I Accidentally Wrote a Book

I know, I know… I was so gung-ho about bringing back blogging and then proceeded to disappear for a year. Whoops. As it turns out, I have been steadily working on a blog post series this whole time, except that blog post turned into a series that turned into… A BOOK!

You heard that right, this girl wrote a book, edited said book, and is publishing it this year!

Let’s back up.

As I’ve mentioned before, I used to blog weekly and journal daily. That all went kaput when I got busy in college and then had to maintain up to four jobs at once. However, the words didn’t stop coming; they just didn’t leave my head. So they piled up and marinated for literally years.

Last year, however, the perfect combination of circumstances occurred that lead to the book. First, I went down one job (so I only had three to maintain instead of four). Second, my boyfriend broke up with me, leaving me with a lot of questions and a lot of things to say about it. Third, I had restarted this blog, which gave me a reason to put all of these thoughts together.

Time + emotional experiences + outlet = a lot of writing.

So I can say confidently that I didn’t mean to write a book. I just had a lot of things to say. The plan was to share it here, but eventually I realized that I was writing the longest blog post that no one would read. I knew it could be a book, but I didn’t let the end change the process. I kept writing. I kept asking questions. I kept praying.

Every night between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. I would write. I don’t know how I did that apart from the Lord’s strength. Then I would wake up and return straight to the Word so that I could be filled up in order to pour out again. I wrote and wrote and thought and thought and in two months, I completed that first manuscript of “Open Hands.” Although that was a time of a lot of hurt and questions and lack of sleep, it was perhaps the most beautiful, holy time of my life. Each word felt so full of purpose. Each night felt so alive. It was an oasis of writing that I may never experience again.

But I couldn’t publish a book, right? That’s what experienced people do. That’s what people who have 20k followers on Instagram do. That’s what people who meant to write a book do.

One week after completing the manuscript I got an email from HopeBooks announcing their new publishing company. It couldn’t hurt to apply, right? A couple of weeks after that I had signed a contract. The work that was done in the secret confines of my room, the work covered in tears and heartbreak and searching, that work was going to come to light.

And in less than three months, it will come into your hands.

So this is a lengthy explanation as to why I haven’t maintained this little blog. This is a post of gratitude at how Grace In Everything created the vehicle that led to the book in the first place. These are words of wonder at how God’s plans are always better than our plans.

I wouldn’t have asked for my career to slow down, my boyfriend to break up with me, my friend to move, and my ankle to still even my physical activity. Through that tilling, though, a garden was planted, and I rejoice to see the flowers that grow there now.

I can’t wait to give you those flowers in the form of a book. Check out my book page, and stay tuned for many more updates, and subscribe to my newsletter to get bonus content and book updates.

Blessings,

Hannah