Build-a Book Report #1
Last Wednesday, the starting day for this book, was also the Giant Storm day here. You can tell from last week's post that I was very anxious to get started and that carried over. Since my newspaper (my usual waker-upper) didn't get here until mid-afternoon, I got an early chance to get going, and that I did. The first action I took, however, was to change the working title. As I looked at it with an editor's eye, I realized that "Marriage Is Not a Civil Right" gives people the impression that I am anti-gay, and that is not true. Also, the book is about many misconceptions, and this one is so controversial, I felt it might be more discreet to come up with one that better represents the full book content. So my new working title is Finding Truth in a World Flooded with Misconceptions. I may change that again, but so far I find it fits well. Let me know your reaction to it, if you would. Good titles are vitally important to good book sales, so I like to get a lot of outside input on mine. Eventually the publisher will make the final decision, but three of my four publishers so far went along with my suggestions, with one making a small change.
On Wednesday I wrote like crazy and finished the first chapter, "Where Did the Truth Go?" I also jotted down more misconceptions that would make good subsequent chapters. Thursday I took time off to get out my taxes (which I had originally planned to do on Wednesday, but the writing spirit moved in instead). On Friday I soared back in and wrote the second chapter, "Political Correctness Is Politically Incorrect." I've been wanting to write a book on that topic alone for some time, but I'm going to see how it fits as a chapter. A writer can soon tell, once the body of the writing starts. If I can't say what I need to say in a shorter work, I will have to put out a separate book. I also added more misconceptions.
I d0n't work on weekends. That's my time off, even to not generally doing the e-mail and Facebook thing. I need this time to get away from the intense work of thinking through my writings. Off and on over the weekend, however, I added again to the list of misconceptions. I write ideas down when they come, and that can be anytime, anywhere. I now have a list of fifteen and a possible final chapter on Reinstating the Truth. I'm not sure I like this last, but it's a possible diving board for something better. I also came up with a good promotional that sets the course for what I want to do in this book: "With stunning insight, Margaret unveils the underlying truths that confuse and frustrate Christian and caring citizens on many of today's controversial issues." I welcome your input on that focus, too.
I won't go any further on chapter titles because they aren't sufficiently developed as yet. Ideas change a lot. Some don't pan out. Others don't fit the book. Still others morph into something else. So until I get there, I'll just keep silent about them.
That's all for this week. Thanks for stopping by. And if you are enjoying watching this process of putting a book together, please tell your family and friends to see if they might want to join in on the fun.
Sincerely,
Margaret
On Wednesday I wrote like crazy and finished the first chapter, "Where Did the Truth Go?" I also jotted down more misconceptions that would make good subsequent chapters. Thursday I took time off to get out my taxes (which I had originally planned to do on Wednesday, but the writing spirit moved in instead). On Friday I soared back in and wrote the second chapter, "Political Correctness Is Politically Incorrect." I've been wanting to write a book on that topic alone for some time, but I'm going to see how it fits as a chapter. A writer can soon tell, once the body of the writing starts. If I can't say what I need to say in a shorter work, I will have to put out a separate book. I also added more misconceptions.
I d0n't work on weekends. That's my time off, even to not generally doing the e-mail and Facebook thing. I need this time to get away from the intense work of thinking through my writings. Off and on over the weekend, however, I added again to the list of misconceptions. I write ideas down when they come, and that can be anytime, anywhere. I now have a list of fifteen and a possible final chapter on Reinstating the Truth. I'm not sure I like this last, but it's a possible diving board for something better. I also came up with a good promotional that sets the course for what I want to do in this book: "With stunning insight, Margaret unveils the underlying truths that confuse and frustrate Christian and caring citizens on many of today's controversial issues." I welcome your input on that focus, too.
I won't go any further on chapter titles because they aren't sufficiently developed as yet. Ideas change a lot. Some don't pan out. Others don't fit the book. Still others morph into something else. So until I get there, I'll just keep silent about them.
That's all for this week. Thanks for stopping by. And if you are enjoying watching this process of putting a book together, please tell your family and friends to see if they might want to join in on the fun.
Sincerely,
Margaret
