It's been a few weeks since I last wrote.
The book comes on as ever, I'm in the midst of what will be the fifth chapter, editing the PhD, deleting sections, flagging up bits to come back to and adding new bits. When this chapter is through I will have waded through my entire thesis (save for the introduction) in less than 2 months. Perfection can wait for now, I'm aiming simply to get it all in place. There are bits to add, creases to iron and no doubt spelling mistakes to amend.
Falling as it has done during the quietest period of the academic year when there are no classes or meetings to distract, I find myself with a real sense of déjà vu. This is how life was, at times, during the PhD. Day after day off writing and editing, few other priorities and a frequent sense of aloneness. It's just me and the project.
I loved my PhD. But, as with everything, it had its moments. Days where the creative juices just wouldn't flow or where you just couldn't work out how to piece a section together or perhaps that all important source was proving elusive. Book writing is the same. Today has been somewhat frustrating (though it's not the first). Working out how to piece Chapter 5 together has proved tricky.
On such days, however, I guess it's important to count everything as progress. Every little helps, as our supermarkets often tell us. Frustrating days happen in academia - you can sit in front of the computer and not be pleased with the outcome, perhaps for no obvious reason. That's the nature of the profession. On such days, you have just to determine that the next will be better.
To the pub.
Despite all this, however, I feel increasingly that the book is coming together. Overall it remains a thrilling experience, one tough day doesn't change that. I still love the project, I'm enjoying it immensely. As the days go by - and they've generally been good productive ones on the whole - I get more and more of sense of the project, how it is coming together and how lucky I am to be writing it. God bless academia, what a job I have.
So it is nearly two weeks now since news came through that my book was to be published and, since then, work has got underway. I have been getting back into the PhD and reordering the chapters into the book's new structure. From there, I am going through each chapter, checking the bits I want to keep, the bits I want to bin and the sections that need a fine tune and a rewrite. Once I've done this, I can stand back and see how far there is to go.
In my last post, I said that I was daunted by the challenge, and to a large extent this remains true. I am petrified of missing the deadline at the end of October, despite the fact I am devoting 90% of work time hours to it at the moment. Strangely, I feel that the more work that I do and the closer I get to the deadline, then the calmer I shall become. For now, though, it is important to stay focused, keep my head down and not get too stressed (something with which the girlfriend has helped immensely). I am taking one day at a time.
One thing that has struck me over the past couple of weeks, however, is the immense pride that I am taking in this work. I love what I do; I always have and always will. Today, I was asked to provide a short biography for a conference that I am part-chairing in a couple of weeks. Following a brief description of my research, I signed off by saying 'John's first book, entitled 'Democratic Sustainability in a New Era of Localism' is due to be published in 2014'; and with that it struck me how much my career is developing. The chuffed feeling that I spoke of in my first blog post is still very much here. This is a project of which I will be immensely proud.
Day One.
Over the last year I've gotten into blogging a bit. It's great, at the very least, to have the opportunity to reflect and to write about one's experiences. Following the news, on Wednesday, that my PhD had been accepted for publication as a book, I have since thought that I would write a blog detailing the experience of writing (what I hope is) my first book.
As I say, the news that the recommendation to publish my book had been accepted came through on Wednesday; and having been up since 6am marking the last of my students' exam scripts, the news was more than welcome. I was chuffed. Absolutely chuffed. As an academic, of all the 365 days in the year spent writing, lecturing, editing, marking, etc there are a select few that stick out as notable. Wednesday was one of those days, even if I did then spend the rest of it finishing the marking and moderating the exam scripts. (I managed a celebratory pint with some colleagues in the evening).
Yesterday (Thursday) I took the day off to spend with my sister, girlfriend and an old friend; which means that it was not until today (Friday 31/05) that attention finally turned to the project. I spent the morning reading through my book contract and other instructions and pieces of information provided by the publishers; and in the afternoon I turned my attention to the project itself. My plan? To turn my PhD, passed with no corrections 2 and a half years ago, into a book suitable for publication.
My initial plan is to go through the thesis and redivide it into the new chapter structure proposed for the book. From there, I will go through each chapter, adding new bits, updating sections, carrying out new research, refining the wording - turning it into a book. So I have a plan for the initial steps.
As I write, however, I am nervous. I am daunted by the project ahead - will it be done on time? Will the book come together and the updates fall into place? It is my intention and my job to ensure that they do. And they will. Regardless, I am aware of the scale of the project. This book, will represent the culmination of many years' work and, when published, will be the most significant work my career has thus far generated. And it will be available to all inclined to buy it.
I am also excited, however; I loved the PhD and I'm pleased to have the chance to revisit the project. I look forward to making it better. My plan is to do it step by step, each little bit at a time. I have 5 months until submission of the manuscript is due. From then, the book is in the hands of my publishers and I wait for the most rewarding day of my career (life?) to date - when the first copies are published.
