A funny little milestone

Comment now » // September 21st, 2009

Writing a book is a lot of work, as any author will tell you. It’s not like working in a coal mine, but it’s challenging in its own way. It takes a long time but the process can’t be rushed. And this was the first book I’d ever written so that meant there were a number of learning-curves to be tackled. Things like; do I use an outline or not? Do I prefer to write linearly or jump around in the narrative? Do I write better in the morning or the afternoon? What do I do when I get stuck?

So the fact that I learned all that and got all my material collected into a work that is hopefully engaging and educational is almost a miracle. I feel very proud of the book and of the fact that I was able to bring it all the way from idea to printed form.

The little milestone that I reached today is that I collected and boxed up and put away the section of my office that contained all the matter related to the book; letters, drafts, notes, mind maps, idea charts, recipe cards with things to remember, and file folders with research. It’s all packed away.

It might not seem like a big deal, but for almost two years that pile of stuff and coil bound draft copies of the book was all I had to prove to myself that what I was doing was real. To see the pile grow was one milestone in the early days. Now, to be DONE the book, so done that I can pack all that stuff away, is …amazing. My baby has been born.

The “How to Write a Book” books have been replaced with “How to Market a Book” books.

A new journey begins.