Done

Posted on 04/03/2016 by Andrew Reynolds

Last week I wrote about the one last poem I needed to write.  It’s done.  Here’s what happened:

I had fully intended to rewrite it as a little playlet with two characters, so I opened a new editing window and copied the poem over.  Then I gathered my courage and sat down to write.

And I stared at the poem.

Then stared some more.

I thought how to expand it, where to put the dialog, where to add the explanation on what is going on and from what point of view to tell the story.

Then I saw a line in the poem that wasn’t needed so I deleted it.  Then I saw another, and another.  I deleted about half a page of the poem.  Then I saw a word that wasn’t right and I found another word.  There were redundant words so I trimmed them.  Near the middle I found a confusing line.  I made a small edit to clarify.

I pruned, changed and refined the words and abandoned the play.  Then I realized it was done.

It’s been a full year since I first wrote that poem and now my poetry collection’s words sit complete in my computer.  Now the problem is how to release it from my desk and into the world.

I’ll admit that is more than a bit scary.  Some of the poems in the collection are personal and touch on the raw edges of my emotions.  In some ways I am still unsure about letting anyone read it.

But, I know that it must be done.  I won’t make any money with this.  At best I hope to earn my costs back.  Still, it is my hope that these words of mine will find their way in to the hands and hearts of a few who might find the words beneficial.

Now it is off to the Amazon website to figure out formatting requirements.

No great insights this week, just that space between the hammer falls of creativity.

Till next week,
Andrew

About Andrew Reynolds

Born in California Did the school thing studying electronics, computers, release engineering and literary criticism. I worked in the high tech world doing software release engineering and am now retired. Then I got prostate cancer. Now I am a blogger and work in my wood shop doing scroll saw work and marquetry.
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50 Responses to Done

  1. Malctg - The Foureyed Poet. says:
    04/11/2016 at 8:36 am

    Hi Andrew Well done and Good Luck Thank you for liking my poem Upon That Site! Best Wishes. The Foureyed Poet.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. JoHanna Massey says:
    04/09/2016 at 8:40 pm

    Oh Andrew I am so happy for you right now. What a sense of accomplishment.

    I look so forward to learning all about the next steps, and smile to think that you are closer than ever before to holding your book in your hands. No doubt you are going to have a large and enthusiastic readership.

    All my best to you, Andrew. 🌵

    Like

  3. Glynis Jolly says:
    04/09/2016 at 6:06 am

    Applause! Bravo!
    Andrew, once it’s ready to launch, if you want, I’ll advertise the book on my sidebar. I advertise three books right now. I’d be honored to have yours there too.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. nimi naren says:
    04/06/2016 at 6:56 pm

    Good luck, Andrew. You have written it and persevered. That’s the most important step. The Lord will take care of the rest.

    Like

  5. Judy @ NewEnglandGardenAndThread says:
    04/05/2016 at 5:11 am

    Congratulations on completing such a personal project. Hope the rest of it goes well. 🙂

    Like

  6. Baydreamer says:
    04/04/2016 at 3:23 pm

    Congratulations, Andrew! It may be scary, but there is something special about seeing your own writing in print. I used the publishing company “Xlibris” and I was happy with their work. It’s not a money-maker when self-publishing, but there is personal satisfaction, and my two books have done better than I anticipated. I look forward to the finished work!

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Elizabeth Helmich says:
    04/04/2016 at 3:08 pm

    You are awesome, and so inspiring! Congratulations on getting your soul pieces collected together to publish. Kudos. ❤

    Liked by 1 person

  8. pommepal says:
    04/04/2016 at 2:11 pm

    I’m always in awe of creative writers. Congratulations on getting to this final stage.

    Like

  9. artseafartsea says:
    04/04/2016 at 12:06 pm

    Looking forward to seeing your published work. Based on reading some of your previous writings, I think it will be successful. Admire your tenacity!

    Like

  10. Claire Marie O'Brien says:
    04/04/2016 at 10:37 am

    Well done, Mr. Reynolds.

    Like

  11. aginggracefullymyass says:
    04/04/2016 at 9:22 am

    So exciting Andrew! I knew it you put it aside, then came back to it, it would basically tell you what to do! Life is funny like that… I don’t angst about things nearly as much as I used to because most of the time, things tend to resolve themselves (with maybe just a little help!)

    Thank you for being willing to put it “out there”! I’m sure it’s very scary, but you realize you’re serving a greater good. Such a refreshing concept in this self centered world!

    As far as I’m concerned, you’ve done all of the hard work… The rest is just administrative “stuff” that you’ll breeze through. For goodness sakes – you survived cancer! This Amazon formatting nonsense will be child’s play for you!!

    KUDOS!

    Like

    • Andrew Reynolds says:
      04/04/2016 at 10:17 am

      Thanks for your kind words. Sometimes the best thing is to step away from something for awhile to let your brain work on it undisturbed. The only formatting thing I have any concern about is graphics and art. I need to make some decisions there.

      Liked by 1 person

  12. lorieb says:
    04/04/2016 at 8:24 am

    I used createspace for my book and had no trouble with the formatting, quite simple really. Just cut and pasted from Word then adjusted to fit the pages. I figure if I can do it, anyone can LOL

    Like

  13. Jacqui Murray says:
    04/04/2016 at 8:01 am

    We’re about at the same spot, Andrew, though I’m awaiting edits from my editor. So, I might be a few weeks behind you.

    What are you doing about a cover? That’s next on my list. Then, I’m going to investigate Kindle Scout, and then Kindle. Maybe that’s the same thing!

    Like

    • Andrew Reynolds says:
      04/04/2016 at 10:13 am

      My wife is a retired graphic artist, so my plan is to beg/bribe her into designing a cover for me. I looked at Kindle Scout and Kindle last night. They are related, but if you have a novel, then Scout might be the way to go. It wasn’t clear to me if Scout accepted works of poetry.

      Like

      • Jacqui Murray says:
        04/04/2016 at 10:36 am

        I have made many of my own covers. Some I like better than the professional ones I hired out. In this case, nothing was coming to me for the cover so I decided to put it with a pro.

        Thanks for the input on Scout.

        Like

  14. Carrie Rubin says:
    04/04/2016 at 7:47 am

    Congrats! You’re one step closer to having your book in your hands (or at least a virtual copy if that’s the way you plan to go). It’s always nerve-wracking to put our stuff out there. Makes us feel so vulnerable. But it’s a treat when someone reads it and responds to it, making the process more than worth the nerves that come with it.

    Like

  15. George says:
    04/04/2016 at 6:15 am

    Overcoming fear is liberating.

    Like

  16. Allan G. Smorra says:
    04/04/2016 at 3:22 am

    Write on, Andrew!
    Ω

    Like

  17. A Simple Village Undertaker says:
    04/04/2016 at 3:16 am

    “No great insights this week, just that space between the hammer falls of creativity”. . . is a great line and I am tucking it away for future use, providing the appropriate reference/credit when the time comes. I look forward to buying the book.

    Like

    • Andrew Reynolds says:
      04/04/2016 at 10:06 am

      Feel free to us it. I didn’t think it was a great line until after I was editing my post. Sometimes I manage a good line or two. Not sure how long it takes to get a book out, but I’ll let everyone know when it’s ready.

      Liked by 1 person

  18. floridaborne says:
    04/04/2016 at 1:51 am

    Congratulations! Mission accomplished. The next mountain to climb is going to be navigating Amazon or CreateSpace.

    Like

  19. jfwknifton says:
    04/04/2016 at 1:02 am

    If you’ve never done the formatting it can be real fun! My daughter recommended to me that you put all the text into “Notepad” if you have it, which is good at cleaning away all the invisible tabs etc which can be very frustrating.

    Like

  20. Debra says:
    04/03/2016 at 10:03 pm

    Such a big step to contemplate, Andrew, but I admire the way you’re going forward into the unknown and the willingness to share about the vulnerability. I was afraid with your brutal editing process you were going to tell us there was no poem left! Glad to know that’s not the case! 🙂

    Like

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