Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Working on the Puzzle

I've got the week off of work, and I've been doing a lot of writing and reading and trying to get some work done on this book I'm hoping to finish. I've done a lot of disparate writing over the past two years or so, and have usually written on themes and topics that are pressing on my mind on a particular day. It feels like a jigsaw puzzle, and honestly I don't have a clear picture of all of the pieces. As a result, I decided to buy a dozen three ring binders and organize all of the different files that exist on my computer into several general themes. I wanted to try and get some sense of the big picture and to hopefully begin to see a coalescing pattern. I just finished the task of printing off all of my files, and over the weekend I plan to read everything.

Just for curiosity's sake, I decided to count how many pages of writing that I've done. I mined my blog for a lot of writing as well, and between the work that I've done for my book, and the blog entries that I think may have benefit, I have about 230 pages of writing.

It feels good to have all of these various pieces of writing compiled into rough categories, and it's very satisfying to know that there is something tangible to see after all of the many hours of writing and reflecting that I've done. I know that very little of it will survive, as is, but there is more then a mere skeleton of this book. There's flesh on the bones. I also know that there are certain parts of this book that I have planned that I haven't yet begun, so I'm hoping that as a result of reading all of these pages this weekend, I'll be able to focus my attention on areas that I still need to develop. For now, however, it's very satisfying to see a stack of three ring binders. It gives me hope that perhaps this dream will become a reality.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I know you have plenty of books you've mined for material on redemptive suffering, so ignore me if it's too much. I'm currently reading Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light and have been waylaid by it. I feel as if my love for God is a cold and shriveled thing after reading Blessed Mother Teresa's correspondence. (Pray for me.) Anyway, she is all about suffering, of course, and her embrace of Christ crucified and everything that comes to mean (dark night of the soul esp.) is overwhelming. I don't know if this kind of thing goes further than what you're looking to write about, but I thought I'd give you a heads up.

Btw, I just finished The Power and the Glory by Greene - holy cow - what an incredible book.

Good job and good luck on the book - it's wonderful hearing of your progress. Inspiring.

Dan said...

I appreciate the recommendation...I don't think I've yet mined enough! I prayed a long time ago that God would lead me to the things that I was supposed to read, and perhaps Mother Theresa's world wide adulation gives credibility to the notion of redemptive suffering more than any other writer could.

I'll be ordering it today...thanks! I've yet to finish Power and the Glory myself...about 75% through, though this reminds I need to finish it.