My Journey to Writing a Book of Poems
One of the items on my bucket list was to publish a book, but I had no idea where to start. Questions that came to my mind were:
When would I have the time?
What would I write about?
Do I have an idea worth writing about?
How would I get it published?
2014
After getting married in 2014 and moving to Oklahoma City, I took the leap by writing my first novel. It was about a young girl, in a made-up country in Africa, who was circumcised and ran away. It was a story of imagination and love. It was going to be a New York Times Best Seller, and I knew it. However, the more I wrote the less I believed it. Begrudgingly, I finished it, only to realize at the end that I no longer liked it.
2016
Fast-forward to 2016, after moving to Midland and having my first child, I started on my second novel, about a modern-day woman Eritrean-American (strikingly similar to me) navigating life in Midland as a new mom. Starbucks was my writing room, and I pictured myself talking about my writing journey during book signings before mass crowds. But once again, as I got near the end and hated it. I realized this vicious cycle and started to give up. I wouldn’t be publishing a book. It was all a waste of my time.
2021
Fast-forward to 2021, the second year of COVID-19, locked in, feeling like the world was coming to an end, home with my husband and three young children (one of whom was a breastfeeding newborn), undertaking a new federal government attorney job, I figured what do I have to lose and started to write again. This time, I changed one small element, I went back to where it all started, my love for journaling and poetry as a teenaged girl. I didn’t think many would want to read poetry or even liked poetry, but I wanted to publish a book, so I began. Publishing a book was something that I wanted, no needed, to strike off my bucket list, and it would be a book of poems, my “Aha” moment arrived.
I wrote my first poem while breastfeeding my newborn in the notes section of my iPhone. Two poems became three, then four, and so on. Sometimes I would wake up around 5am and write in bed before the kids woke up. Before I knew it, I had enough poems to have a book. I asked friends to read and edit my work and used their feedback to improve my craft. I was going to self-publish this book even if I was the only reader. I watched KDP self-publishing videos, spoke to other self-published authors, hired contractors and spoke to a literary agent for advice. Plus, this time I was ready to move forward because I didn’t hate my book.
I realized the perks with drafting a book of poems instead of a novel.
Poems are shorter and easier. Poetry gave me a concise way to outline my emotions, finish then move on to the next poem. If I didn’t like a poem after editing, I could take it out. I could continue and keep at it in a way that didn’t require me to start over or continue with something I didn’t like. By focusing on various topics (such as childhood, love, motherhood), I was able to compile poems fairly quickly, use my time to make them better, and push forward a work that I could be proud of.
Poetry is therapeutic. Adulting isn’t easy, and poetry offered me therapy to deal with it. Poetry allowed me a safe place to release deep emotions that I didn’t even realize were there. Poetry allowed me to become more vulnerable while I exposed my truth and allowed others the courage to expose theirs, as well.
Have you wanted to publish a book? Have you considered writing poetry? What steps have you taken to do so? I highly recommend my one-on-one session to help you get the ball rolling by using writing to help expose your truth. Click here to book now and here to purchase my book of poems, Cactus Fruit.
