Although I had planned to wait until part 1 of the book was more complete, I recently decided to ask a small group of friends and acquaintances to read things as they stand and help me whip it into shape.
I'm fortunate enough to belong to a continuing education group. One of the main things this group does is help members with projects or areas of study they're interested in by finding other members willing to work with them toward specific goals. I think the goal I want to set is publication of the whole work, self-publication almost certainly. I've announced my intention, but still have to write the formal proposal.
But, publication is still a good while off. First I have to hand over what I've got and see whether it makes sense to someone outside my head. One thing I'm really looking forward to is advice about elaborating my arguments and providing examples. Outside perspective on the cohesiveness of it all is very important, as writing and thinking about something for too long can cause one to be both too critical and too lenient. An author becomes too critical because none of their writing seems fresh or worth saying, since they've been thinking it and saying it for so long. They become to lenient because, when they understand an argument or point very well, they may not bother to be thorough in the presentation of it, since a short hand explanation will remind them of what they know so well. Of course I think what I wrote makes sense, or else I wouldn't have written it, but I need some confirmation. I'm not the full extent of my intended audience, after all.
I also hope this will push me to work harder on the book. My schedule isn't as open as it was when I started this project, and there's always something pressing that takes priority. But, I have to make the time if I ever want to see this get done. Publication may take a while, but it isn't just a fantasy. I have to seriously work toward it.
So I'm gonna.
© 2015 John Hiner III
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