Menopause can be disruptive.
I mean it was for me and that’s why I’m trying to help women through the Menopause Movement.
In doing so, I help women see that menopause is a privilege of a long life.
For some of us who have kids who are not in the house anymore, we have more time to find meaning for ourselves. It’s around these times that we need hobbies, and it could be writing.
For me, I’ve had to really look deep into my own pain as I started to work on my memoir, and that has fueled some really great bits of writing.
But one of the things that has kept me from completing it is the fear of false intimacy.
My life has been one trauma after another since childhood, and I really worry about what people might think once the book is published.
I’m afraid of success.
This is real fear.
And for you who is reading this, even if you’re not writing a book, if you have an idea and you don’t take any action, not only are you going to lose out, but anybody who was supposed to hear that is going to lose out, because they need to hear this information.
Story is such a fundamental part of our programming. Without it, we have no meaning. We don’t understand our world without stories.
I’ve discovered that everything in my life is a story.
And it’s a story that either serves me or not. If it doesn’t serve me, then I can change it.
My point is, when you’re birthing something from nothing, there’s going to be a lot of mistakes and that’s okay.
In today’s episode of The Best of The Menopause Movement Podcast, I’m with Demi Stevens who is the CEO of Year of the Book press.
She turns writing dreams into successfully published books and has personally assisted in the production of 350 titles by more than 125 authors ranging from children’s picture books to sizzling romance, award-winning mysteries and best selling business books.
During the interview, we discuss the origin of Year of the Book press, her initial 65% success rate of turning interested, budding authors into published authors PLUS:
• Why it’s important to have skin in the game
• Being a recovering perfectionist
• Removing obstacles
• Remembering all you can about a scene when you’re writing
• The inception of ideas and where they come from
• Imposter syndrome
• Permission
• Bringing back an old skill and how words have power
And stay to the end to find out how to deal with imposter syndrome and find more ambition.
Resources:
• Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.menopausemovement.com/podcast)
• Connect with me on Instagram @drmichellegordon
• Follow me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/drmichellegordon
• Check out my LinkedIn posts (https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichellegordon/)
• Follow Dr. Demi Stevens on Facebook
• Visit her website, Year of the Book
• Reach her through email: demi@yotbpress.com
What’s Discussed in This Episode:
[0:00] Introduction
[3:00] Demi’s Menopause Experience
[3:45] Demi’s Background
[8:00] Her initial 65% success rate of turning interested, budding authors into published authors
[10:30] Transformation begins with transaction
[13:30] Editing a book
[14:38] The importance of failing forward
[15:45] Writing stories about trauma
[20:25] Fulfilling the reader’s expectations
[22:35] Writing as a new hobby
[28:10] Recognizing potential
[31:55] The fear of writing
[35:30] Ideas come from the universe
[36:17] Taking action
[37:00] Asking permission
[40:38] Being friends with the voice in our head
[42:50] Embracing fear
[45:00] Dealing with imposter syndrome
[48:52] How to work with Demi
[53:00] The power of manifestation
About the Guest:
Dr. Demi Stevens is the CEO of Year of The Book Press, which aims to help budding authors turn their dreams into published books. Demi has personally assisted in the production of 350 titles, ranging from children’s books to best-selling business books, by more than 125 authors. She also obtained degrees from West Virginia University, Capital Northwestern, and Ohio State. She was also the director of Paul Smith Library and conducts one-on-one coaching through the entire drafting, editing, and publishing process of a book.