When a book feels too heavy, write something lighter first.

On Halloween in 2023, my husband, Jeff, was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. You may be weary of hearing me talk about this (I know I am), but I am a writer and publisher who asks clients to “bear all.” One of our company values is transparency, and I think it’s fair and appropriate for me to be open with clients since they are so trusting and open with my team and me. How else can we write impactful books? 

As a writer, my first instinct when Jeff was diagnosed was to write about our experience as it was happening. My then business coach also advised me to journal. He was right. I started journaling and soon realized the journal could be a book. I certainly didn’t want to turn our family's pain into something to sell. I just wanted to vent and record the experience for my sons so they could learn how strong Jeff is and maybe how crazy I am! Ha!

Within the month, I learned that simply surviving each day as a wife, a mother, and a business owner was hard enough. Writing with an eventual book in mind was too much pressure. Even journaling was grueling some days, so I gave myself permission to just brain dump. 

I captured emotions, events, ideas, frustrations, conflict, and miracles as they happened, with no pressure to polish a single page. Those pages were the right amount of therapy, and they have become a record of everything our family has learned during these three hard years and the battle that continues. 

Now that time has gone by, and we are in our “new normal” with stage 4 cancer at home, I do plan to write and publish. I already know that the book's title will be Bring Your A-Game in honor of Jeff’s positive attitude, athlete’s mindset, and competitive spirit, as well as the fact that I am damn determined to win my part of this fight by finding joy no matter the current circumstances.

If you are carrying a story that feels too heavy to shape into a book right now, please hear me. You are not behind, and you are not failing. Writing for yourself first is a beautiful and valid way to begin, and the book will come when you are ready. Keep a notebook or recording app (or both) on hand, and simply let the words fall, with no rules and no audience but you. Your story is worth keeping, whether or not the world ever sees those pages. 

Books live forever!

Jody Dyer
Founder and CEO, Crippled Beagle Publishing and Story Mountain Media