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more about the mittenbook
This week, I’m trying to get up at 6am every morning, to feed the dogs and then have an hour to spend on the computer before work. I’m shocked to find that I’m actually more productive first thing in the morning than when I get home after work. And I enjoy the complete quiet of the neighborhood while everyone still sleeps.
I’m two days in to this plan and it’s going well so far. Yesterday, I blogged and dug into my inbox a bit. This morning, I started writing my Book of Mitten Anatomy.
It’s been awhile since I wrote a book. My first, Not Your Mama’s Crochet, was written in just about 3 solid months, start to finish. We were getting ready to open the store, so aside from writing, I managed things like business applications, construction, and inventory. Not Your Mama’s Felting was a bit tougher to manage. I’m not sure how I did it while co-running a store, planning retreats, and all that, but I stayed home a lot, and I used our kitchen, our back deck, and our front driveway as felting laboratories, while I did research and cooked up projects to include. Both books have a lot of text. A lot. They’re not big books, but they’re filled much more with content than patterns or felting recipes.
Crafting a book this way, rather than as a collection of patterns, has some different challenges. One has to think about tone and style. Do I write to readers in the first person, casually? Or more formally? Do I want it to read like a reference book or like a story of mittens?
These are some of the exciting questions I’m working out in these first few sections of the book. I know tone, and style, will evolve as I write. Editing is such a key part of this process, and I already know the first few editing passes will be almost as much work as the initial writing. So for now, I’m just keeping it light, keeping it friendly, and having fun with my wordcraft, in hopes that you’ll have fun reading it.
This morning, I wrote about 1100 words. I’m halfway through the first chapter of the first section of the book. Some sections will be more pattern focused. This one is all about size and structure of mittens. It’s a tricky place to start writing, but an important one that provides context for the rest of the book. I’m not even far enough into it to estimate how much I have left to write. I initially conceived of 8 main chapters. Some are pattern guides, providing the various ways one could knit parts of mittens; thumbs, cuffs, top shaping, etc. Some include philosophy on gauge, yarn choice, and sizing.
So, I started. That’s all I know. I had wanted to make a schedule for myself, in terms of goals for completing the various sections. And maybe that’s the way to approach it, rather than set a word guideline. After all, I’m publishing this myself. I don’t have a publisher to tell me it MUST be 144 pages. Or that I have to write 30,000 words. I’ll put together the book I want to write, and then I’ll see how it fits into electronic or self-published formats.
For now, I think mini-goals is the way to keep on track. I’ll say it here, so I have some measure of accountability.
I want to have the first section of the book – the first four chapters – written by Labour Day
That includes all the patterns from that part of the book. Enough written and knit so I know they’ll work and I can move forward.
Then in October, I can focus on the mitten recipe guide, and finally, the ultimate mitten formula. (Which should, after all, fall into place after writing Part Two.)
I wish it were earlier in the year. I’d love to have this published in time for holiday knitting. After all, mittens are kind of perfect gifts to knit. But I’ll do what I can. And I hope you’ll enjoy it.
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August 11th, 2010 at 7:56 am
I really love this look into your writing process – thank you for sharing it!
August 11th, 2010 at 8:37 am
Also remember if you can have it ready in time, books about knitting mittens make excellent gifts for some of us.
August 11th, 2010 at 9:38 am
If it helps any with motivation, I will be buying this book the moment it becomes available.
Good luck with the writing!
August 11th, 2010 at 9:42 am
What a great plan to wake up early! Wish I could do that!
Good luck on your goal!
August 11th, 2010 at 10:06 am
It’s weird. I never think about knitting mittens until we’re smack in the dead of winter, past the Christmas craziness! You may be done right at the right time for me.
August 11th, 2010 at 10:19 am
I’m super excited about this book! Thanks for sharing part of the process. I’ve always found setting “mini-goals” very helpful when I’m taking on a big project.
August 11th, 2010 at 5:36 pm
Interesting to hear about your process!
Do I understand right that you wrote 1100 words in one hour?!? I’m a professional writer and I can tell you, that’s incredibly fast!
August 11th, 2010 at 7:19 pm
Beautiful mittens.
Good luck balancing and finishing the book with all the other stuff to do.
August 12th, 2010 at 12:09 am
Might I say that those mittens are beautiful!
August 12th, 2010 at 12:41 am
can’t wait. I’m a definite customer….just waiting for you to finish. No pressure!