Author: Cynthia

Book clubs seem to be at every turn. Celebrities and large organizations are getting into the act of hosting book clubs. Many of the popular publications produce lists of must-reads.  Is it any wonder people are gravitating towards book clubs?

In my professional days I had little time to read random genres or books simply for pleasure. As a university executive, I read books on leadership, universities, government, and technical and legal publications. The reading was interesting but rarely light and fun. So, once I retired, I was free to start reading for enjoyment. The question was, “where do I start?” Honestly, I didn’t know what kind of books I would like to read at this juncture.

Hence, I started a book club! Of course I had ulterior motives, too. I needed some intellectual stimulation and a chance to foster friendships. A book club seemed to fit the bill. There are articles, blogs, and websites galore about managing or participating in book clubs. Many are what I would call theme based. Mary Ann for instance has a nature-oriented book club. (She has written about her club previously.) I invited friends whom I believed would enjoy the camaraderie and whom I thought would actually read and discuss the selection.

Setting expectations was my first mistake. At first, everyone came and most read the book of the month – or at least some of it. Over time, however, people became less reliable.  In fact, one of the first to drop out, after having little commitment in the first place, started her own book club a couple of years later. That fizzled out too. But that is a different story.

I joined another book club. It is small but members are committed to the process and to each other. It’s wonderful to see the value in coming together for a common purpose. The thing I enjoy most is the variety of genres we read. This particular book club is not theme-based. We have read fiction and non-fiction; Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize winning books and beach reads; best sellers and barely known; and well-known and debut authors. Some books are short, some are easy, some are thick, and some are more challenging.

Reading a variety of titles and authors is expanding my thinking and knowledge. How fun it is to seek out the “next read.” The Literary Lattes work well together. The club is self-managing – no one person is in charge – we all share the load, so to speak. What a great group of women and man (yes, only one man in our group!) Since we determine what we will read at least six months in advance, I can have the book on hand.

The Literary Lattes meet at a Barnes and Noble café one morning a month to catch up. Then we discuss the selection of the month. There is no pressure to host (meaning we don’t have to worry about cleaning the house, putting out hors d’oeuvres, or sending someone out after having had too much wine!) Our selections come from some of the recommended reading lists, or from recommendations of friends and family.

I enjoy most of the books but occasionally I don’t care for one of the reads. Still, I am usually glad I read the book. A lesson is to be learned in every experience and books are no exception. I am grateful for the opportunity to read and to discuss with others.  It’s a Reading Rainbow!

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that Mary Ann sent me a book written by her friend Mark McNease. The book, Blank Page to Bookshelf, is about writing fiction, developing characters, and self-publishing. I fall naturally into the self-publishing space. Several years have passed since I attended a weekend writers’ workshop sponsored by a publishing house. I enjoyed the weekend learning about others’ projects and hearing well-known authors talk about their craft. Yet, the thing that most stuck with me was when the head of the publishing house said – and I paraphrase here – there are so many people who want to write a book that it is virtually impossible to get the attention of an editor. One’s best bet is to self-publish.

Once you have sold 100,000 copies, the publishing houses are more likely to pick you up. The interesting thing about that concept is this: if I can sell 100,000 copies myself, why would I then give my publication to an organization who is now going to take 60% or more of my sales? That set the stage for me … and I self-published two books which I then used at workshops. Now all these years later, self-publishing is quite acceptable.

Although I work more in the non-fiction space, McNease’s book sparked some thoughts for me to ponder. One such question he posed is “why do you write?”  Honestly, I had never thought about why I write.  I just do.  I sit at my keyboard, and words trickle out through my fingers and onto the screen. Is it important to know why I write? I don’t know.

When I was approaching my 30^th birthday an astrologer told me I was a writer. This skill somehow showed up in several houses on my birth chart. (Is that even a thing?) I found the idea fascinating as I never had considered the possibility. Yet for some unknown reason I have always remembered Brenda telling me so. I had barely begun my career in higher education, having earned my first doctorate not long before. At the time my biggest concern was that I must “publish or perish” as they say in the industry.

I recall struggling to put words on the page – not because I had nothing to say, but I wasn’t certain I knew how to say things eloquently enough. Still, when I would reread articles, reports, research papers, and monographs months after completing the writings, I thought they were not half bad – some even pretty good. *smile*  And that has held true throughout my career.

When Mary Ann suggested (for three years before we finally got down to business) that we start publishing a blog, I figured it would be easy to write. The hard part, in all honesty, was setting up the site, learning the platform, and developing a schedule. The two of us over-planned, until finally we said, “it doesn’t have to be perfect.” We will learn as we go. When we were able to let go of perfection, we could do what we enjoyed. Write.

So why do I write?  I guess I just find it relaxing to record my thoughts. Not everyone enjoys writing but we all have outlets. What do you do that releases your creative juices?