The Process

I can’t believe I wrote a book! My favorite part of the book writing process was that I did it with a friend - someone I could be totally honest and real with throughout the process. My second favorite part was that we chose to move through the actual process of writing a book a bit unconventionally, and it made all the difference. 

We were unconventional in the sense that we didn’t push. We didn’t hold ourselves to any kind of timeline. We didn’t force ourselves to bust out a bestseller in 6 months. We didn’t beat ourselves up if we didn’t work on the book for a week. In fact, neither of us touched the text for almost an entire summer. We moved through the project organically, writing when we were inspired, resting and letting things marinate when we weren’t. We tested our work out in our families. We adjusted it. In every moment, we tried to stay focused on the next best step. We didn’t think too far ahead, except taking time here and there to dream about where we imagined the project going. 

The result was a writing process that felt really sustainable. We are both mothers of 2 active, involved children, with jobs outside of “author”, and spouses who travel frequently and for longer periods of time. It was such a gift to be able to create like we did, without striving or forcing anything, and I really believe that we wouldn’t have come through with such a beautiful, meaningful finished product if we hadn’t done it exactly that way. It likely would’ve burned out and faded away, another great idea lost to unrealistic demands and unnecessary pressure. 

This is the process we took while writing and creating The Inside Squad, and I encourage you to take the same approach to reading the book and putting it into action in your family. Incorporate the book into your lives in a way that feels sustainable with the life you are already living. Look through the book with your child and choose your favorite characters. Read about one character, or choose one activity to work on for the week. Take the next best step and then let things marinate, notice what shifts. 

One thing we find ourselves doing in our family is choosing a character or activity based on the struggles we’re encountering in our life - whether it’s Courage or Stretch to Grow when trying a new sport or Self-Kindness when we’re being a little too hard on ourselves. Most of all, let the process be enjoyable.