It’s hard to believe, launch day is here! It’s been a whirlwind ride to bring The Gray Lady of Long Branch to publication, but it’s done. Hard to believe when I think about lounging around in that adorable little beach home on the rain-drenched Florida Panhandle, forced to stay inside, that the seed of an idea sewn there would blossom into this novel.
But it did. And I’m so happy with the finished product. I honestly am. While writing it, there were more than a couple of times that I laughed out loud and some funny thing I’d written, or sobbed with tears over another part. I hope you, my reader, gets the whole gamut of emotions I did while putting it together.
And I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I put it together, I’ll acknowledge that. But I also had some voice or unseen force or muse whispering to me along the way. It may sound crazy, but it’s my truth.
Elizabeth Gilbert, writer, gave a TED talk that nails it, this inspiration that comes at times. I’ve watched her presentation several times and each time, it inspires the hell out of me. And each time, it reminds me to have the courage to trust in my personal “geni.”
I use the term “courage”, and, honest-to-God, that’s what it is! You have to learn to take the ego out of whatever it is you are doing, and just trust. Trust in that inner voice, and just do your job. So inspired am I by that TED talk that I’m putting more of them here:
“If the divine cockeyed genius assigned to your case decides to let some sort of wonderment be glimpsed for just one moment through your efforts, than ole! And if not, do your dance anyhow and ole to you nonetheless! Just for having the shear human love and stubbornness to keep showing up.”
If you’re curious as to the kind of inspiration that went into The Gray Lady of Long Branch, here’s a link to the publisher’s entry on the paperback version. It’s also available from the Publisher in ebook form.
I’d love to hear from you on the topic of inspiration or muse or geni voice. Do you hear or have you heard it too?