My last update on the book was a mere two weeks ago, yet I wanted to write another update since a) progress is picking up, and b) I am inspired to share some of the bigger things I have gotten out of the book-writing process. Here goes:
Lessons I Have Gotten From Book-Writing:
- Writing a book gets easier. The first year of writing was an uneven, often-slow process. There were bursts of activity here and there, and times where progress dwindled or I got distracted. Editing my material into a sensible flow seemed to take forever. Then there were endless revisions to fine tune words and content. I had a big breakthrough when I started adding graphics and actual musical examples, but even that has required a lot of time. I persisted, and so progress occurred. I have made lot of progress in the last couple months, working nearly every day on the book. You could say it has been my main project. I have a lot of good momentum going, and this has accelerated my eagerness as I approach the finish.
- I now fully appreciate how much goes into writing a good book. I’ve learned first-hand the ins and outs of writing a high-quality, well-edited guide. It makes me appreciate what it took to write the many great books I’ve read over the years.
- Wow… I’m an author now? I never before thought of myself as an “author,” despite writing over a thousand blog posts and writing constantly. This book project is changing that. I’m proud 🙂
- Creativity is still creativity. It’s interesting how much writing a book is like any creative project, writing and otherwise. Whether composing, writing a song, or even writing a blog post, there are similar aspects: first, you write out the raw ideas, then you hone them, edit them, and work them into a sensible arrangement, optimizing for narrative flow and impact.
- This project is a good fit. Since starting this project, I have gotten continuous joy and appreciation about it. Pairing piano teaching with writing my first book is a natural combination for me. It has been easy for me to stay enthused about it. It already feels like a success! And reassuring because no matter what happens, I know it can only help what I am currently doing as a teacher as well as expand.