setbacks, projects I’ve loved, and my creative journey
5 Years of Writing Work & My Book
I started writing articles for my blog: www.EmbracingHome.blog in 2021. They were long-form posts (typically over 1,000 words) full of resources and practical solutions that I learned in my healing from burnout.
I wrote consistently posting 2 times per week and growing my email list slowly.
An invisible force compelled me to share tips and ideas that were helping me rebuild my life without burning it down.
In January of 2023, I realized (with the help of my editor and writing coach Stacie) that I had written over 120,000 words in articles on my blog.
My desire to “someday write a book” suddenly felt like a tangible goal.
I dove head-first into the process. I spent 6 months deep in “book writing mode” taking content from my blog and also writing entirely new chapters.
Personal stories, quotes, and journal entries are woven throughout the book giving the reader a glimpse into implementing the tools and strategies I share. Tackling the organization of this big project was an exciting challenge.
By summer it was completed at 62,000 words and I entered the editing phase. Thus began the intense rounds of self-edits, Beta readers, and peer edits.
Stacie got diagnosed with cancer in October and the book project got put on hold. [read about that here or listen here]
I also considered traditional publishing, created a book proposal, took some book writing classes, and did another intense edit.
My book had felt like a group effort the whole way but with Stacie suddenly gone, the publishing path suddenly became a very overwhelming solo journey. I shifted my attention in 2024 to writing here on Substack and being an active part of the community.
Caught in grief and indecision, my book sat on my computer finished.
That December, my husband Jim surprised me by doing the interior formatting work and prepping my book for self-publishing.
I often comment on how compassionate and supportive he is but this was just another example of his gift of service and unwavering support. His willingness to step in and do the work on the last steps towards self-publishing made my work into something tangible.
It moved from a Word Doc to the real world in a physical copy I can hold and a digital one I can swipe and tag.
🎉 Very exciting!!
Mary (my oldest) is majoring in Graphic Design and she was amazing at designing my cover. We had fun getting everything just right.
Check out this post for the Cover Design Secrets. 😁
With their help I jumped back into to more edits and formatting work. Many edits and print runs later we were ready to for book launch.
Since we decided on self-publishing, we skipped the pre-order phase went straight into launch in May of 2025. That summer was a whirlwind of creating social media content, book related posts, and my many motherhood tasks as a mom of 4.
Shameless plug = If you haven’t gotten my book yet, please do! 😁
I have received so much positive feedback from readers and many have moved away from burnout into lives that are filled with relief from overwhelm.
➡️ check out my book: Subtle Resistance
…and when you get your copy on Amazon, please leave a review. That would help me tremendously!
Other Writing Projects:
During the whole time I was book writing, editing, and marketing, I was also writing blog posts. I have over 200 posts here on Substack and nearly 300 on my blog [ https://www.embracinghome.blog/ ].
I also started a podcast: Subtle Resistance. This was a fun project but after 14 episodes I lost some momentum and haven’t gone back. (Definitely some imposter syndrome working on me and I feel that I don’t have anything to say… I may get back to it at some point when life quiets down.)
Over that last few years, I have really enjoyed collaborating with some amazing people on the podcast and in some Substack posts. Writers and creatives are really the most wonderful people to talk to and learn from!
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The personal curriculum trend has been my writing focus lately. One of my spontaneously written posts went viral and I realized this quirky thing that I have been quietly doing has some interest.
Writing my personal learning plans for each month is a joy and delight.
It has been so fun to come up with fresh content about life-long learning, creativity, reading, and developing hobbies. (I was burnt out on talking about burn out! ) 😜
I also tackled the creative project of putting together an online course.
(nearly) 500 Subscribers!
This milestone reminds me why I started writing in the first place: to connect, to share practical tips, and to encourage others to make small changes that make a big impact.
I am so thankful for each reader!!1
I’m thrilled to find so many like-minded readers, writers, and creatives!
So many times I’ve been blown away by the generosity and kindness I have found here. In a world that is scary, divisive, and unpredictable, Substack is such a fun place to be. 😁
I might be in a busy season right now2, but I have many writing plans and I will be sharing some exciting personal curriculum content this summer.
🌟Thank you for being here!! 🌟
Please share a post that has impacted you.
Every like, repost, and share matters!
Share April Edwards [Embracing Home]
Our online world is so full of voices and content that it can feel overwhelming.
I deeply appreciate that you are taking the time to read my words. It means the world to me that you keep coming back, take the time to comment, and continue reading my new posts.
🎉🥳 Thank you for being part of this journey with me!
1 I know I used waaaaay too many exclamation points in this post. But man!! I am so excited! I just had to share without filter. 😜🥳
another shameless plug =If you haven’t gotten my book yet, please do! 😁
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2 Hey! Look at you paying attention to detail! 😉 > > more about my May writing break in next week’s Tuesday post!
