Second Verse, Better than the First

Summary

Jennifer Dunne expresses her intent to contribute to the second book project of the DEP series, reflecting on her growth from the first project and outlining her plans to write authentically about spirituality, team dynamics, and joyfulness.

Abstract

Jennifer Dunne is submitting a letter of intent to participate in the second volume of the DEP book project, led by editors Dr. Gabriella Korosi, Vidya Sury, Dr. Preeti Singh, and Sharing Randomly. She acknowledges the strategic deadline set by the editors to filter out committed authors and notes the improvement from the first project where all stories are due simultaneously to ensure full participation. Reflecting on her experience with the first DEP book, Dunne highlights the diversity of perspectives on a single topic, the unpredictability of life that affected her contributions, and the powerful impact of personal storytelling over informative content. For the upcoming book, she plans to delve into her spiritual journey, the establishment of a positive team environment for a new venture, and the contrasting paths to joyfulness she and her husband have experienced. Dunne is confident that her contributions will align with the editors' vision and eagerly anticipates the opportunity to grow and connect with readers through authentic writing.

Opinions

Dunne appreciates the editors' approach to using deadlines to ensure author commitment.
She values the collaborative environment of the DEP book project and the inspiration drawn from fellow authors' diverse viewpoints.
Dunne believes in the importance of authenticity and vulnerability in writing to create meaningful connections with readers.
She sees the second DEP book project as an opportunity for personal and professional growth, particularly in exploring and sharing her experiences with spirituality and joyfulness.
Dunne is committed to contributing fully to the project, having learned from past challenges and the impact of her writing.

Letter of Intent to DEP book project #2

This letter of intent isn’t quite down to the wire. There’s one whole day left before submissions are due!

I think that’s part of the secret plan of editors Dr. Gabriella Korosi, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, Dr. Preeti Singh, and Sharing Randomly. By setting a deadline for the letters of intent, they can weed out the authors who want to participate, or intend to participate, and find the ones who will participate.

Similarly, all of an author’s stories are now due at once. This makes sure that there aren’t any authors who start contributing but drop out mid-way through the project. Authors either contribute or don’t, with no partial contributors.

That’s part of what the editorial team learned during the first DEP book project. But as an author, I learned a lot, too.

DEP Book #1 was a learning experience

I learned how a single topic could be looked at through so many different lenses. If I was having trouble responding to a prompt, reading my fellow authors’ articles always sparked an idea.

I also learned that it’s impossible to plan many months in advance. Last year, I couldn’t anticipate all of the challenges involved in cleaning out and selling our Colorado house by myself, or dealing with my husband’s lengthy radiation treatments. The editors were very kind the month when I was late, but I felt terribly guilty about failing to keep my commitment.

This year, I didn’t volunteer as soon as the call went out, even though I was super excited about the project. I wisely waited until after all of the various holiday crises were over, and we’d returned home, before confirming that I did, indeed, have the time and ability to write three articles in the next two months.

Finally, I learned from the comments on last year’s articles that, while informative articles may be helpful, personal articles are powerful. They connect to people in a way that dry information cannot. This requires me, as an author, to be authentic and vulnerable so that I can reach the authentic, vulnerable hearts of the readers.

DEP Book #2 will be a growing experience

So, why do I want to participate in the second DEP book project? I’m hoping to build on what I learned the first time around, and really grow.

When it comes to the spirituality topic, it will be a great chance to practice being authentic and vulnerable as I describe my own search for connectedness with the greater cosmos. Where did I look? What did I find? How did that change me?

We’re going to be having house guests in February, to start a new venture. We’ll be setting the right headspace and attitude for the team, including the inspiration to drive us and keep us working on the issues. I’ll share what I learn from this process, both what worked for us and what didn’t.

Finally, when it comes to Joyfulness, I’ll talk about two very different journeys to joyfulness. I was determined to live in a space of joy when I was about 12. My husband finally made that same choice in his 60s. What changed? Why did it change? How can that help the reader be joyful?

Final thoughts

That’s it. That’s my letter of intent, describing what I intend to write if selected for inclusion in book #2.

If it sounds like something that fits your vision for the book, I’d love to participate. And, if it doesn’t, I’ll still love reading the book that results from the 10 authors you do choose.