BOO Kreport

If you EVER are asked to write a book, and to target a deadline for the completion of your part in the production of that book, and you’ve never written a book for a national publisher you admire and respect, take my advice when I say. . .

Before you respond to that request, estimate to yourself how long it will take. Don’t think that by suggesting a short turnaround time, they will be more likely to give you the assignment. If the publisher asked YOU to write the book, the key people there are already sold on you. So consider what you must do to produce it, decide a date, and ADD TWO MONTHS TO IT. Then quote that date!

The snow, the prospect of having my electricity cut off, getting a fripping speeding ticket (a warning, thank God and Officer O’Hara) and a court date to appear for not having my valid car insurance card in the car, having two more aviation history journal articles to proof, a Problem Properties Committee meeting with the neighborhood association, checking and counting out the newsletters for distribution Friday, poetry to read before the state poetry contest where I will be a judge, a tremendous, positive interface with a contrractual employer, rushing to keep my house insurance going . . . . .Can you tell it’s been a busy week? Tuesday, I was so busy dodging “slings and ‘errors’ of outrageous fortune.” I didn’t get a minute to work on The Book until 8 o’freaking CLOCK, and if WSEC had not been running one of their bleemping fund raising drives, I wouldn’t have logged any book hours until after 11 p. Thank God for fund raising drives. They make it easy to accomplish something constructive.

Today, since about 8:15, I’ve figuratively superglued my eyes to The Book project. Because this is primarily a pictoral volume, writing text has been necessarily secondary at this stage. Keeping track of the numbers of pictures and “proto-captioning” those tentatively slated for it has been an all-consuming focus for the last five days. Yes, I still have pictures to find and add to the pile, but I had to get an idea of how many I have on hand already; a business of stopping half way to my destination to get my bearings.

Today, I continued the exceedingly slow process of placing formatted pictures into a file intended for book pictures. I do this by selecting a picture, making sure it’s the right dimensions and resolution, resizing it temporarily and printing a thumbnail (small) version of it, then returning each to the established KEEP IT format. They I have renamed each picture and and re=filed it to a new location. The process requires no brains at all, a chimp or current White House chief resident could do it if cartoons, candy and bananas were involved, but I have none of those incentives. There is wine (Carlo Rossi Burgundy of course) in the house, but I’m not touching that until 7:00 pm tonight or I’m done with this posting, whichever comes first.

The payoff, which at 8:30 this morning I did not expect to see, is that I made REAL PROGRESS. All of my primary photo file has been processed and by the time I officially quit at 6:30, I was well into tying up loose ends form other photo locations. This is a major accomplishment, and I am significantly lightter in the shoulders than I was at 8:30!

I figure I’m half done with The Book. Most of the rest will be easier. I have pictures to re-scan and calls to make, much more data to transcribe and rewrite.. I’m rather steamed that I’m losing an entire day due to a previous commitment, gladly made and gladly shared. Will update you later this week re that. Point is, until this week I didn’t dare allow myself time to froth off at the keyboard as I’m doing now.

So remember …… Next time you’re asked to provide a deadline for the completion of a cherished writing assignment, TAKE HEED and FAIR WARNING!

They might believe you!

Live long . . . . . and proper.