Ink in the Wheels: Stories to Make Love Roll- It’s Here!!
When I was a little girl, I would write in my journal and hide it under my bed, and as a teenager hide notebooks in my locker at school. I always knew I would be a writer, and it would take years to claim myself as a writer even though I wasn’t “published.”
In my adult years, I would edit manuscripts, write articles and social media posts, facilitate writers groups, and coach writers one-on-one to find their own voice. Yet, there are projects that don’t sustain us financially, but are just as vital to work on. The words that we must write.
At first, Barton wasn’t fully on board with writing Ink in the Wheels: Stories to Make Love Roll. He wanted it to be more than just a sappy love story; he wanted it to serve a purpose, something that would impact the disability community in a way that hasn’t been reached before. And so we opened ourselves up even more, to include the depth and range of our experiences as a couple.
This Friday, we took another leap forward, as we received our first proof of Ink in the Wheels. The elation could be felt all throughout our house, and the anticipation ramped up when we passed two teasing UPS trucks circling our neighborhood. When it arrived, laughter echoed as we tore through the cardboard box.
We held our book in our hands, and it has been such a joy for both of us to flip through the pages, and to see our work in its tangible form. The hours, weekends and evening spent writing, transcribing, editing, and more editing finally have come to see their fruition.
Even still, the work is not over. Since it is a proof copy, we had a few things to change, and uploaded new files. We’ve begun planning for our first release event February 8th, which is going to be thrilling since all of of our family members will be present and so many of our friends and community members will join us in the celebration.
When we find ourselves exasperated and exhausted, we remind each other that it’s okay to rest, to take time to re-energize, and remind each other how far we have come and how close we are to realizing our dreams of impacting and inspiring others in the world.
Over the past few days, the proof copy has migrated from kitchen table to living room table, from hands to others skimming its pages, from an idea into a materialized paperback form.
And even though there is more to do, we can’t help but smile as we pass by.
~ Megan