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| Book Tunnel - Photo Credit: Public Domain |
One of the things I've learned since embarking on my path to publication is to "expect the unexpected." There are a plethora of possible details to be dealt with that one would never have imagined.
I must be one of the few people on the planet who has not seen the blockbuster film: Frozen. If I had, I would have known that the names for my two main secondary characters - Olaf and Sven - just happen to be the same as the two co-stars in the Disney movie. It's not like I copied the film; I wrote my soon to be released children's book -
The Scandinavian Santa - years ago. And, I took those names from two ancestors of mine. Still, business is business. My critique partner warned me about this problem, and recently my publisher did as well. So...my two magical polar bears have since been re-named Gunnar and Ludvig. This kink in the works has actually been a great turn of events, since the new names seem to better represent the strength and dignity of the bears. (I'll be seeing Frozen this weekend!)
The most recent unexpected situation happened a couple of days ago. My gifted creative director sent me the image of my storybook. What you need to know is that my publishing house is awesome; they have welcomed me into a collaborative approach to the process of creating my book. So, I already knew approximately what my book would look like since we've made numerous dummy books. However, when I saw the image of my book cover with the perfect fonts, layout, and color, I wept. I don't mean I got teary-eyed, I mean I boo-hooed...for hours.
(I'll reveal the cover as soon as it's finalized.)
It wasn't just seeing the exquisite cover that brought me to tears. The book represents the culmination of the last several years; the period of time when I rebuilt my professional life after leaving the dental field. So, when I saw the image of my book's cover, I felt a healing and validation that I must have sorely needed.
If you're a published author you already know that it's not just finally seeing your book that brings on such emotion. It's the fact that you endured to the point of seeing your goal met. All the lonely hours of writing and self doubt are suddenly meaningless. They were worth it.
As a writer, have you had this kind of emotional experience?
