Huge Upheaval in the Book

Why you should outline every project you undertake...

Hey friends,

Greetings from Delhi, India!

Last week, I had a monumental call with my editor. We discussed several issues related to the book, and one thing became clear.

My manuscript is grossly incomplete. 

I haven’t provided historical context where it’s required, and I’ve gone too deep into some anecdotes. I haven’t connected the chapters well enough, and I do not discuss specific topics that must be highlighted.

There is a long road to go. So, this week, I thought I’d talk about this massive upheaval and my thoughts around it. 

Also, next week I’ll be traveling. I’ll be going for a week long trek into the forests of the Himalayas. Spending a lot of time exploring this new biome. (I will write about this in one of the later chapters of the book)

So I will have to schedule something in advance for the next 2 weeks. Also, you can expect some nice landscape photography soon :)

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Piling on the Work + The Importance of Outlining

Over the past few months, I’ve been working and refining my 1st book draft. I’ve reviewed each chapter and refined all the stories until I couldn’t change a single thing.

However, after my conversation with my editor, I learnt that while the writing style is good, the overall piece lacks several dimensions. It’s not a question of quality; it is of material. 

Currently, my book draft is simply just a collection of well-written anecdotes from the wild. It lacks on three counts:

• Historical context: While writing about the places I’ve explored, I haven’t given the reader enough context to situate themselves. Assuming the reader’s prior knowledge is one of the worst mistakes a writer can make. 

• A Larger Narrative that links all the chapters better: In my attempt to talk about my love for wildlife, I don't tell the reader enough about my larger story. As a result, they don't get to know me as a person. 

• Relating my experience to my readers: My wild encounters should say something about the human condition (to give the reader something to latch on to and connect)

To address this, I am going back into each chapter and outlining them. Then, I’m identifying the spots that need more material. That way, I can jump in and write how much I want. All this will hopefully make sense once you read the book.

Writing a book is a lot of strategising!

All these aspects contribute to a broader realisation: 

Book writing and article writing are vastly different.

But that’s a topic for another week.

Takeaway: Before starting any project, write down your broader vision. Then, take a large piece of paper and create a structure you want to follow. This could be in terms of steps, action points or just topics to consider. This will save you loads of time further down the line. You won’t have to be like me and constantly make mistakes (although I am HUGELY enjoying these mistakes. It’s teaching me a lot!)

This pushes back my timeline, but that’s just part of the journey. Let’s see what the next upheaval will be about.

Here are some links I enjoyed this week:

• Field Notes: 108 days in Bandipur: Field notes from a researcher who conducted his research in one of my favourite forests—Bandipur Tiger Reserve.

• The Science of Freediving | The Deepest Breath | Netflix: Freediving is the ability to dive into the ocean for several minutes by just holding your breath. I WANT TO LEARN THIS SKILL. This video explains how it works.

• How To Change Your Life with UnJaded Jade & Ali Abdaal: Such a clickbait title! But the material is honestly really good. Enjoyed this podcast

Postcard

This is the latest from my sketchbook. I really like how this turned out, especially the eyes.

Throughout my years exploring forests across India, this is one animal that has constantly eluded me. And I don’t mean sitting in a jeep and driving around a forest like a tourist. I mean trekking through acres of jungle hoping to encounter this feline on foot.

Once in the Himalayas, I rounded one bend only to see a huge figure disappear at the end of the trail. It vanished too fast for me to comprehend. By the time and ran to the spot, it had vanished. Something tells me it was a leopard.

And to add insult to injury, I found a pile of leopard scat a few meters away…

All these stories, and more, will be part of my book!

Favourite Quote

"There's a point, around the age of twenty, when you have to choose whether to be like everybody else the rest of your life, or to make a virtue of your peculiarities." - Ursula Le Guin

Have a creative, wild and inspiring week!

If you’re new, welcome to The Owlet! My name is Ishan Shanavas, and I am an Artist, Photographer, Writer and Student of the Natural World.

Here I talk about my work, along with curating the most interesting ideas on the internet. I confine them to topics like Nature, Culture, Photography, and Art but often fall prey to other genres.

I would greatly appreciate it if you shared my newsletter and work with your friends. It really helps me out :)