Draft first pages

The writer's group offered some very good comments on my first chapter last night. Originally, I planned to include a Preface with an overview of the book along with my reasons for writing it. After receiving many requests from the group, I realize an overview should be part of the main body of the book. Besides, a lot of folks skip over the Preface. So, I will attach the draft version of my Introduction to this post.

INTRODUCTION

The process of creating a story and writing a novel can be intimidating. We all have a story to tell, but the development process seems needlessly shrouded in mystery. At least, that was my perspective prior to writing my fiction novel, Box of Dreams.

I have over 20 years experience in engineering, project management and new business development, but I am also a writer. I know, I know, you are probably saying, “Well.... that’s just crazy talk! Engineers don’t write novels!” Not so fast there, Mr. Liberal Arts Major! Kurt Vonnegut studied mechanical engineering at the Carnegie Institute of Technology and the University of Tennessee. He also looked a little bit like Albert Einstein.

Holistic Approach

Writing is not pure art. That is, writing involves a process. On the other hand, writing is certainly not pure science. The process of writing is a combination of art, science and nature. It has a conceptual phase, a development phase and an execution phase, all bound by a particular environment, much like a project in the business world. It involves all of the brain. Having wonderful, creative ideas is simply not enough without a process. Understanding process is simply not enough without creative ideas.

In business or engineering, a successful project begins with a conceptual phase of development in which ideas are allowed to flow freely. It often involves brainstorming, which is a process of tossing ideas around until a viable solution begins to form.

This approach is used frequently in the automobile industry. It is the integration of art and engineering. Furthermore, designers may begin with a particular body style, which is an art form. The body style might determine the space requirements for designing the interior of the car as well as the mechanical aspects. So, the overall design of the car may be confined to limitations of space, due primarily to aesthetics.

Building design often follows a similar process of art and engineering. An architect may begin with an overall building design that is both interesting and pleasing to the eye. The structural engineer must then find a way to design within the overall parameters set by the architect. Keep in mind, if the architect’s design does not consider the principles of physics or market conditions, then the project will likely fail. If the structural engineer does not work within the confines of the architectural design, then beams stick out of windows and the whole thing just gets ugly!

Writing a book is very similar. During the early stages of a story, concepts may be shaped like clay before a writer must commit valuable time to further development. In addition, design and scheduling techniques may be used to develop a compelling story.

I demonstrate my unique process for integrating the craft of writing with engineering and business and apply it directly to writing my novel. It worked for me and it can work for you. I also provide an example by which you might develop your own unique process. After all, it is your thought process that is most important.

About the Book

In this book, I describe the steps used for writing my fiction story, “Box of Dreams”, using very specific examples that follow each stage of manuscript development. Perhaps more importantly, I share a method I developed specifically for developing and writing my story. I also describe the most fundamental elements of writing and share my thoughts on the writing business. Finally, I describe how I developed my unique method and suggest steps for tailoring your own process to your specific needs.

I kept copious notes while writing “Box of Dreams”. My intent was to record the information obtained along with the individual steps for writing my manuscript in case I might want to follow a similar process at some point in the future.

I was fearful of forgetting what I had learned because some of the information was very new to me. Also, I had struggled to find a single source of information that addressed all of my questions concerning the writing process and the business of writing.

After completing my fifth revision, I realized I had collected a respectable amount of information consisting of my methods and my research into the topic of writing. In addition, I realized I had a compelling story and that my process could be used by others.

This application is presented in very plain language, but it is also condensed and arranged into a logical sequence that I believe will help an aspiring writer to better understand the process of writing. It is, in essence, a roadmap through a variety of issues that writers face with a particular method that I developed as a tool to help simplify the process. Stated differently, it is a perspective of an aspiring writer approaching a venerated profession, which has value as a unique point of view.

Organization

This book is organized to reveal the simultaneous development of my process and book in chronological order. I will begin with a little about my writing background. Then, I will provide the initial inspiration for writing “Box of Dreams” which is a short story entitled “The Vase”. From there, I will describe each element used to develop the story while referencing some of my resources. These elements will be introduced separately but will continue development throughout the book. Finally, I will describe the editing process and begin to offer the results of my research on a variety of topics related to the writing business.