I wrote Liberated From Silence during my lifetime and in three months, simultaneously. My lifetime makes the story, three months makes the miracle.
The siren call of authorship entered my soul at birth, I’m certain. As a child, Matilda Wormwood, Anne Shirley, and Jo March were my heroes. Later, Viktor Frankl, Corrie Ten Boom, and Charles Dickens were my mentors.
I think in emotions, in feelings that swirl around my brain and describe themselves with vivid images. The elements of fire and water are usually present; rocks and glass, too. Without this God-given gift, I would have no release for the all-consuming brilliance of constant empathic input. Like most blessings, it can feel like a curse when I must separate my reality from another’s emotional crisis – especially the unspoken ones that quietly ripple behind eyes that are all too recognizable for the pain that looks like a past reflection.
The silent but deafening sounds of the abused, the ignored, and the marginalized railed against my soul, telling me to write my story, to be a momentary voice for those struggling to find theirs. I resisted because of doubts, fears, and the thought of, “If I step into the public sphere, I cannot run and hide.”
For nine years I wrote, deleted, re-wrote, edited, stopped, and started again. By December 2021, I had about 150 pages written and tried to avoid my goal by focusing on other goals, like selling felt Christmas ornaments and felt flowers. Yet, as I tried to focus on the finer points of felt ranunculus making, I could not shake the feeling of an unsung song, my unwritten banner of freedom. One night, I was looking on YouTube and came across a TEDx presentation by Chandler Bolt, the founder of Self-Publishing School. His formula for writing and publishing a book was clear and concise. I made a seemingly impossible goal, enlisted God’s help, and did something I am proud to call my own.
The Final Miracle Timeline
- First meeting with my coach: December 16th.
- Sent my rough draft to my editor after writing over 120 pages in 34 days, less if I include the time I took off for Christmas: January 19th
- Received my edited manuscript along with a piece of humble pie: February 6th.
- Sent my final draft to my proofreader: February 17th.
- Recorded my audiobook: March 1st – 3rd. I did not lose my voice, which is a miracle because my voice usually weakens and my throat starts to hurt after an hour of reading aloud.
- Sent my final manuscript to the formatter: March 4th.
- Amazon Launch Day: March 23rd.
I have had moments when I think, “I could have finished my book a long time ago! What took me so long?” But, then, I remember that the process of writing my book over my lifetime and three months simultaneously, changed me. I see differently now, more aware of God’s generosity, mercy, and grace.
My next book, The Test Results of Astrid Beeswax, will not take so long to write, nor will it be written so quickly. However, Astrid will change me once again, helping me hear differently than I do now.
Sometimes, most times, the Lord calls us to do what makes us uncomfortable so that He can perform His greatest miracle – changing us to become more like Him.