Right now I’m writing my first book that I plan on publishing for eReaders like Kindle and Nook. And it’s a lot harder than I thought. Writing isn’t the trouble — I think my writing is okay — the problem is how much I don’t know. During the writing process I discover something new every day.
Part of the process of writing, as espoused by William Zinsser in his book, Writing to Learn, is learning as we write. That even though we may know the topic, have done the research, we’re still learning as we write. We’re making connections and discovery during the act of writing.
And if you add to the mix more reading about a topic while you’re writing? It just might make you’re ear drums pop.
Given just the “known unknowns” (a favorite Rumsfeld double speak), here’s what’s missing today:
- I don’t know how to study other writers without becoming overly self critical of my work.
- I don’t know how to write powerful sentences that don’t sound like writing.
- I don’t know to physically do the job of writing. Sciatic nerve issues have been giving me a dead left leg.
- I didn’t know that self discipline wouldn’t be enough to keep me off the Internet when trying to craft sentences.
- I don’t know what I’ll write tomorrow — which is kind of scary — but I will write and it’ll be okay. There are always revisions.
What don’t you know today?
Oh, why this photo: I don’t know! I searched on Flickr for Creative Commons photos using the phrase “what I don’t know” and this photo appeared. The mysterious, confident smiles made me happy.
Photo by moonlight on celluloid and republished here under a Creative Commons license.