So, I believe I am supposed to share this here. @Shawn Helgerson if I am doing this wrong, let me know. This is my premise: I grew up without a model for how to live, and only later realized that my blind cat—simply by existing—offered me a map for courage, presence, and unconditional being. I believe this creates a good framework for the book. What do you say?

Since this group is called the Abundance Institute, I thought I might as well write about abundance, lol. 😉 I have not actually seen any $$$ yet -- however, as we know, abundance is more than money. Though money definitely helps and is welcome, always, always, welcome! (I'm talking to you, money!) I have started a daily hour-long daily practice of qigong via zoom by a couple of qigong masters. It's completely free! Ever since I started that, my sleep has improved! For people who know me, this is a miracle!!! I have been experiencing hard-core insomnia for more than 10 years now and I have tried everything, and I mean everything!!! Last night, I got almost 6 hours of sleep. Again, for me, that is like a miracle. Then a friend told me about a daily drawing class via zoom later this month by a nature artist. That is just so, so very cool! I love drawing, and this will not only motivate me, I will get some tips on drawing from nature! Just received an early Christmas gift from an old friend. And another one is on the way from a different friend. This one is meant to help me with my frequency!!! Help heal me physically, mentally, and emotionally! It's not cheap, and I would not have been able to afford such a device. I am eagerly looking forward to it! This same friend also gave me a free remote healing session on the Rife machine. I am just so grateful to my friends, to the universe, and just life itself! ❤️❤️💝🙏❤️🙏

All right, I'm going to be posting here my progress writing a nonfiction book using Shawn's methodology, as outlined in his course Wordsmith Academy. It's supposed to be finished in 6 weeks. Because of the holidays and other potential interruptions, as well as many other projects that I'm simultaneously doing, it might take me longer than 6 weeks, though I will try my best to stick to the schedule. That said, I am having a bit of a health issue too, and I do not want to compromise my health. I have written and published nonfiction books before, notably "Hypoglycemia for Dummies" and "The Encyclopedia of Hepatitis C and Other Liver Diseases." I have also written newspaper columns, articles, essays, poems, and short stories. I have been working on a YA (Young Adult) sci-fi urban fantasy novel.

One problem I have never had is a lack of ideas. I'm bubbling with them! So the issue I have is that I have lots of ideas for books. Even as I work on one, I get more and more ideas for other books. What do I do? How shall I approach this? @Shawn Helgerson or @Yvette Muhammad -- who have, or are, writing a book(s) -- or anyone else -- do you have any suggestions?

I have decided to experiment by using Shawn's course Wordsmith Academy to complete a nonfiction book in about 6 weeks, as noted in my previous post. Specifically, I will be working on a memoir about my late cat Lydia, which should be a novella-length book. The book will be titled, "Lydia’s Lantern what a little blind cat taught me about light." In going through the course, I encountered the first two questions that I need to answer first: Why am I writing this book? I’m writing this book because my late cat Lydia—blind, albino, hearing-impaired, and quietly extraordinary—left an imprint on me that I still don’t fully understand. She arrived during an incredibly difficult period of my life, a time when I was raw and weary, and somehow this vulnerable little creature became a source of comfort and unexpected transformation. I feel compelled to follow the thread she left behind, to discover what she awakened in me, and to memorialize her in a way that honors the truth of our connection. What do I want this book to do in the world? I want readers to feel as if they’ve stepped into a fairy tale that happens to be real. Not a story that preaches or teaches, but one that feels enchanted—where a small, unlikely guide enters a human life and quietly shifts its orbit. My hope is that readers will feel the wonder of encountering a creature who becomes more than a pet: a mirror, a mystery, a catalyst. I want the book to awaken that soft, forgotten place in people where magic still lives and where love can transform us in ways we don’t expect. I may change my mind, but I intend to start posting the draft on Substack. Assuming I can even use it -- I have had some technical challenges lately -- all on their end. Still waiting for them to fix the bug. This is going to be my Substack About Page: About Lydia’s Lantern what a little blind cat taught me about light There are moments in a life when the ordinary world falls away. For me, that moment came in the form of a little blind, albino, hearing-impaired cat named Lydia.