Wednesday, February 25, 2015

WIP Wednesday: Sarah's Wild Ride

My youngest daughter just exited the operating room for a liver biopsy a little more than an hour ago. Her liver "numbers" spiked unexpectedly and after a few close calls and grace from our transplant team, Sarah headed to Seattle Children's Hospital this afternoon. She's a real trooper and her patience & strength amaze me on a regular basis.

When I discovered she'd be needing this latest biopsy a couple of days ago, I began revisiting the project I need to write but have been avoiding, perhaps intentionally, perhaps not. There's a lot of painful memories embedded within the story I've tentatively entitled, "Sarah's Wild Ride."

It's the most compelling book I've attempted to write and the most daunting. At this point it's a half memoir/half parenting book. I've queried the proposal numerous times and have received a lot of positive feedback but it's perceived as too much of a niche market (parents of seriously ill children, or parents of kids with a liver disease) for any one to take it on.

Understandable in today's market. Still, I believe there is a bigger market for this book than people believe. This story goes well beyond the trials of a family working its way through the diagnosis of a potentially life-threatening ailment and subsequent liver transplant. It goes to the very heart of being a parent and what lengths you'll go to fight for your child's life; the sacrifices you make; and the hard lessons you learn through the process.

It may seem strange that the other book I'm focusing on right now is a somewhat humorous middle-grade novel. I have a lot of stories within me waiting to get out but none more than "Sarah's Wild Ride."

Hopefully, you'll join me for the ride from completing the 1st draft through publication. It's time to stop avoiding the story and getting down to the nitty gritty. Looking forward to sharing the experience with you.

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