I’ve got about fifteen thousand words down, but as always the book is building itself., and this makes it very complicated, as all my books have been for me. Then I have to go back and rewrite it over and over to make it smoothly explain to the reader.
In short, once again, what I have to say is simple but not EASY.
I began a piece below, “What Real Politics Looks Like” by talking about explaining that the guy out there alone at 7 am was what real politics looked like. That was easy enough. But one day we were watching a baseball game and she asked me to explain it to her.
You and I have been around baseball all our lives. It’s simple, to US. So I started to explain. Then I realized what a huge task I had before me. Baseball and football, unlike soccer, are hideously complicated games.
I have written books for others and for myself. Every single I am convinced that this one will be duck soup.
But look at all the reading YOU have had to do to get my “simple” approach! And I don’t have the give-and-take with book readers that I have with you. When you miss my point, I can correct you and you can correct me. But with book readers I must anticipate the way they will misunderstand my point. That means covering a LOT of ground.
Every word I use they have heard before many times, but what I mean and what they are used to is very specifically different, and it is that SPECIFIC difference in nuance that is the heart of what I have to say. So something I thought I could explain quickly, as if I were speaking to you, becomes a long explanation to make sure they are following right along the path I am leading them on. The sidetracks are ENDLESS.
That is why I present parts here. It would be awfully nice to have some people who know where I am going to read along and help me out.
The tentative title of the book was going to be “Northern Wordism, Southern Racism. But I am fifteen thousand words in and have not yet been able to get down to my exact theme. Every concept I have to present is new, but the words have to be explained. Hell, the whole basis of history must be explained.
I don’t know if you can actually help me with this.
Anyway, I am reminded why I had determined never to write another book. Keeping your train of thought for tens of thousands of words, building point on point, is heavy labor.
But this is what I have chosen to do. So don’t weep for me, Alabama!
But the question nags at me, am I wasting time on the book that I should be spending here, when I have FINALLY found the people I need?
#1 by Elizabeth on 10/30/2006 - 12:48 am
NOT SPAM
After the past nearly three weeks, I REALLY understand what you’re going through.
I’ve been researching a small book (thesis) for nearly two years. I’ve started writing
several times. I got about 40 pages together about a month ago. Then I revised the first
forty pages and added sixty more, all (more or less) according to rigorous format
requirements.
I got the first of three sets of comments back yesterday. Today, I drove for an hour
and a half to go to the university library and pick up a few MORE books. I have until
Friday to revise my 100 pages — OR ELSE. I’ve got to make some major changes as I
need to make a more coherent argument and explain some things.
After I went to the library and made two trips out to the car with library books, I had to go to a place I’m moving out of and put some heavy boxes in my car. I literally hurt all over. With
all this with the moving and the thesis, I’ve also got to cope with some potentially
ominous medical news that I won’t get more information on until Tuesday.
I’ve told some relatives and some other people to back off. There’s only so much I can take at
one time!
Elizabeth