On Finding My Voice

I’ve been writing a few things this week that have me thinking about my voice. What do I want my reader to assume about me? What do I want them to know for sure? What does my voice say about who I am?

Yesterday I finished the outline for my book. The outline is a skeleton; the bones that will hold my story. It’s peppered with notes about the things I want to say without saying. I want to engage my audience and make sure that they know this book is about them as much as it’s about me. In my own words, I’m telling a story that is familiar in its heartbreak and loneliness.

Writing on a topic that society deems taboo is difficult because I want to do it justice and honor the pain that built the power behind my words. But presenting vulnerability isn’t easy. Staying honest in my own voice, rife with dark humor and the callouses that helped me survive for all those years, is a challenge I didn’t see coming. There’s a certain amount of reverence due here.

On a lighter note, I’ve also been working on some freelance projects and I’m really enjoying this work. In my mortgage career, it had been years since I’d done any real check-ins with myself about what I loved doing. I’m grateful to have given myself this freedom to figure that out now (and grateful to my partner for being relentlessly supportive).

In my mission to identify my voice, I’m taking on some short creative writing prompts so that I can compare pieces about different topics. So far, I’m finding that I have a flair for dramatics and a drop of mischief in almost everything I write. I’m itching to find out how it plays in my book.

On Telling My Story

You made it! By now, you know I’m writing a book. I have no idea where to start. I found a notebook at Target that looked like something I’d like to write in, and it’s been sitting on my counter for weeks. I know I have a story worth telling, but how do I find and reach my audience?

I’m giving myself a week to have a rough outline. Is that enough time? Is that too much leeway? Stay tuned to find out when I do. Maybe we’ll learn something together.

I’m Writing a Book

For anyone with access to my social media accounts in the last few years, it’ll be no surprise that I’m something of an oversharer. Like most neurodivergent people, my brain likes to identify patterns, and I build connections with people based on shared experiences. I have something like a mental filing cabinet where I can sort my experiences and patterns and it helps me make sense of the world and my relationships.

In 2017 when my husband and I decided to start trying to have a baby, I didn’t anticipate the proverbial roller coaster we were boarding to have quite so many turns. Six years have passed and while I’m watching my almost-six-month-old sleeping next to me, I’m realizing how much of my story is seasoned by what it took to bring him home. 

So - since I am an oversharer after all - I’m writing a book. I hope to transform my experience into something useful for other parents trying to build their families. If not, maybe I can provide entertainment for those who enjoy suspense and plot twists. Much of the story I have to tell is heavy, but (spoiler alert!) it has a happy ending. It’s a story of hope and pain, joy and loss, and I hope you'll laugh as much as you'll cry.

Stay tuned and follow along here to read about my progress, watch me run into obstacles, and get a glimpse behind the scenes of the writing process!