Draft 1 of a book-shaped thing + other things

First draft complete and other things a writer thinks about

Creating, growing, & purposeful intention!

Perfect cup holder!

I recently read this New York Times piece about rebranding motherhood. There were quite a few things I liked about it. One main thread is the story of the author of the piece becoming a mother, that naturally spoke to me. I have worried over this since we decided to try and get pregnant ourselves. I worried about timing and having the time to write after Baby is here (any day now!). I already have a full-time job and limited time to write. However, I make time to do the things I feel sustain me already so I’m not sure why that should change, though it could get more difficult for a time.

Overall, the piece talked about how motherhood has recently been put in a more negative light using words like sacrifice and that becoming a mother is losing a part of yourself. She also talks about how it’s a choice:

“Motherhood, parenthood, is a choice — like getting married, writing a book or choosing one city to call home — and like all those choices, it means forgoing other choices. So it’s unclear why this one choice has become synonymous with sacrifice.”

I love that. I’ve written two novels and one novella and it didn’t just happen. I had to work hard and create a schedule (not go out to brunches on weekends or hang out with friends at certain times) in order to follow through with what I most wanted to do. I feel confident in my ability to continue to prioritize and feel excited to bring a new little person into the world. These are not mutually exclusive things in my mind.

Of course, I know there will be difficult times but aren’t there those times now anyway? I mean, I was recently hit by a car as a pedestrian and had to get over that eventually. It was emotionally traumatic, to say the least. We all have difficulty in relationships from time to time, whether it is with family or friends. Even though our social media presence never shows the bad stuff, it doesn’t mean it isn’t there. The last quote I’ll share from the article is this one and one that I hope to be able to articulate once I am a mother.

“The joy and fun of motherhood are so deeply personal, so intimate and so selfish, there’s no way to explain it to the world, particularly our current social media heavy world.”

I understand the need to rebrand motherhood, but not for the purpose of creating more people or mothers. My feeling is that we need to be authentic about what the whole process is like and to talk about our difficulties, but not to focus on them. I’ve had both difficulties and wonderful experiences so far getting pregnant and then being pregnant (those I’ll save for a different blog post). Once I bring a child into the world I hope to be able to talk about both the good and the bad in a productive way.

Right now, I have to finish my revisions for my current novel in progress (I am finalizing everything for the last time, I swear!).

Birth and Book Accessories

I realized that I skipped blogging last week! This may happen more often in the next few months with my impending birth. I’ve been reading a bit too much about the whole birthing experience and while I’m not terrified, recent articles about how the U.S. is the most dangerous place to give birth doesn’t exactly put me at ease. I’ve been trying to lay low and finish a book I’m reading about pregnancy, but I’ll admit, I’m feeling a little unsettled despite trusting my doctor and feeling like I am getting extremely good care. I’m going to focus on the first sentence of this quote from a Newsweek article:

While most women give birth with no issue, “The Global Burden of Disease 2015 Maternal Mortality” study published in The Lancet journal and cited in the USA Today‘s “Deadly Deliveries” report, lays bare the startling disparity between the U.S. and other developed nations.

There is so much chaos in our world that I need to be able to wade through it and pick how I relate to what I see, read or listen to. For now, I can manage this. So, let’s talk about something a little less scary, right?

BOOK ACCESSORIES!

Yes, I stumbled across a few items that, while I don’t NEED them, it would be kind of neat to have them on hand. Particularly a book stand. This Book Riot article also has some wooden page holders that are cute, but I’m not sure if I’d use them. Etsy also has a lot of cute book accessories like bookmarks, pen holders for your journal, and bookends (which I am in the market for, but only if it is the right set). Do you use book accessories? What are your favorites?

Next week, is my Q & A with author & editor, Michael Mohr. Don’t miss it!