Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Have You Seen My Zen? by Alison Henderson

It's been a rough few months for me. My summer was consumed by the huge Soberanes Fire that burned near our house for over two months, filling the air with smoke and our roads with fire crews. We were overwhelmingly grateful to the firefighters, but their presence was a constant reminder of the threat hanging over our heads. On top of that, I was working diligently to put the finishing touches on Boiling Point and get it published. And then there was the election.

The only thing I had any control over--my book--came together well and ahead of schedule. The rest--not so much. A couple of soaking rains in October finally doused the remnants of the fire. The burned hillsides are scarred and now subject to landslides, but not in our valley. When I look out my windows, all I see are the usual lush, green mountains, but I now appreciate how precious and fragile they really are.

The election is another matter. Perhaps I am overly sensitive, but I know I'm not alone. The ugliness and horror of the process scarred my psyche, and I'm not sure how long it will take to heal. I have always considered it the duty of every citizen to remain well-informed, but I'm throwing that away. I plan to avoid as much "news" as possible for as long as it takes me to recover. I'm worn down by outrage, mine and others'. I'm convinced that by feeding our outrage, we harm mainly ourselves. The objects of our outrage never know and wouldn't care if they did.

A few weeks ago, I posted on Facebook that the first line of my next book had popped into my head when I was wide awake at 3:00 a.m. (not an unusual occurrence for me.) One of my neighbors recommended a book she's found useful in dealing with insomnia--Dan Harris's 10% Happier. I wasn't familiar with him, but he's a weekend anchor on Good Morning America and a reporter on Dateline. 

I HIGHLY recommend this very readable book. It's the story of how he found balance and happiness in his life through meditation and looking at life through a different lens. I don't have his personality, stresses, or interest in regular meditation, but one particular conclusion he reached really resonated with me, especially in regard to my writing.

When Harris was struggling with the question of zen vs. ambition, his mentor advised him the best way to maintain his sense of inner balance was to do his very best at any task but not to become attached to the results because he had no control over them. Interestingly, he used writing a book as an example. You write the best book you can then put it out into the universe. You do what you can to draw it to people's attention, but ultimately you have no control over whether or not it becomes a best-seller.


I did more to launch Boiling Point than I had done for any previous book, but the results were the same--minimal sales. I have analyzed my experiences and determined that while people really enjoy my books, no one I don't know personally or am related to is willing to pay money to buy them. Strangers will happily read them and post glowing reviews when they are free, but they will not take the minimal risk to buy from an unknown author. And I don't have the will or budget to try to overcome that. That's where detachment from the results comes in. If I can keep from comparing my results to other authors (another point in the book) and develop detachment from the results, I may be able to keep writing, knowing I'm doing my best to create a product that brings happiness to readers, even if not as many as I'd like.

Alison
www.alisonhenderson.com


21 comments:

Liz Flaherty said...

We will survive! Hugs to you, Alison. As you know, I'm where you are. Thanks for the book recommendation.

Diane Burton said...

What great advice: to detach one's self from results. Like many in this country, I'm having a difficult time detaching myself from the election. It will take a long time to be at peace. You have had a horrendous summer. The stress of constant danger had to affect you. Enjoyed your book. Well done.

Brenda Whiteside said...

I'm with you, Alison. And I like the advice on the book. That's a difficult one. Wanting to entertain with my stories is part of why I write. But the frustration of promotion is debilitating at times. I'll see if I can work on that outlook.

Rolynn Anderson said...

I like your solution-finding attitude, Alison. Sleep is so important and I'm glad you found a way to settle your mind. I, too have stopped watching the news and I'm trying to watch movies and programs that give me a lift (it's tough to watch dystopian movies/shows when we're living the horror, the horror, the horror). I think my years on the boat taught me about my inability to control nature. The ocean is a relentless entity...we were never hit by a rogue wave, but believe me, I was aware it could happen...and everything else that could go wrong on the sea DID at one time or the other. Resilience and persistence matter. Mush on, my friend!

Jannine Gallant said...

The wildfire thing is draining. This summer we were lucky, but other years we've had weeks of smoke. Not as bad as you, but it just makes you feel awful. Then there's the ongoing worry when a fire is close. Not fun. Add the whole political climate, and you have a recipe for stress. I couldn't write for a few days, but I forced myself back into the routine. It helped. I unfollowed several people on Facebook, and that helped, too. The gloating and holier than thou attitude was more than I could stomach. Now, if I could convince my husband not to have the news channels on ad nauseam... Probably not going to happen. Your attitude of letting go of the results and enjoying the process is probably a healthy one. Just focus on having fun with the next book!

Alison Henderson said...

We will indeed survive, Liz. We always do.

Alison Henderson said...

I'm glad you liked the book, Diane. I changed a number of things from the first draft you read. I'm doing pretty well detaching from the results. It really is good advice.

Alison Henderson said...

Check out the book, Brenda. I found it quite helpful, and I read it BEFORE the election. Your choice of the word debilitating is perfect--I'm still fighting that feeling every day.

Alison Henderson said...

Rolynn, I've always been a results-oriented person, even when the desired result is inner peace. LOL. Mushing on!

Alison Henderson said...

Jannine, I'm doing my best to focus on the new book, and I'm having fun with it. Now all I have to do is figure out what happens between Chapter 4 and Chapter 16! LOL

Vonnie Davis ~ Romance Author said...

Great post, Alison. The election results didn't just shock me, they scared me. It's as if our nation's dirty underbelly have been revealed. High school students are pointing to non-whites in the hallways and telling them "they're going back." Suddenly every truck in our town in flying the rebel flag again. And on and on. I'm not sleeping well either. As for the writing. We go through stages for various reasons. I'm accepting I need to write to please only me...as soon as I finish this book a publisher wants to see the full on. I can't keep writing to please editors. I'm wilting inside. Write to please yourself and your following, no matter how large or small.

Alison Henderson said...

Vonnie, I'm sure it's much more difficult in your part of the country than ours. I'm not sure I'd want to leave the house. I hope you'll find it therapeutic when you can write to please yourself and your readers.

Jannine Gallant said...

I find extreme irony in the fact that the ones shouting the loudest to accept and move on are flying the Rebel flag. Just saying...

Alison Henderson said...

Irony has been rampant throughout the entire process, along with stark ignorance. I've been tempted sonmany times to create a meme, or even a big sign, that says: "That's not how it works. That's not how any of this works."

Alicia Dean said...

I can't imagine dealing with those wildfires. How awful. I like the thoughts put across in the book. Thanks for the recommendation. I will probably check that out. What a great philosophy. For me, I also try to write without worrying about the end results. I really, truly, love to write. It's my passion. I don't have to become famous, I don't have to become rich. My joy is in the journey, and that's enough for me.

Alison Henderson said...

Alicia, I wish I could say I really, truly love to write all the time. Sometimes I feel more like Dorothy Parker--I hate to write but love to have written. That can happen if I let myself become too results-driven. Maybe it's left over from my business career. Maybe it's part of my personality. The two most important lessons I learned from that book were to let go of comparing and to detach from the results. I'm working on both.

Leah St. James said...

Great post, Alison. We too have turned off the news. I'm so tired of months of bickering and yelling and name-calling. I'm glad you survived the summer relatively unscathed, and it sounds like you've found a good way to deal with the stress. I just finished the first book in your series (I think you had it on sale a month or so ago...thank you!), and I really enjoyed it. Love your main character, and the hunky hero, too. I just left a review...thank you for the reminder! Keep writing, Alison. We need stories of hope and love in today's crazy world.

Margo Hoornstra said...

Late arriving, but I enjoyed your post and the comments as well. Good advice to write to please ourselves and simply accept the result.

Andrea Downing said...

Great post Alison. I think that Zen master had the best advice: Do the best you can and remain as detached as possible.

Alison Henderson said...

Things have been tough for all of us, Leah. I'm so glad you enjoyed Unwritten Rules, and thanks for the review! You know how much that means to me. FYI - the sequel will be free for several days at the end of November.

Alison Henderson said...

Margo and Andi, that staying detached business may be the answer to a lot of life's anxieties, but it isn't easy.