The Continuing Challenge of FOCUS

Perhaps you've come across this blog and are wondering where the hell I have been?

It's a very fair question. Where I've been is full-time employed at Momentum Worldwide and working on new music with my band Passion Project. The new music is (nearly) completed which means the next step is to figure out just what to do with it.

The full-time employment is not complete and won't be...presenting some very real challenges for work on this project.

At issue isn't only time - though finding time to dedicate to pure book research and writing (as I've been able to do a bit of this Memorial Day weekend) is certainly a concern. I've been considering the time challenge and wondering, "should I find a writing partner to help out with this?" It's a consideration.

The real challenge, however, is mental focus. How do I transition from dedicating brain cycles to marketing the latest American Express OPEN offering or Kraft Foods product to a secular analysis of the seven deadly sins? Mental focus is unfortunately not something a writing partner can really help with.

So while I have not been actively writing I continue to research and thinking about the book on a daily basis, whether it's a few minutes of jotted notes on a subway commute or an inspired late night debate with friends.

I will get this book done and it won't be a fragmented mess...that's my mission. It is just a question of when!

Middle madness

I have a pretty good flow happening in terms of the book outline. Well...I have a strong beginning (where I'm integrating theological, evolutionary and neuropsychological thought about human sin) and a cohesive ending, where I get into the "cures" for humankind's seven deadly vices.

The challenging bit right now is the middle! I've accumulated some great insights on the role of culture, religion and government in shaping people's behavior but it's proving very difficult to organize into a compelling narrative.

It will happen...just have to take all this research and find the story for this second act (to use a screenwriting analogy).

Writing = hard

Writing a book is very challenging!

This is my first and no, I didn't expect it to be easy. But just getting through a few pages really takes a lot of time, focus, research and some staring out the window to happen (I can see why they always show writers offices with a nice view).

I will say I am enjoying the process but it's a challenge. I'm writing for about four hours a day, which seems to be about my limit of just hands on the keyboard, working it out. However I am always thinking about it, reading or doing research.

I wonder how long this thing is going to take. I should probably set a goal for when to cross the finish line...