I've read through 29 pages of edit notes and feel confident about revising. Finished drafting the project management chapter and have started work on chapters about Weight of the World, Caregivers, and Believing in Your Work. I've made appointments with most of the Mentoring and Consulting backers. Up next: more drafting then lots of editing. Your next quick update will happen September 5 or 6.
Weeks go by fast for me because all of my days are full of overlapping task lists for multiple projects. Then there are the projects that pop up and surprise me. I hadn't planned on a full-bore project to clean and re-organize my office, but that happened. Sometimes I have to just roll with it when my brain says "we need to do this NOW" and I suspect that my subconscious knew something about what I needed in order to get this book done because I'm now happily sitting in my office space to work instead of avoiding it because the clutter makes me feel guilty.
For my last update I created a two week task list and it was really beneficial in helping me steer myself toward getting things done, so I'm going to repeat that. If you compare the lists from my last update, you'll see that some things got rolled forward instead of completed. That is inevitable when working with complex and overlapping projects.
Two Week Task List
Aug 22-24
Draft Believing in Work (in process)
Draft Caregiver Focus (in process)
Draft Weight of the World (in process)
Week of Aug 26-30
Work on setting up surveys in Backerkit (planning to send in early September)
Draft Health Challenges
Draft When things go sour
Schedule appointments with myself to record the lectures: Caregiver's Guide and Introvert Community
Get samples for sticker sheets
Design work for notebook cover
Week of September 2-6
Begin methodically working through edits
Record at least 2 presentations
(This week is deliberately lighter because of personal appointments on my calendar)
Chatty Details
I was so nervous to read my edit letter, especially when I saw that it was 29 pages long. I picked a day when I had space to work through any feelings that I had. Then I read it... and was encouraged. My editor made some suggestions that I won't take because they feel wrong to me, but the vast majority of her notes are ones I agree will make the book better. So I just need to dig in and start applying them.
One thing my editor did not know is that I have additional material to draft that she didn't get to see. I decided to go ahead and get that drafting done first so that it sits in place for the edit pass. I can already tell that the edit notes are shaping how I draft these new sections and it means the edit on those segments will be simpler when I get to them.
I'm really enjoying the process of drafting the additional chapters. I love collecting information and figuring out how to present it usefully.
My two week schedule is ambitious. My hope to have the edits complete by the end of September is also ambitious. Particularly since I need to do production and design work on things like the notebooks. I have a really cool idea for the sticker sheets that I need to spend time figuring out. And of course I have family and business projects that have nothing to do with SLSC except they require creative energy from me.
This morning I woke up with the thought "Do I have to do all the things today? Can't I just rest?" I need to listen to that gentle voice of fatigue and honor it sometimes. I've lowered my expectations for myself today and I've planned nothing at all productive for the weekend. So, yes I'm stating the ambitious schedule, but on a daily basis I will make decisions for long-term creative health rather than always pushing to meet the goal.
That's my update for today. As a treat for reading to the end, I offer this glimpse of my office space where I've finally framed and hung the art that has been sitting around in piles.
Having art on my wall brings me joy. Thank you for joining me! Sandra
