I thought writing and editing my memoir, Healing Father John, was hard enough work and quite an emotional rollercoaster. I handed it over to Scribulations thinking my worries were over. And indeed, I know the book is in good hands. But now the book jacket is aggravating me. I want it to convey the right mix of faith and seriousness, but also of fun for this story of friendship with a priest who always thought and acted outside the box. Designing a cover shouldn’t be so difficult for me; I am a painter. But as I play with different shades of photos and experiment with too many font types—let alone font colors—I’m once again under emotional strain. Perhaps this is a good thing. It keeps me from dwelling on what’s really scary—the book launch – and then people’s reaction to the material! We say in the Montclair Write Group, “Someone will like your book.” I’ve always been the type who worries about the someone who won’t.
Ed’s advised me to step back from the cover for a few days. Good advice, though I had already been doing some of that. Two days on—working in PhotoShop—two days of not looking at it at all. Time spent concentrating on other projects and on my blog, Notingnature.blogspot.com.
Another member of the Write Group advised me to try making all the elements of the cover in Origami. I’ve actually found Origami instructions on folding a church and even pancakes! Add an Origami crane rosary and I might have the perfect mix for a book jacket—or not. At least it will keep my eyes out of PhotoShop and my hand off the mouse for a bit. What a relief!
Nancy T.
Giving yourself time to think outside the box - how appropriate.
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