Getting to Know Time for Once: A Reimagined Blog Series Part I
In January 2022, thirteen months before the publication of Time for Once, and during the height of revisions & filling massive plot holes, I wrote a “Get To Know You” blog series featuring my first book. Today, seven months post-publication, I’m condensing this series into two posts and sharing it again, this time with thoughts/reactions/feelings now that the book is published.
There’s something new for readers who have read Time for Once and information for those curious about Jolie and Jace’s winding love story. Either way, I hope you stick around.
“You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.”
Have you ever wondered …
If I had met this person as who I am now instead of who I was then, would it have changed anything?
I have. Definitely more than once, or twice, or three times. I used to think about it a lot to the point where my dreams took over, and started creating a dremality (dream and reality put together, not a word, but fun!) that would eventually become Time for Once.
Was it a story worth creating?
Time for Once made me into a published author. But everyone’s firsts are complicated in nature, aren’t they? Writing a book is no exception.
It's no coincidence the decision to write this story from start to finish, no excuses—coincided with the pandemic. It was a transformative time for all of us, and I honored what cropped up inside of me—the need to write.
In June 2020, I started typing, foolishly letting the story spill out of me with barely a bone to attach to a skeleton that didn’t exist. Eventually, the story pieced itself into a reasonably-looking book after four revisions. But was it worth creating?
Worth is a complex word, isn't it? Even in its most straightforward definition—value—the layers of meaning we attach to this word are as unique as a person's fingerprint. While I poured nearly all of my energy into Time for Once from June 2020 until February 2023, I realized how vital worth had become in my life. Finding a comfortable place in my mind for the word to live was a challenge, however.
Yet self-worth found a home in my brain and told my self-doubt to go live elsewhere. They argued, obviously, and sometimes doubt still has the upper hand, but for the most part, my worth closes the door on my doubt.
The catalyst for all of this was—no shock here—Time for Once. So, yes, the story was worth creating. It brought me into my own. It released my grip on a fear I no longer wanted to control. It allowed me to express myself, grow, and share what we, as humans, are built to do—create.
So, given how close I am to my first book, it’s no surprise the number one question I get after someone reads the story is: HOW PERSONAL IS YOUR FIRST BOOK? Curious little creatures, I answered this question thirteen months ago and will expand on it more in Getting to Know Time For Once: A Reimagined Blog Series Part II