Day Two: my newest book about WNY

Day Two is really more like day four or five with the in between days spent on additional gathering of information to determine what stories might be included and if there are enough to make a book at this time. The publisher informed me that they would like the book to go to print in April. That may seem like a long time to some but when you are already writing another book, working to pay your bills and trying to find more work in your chosen field, it isn't much time at all. Add to that the upcoming holidays and the fact that I am still finishing up my dad's estate business and you have one very busy person. Yet, this kind of deadline isn't unusual, so I accepted the challenge.

This challenge of a tight schedule will mean good time management and organization are musts. But I'm no stranger to that either. So this unofficial second day on the new book was spent reading over part of the contract from the publisher and checking their book format requirements. With that I began writing where it works best for me to start. I like to begin at the beginning, though this is not where all writers start. Some prefer to start at the end or write individual stories and figure out how they go together later on.

I started with a table of content and listed Acknowledgements, Introduction, and up to five sections or chapters, to which I gave "working titles." A working title is just that, something you use as you are working but may change later either by your choice or by the publisher's "suggestion." I also wrote out an acknowledgement to my parents which I knew I wanted to include to honor them. Later I will add docents, historians, friends and professionals who supply information specific to this book. I will also acknowledge any major sources from other authors.

I began my introduction and I think it is pretty much finished. Of course, having written before I know that nothing is written in stone until it goes to press. So the introduction may change or grow depending on what I find. At any rate, I now have a table of content and basic intro to help me focus and to give voice to what comes next. My next step will be to write a first story, which may not be the first one in the finished book.

Beginning a New Book Project

I had to leave my trilogy research in favor of finishing up my six year work on a book about using storytelling with at-risk youth and now for a new book on the Western New York region. I haven't signed the contract yet but will in the next day or two. I needed to be sure I had enough material to meet their April deadline. So much to do, so little time but such is the writer's life.

Day One: involved jotting down ideas for book topics and a brief search to see if there was enough for a pitch.

Day Two: Once that was done I started listening and looking everywhere for additional material. I found quite a bot and will reveal that once the book is more fully formed (it's a competitive business you know.)

Day Three: searching the Internet for as much information as possible on each topic to see if there is enough for those to be included and get some idea of how they will fit together.

Day Four: a trip tot he historical library.