Tangled in Hope

It's been a while since I've written something. To be honest, I've been too nervous to share what's been circling in my head. My novel is set to release in August and my palms get sweaty just thinking about it.

The good news is that everything is on schedule. This is my first experience publishing a novel and according to my publisher, the fun stuff happens about three to four months before the release date. The book cover will be in the works soon, my media list is coming along, and the copy editor needs to make sure there aren't drastic grammar mistakes in my manuscript. Very exciting times!

To give you a little insight, my novel, Three, is a coming-of-age story about a woman named Isabella who reflects on her past by revisiting her old journals. She uncovers truths about herself and begins to understand that no one ever truly forgets the moments that shape them.

Her story takes you on a journey of innocence and shows how life experiences lead you to the unexpected—especially when encountering abuse, discrimination, mental health issues, and faith struggles. No matter how deep Isabella's story gets, the greatest theme of her story is love, and not just the romantic kind. I am proud of this story, but nervous to share everything with the world. It seems like yesterday I got signed to my publisher, and now things are in full swing with no way to pump the brakes.

It's quite terrifying if I'm being honest. When you put your heart and soul into something you've always dreamed about, it's a vulnerable feeling. Some people are going to like my writing, others are going to think it's terrible. Writing is so subjective that it's hard not to take it personally, but this experience is going to teach me otherwise—that's my hope.

Sometimes I dream about my book release and what the feeling will be like. Will it feel blissful or scary? Probably a bit of both. But this blessing of an opportunity has brought me to a beautiful reference from one of my favorite Disney movies, Tangled.

In the movie scene below, Rapunzel states that she has been waiting her whole life to see the floating lanterns—18 years to be exact. She then asks Eugene, "What if it's not everything I dreamed it would be?" Eugene responds and says, "It will be."

Rapunzel follows by saying, "And what if it is...what do I do then?"

"Well, that's the good part I guess. You get to go find a new dream."

Click on the image to see the movie scene.

This is exactly how I feel. What if publishing my novel is not everything I thought it would be?

I relate to Rapunzel in the way that I am terrified of this new journey, but I am trusting God's plan. I need to remember that no matter what happens, everything will be okay.

When I feel uneasy about my novel, I pray to God and reference back to this movie scene. No matter how cheesy this all may come off, there is so much underlying truth to her words and feelings.

If you're feeling "tangled" to say the least, know that you're not alone. The beautiful thing about life is that there is always hope—and endless opportunities for you to keep on dreaming.

Love and hugs, Brenda

#Tangled #Hope #Dreams #Disney