My Creative Declaration:

To be an artist is to work in the realm of magic. To dedicate oneself to the muses and create from a deep sense of wonder. Like many modern creatives, I use visualization, affirmations and incantations in the process of birthing new work. And while birthing a book...I use whatever help I can get!
In my "How to Write a Book in 90 day course" I encourage my students capitalize on the power of their EGO by sending out a mass email to all their friends about the book they're writing. This not only keeps them accountable, but sets up negative consequences if they don't write. In fact, I suggest they adapt their form letter from "NaNoWriMo Agreement and Statement of Understanding" which goes as follows:

I hereby pledge my intent to write a _____word book in ____time. By invoking an absurd, deadlines on such an enormous undertaking, I understand that notions of “craft,” “brilliance,” and “competency” are to be chucked right out the window, where they will remain, ignored, until they are retrieved for the editing process. I understand that I am a talented person, capable of heroic acts of creativity, and I will give myself enough time over the course of the next month to allow my innate gifts to come to the surface, unmolested by self-doubt, self-criticism, and other acts of self-bullying.
During the month(s) ahead, I realize I will produce clunky dialogue, clichéd characters, and deeply flawed plots. I agree that all of these things will be left in my rough draft, to be corrected and/or excised at a later point. I understand my right to withhold my manuscript from all readers until I deem it completed. I also acknowledge my rights as author to substantially inflate both the quality of the rough draft and the rigors of the writing process should such inflation prove useful in garnering me respect and attention, or freedom from participation in onerous household chores.
I acknowledge that the deadline I set for myself is absolute and unchangeable, and that any failure to meet the deadline, or any effort on my part to move the deadline once the adventure has begun, will invite well-deserved mockery from friends and family. I also acknowledge that, upon successful completion of the stated writing objective, I am entitled to a period of gleeful celebration and revelry, the duration and intensity of which may preclude me from participating fully in workplace activities for days, if not weeks, afterward. Reality is a crutch for those who are unable to handle fantasy
Sign and date below:______________
The intention of today's blog post is to declare the following:

Dear friends and lovers,

I am hereby pledging to generate at least 50 pages in the next 50 days. Each page will be at least 320 words of content written for my new book entitled, FREE LOVE: Can you Really Afford it by . I am co-authoring this book with "relationship rockstar"--REiD Mihalko, and much of the material is of mutual intellectual property as it is generated from our talks, playshops, and writing sessions together. We have set the deadline of June 1st to complete the first draft.

I am working on the first five chapters, while is working on the second half of the book. I intend to post an average of seven pages per week which may look like five pages in five days or as Chuck Woolery used to say in the Love Connection, two in two. You get the idea.

I understand that my grammar may be compromised, and the work that I generate will be modified drastically during my collaborative re-writing with REiD but I wholly intend to provide the most entertaining and enlightening information that I can manifest at the pace of a page per day. My content will be for the following five chapters:

1. BE REAL,
2. LOVESTYLES,
3. ART OF COMMUNICATION
4. COMMUNITY AND FAMILY
5. KNOW YOUR NEEDS

Your support, encouragment and positive feedback are welcome. I also give you full permission to harass me (send me comments here or on facebook) if you see that it has been longer than a week and I have not produced at least 7 new pages.

I am not interested (at this time) in your critique and criticism of the content as this is a rough draft. If you find you cannot hold your tongue, at least be kind and sandwich your critique between compliments...I am after all a tender artist and feel vulnerable about sharing my work in progress. Thanks for your creative support, don't hesitate to let me know if there is something I can do to support you in creating your dreams!
Kamala Devi