This is the book equivalent of planting a seed against the wall of a transparent container. 🌱 It's so cool to track all the winding roots knowing what it will become. Thank you for giving us a peek!
Oh my! I love that image =) One of the things I did while writing the book (there's a whole chapter on decomposition) is watch a youtube of the composition process in a transparent container and it was FASCINATING, so you know I love this illustration =)
It’s so exciting to see your process and timeline! Did you ever get to a point where you were so sick of your book and had read it so many times you thought it was all crap? Or just me? Haha.
The way I just inhaled every word of this and zoomed in on your (visually lovely) outline. I CANNOT WAIT to read this and hype this and throw copies around like an episode of Oprah’s Favorite Things.
I love how you have foregrounded the importance of dead wood here. Half of my conservation and ecology degree seemed to be my professor harking on about the importance of deadwood!
Anyway, a walk in the woods taught me this: where there is an abundance of death (dead wood, dead creatures etc), there is also a superabundance of life - which reminds me that life really does triumph over death.
Ecologists at Andrews Experimental Forest in OR say that dead logs are one of the most important forest elements! I learned so much about "dead" things writing this book =)
My professor would all too readily (and very enthusiastically) agree with them! It was fascinating to go on a woodland walk with him. He opened up my eyes to see value in what looked worthless, and history etched into every tree and stump.
I love this behind the scenes. Two nuts-and-bolts things: 1) I have been so curious about your graphics and you have *such* an eye, and 2) Your outline, obvs. It kills me dead and I want you to come teach me all your ways. But I appreciate that it's in pencil. (Tell me what to do but don't fence me in.)
I had forgotten you had graphic design training. Makes sense ; ) And the boldness! to outline in pen! My new favorite pen is erasable so…that says a lot.
So looking forward to my copy! But I will admit, this made me a little homesick:
"I held the petite little book in my hands this week, ran my fingers over her soft cover with the debossed title, paged through her creamy innards, and held her new book smell up to my nose."
Being a full-time nomad (and consequentially a minimalist), I only rarely get to appreciate the feel of a real book anymore. My trusty Kindle just doesn't have the same vibe. But I remember, the first time I got to hold a paperback containing my words--my thoughts in print!--it was pretty amazing. 💜
Well, if it helps, sometimes I dream of being a full-time nomad =) You can find a bookstore that carries it and still hold it in your hands. It's a very pretty little thing =)
I just signed up for the launch team (better late than never) and cannot contain my excitement for this book! Looking forward to sharing it in all the ways possible!
For what its worth, I'm a fly by the seat of my pants writer too, and I think that's how I do my best writing, but the book writing process still feels like this bar I'm trying to jump over to do well. I don't think I've completely hit my stride yet in the book writing process. Still learning. I tried this method this time, we'll see how it worked! I often feel like I'm at my best with individual essays loosely linked with a thread, but I'm not sure that ends up feeling like a cohesive book for readers. If I could just publish books of essays I think that would feel the most natural to me, but it's hard to do that unless you're already an established book-writer with a solid history of people buying your work =)
I love this behind the scenes peek. And I cannot wait!!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing.
This is the book equivalent of planting a seed against the wall of a transparent container. 🌱 It's so cool to track all the winding roots knowing what it will become. Thank you for giving us a peek!
Oh my! I love that image =) One of the things I did while writing the book (there's a whole chapter on decomposition) is watch a youtube of the composition process in a transparent container and it was FASCINATING, so you know I love this illustration =)
Love seeing this honest look at the writing process!
THank you!
It’s so exciting to see your process and timeline! Did you ever get to a point where you were so sick of your book and had read it so many times you thought it was all crap? Or just me? Haha.
Oh Lord, a hundred times =) It's all a part of the process =)
The way I just inhaled every word of this and zoomed in on your (visually lovely) outline. I CANNOT WAIT to read this and hype this and throw copies around like an episode of Oprah’s Favorite Things.
You get a book! And YOU get a book! And YOUUUUU get a book.
(This was the best I could do without GIF options ;) )
I love how you have foregrounded the importance of dead wood here. Half of my conservation and ecology degree seemed to be my professor harking on about the importance of deadwood!
Anyway, a walk in the woods taught me this: where there is an abundance of death (dead wood, dead creatures etc), there is also a superabundance of life - which reminds me that life really does triumph over death.
Ecologists at Andrews Experimental Forest in OR say that dead logs are one of the most important forest elements! I learned so much about "dead" things writing this book =)
My professor would all too readily (and very enthusiastically) agree with them! It was fascinating to go on a woodland walk with him. He opened up my eyes to see value in what looked worthless, and history etched into every tree and stump.
I wrote an essay about deadwood a while back if you are interested https://overthefield.substack.com/p/among-death-an-abundance-of-life
Your creative process is impressive! I love that you brought us along - and showed us the hard work of creativity.
Thank you! I don't know if it's impressive but we all have our methods, eh? 😂
Four weeks seems like an eternity!!
I love this behind the scenes. Two nuts-and-bolts things: 1) I have been so curious about your graphics and you have *such* an eye, and 2) Your outline, obvs. It kills me dead and I want you to come teach me all your ways. But I appreciate that it's in pencil. (Tell me what to do but don't fence me in.)
You're telling me!
Oh thank you =) You can take the girl out of graphic design but you can't take the graphic designer out of the girl ;)
It's actually in pen 😂 If you look closely you can see a couple post-it notes I cut to size and pasted in over mistakes...
I had forgotten you had graphic design training. Makes sense ; ) And the boldness! to outline in pen! My new favorite pen is erasable so…that says a lot.
So looking forward to my copy! But I will admit, this made me a little homesick:
"I held the petite little book in my hands this week, ran my fingers over her soft cover with the debossed title, paged through her creamy innards, and held her new book smell up to my nose."
Being a full-time nomad (and consequentially a minimalist), I only rarely get to appreciate the feel of a real book anymore. My trusty Kindle just doesn't have the same vibe. But I remember, the first time I got to hold a paperback containing my words--my thoughts in print!--it was pretty amazing. 💜
Well, if it helps, sometimes I dream of being a full-time nomad =) You can find a bookstore that carries it and still hold it in your hands. It's a very pretty little thing =)
I just signed up for the launch team (better late than never) and cannot contain my excitement for this book! Looking forward to sharing it in all the ways possible!
You're not too late =) Not at all. We're keeping it open until the day before it begins =) So glad you're here, Laura =)
Have you ever seen that picture (on Twitter) of Tim Keller 's sermon outline? Your outline made me think of that. 😆
Ha! yes!
I just requested it at the three libraries I have Libby for 💖 I am really excited about it and totally plan to pre-order too 🥳
Oh my goodness, thank you!
Lore, I love you and I love your writing but even barely seeing a smidgen of your outline makes me want to pass out and die 💀 xoxo, a pants-er
It made me want to pass out and die too...
For what its worth, I'm a fly by the seat of my pants writer too, and I think that's how I do my best writing, but the book writing process still feels like this bar I'm trying to jump over to do well. I don't think I've completely hit my stride yet in the book writing process. Still learning. I tried this method this time, we'll see how it worked! I often feel like I'm at my best with individual essays loosely linked with a thread, but I'm not sure that ends up feeling like a cohesive book for readers. If I could just publish books of essays I think that would feel the most natural to me, but it's hard to do that unless you're already an established book-writer with a solid history of people buying your work =)