The Book Writing Metamorphosis 🦋🐛 #MondayBlogs

Today I am comparing the book writing process to the metamorphosis of a butterfly.

For noting – I am not a nature expert and in some places my knowledge of caterpillars / chrysalis might be a bit off.

Caterpillar Stage

The caterpillar performs the same daily tasks; eating, sleeping and shuffling up and down a leaf. It has no idea that it has the potential to change into something amazing and beautiful.

Before the idea for your book comes to you, your life is similar to that of the caterpillar – shuffling up and down that leaf day in day out.

You perform the same tasks day in and day out; wake up, do the laundry, eat, think about doing some writing (although you have no set ideas for any future books or an idea for your first book), avoid doing some writing as it feels like too much effort, go to work, spend far too long commuting, come home from work, cuddle your pets / kids / loved one, browse social media. put your recycling waste out for it to be collected, exercise if you feel like it, interact with family / friends, read, eat, watch TV / films, go to sleep and repeat.

Chrysalis Stage:

Something inside the caterpillar tells it to enter a private and transformational stage of its life. This involves locking itself away for a period of time inside a chrysalis. During this time the caterpillar will turn into a gooey mess inside the chrysalis before transforming into a butterfly.

You get a stunning idea for your first book or your next book. It’s a brilliant idea and makes you sing whilst doing the laundry. After a period of time spent deliberating whilst shuffling up and down that leaf something inside of you tells you that it is time to enter your private and transformational writing stage.

This involves locking yourself away in a quiet place (with a pad of paper, a pen, a laptop, a slab of chocolate and a hot / cold drink of your choice) and writing that brand new idea.

The process of writing a book is tough and it makes you dissolve into a gooey mess; bouts of crying, shouting, whimpering, wailing and screaming at your laptop / notebook.

For Noting: The amount of gooey mess varies from writer to writer. Some of us dissolve into tears after chapter two and don’t stop until the end.

The gooey mess stage eventually ends. You’ve decided that even though your book is a pile of literary wrongs you’re committed to it, there will be someone out there who likes it and you are weirdly attracted to the idea.

It will still be frustrating too inside that book writing chrysalis (I think I could be getting creative here about the chrysalis) as you will peer out of it during your gooey stage and spot all your writer friends emerging from their chrysalis in the form of beautiful butterflies / all with completed draft novels. You will be surrounded by gooey mess at this stage and wonder how the hell you will ever get out of your chrysalis.

Slowly you and your idea begin the build process.

Butterfly Stage

There is a period of intense struggle as the creature inside the chrysalis struggles to break free. The caterpillar has been transformed into something truly wonderful – a butterfly. It is amazing to think that this beautiful creature was always inside the caterpillar. A new and exciting life awaits the butterfly.

As you get close to finishing your first draft you will endure an intense struggle. Self-doubt and your inner critic will do their best to keep you locked in that damn chrysalis.

A few weeks / months / years later you will also finally break out of your private place (chrysalis) clutching a load of paper / a word document on an exhausted laptop.

You will have created something amazing – a draft novel. You are now an author of a new book. You have brought something into the world. All the hours you spent in that chrysalis have been worth it and have brought you here to this stage.

Trust me – going through all of the above is amazing. We don’t celebrate this enough.

You should be proud of yourself.

I am currently in my chrysalis and in my gooey stage. Where are you?

Have a fabulous day!