Could You Write a Book?
Over the years, I’ve often asked myself, “Could you write a book?” A memoir, a novel or more probably, a knitwear design book?
Necessary Skillset – Could You Write a Book
In short, I think the answer is yes…I think so.
There are a ton of skills necessary to write a book. Some of which I wouldn’t even know until I realized I didn’t have the skill. It’s like many job, I would imagine. There are so many specific skills necessary to do each and every job and it’s only when you fail that you realize you require a skill that you don’t possess.
I just did a quick internet search on skills required to write a book and this is a short list:
- Communication skills
- Adaptability
- Discipline
- Organization skills
- Research skills
- Editing
- Know what you want to write
- Follow the readability principles
Some of these aren’t my strong-points. The top two on the list, I’m quite confident with. I can also be very disciplined when I’m inspired. Organization, I’ve gotten very good at. Especially now that I have a bit more capacity as a retiree.
Research skills, I suck at. I could develop those skills, but that would be the weakest link in the process.
Knowing what I want to write…I think I’d be very good at determining that. I can be very good at clarifying purpose and direction at the outset of any project. I like having a good roadmap.
Finally, following the readability principles. I’m not sure what those are, but I bet I have a good sense about them based on all the reading I’ve done in my life. And also having 20 years of blog-writing under my belt.
I would add at least one more skill. Receptivity. Unlike the stereotypical man, I always ask for directions when I’m unsure. I think it’s a necessity to have others review my work. People whose opinion I trust to tell me what works for them and what doesn’t.
My Book-Writing History
Twice in my life, I started to write a book. The first one was tentatively titled “Designing Men’s Knitwear.” I have an entire outline of the book and I’ve written major sections of it. I abandoned the project when I realized that I’d need to have pattern designs in the book to demonstrate the theoretical discussions. I think having both theory and practical application is part of the “readability principle” for most knitters.
One of these days, I may dust off the work I have and re-start this project.
The other book was a novel. It was a short-lived project. It required a bit more organization than I had at the time and way more research than I cared to do. That project will never get re-started. If I ever decide to write a novel, I will start from scratch.
How about you? Do you have a book or two in you?
Current Knitting
It was a hard week this week. Even during some times when I was in waiting rooms, I just didn’t feel like knitting. Still yet, I did finish one of the hats I had started as of this past Wednesday.
I also got some additional work done on the second hat. I’m liking both of them and think the hats are getting better and better as I go along.
Five more hats (at least) to finish before I get back to the Silvatica Stole.
When you change colours in your hats, do you do a jogless join? And if so, which one?
I don’t do any of the standard “jogless” stripe methods. When I join in the new color, I work the first stitch in the new color as if I was carrying a float for the old color (I insert my needle into the 1st st in the round, wrap the old color around the needle, wrap the new color, unwrap the old color (this “snags” the old color around the new color) and then knit the first round of the new color…when I get back to the beginning of the round, I snug up the old color and it brings the “jog” more into alignment). Sorry for the embedded parentheses, but this method works pretty well for me. I should do a video tutorial on my method, but most people already use their own methods, I’m sure.
Thank, Joe.
I haven’t done much with stripes. Your changing yarn colors method sounds great. And for locking in a new yarn. I look forward to giving it a try.
I am seriously lacking in #3 and #4 on the book writing (hence the not too awful I think first draft minus final chapter of novel written 25 years ago is till just that). Lol.
PLEASE do a video of your join!! It actually almost made sense to me even just reading through it once (unlike most jog less methods which just make no sense to my brain).
Jog less. Good one autocorrect; I’ll let you win on that one.
Any book that you write would be amazing!
I have wanted to write a book since I was in middle school and I knew what I would call the book, “crimes of a heterosexual rage”. The problem is I have no idea how I would write it. It would be a fictional work from the point of view of certain members of the LGBTQ community in the US, during the various stages in history when the community was (and still is) fighting for equal rights. I am not sure it would make sense, but each chapter would be from the point of view of a different person during a different era in history and explaining what they face and how they are fighting for their right to live freely and openly. Maybe some day I will write it, we shall see.
I’ve written two book chapters (academic books for nurses). I collaborated with a colleague and we had fun working together. The part I liked best was the research and editing. Our process was to outline what we wanted to cover, divide the workload and then give/offer feedback until we liked the end product.