The Book and the Crunch

Today has brought with it emotions attached to the 100 Thing Challenge book.

The final contracts from Harper arrived and I've executed them. Tomorrow I'll entrust them to the good care of the US Postal Service. And soon the copies will contain one more signature, and I'll receive one fully executed contract in return. And of course, from that moment on there will be no return!

Also today, Mother Jones was kind enough to send me a copy of the November/December 2008 issue, in which Michael Agger takes a minor pot shot at the 100 Thing Challenge. Minor only because the 100 Thing Challenge gimmick has yet to receive the media attention of his primary target, Colin Beavan. And yet I appreciate Agger. His point about the 100 Thing Challenge is my point, too. It's not about getting lost in the details of counting things. I will have to try to explain that in the book. Oh, and also, my "Walden" is a run of the mill suburban home. I don't intend to leave it after the book is published.

While I have given more attention to research and writing since the book deal came about, today I officially launched my new life routine. Sort of. It's my, I-better-make-a-whole-hell-of-a-lot-of-time-to-read-and-write-or-I'm-going-to-make-a-complete-fool-of-myself routine. It does not really cover all the details of my life. But it addresses what feels like the most pressing.

This week I also made a determination regarding how I'll treat the "business" of writing this book. I worked up a little budget based on the advance that includes a number of considerations I'll likely share soon. If all goes well, the book will not make me rich, but perhaps provide some means for a Wendell Berry-like home economy. It's all far-fetched for now.

Blah Blah Blah. Emotional bloggers will flee to their comfort zone, and write.

Comments

[Cherie]

I've been "lurking" here for a while, and I just want to encourage you in your endeavor to challenge our societal norms and thought processes regarding consumerism. You have made me really think about why I am living the way I am, and also think about what it would be like to live differently. Between your comments and those of Dave Ramsey, I am crawling out of my skin to make some changes. Keep pushing... you are making a difference.