Writing a book

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

Good stuff, Colonel. And like you, the first thing I flip to in a book is the acknowledgments.

 

[superhater]

A handful of tidbits off the top of my head:

5.) When you get to writing, try to average 1,000 words a day. It's easy to say well, I'll write 1,000 words a day! But you'll probably find that it's more like a 3,000-word burst of inspiration in which you feel like you can do no wrong, followed by 2-3 days of exhaustion, surfing Twitter, playing video games and wondering where you misplaced that mojo. This writer's high followed by crawling up the hill and begging the circling buzzards above to finish the job is pretty much the marathon analogy.

Agreed with this. I published a book on one of my side passions (battle rap) a little less than two years ago, and my writing process definitely came in waves. My book was an oral history, so it probably went a little differently, but I was able to start writing some chapters before I truly knew what some others were going to end up looking like. Some areas where I had more built-in expertise came together quickly; others where I needed to fill in some knowledge gaps evolved as I talked to more sources (I wound up with almost 150) and things shifted around a bit. Writing definitely came in bursts, especially since I sometimes had long lulls between being able to land interviews. I'd put together 5-10K words some days and then maybe go weeks without any real progress at times. Mine took more than four years to finish.

If yours is based on a specific local sports figure/season/whatever, I'm sure it can come together more quickly because you'll be able to lock in on certain targets quickly, especially if they're people you have prior relationships with (I had none when I started) and the subject is something you have firsthand knowledge of. My experience, and the experience of friends who have had books published, tells me that everyone's process and everyone's experience is going to be different — and if you've been in the business of writing for a while, you should probably just trust your own instincts. What worked for someone else might not work for you, so do it your way and it'll come together.

(Regarding itches: I've really been toying with the idea of a book on this upcoming season for a local high school football power that should win a state title and be among the best teams in the country. Have always wanted to do a sports-related book (had a few prospective ones fall through years ago) and would love to knock one out this year, but I don't know if I'll have the time once business as usual resumes. While we're in shutdown mode, though? heck yeah...if you've got an old story to tell, this is the time to do that shirt. Hope it goes well.