Here for a bit of an update. I promised an ebook on crafting and I’m determined to make it happen. I’m a little behind schedule but I’m making progress every day. I thought it was worth checking in to share some of the behind the scenes stuff that comes with writing an ebook, starting with why.
Why am I doing this?
1) Get my craft patterns out there: I’ve been saying I would release craft patterns for months but have yet to do so. This is my way of motivating myself to get it done, by turning it into something bigger, more meaningful.
2) Practice in telling my story: Every craft pattern will be accompanied with a story about why I ended up making that project. This book is intended to be read by everyone, those who craft and those who are just interested in stories shared in an alternative format.
This is in preparation for the memoir I am writing about my life which is proving to be way harder to plan out than this ebook has been. This ebook is practice. Once it’s out I think I’ll have the confidence to finish my memoir.
The Best Parts of the Process:
The idea: probably the most fun, being stoned and trying to compile the best way to sell my content. Realizing I have made so many projects this last year that I could write a literal book on everything I have made, so that’s what I’m doing. It’s a way to show off my art while encouraging others to do the same!
Writing the introduction stories: I love the idea of writing patterns but in practice it can be a bit cumbersome. The fun lies in writing the introduction because I always have vivid memories of where and how I start my projects. These stories also will help others understand what makes someone do art and what sort of therapeutic benefits it can have.
Outline: After I came up with the idea I took down a list of everything I can remember making this last year. The list was huge and I’ve made new things since making the list to add to it.
Gathering Content: I’ve been taking photos of everything I make during the process and after. The idea was always a vague, I’m going to share this somehow in the future. Much of this book will be photos from my crafting adventures over the last year!
The Hardest Parts:
Writing Patterns: Following patterns is easy, writing patterns people can understand is not. And I don’t know currently how to write for the total beginner. Perhaps I will add a few videos explaining how to do basic stitches up close to share.
Staying on Schedule because writing patterns is hard: It’s been a struggle to stay on schedule, which I wanted it to be finished by the end of September, ready to edit and publish that is. I’m currently about a week behind schedule and all the projects left on my list are things I don’t have anymore because I’ve either sold or gifted them. This makes writing patterns even harder.
Future Hurdles to Think About:
Photos: Compiling all the photos I have in a way that makes sense. I have a folder of about 8000 photos on my phone to go through, literally….it’s almost at 8000.
Format: The goal is to make this a work of art so I will need to either adapt a template or make one for each page to be built off of. Think digital crafty scrapbook with patterns. This also might take me longer to do, I realize literally as I write this sentence. The thing is these big projects are ALWAYS more work than we expect.
Finishing and Editing I have several half written patterns and even more just hand written into my book as an outline that I haven’t finished to a point where I’d consider them ready for the book.
I’m still hella excited about this project though admittedly I feel thoroughly saturated in it. This is also a possible source of passive income for me to help support me continuing to do what I love. It’s a big deal for me.
So there you have it, an in depth description of what I’m dealing with right now for this book. Stay tuned guys, it’s coming by Halloween.
This post contains some of the random photos that will be found in the book, many never released publicly before this.