Do you think you have got a book in you?

[GalaxyRider]

Not like in a medical "I've swallowed a book" sense, but in the sense of actually writing one? If you put all your knowledge about a subject, say Bushcraft, on paper would it be enjoyable and fun to read?

I think I could write a book, but not about Bushcraft, maybe some travel related thing though. I rode John O'Groats to Lands End a year or two ago and made lots of notes, maybe I need to write them up.

What about you lot?

[Silverback]

I have toyed with the idea of writing a collection of the funniest and most unbelievable stories in SAR but several things have contrived to make it impossible

1. Not many people in MR/SAR are willing to part with the funny stories
2. Most of the ones I know are about the same person

One day ...maybe. Lots of potentially interesting things have happened to me in the last 10-12 years, maybe theres 100 odd pages in there...maybe not

[Marvell]

I AM writing one. Just preparing a blad for publishers.

[AdrianRose]

I've often fancied doing a book on my first love of foraging and wild foods/fungi.

But never seem to get my act together enough on it.

When I've taught day workshops/courses/lectures etc on foraging I've always been asked if I have a book to accompany my daft ramblings that seem to come out of my mouth but I've always shied away from it.

Ade.

[rossbird]

I have toyed with the idea of writing a collection of the funniest and most unbelievable stories in SAR but several things have contrived to make it impossible

1. Not many people in MR/SAR are willing to part with the funny stories
2. Most of the ones I know are about the same person

One day ...maybe. Lots of potentially interesting things have happened to me in the last 10-12 years, maybe theres 100 odd pages in there...maybe not

Maybe it's time to find out Wayne?

[rossbird]

I've often fancied doing a book on my first love of foraging and wild foods/fungi.

But never seem to get my act together enough on it.

When I've taught day workshops/courses/lectures etc on foraging I've always been asked if I have a book to accompany my daft ramblings that seem to come out of my mouth but I've always shied away from it.

Ade.

Go on Ade give it a go!

[Kernowek Scouser]

I have toyed with the idea of writing a collection of the funniest and most unbelievable stories in SAR but several things have contrived to make it impossible

1. Not many people in MR/SAR are willing to part with the funny stories
2. Most of the ones I know are about the same person

One day ...maybe. Lots of potentially interesting things have happened to me in the last 10-12 years, maybe theres 100 odd pages in there...maybe not


Maybe do an anonymous blog, 'A funny thing happened on the way to the accident' perhaps, omitting names and locations, so you can not be pulled up for talking about people in a particular place? Also, if you use the third party narrative technique to tell your tales, it would be harder for the reader to deduce what part you played in the tale yourself, covering your backside that little bit more.

Obviously this approach would be completely scuppered, if you encouraged folks to go and read your blog and in doing so, removed the veil of anonymity and left yourself open to criticism, complaint and possible censure. Probably not that good an idea after all.



I've often fancied doing a book on my first love of foraging and wild foods/fungi.

But never seem to get my act together enough on it.

When I've taught day workshops/courses/lectures etc on foraging I've always been asked if I have a book to accompany my daft ramblings that seem to come out of my mouth but I've always shied away from it.

Ade.


Perhaps, if you forget about writing a book and instead focus on beefing up the lesson notes / plans you already have for the workshops/courses/lectures you give; to the point where you have a reasonable 'How to' article for each topic you cover (or a series of complimentary articles around the same subject).

Then you could try to impose some kind of chronological order on the articles, starting with those aimed at absolute novices to the field (pun intended) and progressing through the topics in a similar order to how you would recommend folks take you instruction.

Then when you have got the order sorted, read all the articles again from start to finish, take out anything you may have repeated in several articles, expand on anything that missed out on the original beefing up exercise and put in anything that has previously been left out as it did not really fit stand alone articles, but will now fit a collection of articles.

Once you done this again, reread again, repeat content editing if necessary, but this time focus on the 'flow' between the articles, endeavouring to smooth out the flow, if there are any abrupt course changes.

Reread again and if you are happy with what you have written, pat yourself on the back for writing your first book (it might not be a very long book, but there are plenty of great short books out there + and you can always pad it out with lots of pictures).


Anyway, that is my two pence on the matter, spend it wisely.


Disclaimer: All advice offered, is done so without sufficient coffee in the system, so any advice accepted and acted upon is done so at entirely your own risk.

[Silverback]

Maybe do an anonymous blog, 'A funny thing happened on the way to the accident' perhaps, omitting names and locations, so you can not be pulled up for talking about people in a particular place? Also, if you use the third party narrative technique to tell your tales, it would be harder for the reader to deduce what part you played in the tale yourself, covering your backside that little bit more.
[/I]

Good thinking Batman. Other thing I considered after thinking long and hard is that some of the stuff we found funny is only probably funny because we were there and/or it was part of the coping mechanism - some not nice sights in MR/SAR.

To quote a recent film line "blogging isnt writing...its graffiti with punctuation" ;)

[Kernowek Scouser]

Some of the blogs I've seen don't even bother with the punctuation!

I think there is always a danger when writing down funny stories, of you finding yourself in literary equivalent of the awkward pub moment - you are telling your mates about something 'hilarious' that happened in work, get to the punch line, deliver it with gusto, they just look at you blankly and you mumble 'maybe you had to be there' as you quietly deflate into an embarrassed heap.

Perhaps you could run any potential blog entries past folks you know who are neither involved with or overly familiar with MR & SAR, to see if they give it the blank face look, before sharing your tales with the wider world?

Good luck whatever you do T^

[Silverback]

Good luck whatever you do T^

Ta. This week I am mainly coming up with a nasty and evil scenario for monday nights training exercise...and it is particularly evil :evilgrin::evilgrin:

[aman]

Maybe you could all club together and write a guide to british buscraft between you.
There is a lot of knowledge on this site and it would be good to get it all down in a book.
Each chapter could be written by a different member so the workload would be shared and it would be easier to remain motivated if others are waiting for your chapter.
Aman

[aman]

Or maybe not:ashamed:

[Marvell]

In my opinion, the differing opinon would be so great that it would not work as a definitive guide.

[AdrianRose]

In my opinion, the differing opinon would be so great that it would not work as a definitive guide.

I think it's more likely that the book would contain so much good info from the years of experience of the contributors here, that it would be too heavy to lift!
:)
Ade