A Work in Progress: Exercises in Writing is my third book. I wrote the lion’s share of it as an exercise. At the time I was working on my first book for which I had interviewed more than 50 female runners and two running coaches.
I knew what I wanted to say with that book, had done my research and gathered plenty of great material. Yet I felt stuck. Everything I wrote seemed to fall short of my expectations and soon enough I did anything but work on that manuscript. I doubted I’d ever finish a book.
That’s when I wrote the first draft of what later became A Work in Progress—in eight straight days. It was an exercise to help me write without constant self-critique hampering the process and taking the fun out of writing altogether.
About 10 months, and two published books, later I looked at that first draft again and realized its merits.
A Work in Progress is not perfect, and that is exactly the point.
Perfectionism is rarely helpful in the initial stages of the creative process. We must first give ourselves permission to start.
Unlike my two previous non-fiction books, for which I interviewed dozens of runners and triathletes, this book is a very personal account.
While I wouldn’t have spent the time required to revise, finish and publish it unless I believed it was good, I initially lacked the confidence to promote it and, as a result, few copies have sold since its publication in May.
Then I did my first signing at a bookstore 10 days ago in a town that held a triathlon with nearly 3,000 competitors, a perfect time and location to promote my first two books, on triathlon and running.
While I did not have people lining up to get my autograph during the two-hour signing, I enjoyed the opportunity to talk to readers about my books and found several interested enough to buy them.
The most valuable part of the signing, and the rest of the weekend, was the enthusiastic feedback I received on A Work in Progress. One woman I approached as she walked by the bookstore bought one of copy of each of my three books, began reading A Work in Progress and went back to the store the next day to get a second copy for a colleague.
In a review she posted on Amazon.com she said, “This compilation of exercises appealed to me because I’m working on a non-fiction manuscript and have hit a ‘block.’ The exercises she recommends are exactly what I need to jumpstart me back into the writing life. Her stories are personal, humorous and relevant to the process.”
A Work in Progress is all about trusting yourself, and giving yourself the permission to write, with 33 specific suggestions to get you started or started again.
This book is for:
(Budding) writers looking for encouragement and inspiration to help get beyond a blank page or screen.
This book is not for:
Confident authors who have no problem getting started on their writing every single day.
A Work in Progress: Exercises in Writing is available in paperback ($19.95) and as ebook ($9.99).
Order the paperback through:
The Ebook is available through Amazon, Apple’s iBookstore and Booklocker
For more information please check MargreetDietz.com
