do I have to write a book on soul writing?" My eyes popped. The last thing on earth I wanted to do was take on a big new writing assignment. There was no time, no energy, no money — no way! So I handled this as elegantly as I handle all unwelcome guidance. I wrote:
"NO! NO! NO! NO! I have four countries to develop for Spiritual Geography, and you know it! I have a bank proposal to finish, and you know it! I have a meeting next week with the banker. I have a poster to design, maps to order, a website to update. I'm working every day on Spiritual Geography. I don't have time to write a book. I can't do this! NO!"
The guidance, however, was clear. When I got home, I sent a one-sentence email to Conari Press: "Would you be interested in a book proposal on soul writing?" Their one word answer came the next morning: "YES!!!!!!!!!!!" I stared at the screen and mumbled, "Guess I'll be taking that guidance."
Why was I surprised? Hadn't I set the intention on Jan. 1, 2006 to meet my publishing partner? Hadn't I repeated, "I have my perfect publishing partner," every day since? I just missed the little item of what was to be published. Turns out it wasn't Spiritual Geography after all, but a new book on the exquisite art and science of accessing divine wisdom through the simple but profound vehicle of writing by hand. I could say "Ooops," or I could say, "Thank God, God gets it right!"
(Next in the series: how to build the all-important foundation of your book.)
— — —
Janet Conner, S.E. (Spiritual Explorer), is the creator of the "Spiritual Geography" map and workbook series. Her new book, "Writing Down Your Soul: How to Activate and Listen to the Extraordinary Voice Within," will be published in November 2008 by Conari Press. The "Spiritual Geography" heart-healing workbooks are available through Amazon or Spiritual Geography. Contact Janet at {email janetconner@tampabay.rr.com}janetconner@tampabay.rr.com{/email}.© Copyright 2007 by Janet Conner.
I overnight-mailed the manuscript for my book, "Writing Down Your Soul," on Nov. 15, 2007. It was a blessed moment of completion. It had taken me almost six months of days that invariably morphed into nights clicking away at the computer, but I had done it: I had written a book! Or so I liked to tell myself — as well as anyone else who would listen. But my stated calculations, I knew, were inaccurate. It hadn't taken six months; it had taken 23 months. Twenty-three months from the moment I started the intention clock on Jan. 1, 2006. Let me explain.
I began 2006 the way I always begin a new year — having a Soul Day, or rather half a Soul Day, more like a Soul Morning. I always begin my year by sitting quietly by myself, blessing the past year, reviewing the evidence of Spirit's hand in my life, and clarifying my intentions for the next 12 months. The morning of Jan. 1, 2006, I wrote at length about my heart's desires. I replayed my soul's journey through the past 10 years, the journey that had led me from successful business consultant to creator of Spiritual Geography. As I reviewed how my story was unfolding, I confirmed in my heart that I was ready for the next stage. In my journal I wrote: "I am ready for my voice to be heard. I am ready for my marketing and publishing partners to appear. Show me what to do, and I will do it."
Then, I did a Medicine Card reading. (If you are unfamiliar with Medicine Cards, visit www.medicinecards.com.) I breathed on the cards and prayerfully asked for guidance for the next year. I drew four cards, one for each quarter. The last card was Raven: "magic is in the air ... something special is about to happen." That sure sounded good. I wrapped up the morning by writing my intentions for the year — including finding my publishing and marketing partners — and drew them in the shape of a round mandala, capped with a color copy of the exciting Raven card. I taped my prayer mandala to my bedroom door, and said my 10 intentions for 2006 out loud for the first of 365 days. I felt peaceful and happy. I knew, even in those first few hours of 2006, that everything I asked for was heading toward me.
The next morning, I decided to tidy up my office and clear out my email inbox. I was clicking along — delete, delete, delete — when I came to John Kremer's book marketing newsletter. I had faithfully read his newsletter (available at www.bookmarket.com) for a couple of years, but for the past few months I'd been deleting it without reading it. This time, I decided to skim it first. Toward the end, one line caught my eye: "I don't know if this applies to any of you, but if you write on spiritual topics, you might want to check out www.religionandspirituality.com."
Well, I knew one person who wrote on spiritual topics — me! I clicked on the site. Oh, my God! There it was! My forum! I spent the rest of the morning carefully (OK, neurotically) constructing an email to Larry Moffitt, the editor. When I could no longer tweak it any further, I rolled my eyes to heaven, whispered a prayer, and pushed "send." Too nervous to just sit there, I went out for lunch with a friend. When I returned, there was a voice mail from Larry. I not only had a column, I started the following Tuesday! From the moment I set my intention clock to my first column was a grand total of five days. As a young woman in one of my Writing Down Your Soul workshops said, "God works fast!"
For six months, I faithfully cranked out columns, first on forgiveness and then on prayer. On June 6, 2006, an email appeared in my inbox from Conari Press, asking if they could send me some of their books. (Oooh, let's see, free books on spirituality. How long do I need to think about this?) Months later, I learned that the woman who became my editor at Conari had been intrigued by my columns on prayer. Prayer, it turns out, is her favorite topic.
Conari and I started talking. They asked to see the Spiritual Geography workbooks that I had completed for three of the seven countries. I thought for sure that this was the answer to my prayers. Surely, they would publish Spiritual Geography. But nothing happened. I kept on working on Spiritual Geography, writing my columns, and teaching workshops on how to access the Voice of Spirit within.
After teaching in my own backyard for two years, I received my first invitation to teach out of town on Sept. 23, 2006. The timing was not perfect. I was putting together a large proposal for a bank to develop all the Spiritual Geography materials. But I couldn't turn up a chance to teach at the beautiful Unity Center in Vero Beach, Fla., and I thought it would be fun to sleep in a funky hotel right on the Atlantic Ocean. So, even though I was sure my future was wrapped up in Spiritual Geography, and I really needed to keep my focus there, and I couldn't afford the time or the money to travel, I went. Two hours into the workshop, I gave the group their first 10-minute writing prompt:
"Dear God, Why am I in this class at this time in my life? Why is this important to me? What do I want to learn, discover, uncover?"
The 11 participants put their heads down and threw themselves into the question. I wanted to be a good role model, so I picked up my journal and asked the same question. Immediately, my hand wrote: "Do I have to write a book on soul writing?" My eyes popped. The last thing on earth I wanted to do was take on a big new writing assignment. There was no time, no energy, no money — no way! So I handled this as elegantly as I handle all unwelcome guidance. I wrote:
"NO! NO! NO! NO! I have four countries to develop for Spiritual Geography, and you know it! I have a bank proposal to finish, and you know it! I have a meeting next week with the banker. I have a poster to design, maps to order, a website to update. I'm working every day on Spiritual Geography. I don't have time to write a book. I can't do this! NO!"
The guidance, however, was clear. When I got home, I sent a one-sentence email to Conari Press: "Would you be interested in a book proposal on soul writing?" Their one word answer came the next morning: "YES!!!!!!!!!!!" I stared at the screen and mumbled, "Guess I'll be taking that guidance."
Why was I surprised? Hadn't I set the intention on Jan. 1, 2006 to meet my publishing partner? Hadn't I repeated, "I have my perfect publishing partner," every day since? I just missed the little item of what was to be published. Turns out it wasn't Spiritual Geography after all, but a new book on the exquisite art and science of accessing divine wisdom through the simple but profound vehicle of writing by hand. I could say "Ooops," or I could say, "Thank God, God gets it right!"
(Next in the series: how to build the all-important foundation of your book.)
— — —
Janet Conner, S.E. (Spiritual Explorer), is the creator of the "Spiritual Geography" map and workbook series. Her new book, "Writing Down Your Soul: How to Activate and Listen to the Extraordinary Voice Within," will be published in November 2008 by Conari Press. The "Spiritual Geography" heart-healing workbooks are available through Amazon or Spiritual Geography. Contact Janet at {email janetconner@tampabay.rr.com}janetconner@tampabay.rr.com{/email}.© Copyright 2007 by Janet Conner.