Louise Carron Harris is the author of two memoirs, Awakening of the Western Woman and Earth Chakra Shaman. As a spiritual teacher, author and storyteller, her role is to shine a light on your path, to connect you deeper to yourself, to your personal power.
As someone dedicated to her path and self-growth, as well as incredibly creative and in-touch, Louise's book writing process is one of the most thorough and embodied I have seen.
Check out our conversation about going into the creative cave and doing many, many, many rounds of editing!
In brief, here's the behind the scenes of Louise's book-writing process.
What was the problem?
Louise has tried sticking to an outline, but finds it too rigid and frustrating. She has the capacity to hold deep and broad wisdom, and has had incredible life experiences, which are next-to-impossible to condense.
When she sits down to write, she needs to free-flow, but that can result in writing that wanders and repeats and goes on tangents where it is not always easy to find the point.
How she solved it
When Louise feels the book coming, she creates space to spend long hours writing. It pours out of her.
Until it is ready, there is no forcing it, but when it is ready, there is no stopping it. So that she doesn't write and write forever, she books in editing dates and decides where she's going to cut the story for the purposes of having a book, not just endless writing.
Who this approach is good for...
People who find it difficult to write on demand will need to write in this way. The creative cave approach can be messy. You're going to need a box of tissues, because the things that come up may be uncomfortable, upsetting and challenging.
When everything pours out at once, it can be cathartic and relieving. However, know that you'll need to revisit the book in many rounds of editing, because the result of outpouring is often very rough and raw, not ready for viewing by an audience.
Why would you do it this way?
Louise goes on a personal transformation journey every time she writes a book. It's like she's discovering the lessons in her past all over again.
It can be oh-so-healing. So if healing is what you need, you could tell your story in this way.
To fulfil the dream of making a book out of your story, though, hiring an editor is essential. For you to really do your story justice, the approach of several rounds of editing will be necessary for your readers to get the point and take away the real gold in your story.
About the author
Louise Harris is a contemporary medicine woman; teaching and sharing my wisdom to empower others to heal, grow and take their place in the world through online courses, mentoring and retreats.
About the books
Awakening of the Western Woman is the journey to soul’s purpose. It is for the seekers and the sceptics, the curious and the conscious creators; the lightworkers and the lovers.
It answers the question: Is the divine union between a spiritual woman and scientific man possible when one is being called to awaken?
Earth Chakra Shaman is a story of a spiritual calling. It is one thing to look back and connect the dots of your life, to see meaning in your past experiences, and to recognise that being here is no coincidence, that it was all in the divine plan from the start.
But following a call to go places you’ve never been—not knowing why, just knowing you have to go—that takes the kind of courage Lou didn’t know she had.
LOUISE CARRON HARRIS
EARTH CHAKRA SHAMAN
louisecarronharris.com
You have to love your editor, basically.
When Kris gives me feedback, I know it's really important, but she doesn't give me feedback to squash my creativity. She gives me time to work through it.
There are certain things I have to do and one is that I need to put a date in and put my deposit down.
I've invested a lot in my edits because it has to be right. There was stuff in my book that I knew needed to come out, but it needed time to brew. I needed to work with Kris to help me understand what was necessary and what wasn't.
It's so powerful.
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