My Best Parties Are Poster Boarding Parties

I finished writing my book back in September, almost 20 years to the day after the events in the first few pages take place.

 

Since September, I have experienced promising spikes in Venture Within’s growth and busy-ness, indulged in a splash of important birthdays to celebrate (and I wouldn’t miss), was taken out by a nasty case of Covid (which I wish I would have missed), moved into a new house, turned it up a notch with the Viking boyfriend, suffered another doctor trip for Tino, dined too late in the night with far-away friends who’d come visiting, plus have tried to keep up with all the holiday events that typically fall in the Fall.

 

However, with all the commotion life has proffered up, the book and all that unfolds next in its eventual release has still been quietly moving forward.

 

The frenzy surfacing now surrounds the final copy-editing, cover design, and publishing tasks, which I am still learning how to do. It’s exciting to be at this point in sharing my stories, and every bit as terrifying.

 

As I write this, I still do not have a title for the darn thing.

 

But I’m getting closer.

 

Last week, I hosted an afternoon with a select group of creative-minded and trusted friends to join me while I read to them excerpts from chapters and entrusted my words to their book-titling capabilities.

 

The brain-storming session, which lasted 5 hours, was lively, fun, and oooooh boy was the energy ever-flowing. The poster board came out, and giant white blank sheets were taped up to my walls as colorful ideas were scribbled, organized, and shouted across the room while my lovely friends took over the brainstorming and dined on appetizers and red wine.

 

The food element of any party is not my strength.

 

To prepare for 10 people, I had bought 3 bottles of wine, a bag of jalapeño chips, and sesame crackers that the ants got to first.

 

Luckily, my Viking boyfriend took initiative, took a neighbor’s blender, and then took to the kitchen to whip up homemade hummus (two flavors); oat, peanut butter, and cacao balls; chopped up veggies and artfully decorated a veggie tray; and toasted sourdough bread topped with roasted garlic tomato and roasted eggplant. Plus he did the dishes.

 

He’s amazing.

 

At the end of the night, wine spilt on the floor, every plate of food devoured, my cat Tino freaking out with all the momentum and laughter, and colored markers and their caps littering every tabletop, the last of my friends departed.  They left behind fresh wallpaper depicting the soulful and emotional title options my writing had evoked from them hanging from the walls.

 

I couldn’t sleep and stayed up until 2 am musing over all the energy and ideas that had swirled through the air, and trying on favorite title ideas to see what felt right – which of their reactions and responses and words best connected to my story.

 

If you’re curious, I’ve narrowed down the possible titles, but there needs to be a little more sharpening of the phrases yet before the final title lands.

 

Or maybe there’s been too much sharpening, and the title will come to me in my sleep when I stop thinking so hard upon it. Isn’t this often the case?

 

That the thing we search for only comes to us once we relax a bit and allow it to find us?

 

We shall soon see.

 

~ Christy

 

 

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