Are you sitting on some material or an idea and you want to write a book, but you just don’t know which direction to go with it? You are not alone. I meet hopeful authors often who are in such a quandary about how to proceed that some never do get their projects off the ground. They just go round and round in their heads and stay stuck in, “I want to write a book, but will it be for children? Adults? Of regional interest or international? For teens?” “Will it be a book of fiction or nonfiction?” “Should I self-publish or find a publisher?”
There are many decisions to be made when you enter into the world of publishing. You may have enjoyed the process of writing for years. You write stories and then tuck them away somewhere. Or, perhaps, you’ve never written a thing—but you know you can do it—you want to and you see no reason why you can’t. So you glom onto a topic and either move forward so quickly that you neglect to collect the information you need to keep you from failing or you can’t seem to make necessary decisions.
This morning, I wrote this in response to a woman who can’t decide what direction to take an idea she has for a book.
I can imagine that you are overwhelmed with your project. I remember feeling the same way when I decided to write a comprehensive history of the Ojai Valley, California. My approach was to collect as much information as I could first. I interviewed old-timers about their memories and looked at their collections of letters, photos and such from their pioneer ancestors who lived here in the early years. I studied the material in the museums, read all of the old newspaper, etc. I spent a year gathering material before deciding what direction to go with my book. I realized that I had enough interesting documentation to write about every aspect of Ojai—early businesses, how the town was formed, early residents, establishment of the cemetery, first church, first school, everyday life, etc. And the book began to take shape in my head.
Next, I separated all of the material into sections—early businesses, early pioneers, churches, schools, etc. The next four years were spent (in between my daughters weddings, etc.) organizing the material in each section and going out after additional information to fill in and to respond to questions that came up—“who really was the first pioneer here in Ojai,” “what happened to the first olive orchard,” “more details about the progression of valley churches,” etc. I also wrote the book during this four-year period.
I had a reason and a purpose for this book. My reason for writing it was a desire to bring all of the vast amount of information that had been written about Ojai together under one cover for residents, pioneer families and tourists to Ojai. I had begun to realize the need for doing just this. And my purpose in doing it was that I LOVED to write, was eager to get involved in a second book project, I had the time, I enjoyed the process and I wanted to contribute something to my home town (I’m 5th generation Ojai). Also, I thought I might make a little money with this project (which I did).
It was through the research and talking to people in the community that I realized my reasons, my purpose and the needs/desires of the community.
Sure I got overwhelmed sometimes while in the organizing and writing process. I had trouble deciding which chapters to put where. But I used logic and everything came together. And the book was hugely well accepted and is still an asset to the community after 25 years.
I think that if you sit down and list the very real possibilities for the material you’ve come across, discern your reasons for wanting to do something with this information and then consider what the need is with regard to a book derived from this information, you will begin to discover the logical direction and you will stumble upon your purpose.
Do your research. And then, decide—choose and commit.
Does this help any of you out there? Does it resonate with any who have struggled to find a focus for your ideas?