Although good
ideas for books are everywhere, it
usually takes some time for the idea to develop. This comes to my mind
today because I'm working a class about Writing a Book with Vision and a
book to go along with it.
Yes, I'm
following my own How To Write instructions
Yes, I've got the
purpose for both the class and the
book. It's:
How
to get a book written with
Vision and Spirit
And yes, I've got a working table of
contents. I've even set up a schedule for getting the writing done.
This morning, in that time slot, I was
reviewing some material from Mark Silver's
Heart of Business class I'm taking
because I want to incorporate a bit of what he does, in my own style.
That led me to some serious introspection about the introduction. I did
some writing around it and realized I need to "sit" with the material
and my ideas for awhile.
I don't know if I'll actually sit. My
method is often more like pacing around. The point is, however, that
this morning I got some new insight and I need to let it yeast in my
mind for a day or two, or maybe even longer.
In this case, it will be more than
worth the wait, because what I'm discovering will inform the whole class
and book. It will, in fact, be much of the grounding of the project.
A writing schedule is
an aiming point
When I first scheduled at least an hour
five days a week to work on the Writing With Vision book and class, I
pictured myself actually at the computer writing. I should have known
better. I should have remembered how much thinking time goes into a
major project like a book.
Even when I'm ghostwriting and working
with someone else's material, there is considerable time spent, and
spent wisely just thinking. Somehow, however, when I'm working with my
own material that yeasting or gelling time seems longer. Perhaps it
doesn't; I've never tried to time that part of my work.
Or maybe it does take longer because
I'm digesting my own experiences; when I'm ghosting, the author has
already done a lot of that so it comes to me pretty complete.
The trick, or one of them, is to know
when I'm thinking / yeasting an idea and when I'm procrastinating. I
generally know by my gut feeling. I might convince you I'm not dragging
my feet, but I almost always know the truth of it inside myself.
Learning to trust your
own process
One of the secrets of writing, I suppose, is doing it
enough so you begin to trust your own process. When you think, or feel,
an idea needs some time to develop, allow for that time. Your book will
be better for it.
Several 12 Step groups have adapted a slogan to read:
