Welcome to July's new prompt: Tell us about your first book. Was it a childhood project like Madeleine L’Engle’s? Was it a book you published, and if so, what success did it bring you? On the other hand, maybe your first book is in folders in your computer. Or sitting in a closet under a pile of other items. Or in a landfill. Perhaps your first book is still a dream. Or maybe you haven’t dared to dream—yet.
Whatever your story, tell us about it. (Prompt taken from July 2018 InScribe blog)
My first book is a co-writing project, still unfinished. It will never be published in full, and is read unconsciously by those I interact with as I move through my days. This book is my heart and my life, literally, for as Solomon urged his son to write his father's teachings on the "tablet of your heart," so I am collecting wisdom and words from my heavenly father. I gather them when I read and listen and observe, and store them deep within my mind and soul. Some of this wisdom emerges in other forms of writing more visible to the human eye, but everything I produce springs from the experiences of the life God has given me. He is my co-author, encouraging and inspiring me with his faithful presence in my life.
I have written many other books, physical ones, including a small book of children's Christmas crafts, photocopied and stapled for a women's event many years ago, a children's story illustrated by my 3 or 4-year-old daughter, numerous journals, and several commonplace books. On my computer sit 50,000 words of an unfinished mystery novel, a small collection of poems, a Christmas devotional book, and numerous story starts. I can't not write.
For many years, including lack of knowledge and confidence, I didn't move forward with publishing my writing beyond a few articles and short stories. Any queries to publishers were ignored or rejected, not an uncommon experience for many authors. I began to wonder why I should even bother. I didn't have a blockbuster novel or an important name or a large social media following that would impress any publisher.
In a casual e-mail exchange with Brenda Leyland, our lovely blog co-moderator, she mentioned Siretona Creative, a publishing company founded by another InScribe member, Colleen McCubbin. Well. I was introduced to the ins and outs of various ways to publish a book. Colleen shared her great knowledge of the industry and also gave me the confidence to move forward. To make a long story short, my first fully published book was released just over a month ago.
Life is Short but Wide was built on the many letters I wrote to my husband's parents during our 21 years in Ecuador - wonderful source documents! Mum had saved each one and stored them in boxes for me. It was my eldest daughter who said, "Mom, you should write a book with these" that gave me the impetus to begin writing a memoir about those formative and eventful years. I am so glad that I persevered and now have my words able to reach many people. I hope readers are encouraged as they read the stories of someone who experienced different events in a unique setting, but who felt the same emotions, learned much about God's love and faithfulness, and who found beauty in the life given to her.
Now I feel like a floodgate of possibility has opened with the publication of this book. Ideas swirl continually in my brain. What to write next? I nod in agreement when I read Solomon's words "Of making many books there is no end."
Lorrie Orr writes from Vancouver Island.
Her first book, Life is Short but Wide, a memoir of 21 years
in Ecuador, was recently published.
More of her writing can be found at
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