Interesting that this discussion would form under the heading of "The 'real character' of Townsend Brown." What we're really getting at is the real character of this entire enterprise.
Linda Brown wrote:It really is so nice to see those red letters which spell out your name on the Forum threads. A rare treat <g>.
When the letters are "red," I think that means the system thinks I'm still online. Which probably means I logged in and didn't log out. As for the "rare treat," like I said elsewhere... I've been monitoring, just haven't had a whole lot new to say lately...
Thats a good idea ... all of us " making notes" but the interesting thing here is that most of us have already done most of our notemaking, scattered through these forum threads.
I think the operative word there is "scattered." When the time comes, we're going to have to switch from "typer - scatterers" to the proverbial "hunter - gatherers."
We might be able to restate our cases and our thoughts though I wonder .... some of us can't even remember what it was that we said!
Yes, well, that's sorta the problem... a LOT has been said. Some of it insightful, some of it expansive, some of it provocative. There is going to come a time when we are going to have to take stock.
And I think that your " call for notes" would probably work for your purpose as long as all of us understood that this has to be a VERY focused answer to your call .... (not an invitation like some of these past threads to just open the inspiration gates.)
The operative words there are "focus" and "inspiration." Imagine what we could do with some sort of synergistic combination of those forces...
We will really need your direction so that we know precisely what it is that you are needing or looking for .... otherwise how would we know that we were even helping or even being noticed?
Rest assured that when the time comes I'll be fully engaged.
And, if you decide thats a good idea ..... then when might that start? Oh, after Tuesday for sure. But then?
That is a discussion that Linda and I need to have privately with Linda first.
And if no Publisher has stepped forward yet perhaps that means: You haven't contacted enough people ?????..... or your introductory letter needs to be tweaked if it is not providing the results that you needed ?????.... or .... (anyone else out there have suggestions)
Probably a combination of all of the above.
Mostly I just don't think we've found "the droids we're looking for."
I have wondered about the drag time and have pretty much decided that perhaps one of the reasons is that some of the " conclusions" or " observations" which need to be included in the book just haven't presented themselves quite yet.... or if they have you haven't had the proper time to process them yet.
One would like to think that after five or six years of fairly concentrated effort that the 'conclusions or observations" that make the undertaking worthwhile would be well manifest. Perhaps they are, perhaps they are revealed but not well articulated within the many thousands of posts found on these servers. I often feel that the answers we seek are delicately suspended between us all. I think the case for what we all believe is well made in the proposal we are now circulating, which (in reverse to the usual way such things are approached) was not even possible to compile until a first draft had been completed.
I actually think the essence of what we're reaching for is better expressed in the proposal than it is in the first draft, which makes some sense, considering the elusive and mercurial nature of the material. I had to forge my way through it before I could comfortably say, "ah, that's what it's about... this is how we tell it..."
Once a publisher enters the picture I am sure that the pressure then will shift to completion and marketing.
I could use a little pressure, to tell the truth. There needs to be some external force pulling on this to match my push.
As for marketing, I'm in league now with all kinds of young tech-and-digital marketing types here in Nashville, we're going to come up with some very interesting ideas.
Maybe someone hasn't stepped forward because there is more to add to the story? Just asking. Like to hear your thoughts. All of us I think would really enjoy entering into this new phase, but I know that its not going to be easy.
In fact, I think this book is farther along than most book ideas that are circulated in proposal form before a single chapter is written. There is enough here to lay a foundation or blaze a trail or.... open a door. I will keep ringing doorbells, but somebody's going to have to answer and welcome us in before I'm going to be able to muster the wherewithal to proceed.
--PS