Day 8 RX - Write a book (may take more than a day)

When you empty-ish nest you have time to write a book.

I have written a book.

To all of you empty-ish nesters, empty-ish nesters-to-be and true empty nesters...  I would like to share my knowledge of book writing to this point.

1. It is hard to write a book.  The clever words formulated in the brain turn into incredible dumbness when typed onto the page.  How can that be?  They were so fabulous in my mind... where did the crapola come from?
2. It is hard to re-write the book.
3. It is hard to re-rewrite the book.
4. It is hard to make the decision that you are finished re-re-re-writing the book.
5. My mother read the book.  She loves me and thinks that everything I do is fabulous.
6. My sister read the book. She loves me and thinks that everything I do is fabulous.
7. My husband (sort of) read the book. He  loves me and does not care what I do as long as it will make money.
8. I have for-warned the boys (husband and dog too) that they are the subject matter in the book and the stories are true (so there is no suing for libel or slander).  Since they have only ever seen me cooking slabs of meat and folding laundry, I don't think that they took me seriously.
9. Technically, I finished the book in February, 2012.  I sent the book to a professional editor whose name I found online.  She did come highly recommended... too highly apparently, since her book queue for editing was initially 3 months, then 5 months and then 6 months....  When I didn't hear back from her after 7 months, I gave up.  I decided to take the project back and start looking for an alternative editor.
10. What to do?  With my confidence in the project waning,  I sought advise from a woman who is a college professor and tutored on the side. I met her many years ago and give her complete credit for raising Jeff's ACT score by 6 points ...a miracle worker.  She became a willing editor and a cheerleader.  Book edited in 5 weeks.  Self esteem re-established in the same amount of time.
11. Hmmm - now how to publish book?  I am going through this process now and will continue my thoughts for Day 9 RX.  Writing your book will keep you busy in the mean time.