The Writing Process

For anyone who writes and actually thinks about it, there is a very personal process that is travelled . . .

As many of my close friends and perhaps not so close acquaintances are aware, I have been asked [and accepted] the task of writing a book about the history of the Kansas School for the Deaf. This was well over a year ago, and I am finally at a point of actually putting pencil to paper.

This is not to say that the writing process didn't start many months ago, because it really did. Too often, there are those who think if you don't see the tangible proof of the 'fruits of labor' nothing has happened. I have personally found that the start of the process happens in the churnings inside my head. This can go on for a very long time. The trick is to know when it's gone on long enough and recognize that the ideas are ready to 'be birthed'.

It's exciting to be at that point, because often you can't write fast enough to get the ideas committed to paper. I do know that this is not going to be a matter of a few weeks or months, but at least two solid years of research and writing before sending material off to a yet-to-be-discovered publisher.

What's reassuring to me, is the task is very personal and very fulfilling - so whether anyone is interested in reading the book when I'm finished is not the point. Some of us write for others and some of us write for ourselves. This has a bit of both, perhaps, but I do recognize that it's going to be a journey and labor of love for me.