actively research, strategize, and write more chapters for my regional history piece

I am sucking wind on this goal… having had no time to lounge in shadowy records halls or dark and musty museum basements where I LOVE to be. More pristine Special Collections rooms are calling me, too, but somehow I just haven’t found the time to make my way there, either.

I think I need to keep this goal up to remind me what I need to be doing (ultimately), but realistically I don’t think this particular task will start to be a heavy primary focus for at least another 2-3 years, really…

Once my son heads off for his sophomore or junior year of college, I will be ready to pursue this goal more freely. Right now, though… AARGH… the research time required is not yet there for me. Therefore, until I can set sail on this goal, I’ll have to weigh anchor and simply document and file what the tide brings to me.

As I find sources to investigate, I’m starting to organize them in a big binder. As each applies to a topic segment for citation, it will have to be organized into rough chapter outlines. Basically, though I have not yet built the boat, it’s like collecting pieces to make a ship.

The greatest obstacle at this point is that without the actual collections and only abstracts in front of me, the gist of my chapter work will be blown away by whatever the documentation and evidence brings me. [Preconceptions without legitimate foundations tend to be washed away fairly quickly by genuine evidence.] For that reason, I have to remind myself that I’m in a research mode seeking a thesis and not yet involved in steering a course other than by subject.

All good things come in time, though… and anything good is worth waiting for. This is no less true for a book than it is for anything else that you desire in life. At least to me…

“I don’t know what I think until I read what I have to say.”
- James Thurber

Taking the time to reflect and organize is always the biggest part of a writing project for me. Many late nights are spent running through works in my head. Long walks on the beach, listening to the ocean, or gazing at the stars helps me to plan and accomplish my writing tasks. I need to do this more often; thanks to 43 for reminding me!