So as most probably know I am writing a book on the Coeur d’Alene Railway & Navigation Company. It was built by a guy named D.C. Corbin. He was also very instrumental in irrigation development at the beginning of the 20th century. In my research I found that he was active with the Spokane Valley Land and Water Company until his death in June of 1918. The company I work for is Trentwood Irrigation District in the Spokane Valley and I knew it was one of the first companies. It is north of the Spokane River where the “Corbin Ditch” ran. A possible connection was forming. I looked and our company started in early 1918. I dug and found the original minute book from 1918. Sure enough to my delighted surprise there is a letter dated May of 1918 from Corbin to the Board offering to buy their construction bonds at 90% of their value. They agreed. He agreed to buid my district just under two months before his death.

So my work and my passion had an unlikely connection.

A very lucky find,eh? (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

That’s pretty cool. Those little threads and pieces of the past sure do make history. Great Find!

The fun part of this was it was right under my nose in a file cabnet I have walked by for the last 15 years not suspecting a thing.

Third chapter of my book is a biography of CorbiN so I get to work this into the book.

Amazin’

Ric Golding said:

That’s pretty cool. Those little threads and pieces of the past sure do make history. Great Find!

Ha Ric, actually I am getting very frustrated with those little threads. As someone that is brand new to this writing thing I have come to realize that at some point the research has to stop and the writing has to take over. I have to stop chasing bunnies and slay the dragon.

In this project I have learned a lot about myself. I am a pretty fair historian. I am an excellent researcher. I am even a decent word smirth. But I am a lousy writer. I love the research, I love putting the pieces together. But writing takes a self discipline I am finding doesn’t come easy.

These distractions side track me and waste valuabl time for the limited benefit. They are fun and this is what I enjoy, but they distract from the overall goal. I once spent a week trying to track down a newspaper article that confirmed a paragraph in my book never to be able to find it. Although I have a renewed hope…

Anyways it is fun but its tough to define a goal and stick to it when you really want to chase the bunnies

If you have a good idea of the framework of you book, and the direction it should go, then just do as much research as is needed to fill that framework. Then write the story - forget about the itsy-bitsy facts of each chapter and write the story. Make an interesting story. You know how awful and boring books can be that are nothing but facts, maps, and charts! They’re called text books, and we all know how we feel about those! Once you have the story you want to tell you can begin to insert the facts and tidbits from your research.

Of course, the two work hand-in-hand, as you will be writing the story based on the research, and the research will flesh out the story, but don’t let yourself bog down in the mire of having to have all the facts before you write the story. Write about the people involved, Get the reader interested in those people and how they fashioned the world of your story and impacted your facts.

Now, down off my soapbox and back to staring at the wall …

Writing can be hard, but when I start to write the words just seem to come. I tend to spend a lot of time in the brainstorming development trying to connect the various ideas together. I thought that I would never be able to write a 60 page MA paper, but as I was writing it, I kept thinking, oh I should add this, or that. I ended up leaving a lot out, but it gives me hope that one day I can piece up writing and research again. Maybe go your route and publish. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)

Andrew Moore said:

If you have a good idea of the framework of you book, and the direction it should go, then just do as much research as is needed to fill that framework. Then write the story - forget about the itsy-bitsy facts of each chapter and write the story. Make an interesting story. You know how awful and boring books can be that are nothing but facts, maps, and charts! They’re called text books, and we all know how we feel about those! Once you have the story you want to tell you can begin to insert the facts and tidbits from your research.

Of course, the two work hand-in-hand, as you will be writing the story based on the research, and the research will flesh out the story, but don’t let yourself bog down in the mire of having to have all the facts before you write the story. Write about the people involved, Get the reader interested in those people and how they fashioned the world of your story and impacted your facts.

Now, down off my soapbox and back to staring at the wall …

Good advice Andrew. This is the path I am trying to take the book. There is already a book that was written that in part covers the fats of this RR. An excellent on I might add. But I want to tell its story. He told the what. I want to tell the why and who.

Craig Townsend said:

Writing can be hard, but when I start to write the words just seem to come. I tend to spend a lot of time in the brainstorming development trying to connect the various ideas together. I thought that I would never be able to write a 60 page MA paper, but as I was writing it, I kept thinking, oh I should add this, or that. I ended up leaving a lot out, but it gives me hope that one day I can piece up writing and research again. Maybe go your route and publish. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)

Craig that’s exactly it. The physical writing comes easy, I have even been told by my graduate instructors that I am a gifted writer. I don’t do outlines and multiple rough drafts. I write and usually the first draft is all I do except minor grammatical issues. Is not the mechanics of. Writing its the discipline of writing. I should be nearly done with the transcript by now but I keep want more and I only have three chapters of none or ten written.

Devon, have you read Via Major? Its the story of the Wellington avalanche, but it reads like a novel. I couldn’t put it down. Well researched, good yarn. Might be a good model for your book.

Be careful what you wish for…

I had to get help, eventually I couldn’t stop, every time my fingers stroked the keyboards the words just spewed out!

Yes, I had to go to: On and On Anonymous (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

My name is _____. I’m verbose and my writing is out of control…

No I haven’t read it but I get where your going. So far I have not written it that way but i am leaning toward that approach. At least somewhat. There is a nice medium between story and history. As you and Andrew have both pointed out very few people will want to read a text book about it. They will want to read a factual story about it with pictures that bring the scene alive. I want the facts but I also want to draw the reader’s imagination in, I want them to picture themselves there.

John Caughey said:

Be careful what you wish for…

I had to get help, eventually I couldn’t stop, every time my fingers stroked the keyboards the words just spewed out!

Yes, I had to go to: On and On Anonymous (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

My name is _____. I’m verbose and my writing is out of control…

I am beginning to resemble this remark…

The name of the book is Vis Major. Autocorrect raised its ugly head, and I didn’t catch it. Vis, not Via.