He who shall not be named

How I write books

How I write books

In 1998, I was working as a weekday radio talk show host and in that capacity I did a great deal of reading articles and books which was required as preparation for interviewing guests and discussing topics. Before the show, I did show prep by jotting down on a legal pad an outline of issues and questions that I would raise with my guest during the interview.

The late Dr. Samuel L. Blumenfeld, an author and columnist who had become a regular guest on the show, encouraged me to turn my show notes into 600 word columns for publication. I had no experience up until that point as a writer. Sam explained to me that by writing an article about a topic that I felt passionate about, I would organize and clarify my thinking on the topic while delving deeper into the issue through reading and research.

This was how I began to write articles which would eventually evolve into full length books. Since that time, I’ve authored hundreds of articles and 15 full length books. Writing has become a major part of my life and I am now further advancing my craft with courses at Bunker Hill Community College.

I start an article or a book by putting together a brief, bare-boned outline which lists the issues that I will cover. For an article, this might consist of a couple of talking points, for a book, this would be an outline of chapters, an outline that would be subject to change as the project develops. While writing an article usually takes me 2-3 days, writing a book can take me up to a year.

I am then ready for the free association part of the project which involves jotting down everything that I know off the top of my head and my opinions and theories. This part of the work usually moves quickly.

I am then ready for the research part of the project which is actually the most interesting thing for me. This involves deeper reading, research, footnoting, sites, and investigation, This takes up most of the time involved and this is where the real learning takes place. In the course of the research, my opinions might change as they become more defined and as I add substance to the scaffolding.

Simultaneous to the research, I edit the project which involves a focus on syntax, style, metaphor, structure, humour, grammar and punctuation. By this means, I insure that the words and sentences flow properly, that they hang together in a metaphoric tapestry, and that the ideas are presented in such a way that they are clear and that they make sense.

The final edit, a final comb through the text, involves getting rid of un-nessasary words, sentences, paragraphs, and ideas that are not germaine to the theme of the article or book. This can often be difficult as I have, for various reasons, become attached to certain words and concepts that really don’t work. This is when the book takes shape as a viable manuscript.