WRITING A BOOK

[john kemp]

ANY IDEAS ON THE BEST WAY OR ANY CHEAP SOFTWARE YOU CAN BUY TO

HELP IN COLLECTING/STORING INFORMATION TO WRITE A BOOK.

WOULD WANT TO BE ABLE TO KEEP RECORDS OF INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR SERVICE RECORDS AND BE ABLE TO TRACE THEM AS AND WHEN NEEDED.

ANYONE OUT THERE WROTE A BOOK BEFORE WHO COULD GIVE ME SOME

ADVICE ?

JOHN

[Jim_Grundy]

John

I can't offer too much help regarding software (I use Microsoft Access as a database for the people I'm interested in but it isn't cheap!) but have always found some advice by the American Civil War author Shelby Foote useful.

He was asked how he managed to weave so many stories together. His answer was very 'low tech' (he wrote his entire mamoth Civil War trilogy long-hand!!) but could be applied on any spreadsheet package. What he said he does is to draw up a chronological table divided into columns by subject. That way he was able to to see at a glance what was happening elsewhere at any given point of time, be it in another theatre of war or politically, economically, etc.

I have always found this useful, if very hard work! But it is an excellent way of arranging your research, especially as it sets events in their context so well.

Good luck with your book.

Best wishes,

Jim