How incredibly exciting!
Over the past couple of weeks, a few dear friends have pre-ordered Unveiling (this ensures their getting a signed, dated, and numbered early copy). But in the past two days, the pre-orders have started to come in from afar - one from one of my dear and beloved teachers, living in the western half of the States, and another from someone whom I've never met, and with whom I haven't corresponded up until now -- and with such kind words!
This means a lot to me. Kind of the extra "oomph" needed to get over the final hill of editing/proofing/indexing and get the book out to people. Knowing that people are actually wanting and awaiting their copies makes such a huge difference!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Victory Is In Sight - But What's the Cost?
A continuation of the previous blogpost - 6:20AM, sky just lightening up, and I really need to go to bed - getting too emotional and droopy. And probably have my emotional set skewed with a minor case of flu.
I'll say this. Over the past two years, since I was guided (both by rational logic and inner "nudging") to focus on Unveiling completion, I have been supported by the universe, or Source. And for that, I am most grateful and thankful. My health, miraculously, has been stronger than ever. My car has run smoothly and well. The house has had heat in the winter, and A/C in the summer. My cats and I have not yet missed a meal.
I've had emotional support from dear friends and family. That's counted for a lot.
For about a year, one of the co-residents in my household was a very sweet, dear man who loved to cook - and he not only cooked for me, but bought the food. I am so everylastingly grateful and thankful! Much of that time, I was not only not making much money with being an adjunct professor at one of the local universities, but I didn't have the time or inclination to shop and cook. (I did have an inclination to eat, though, and he supported me tremendously on that account.)
Over the past two years, family and friends have very generously been my "life support," providing emotional and physical support as needed - and often, I needed a lot.
That said, this journey has largely been one that I've done alone.
There's breakthrough stuff in this book. It's got the answers that I was looking for, back when I started some sixteen years ago. (First chapter drafts had copyright 1996 at the bottom of the pages.)
But the more that I've worked on this, the lonelier it has been. And the past two years have been a very lonely process. Not just a solitary journey, but a lonely one.
By and by, there's been noone with whom to share the little victories and triumphs, and no one to "vetch" with when things were slow and tedious, or when I realized that a chapter (or the whole book) needed yet another rewrite.
And soon, very soon, this actual writing/editing/proofing/indexing stage will be done. I'll continue writing, of course, but it will be other stuff. (Am already mentally putting together a study guide for the actual "pathworking" in context of dance training; musings along those lines will be at my Alay'nya Blog. And there will be a whole lot more interaction; a lot more socializing, and I'll remember back fondly to the days when all that I had to do was to isolate myself and write.
But that will be in the future. Right now, it's still the final final stages of this journey, far enough along so that if I died today, the book would still appear. (Minus an index, of course.) There would still be value.
And as I look back, I'm saying - there's been support, yes, but by and large I've done it alone. And it's been a lonely journey. I've been an Amazon warrior - nearly without break - for over two years now, and it's been tough going.
I will, however, give credit to Kate H., who has been my editor since this last summer, and who has given (and still does give) very generously with her time.
And this last Sunday, we had our first Cognoscenti Reception - a gathering of the "inner core." About a dozen people, and very good - all connected with developing this book in one way or another.
And I had help - very freely and generously given - from those who did a digital video shoot with me last autumn; Kate, Alice, and Melissa all helped with stage-sets and costumes, and videographer Kirene shot the raw footage. Ken. S., a professor of multimedia studies at GMU's Applied IT Dept., had various student teams try their hand at editing together a "digital video book trailer." We saw their efforts for the first time this last Sunday. Good tries. Not what I'll want as a final product, but a good effort and gave us some idea of what can be done.
My friend Dingwall F., and his friend Carlos, are working on a musical score that will be the Unveiling theme music.
So - over this past half-year - Unveiling has become more of a community process. The writing, both initially and now, is solitary. Writing a book is not done by a committee. (As Goethe said, "Genius requires solitude." I've clung to that phrase over the past several years.)
But everything wrapping around the actual writing does indeed involve many people, and more all the time. Editor. Costume and stage, and videographer. Video editors - both the professor/coach and the students.
And now, I'm getting more business interest in this as well.
So it's interesting. And getting more congenial. And becoming more warm-and-fuzzy, a little less Amazon. And on that happy note, having been up since 2AM, and dealing with a mild case of (mood-impacting) flu, I'm going back go bed.
I'll say this. Over the past two years, since I was guided (both by rational logic and inner "nudging") to focus on Unveiling completion, I have been supported by the universe, or Source. And for that, I am most grateful and thankful. My health, miraculously, has been stronger than ever. My car has run smoothly and well. The house has had heat in the winter, and A/C in the summer. My cats and I have not yet missed a meal.
I've had emotional support from dear friends and family. That's counted for a lot.
For about a year, one of the co-residents in my household was a very sweet, dear man who loved to cook - and he not only cooked for me, but bought the food. I am so everylastingly grateful and thankful! Much of that time, I was not only not making much money with being an adjunct professor at one of the local universities, but I didn't have the time or inclination to shop and cook. (I did have an inclination to eat, though, and he supported me tremendously on that account.)
Over the past two years, family and friends have very generously been my "life support," providing emotional and physical support as needed - and often, I needed a lot.
That said, this journey has largely been one that I've done alone.
There's breakthrough stuff in this book. It's got the answers that I was looking for, back when I started some sixteen years ago. (First chapter drafts had copyright 1996 at the bottom of the pages.)
But the more that I've worked on this, the lonelier it has been. And the past two years have been a very lonely process. Not just a solitary journey, but a lonely one.
By and by, there's been noone with whom to share the little victories and triumphs, and no one to "vetch" with when things were slow and tedious, or when I realized that a chapter (or the whole book) needed yet another rewrite.
And soon, very soon, this actual writing/editing/proofing/indexing stage will be done. I'll continue writing, of course, but it will be other stuff. (Am already mentally putting together a study guide for the actual "pathworking" in context of dance training; musings along those lines will be at my Alay'nya Blog. And there will be a whole lot more interaction; a lot more socializing, and I'll remember back fondly to the days when all that I had to do was to isolate myself and write.
But that will be in the future. Right now, it's still the final final stages of this journey, far enough along so that if I died today, the book would still appear. (Minus an index, of course.) There would still be value.
And as I look back, I'm saying - there's been support, yes, but by and large I've done it alone. And it's been a lonely journey. I've been an Amazon warrior - nearly without break - for over two years now, and it's been tough going.
I will, however, give credit to Kate H., who has been my editor since this last summer, and who has given (and still does give) very generously with her time.
And this last Sunday, we had our first Cognoscenti Reception - a gathering of the "inner core." About a dozen people, and very good - all connected with developing this book in one way or another.
And I had help - very freely and generously given - from those who did a digital video shoot with me last autumn; Kate, Alice, and Melissa all helped with stage-sets and costumes, and videographer Kirene shot the raw footage. Ken. S., a professor of multimedia studies at GMU's Applied IT Dept., had various student teams try their hand at editing together a "digital video book trailer." We saw their efforts for the first time this last Sunday. Good tries. Not what I'll want as a final product, but a good effort and gave us some idea of what can be done.
My friend Dingwall F., and his friend Carlos, are working on a musical score that will be the Unveiling theme music.
So - over this past half-year - Unveiling has become more of a community process. The writing, both initially and now, is solitary. Writing a book is not done by a committee. (As Goethe said, "Genius requires solitude." I've clung to that phrase over the past several years.)
But everything wrapping around the actual writing does indeed involve many people, and more all the time. Editor. Costume and stage, and videographer. Video editors - both the professor/coach and the students.
And now, I'm getting more business interest in this as well.
So it's interesting. And getting more congenial. And becoming more warm-and-fuzzy, a little less Amazon. And on that happy note, having been up since 2AM, and dealing with a mild case of (mood-impacting) flu, I'm going back go bed.
Editing, Proofing, & Indexing - Part II
Unveiling, Chapter 7: Archetypes
Actually, "Archetypes" is not the title of this chapter. But I've been up since 2AM, working on the index for this chapter (nearly done). Mind is a bit groggy.
People tell me that indexing is hard. And they sort of shudder when they talk about it. Really, I'm finding that it's lengthy, not particularly hard. And it requires patience, and attention to detail. But not creativity. So it's just the right thing to do when I'm slightly tired; the "middle-of-the-night" stuff.
What is creative these days is developing my Business Plan, and looking for the right relationships to bring the Unveiling Team into being, and to jumpstart the marketing effort. (Even writing to you, right now, is part of "marketing." It's also part of "girlfriend-connect time." Right now, I'd just love to have a little heart-to-heart with someone, but who's up at 5:30AM?(
So I'm off to bed. I could stay up, and wander-write indefinately. It would be a lot like journaling. (Still haven't found my journal; might be a good thing; forces me to blog.)
But what's happening now - because I took a break from book editing/proofing over the Christmas/mid-winter season (to write Business Plans, start connecting with potential sponsors, etc.) is that now I'm reading the book, as in reading it. Yes, there's the whole editing/proofing (and now indexing) thing going on.
But years ago, I started writing the book that I needed to read. And now, I'm reading it. What an interesting feeling!
And surprisingly, I'm getting something out of this. It's as though, now that I've gone through the last two years of just opening up to insight and guidance, and then getting the concepts, and doing the organization, the background research, and the writing, the book is finally in shape. The message is there. And it really is helping me.
I hope it helps you, soon.
And by the way, I have just a few copies out with various teachers & girlfriends. Noone, yet, has worked her way through it. (It's not a hard read, but it is 500 pages +.) So I'm going to ask some people to join focus groups, and read - and share their thoughts on - just portions of the book. Not the whole thing.
Anyone interested? Email me -- alaynya (at) alaynya (dot) com.
love and blessings - A.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
"Princess Training" - the First Step in our Personal Pathway!
Princess Training - It's Tougher than We Think!
Princess Training. Imagine it. Isn't this something that we learn vicariously when we watch The Princess Diaries?
The Princess Diaries, starring Julie Andrews (as the Queen) and young Anne Hathaway (as the Princess-in-Hiding, and later as the Princess-in-Training).
At some level, we each have an inner Princess. This is not about a feeling of entitlement. It's a feeling that we each have some degree of nobility; an aspect that is beyond our everyday selves and our everyday lives.
What captures our hearts and minds about stories such as The Princess Diaries is that each of us knows that to bring out our inner Princess, we need training. We need training as a simple, ordinary, everyday Princess, and than later we need training as we become a Heroic, or Warrior Princess.
Dr. Nicole Cutts, Ph.D., leads Vision Quest workshops, and in Many Paths, Many Feet, contributes her mythic/semi-autobiographical story of Princess Isabelle, who becomes a warrior Princess on a Heroine's Quest to save her parent's kingdom.
We are drawn to becoming more than we are, right now. And we know that we need some form of training in order to become who and what we were meant to be.
Luke Skywalker had his Obiwan Kenobi, and his Yoda. He followed the "path" of the Jedi Knights; an ancient and honorable warrior discipline.
We women have a comparable path. (Chapter 6 of Unveiling will introduce this, as The Hero's Quest - and the Heroine's as Well!)
So what do we do if we want our very own Princess training?
We follow a body/mind/psyche/energy integration pathway. In fact, the very first aspect of this pathway is Princess-training!
Start your journey at Alay'nya Blog - Princess Training. Then, go to the Alay'nya Studio website to learn more, and to sign up for the Open House on Sunday, March 13th, from noon - 2PM.
We'll see all of you emerging Princesses there!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Proofing, Editing, Indexing - the Final Rounds (Part 1)
5:30 AM. Usually, at this hour, I'm journaling. Today, I can't find my journal - and both friends and business associates have been encouraging me to blog more. This is it. The blog will be a "substitute journal" for today.
Well-timed, also. We've just had a cold wave come through overnight; cold plus rain, plus freezing rain followed by sleet, and then a fine little layer of snow. It will be a rough morning start for many; the streets will be treacherous, and schools probably cancelled once again.
Today's blog, done in lieu of journaling, will be a bit of a ramble - so bear with. (Or just skip this one altogether.)
This morning began by restarting last night's fire. The best thing about winter is the opportunity - even the need - to have a good, strong fire going - 24/7 at times. It warms the south wall of the main floor. When the bricks in the back of the fireplace get good and hot, they help keep the whole house warm. Yes, we could do a lot more with fireplace inserts, etc., but so far, this is what we have - and a whole lot of wood, thanks to two former co-residents of "the Household," and for this we are most thankful.
So the fire is merrily popping downstairs; a combination of light, dry, fluffy old wood that burns fast and bright, and deep, solid tree-core wood; it burns slow and steady. We'll keep this going all day, and possibly throughout the coming night -- it's good to know that this might be the last time that we do a serious long-term fire for the season.
We had such a fire two days ago - Sunday afternoon - during our first Cognoscenti Reception for Unveiling. Nicole Cutts, who leads Vision Quest Retreats, took this photo.
Well-timed, also. We've just had a cold wave come through overnight; cold plus rain, plus freezing rain followed by sleet, and then a fine little layer of snow. It will be a rough morning start for many; the streets will be treacherous, and schools probably cancelled once again.
Today's blog, done in lieu of journaling, will be a bit of a ramble - so bear with. (Or just skip this one altogether.)
This morning began by restarting last night's fire. The best thing about winter is the opportunity - even the need - to have a good, strong fire going - 24/7 at times. It warms the south wall of the main floor. When the bricks in the back of the fireplace get good and hot, they help keep the whole house warm. Yes, we could do a lot more with fireplace inserts, etc., but so far, this is what we have - and a whole lot of wood, thanks to two former co-residents of "the Household," and for this we are most thankful.
So the fire is merrily popping downstairs; a combination of light, dry, fluffy old wood that burns fast and bright, and deep, solid tree-core wood; it burns slow and steady. We'll keep this going all day, and possibly throughout the coming night -- it's good to know that this might be the last time that we do a serious long-term fire for the season.
We had such a fire two days ago - Sunday afternoon - during our first Cognoscenti Reception for Unveiling. Nicole Cutts, who leads Vision Quest Retreats, took this photo.
Alay'nya, talking about Unveiling at the first Cognoscenti Reception - honoring those whose works are cited in Unveiling: The Inner Journey.
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