Thursday, July 18, 2013

Writing is Hard



Writing is hard. Writing a book is really hard. I mentioned to Barbie the other day that I believe that everyone has at least one book in them; the story of their own life. Some would write it as an autobiography while others would fictionalize it, as did Harper Lee with "To Kill a Mockingbird". What keeps everyone from writing a book? It's not easy. Well, it wasn't easy for me. I am sure that there are many writers that can sit down every day and bang out five to eight thousand words. The thinking part is easy. I wrote the book a hundred times in my mind. Yet the application of fingers (that is two index fingers) to keyboard has always been very difficult for me.
It took three years to write. And yet if I counted the number of days that I actually wrote it would be less than 50. When I switched from Revlimid to Velcade two years ago I suffered many new side effects. One of which was a lack of motivation. However, I could be guaranteed that at least one day a week that motivation would return. This occurred on Wednesday evenings when my high dose of steroids was in full force. This is when the hypomania portion of my drug induced bipolarity bubbles to the surface. However, the motivation produced is also accompanied by a certain degree of disinhibition which allows for a more soul-baring and uncensored writing.
My two greatest challenges in the process were first: how do I truly paint a picture with words that conveys the full emotional impact of the moment? And second: how do I fuse the retrospective narrative with the prospectively written blogs to maintain continuity while avoiding redundancy. In the latter, Barbie was immensely helpful. She read and re-read the manuscript offering invaluable input.
Then one day in January it was done. Writing is just the beginning. Now you have to get it published. Ten years ago I would have been at the mercy of literary agents and the big publishing houses. We now enter the world of self-publishing. In January I knew nothing of this world. It has now become my new hobby.
First yo go to the source of all useless knowledge (and some very useful knowledge: Google.) I found a book called A.P.E and downloaded it to Barbie's Kindle. It teaches the novice author how to Author, Publish and market (Entrepreneur) a book. I followed the steps, doubling back on certain blind pathways, and ultimately decided to have the book self published through CreateSpace, a subsidiary of Amazon. They provide a publish-on-demand service such that the physical book is only printed when someone orders it through Amazon. What a concept; no inventory.
First, though it had to be edited. When my editor, Sarah Bringhurst Familia, sent me revised manuscript, it was bleeding red on every page. Yet, as I clicked and accepted her changes, it became a real book.
Next was designing a cover. This was really fun. I found a website www.99design.com that, for $299, will create a contest where designers compete to build you the perfect cover. Ultimately I had 19 designers submit 64 designs. The last day of the contest Barbie called me to say a new design came in that was awesome. I immediately knew that this as yet anonymous designer had captured my vision and that we had found our cover. In the end it was a graphic design professor from the University of Viterbo, near Rome, Italy, that one the $200 prize. The longest process was the internal book design done by CreateSpace to format the interior. And now it is done.
I have learned so much in that last six months about writing and publishing. We live in a world where so much more is available to us because of the internet. Seemingly impossible things are not just possible, but relatively easy. No one needs to forgo their dreams anymore. You just need to know what question to ask and to whom.
The book is now out there; for some I hope that they may find in it comfort and hope in their struggles. For others, I just hope it is a good story. For me it is a testament to miracles.

Kevin

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I look forward to reading your book

love from your Aunt Renie said...

Half the battle is having something worth saying and the other half is saying it well, which you do both so well. And the other half is getting it in a form to share with others. ;-) Well done, Kevin!

love, Aunt Renie said...

I started reading your book yesterday and just finished it. I felt reading it was my testimony to 'sharing your journey.' I woke often last night with the challenges of your journey. And prayed - not for you, who have already come out on the other side - but for those still in the middle.

Diane Juby said...

I would like to buy your book. Is it sold in Canada at Chapters or where can I purchase it. I lost my husband to this terrible disease last June. He would have been 53 on July 19th. I still have difficulty learning to live alone and feel that your book will maybe give me some insight into why things happen the way they do. I loved him with all my heart and sole and still am lost without him. Diane Juby, diane@fmw.on.ca

Anonymous said...

Hi Kevin,

I have followed your blog and am happy to hear that you are progressing well.

Congratulations on the book.

My husband John passed away on Feb 16th from Cardiac Amyloidosis and Multiple Myeloma.

I began keeping a journal about our experience after john got sick and would also love to publish it.
Knowing absolutely nothing about how to proceed, I would love to send you a copy for your input. It would be sincerely appreciated.

Thank You for your consideration,
Godspeed.

Alice Rendon

kevinandbarbie said...

If you would like me to respond, you can email me at kray0819@gmail.com