photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Here’s another of my

most favorite tools

of the designer and author’s trade.

What is it?

A spreadsheet.

Why is a spreadsheet

such a big deal?

Believe me…

it’s truly one of

my favorite tools for a lot of reasons!

This is the spreadsheet from my latest book: The Woven Bag (the link is to Amazon, but it’s not one of the payback links…. it’s just the only link that I can find to the book at this point…. )

Anyhow…. when I am creating a book, there is a TON of information that I need to organize. I designed about 37 bags for the book. I needed to keep track of a whole bunch of things for each of the bags….. a million piece of information were flying and whizzing around my head, believe me!

As well as all of the information about each of the bags, I also had all kinds of other things that needed to get into the book- all manner of how to’s and illustrations and charts.

There were different deadlines that had to be met, and because I was zipping stuff off to my editor all the time, I needed to know when I sent what.

So, you can see why I would love spreadsheets so much!

It gives me a chance to break down and organize a mountain of information into an easily accessible, visual format that lets me pinpoint everything I need to keep track of.

There are categories like chapters, projects, which looms are used in which bags, what fibers and embellishments, whether illustrations and charts are done,  the dates when different deadlines are met, as well as text requirements for each piece.

I also like to establish codes that match up on the spreadsheet, to help me with the whole organizing process.

For me, working on  a huge project like writing a book requires that I summon all the organizational skills that I can muster.

A book may look like it’s just a collection of some projects and that the author probably had lots of fun whipping it up, but the truth of the matter is that the creation of a book takes monumental effort that is almost mind boggling.

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

It’s a reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaally long gestation cycle that makes the pregnancy of an elephant look like a cake walk.

The Woven Bag cover photo copyright F&W Media.

My fourth book with F&W Media

is

‘The Woven Bag:

30 Projects from Small Looms‘.

It’ll be released in the new year,

but it’s been in the works for several years.

In fact, I finished writing it last year.

Whew… that was a HUGE undertaking…

there are around 35 bags in there, and I wove

(and re-wove) them all – often several times, just because they sometimes needed that.

The writing of the patterns and the charting of the charts, and the drawing of the drawings and illustrations….. well…. it takes lots and lots of time and effort. Just like building that baby elephant!

I flew to Cincinnati  for the photo shoot last fall and since then, have had intermittent little spurts of working on the book (patting the baby elephant on the head and chucking it under the chin), whenever my editor needed me to write specific text about this that and the other.

Well, it’s time to cuddle the baby elephant one more time, but this time, it’s getting near the delivery time- my midwife editor has just given me some more homework to do on the manuscript…. things that are going to make connections for the readers, and make that baby elephant able to dance and sing, well, make the book just that much better….. 

So, it’s time for me to dig in, once again, and make some more magic with the manuscript, and then offer it up to my clever and skillful editor….. and then…. oh my! all the work that my editor and the photographer and layout and designer folk and all manner of other people who work hard on it in ways that I don’t even know about, have put into it all comes together (although, there’ll be a couple more intense proof reading immersions for me and my editor) and THEN….

it flies away to the printer, so that it can magically pop up on the bookshelves when 2010 is all fresh and new….

wow.

You can pre-order it now (it’s actually cheaper to pre-order, which is kinda nifty) – here’s a  link to Amazon.com (I don’t have affiliate or stuff like that, so it’s just a link, no monetizing):  The Woven Bag

So, here I am again, holding my book in my heart and mind, and looking so forward to holding it my hands.

But, before that can happen, I need to buckle down and get a heap of work done.

The baby elephant My book needs to be coddled, so off I go…. to pat some text and make it all happy.

It’s a lot of work, and it’s hard work, too, but, oh is it ever worth it. Just ask that mamma elephant………

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

Okay, it’s a small pic, but really, the box is a big ‘un!

AND – it is FULL of my life!

Yep…. this is hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hours of designing, writing, illustrating, frogging and work work working!

This box is full of the projects for my new book.

Here I am , just about to take it to the post office to lob it off to my editor:

Whew…. it cost $50 to mail! sheesh……

Can I tell you anything  about the book?

sigh…. no, not yet…..

Let us say that a lot of yarn is involved……

and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hours of my life….

all in one yummy box…..

(the book will be released next summer – I’ll be able to tell you more in a few months, once my publisher gives me permission)

Image Source: Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

I’m working to deadline on a new book…. well, 2 new books.

I’m working on one book that is all my designs (+30 of them). I am also working on a group effort. It’s the 2nd book that a group of designers that I  are self-publishing.

We’ve just released our first one- The Belt Book

and now we’re going full throttle on our second one.

Will let you know when we release it.

This week, I’ve been working really hard on drawings and illustrations for the books.  I do all my illustrations by hand. Some people cleverly know how to do their illustrations on the computer. I don’t.

And, I love the process of putting hand to paper and making the drawings and working on polishing them. It’s a very gratifying experience. It’s slow, and meticulous work and a real pleasure!

There’s sooooooooo much that goes into creating a book.

When I walk into a library or book store, I am filled with awe. I think about how hard I work on my books, and then I multiply that by the millions of books out there.  It’s phenomenal to think of all that effort! Astonishing!

Give your favorite book a hug! Someone worked sooooooooo hard to make it happen for you!

)

image source: Noreen Crone-Findlay 

Post from: Hankering for Yarn