Since March 1st this year falls on a weekend (when I normally don't blog), I figured I'd share some thoughts and reflections about the four years it's taken to finish Post. I'm currently on page 137 out of 212 on the "read-aloud" final edit. Once that's done, it's off to the printer . . .
Why did it take four years? I have plenty of reasons.
First of all, when I started writing, I really had to learn how to write from scratch. Sure, I had written quite a few research papers, critiques and scripts for school, but they don't technically count. I had to find a voice and a writing style that I was comfortable with. Run-on sentences may be easy to write, but they're really hard to read over and over again.
Secondly, after doing a few interviews and getting in contact with more people, I wanted to interview as many people as possible. Since a certain book I loathe seemed to skimp on getting much from the band members themselves, I wanted to take my time with this. Back when I reached a frustrating now-or-never point almost two years ago, I lucked into interviews with certain people I never thought I'd interview. Not to imply they were difficult people, but tracking them down and getting them on the phone was a test of persistence. When they were very friendly for the interview, it made all the difference. When I transcribed quotes from the interviews, I realized how much it was worth it.
Third, this has always been something I've done in my free time. I've had plenty of free time over the last few years, so I figured I'd do something productive. But it's not something I could devote all my free time to. The Stephen King adage -- let your life dictate your art, not the other way around -- definitely applies here.
Lastly, the past year has been a number of edits and a search for a publisher. That step has been a journey itself, something I hope to write about further down the line.
So, that's been the past four years in a nutshell. Again, I appreciate the patience.
Why did it take four years? I have plenty of reasons.
First of all, when I started writing, I really had to learn how to write from scratch. Sure, I had written quite a few research papers, critiques and scripts for school, but they don't technically count. I had to find a voice and a writing style that I was comfortable with. Run-on sentences may be easy to write, but they're really hard to read over and over again.
Secondly, after doing a few interviews and getting in contact with more people, I wanted to interview as many people as possible. Since a certain book I loathe seemed to skimp on getting much from the band members themselves, I wanted to take my time with this. Back when I reached a frustrating now-or-never point almost two years ago, I lucked into interviews with certain people I never thought I'd interview. Not to imply they were difficult people, but tracking them down and getting them on the phone was a test of persistence. When they were very friendly for the interview, it made all the difference. When I transcribed quotes from the interviews, I realized how much it was worth it.
Third, this has always been something I've done in my free time. I've had plenty of free time over the last few years, so I figured I'd do something productive. But it's not something I could devote all my free time to. The Stephen King adage -- let your life dictate your art, not the other way around -- definitely applies here.
Lastly, the past year has been a number of edits and a search for a publisher. That step has been a journey itself, something I hope to write about further down the line.
So, that's been the past four years in a nutshell. Again, I appreciate the patience.
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