Writing a Book

Digital technology has opened up the world. We are able to send instant messages, share photos, and post on personal websites and blogs. Friendships are formed and creativity enhanced. It has also provided many with opportunities to publish. Several of my friends have written their own books. Clarice from Storybook Woods has written a delightful book called "Wren Bay". You might remember one of my blog posts where I reviewed her book. Wren Bay, the story of making a home, portrays charm, creativity, and warmth. It is skillfully mixed with grace and elegance, with a true mix of practicality, economy, and the careful use of natural resources.  Another friend, Marilyn from Delights of the Heart also authored a book. It's called "Tea Party in Your Cupboard" and is filled with ideas for creating impromptu tea parties with products generally found in your cupboard. She includes recipes from her own kitchen.

Clarice and Marilyn inspired me to give it a try! Step one is finding a publishing company online. There are several reliable companies that provide this service. Check out amazon.com, lulu.com, and blurb.com as a start. They offer simple instructions about writing, layout, color, and publishing.

My book is a simple "coffee table" book, although I should be calling it a "tea table" book instead! 

Since my book is simple, I wrote it in a way similar to writing a short story, article, or blog post. My main intent was to find a way to use some of my favorite tea themed photos. Therefore, my book was about tea and I called it "Steeped in Tea & Friendship". It was not only a labor of love, but labor intense as well. That surprised me, as I thought something as simple as my little book wouldn't take much time. I wrote about tea themes and included some of my favorite tea quotes. I enjoyed sitting for an hour or two at my computer each evening and adding to "my book". 

I enjoyed choosing photos and prose for each set of pages. Each pair was laid out by theme like an Asian tea, royal wedding, tea and sewing at a friend's house, or family tea times at the cabin.

Although I only published ten copies which I gave to family and friends for Christmas, I now feel like I have had an interesting peek into the world of self-publishing. It was a fun creative process! I treasure my copy and keep in on my "tea table" to enjoy during quiet moments of the day.

The resources available for publishing from your home computer are endless. And just think of the possibilities that homeschoolers have available to them if they choose to self-publish. Ideas abound! What a great way to teach across the curriculum. How about having your student(s) write a publish 

• a cookbook of their favorite cookie recipes (math, language arts, art, photography)
• a journal of a family vacation (social studies, language arts)
• a short story with illustrations done with colored pencil or photo they take (art, language arts)
• a book of riddles using story problems the student(s) write (math, language arts)
• a themed book on a subject enjoyed by your student(s); themes could include subjects like Lego creations, pets, wild animals, motorcycles, American Girl dolls, etc.

Have you considered writing a book in your homeschool? Please share!