I love my book.
I better.
I'm its mother.
No one, not even my sweet hubby who's been so supportive of my journey, is as deeply invested in it and my characters as I am. Friends and family try to be good sports about it. There's a lot of eye rolling, but I'm used to it. I went through that with them about Harry Potter, too.
They love me me anyway.
With this R&R, I'm on the 13th edit/rewrite. I've spent so many hours in my characters' company that I know them really well. Better than some of my dearest friends--because real people don't spill all their guts.
My life changed when I had my first child, a son. Until that moment, I'd never truly realized the depth of human love. Of a mother's love. It worried me as I prepared for the birth of my second child if the love I felt for my son would be diminished, divided, with the new addition. Or if I might not be able to love the new baby as much.
Stupid woman.
The love for my son didn't lessen with the coming of my daughter, and the love I felt for my beautiful daughter was no less than what I felt for my son. I discovered an important lesson.
Love defies mathematics.
I'd been operating on the assumption that my capacity to love was a finite thing.
Wrong!
With the addition of each child, I found that my capacity to love increased. It grew so I not only had a greater ability to love all these wonderful little people I had the privilege of mothering, but that I had more love for everyone else as well.
So how does this relate to my book? My other baby?
It means it's okay to fall in love with new projects, new characters, new worlds.
*sigh*
I love being a writer.
Have a wonderful weekend. Summer is almost here.
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Life is good.
I kind of had some of those same worries with my second book. But I'm finding I'm just as enthusiastic this time around as I was the first time. It helps that the some of characters are the same, but adding new ones makes it even more intriguing. Isn't weird how our capacity seems to grow and grow? I think it is this ability that makes us capable of writing one story after another. Once we lose that though, our stories will reflect it.
ReplyDeleteWow, this post would have been perfect for mother's day. But that being said, it warms my heart to read your words and know not only that you are truly a successful writer, but that you are an amazing mother. My hat is off to you. I have seen too many examples that have gone the other way (I work in social services) and contrary to popular belief, just because someone gives birth to something or someone, does not obligate them to love it or them. I can provide real world examples of this. And it's tragic every time.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post, Donna. Thanks for sharing, and have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteI'm apparently one of the few who didn't wonder about loving my second child as much as my first—but my books?! Oh yeah! And I can't imagine how I could ever love another book as much as this one I'm writing. Oh, wait, I mean the last one. No, that one from X years ago. No, this one!
ReplyDeleteI love them all. :)
(Okay, almost all.)
What a great post! Since I'm writing my first book right now I feel kind of how I did when I was expecting my first child. Unsure, nervous, inexperienced... Makes me look forward to when I am on the second one and all the labor and delivery of the first one is a fading memory!
ReplyDeleteWell said. The same principle applies to grandchildren, too. Amazing! Truly ... love without end.
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful beautiful post.
ReplyDeleteOh gosh, I love this!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a mother... yet. But with the two books I've written, I feel that love on a smaller scale (I can only imagine). They both are completely different but have my heart and soul all the same. I understand.
ReplyDeleteFantastic post. I loved my books like nothing else until I had my son. You're so right about a mother's love. Sometimes I don't feel like I can contain it. Have a lovely weekend. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, I was thinking just today that the two best things I ever did in my life were have a child and write novels. Both endeavors of creation in their own way. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a very good thing, since my RR novel is on a little vacation, I'm about to read through the first draft of another novel, and a third book is waiting for me to revisit it again. And I love all the characters equally. :D
ReplyDeleteAre you allowed to have favorites? Because I definitely have a favorite. Not a favorite daughter. (That fluctuates -- LOL!) I have a favorite book, or maybe I should say favorite characters, since I wrote 3 manuscripts about them. I feel as if I will revise and reshape their story as many times as necessary to get it published.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree, life is good! And loving children and books and writing...just love in general. There is nothing like it:)
ReplyDeleteGreat cheer me up post!
Good luck on your R & R!
I think this is my favorite post of yours of all time. :-) So beautiful and wise. You rock! Have an awesome weekend!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post, Donna! It not only makes me immensely broody, but I now need that teeny kitten in my life! :D It's refreshing to remind ourselves that love is infinite.
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely post and I like the Asimov affirmation letter, too.
ReplyDeleteMy capacity to love has also grown throughout the years.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post, Donna.
Life is good! And it's GOOD to be a writer. Thanks for sharing this, Donna.
ReplyDeleteLife is indeed good. Every day is a gift and one to be shared and enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteAmen sistah! Did you write that particularly for me(don't tell me). I would rather live with the delusion that you did.
ReplyDelete'God answering our prayers.'
Well said. 13th edit/rewrite. Good on you, that is dedication.
ReplyDelete