Production update
This is what it feels like to crank a flywheel into action. So much effort and so little reward. Hopefully this is more than a metaphor - story 8
I had not allowed for the frustration.
There are so many things I want to explore on this blog. My head is full of ideas I need to test.
I toyed with the idea of setting aside a day to post dozens upon dozens of stories. At a Waterstones event recently, I listened to author David McCloskey extol the virtues of this approach. Then I remembered his follow-up—he spent weeks (months?) editing his first draft down from 300,000 words to the 125,000 required for a book. And he had an editor to help.
It could be even more challenging for me. Not just because I lack his writing skills, but because I need to create a useful framework for my case. And I am working that out as I write.
This will be little more than a skeleton at the start. These first posts are about laying out the bare bones of my argument. I can add detail—flesh—further into the process.
As the work evolves, it becomes more cogent and comprehensive. That will require substantial rewriting and reordering. For instance, I need to create a manifesto—a shopping list of proposals outlining how and what I believe we should do in this corner of London. As of today, I have two ideas ready to share. Not going to happen
So, this is another plea for you to understand that this Substack is my personal, living knowledge base. I am cataloguing my exploration of this space. The richer and denser the material, the more compelling the case. It’s just going to take me a month or two to get there.