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+--- Thread: The Queen's Albatross (/showthread.php?tid=1624)
The Queen's Albatross - The Queen - 05-27-2009
I'm writing a textbook to teach court reporting and captioning students how to use our software. Unfortunately, I can't just regurgitate the material I write for professionals; can't make any assumptions as to previous computer hardware or operating system knowledge, and I have to assume that they have no previous experience or knowledge of most of the concepts that professional court reporters take for granted.
So I find myself writing a sentence, then examining it and considering what the reader would need to know to understand it, and then writing 10-20 paragraphs of background to explain what I mean. Very tedious! wish someone could come up with a way to allow people to access or download selected contents of my brain for a fee. It would be much more efficient, I'm sure.
Oh, and in addition to the explanations, for each chapter I also have to have exercises, quiz questions, extra credit activities and an instructor's guide explaining how to teach the stuff.
I've just finished Chapter 4 of what I expect will probably be 30 chapters. I'm supposed to have the rough draft done by July. No worries, after all, nothing to distract me between now and then, except for the new puppy, old sick dog, trips to Boston and New Jersey, etc...
Good thing I don't drink alone and there's no one here to drink with!
Re: The Queen's Albatross - Greg_phpbb3_import1 - 05-27-2009
Put a disclaimer on the cover the book is only for smart people. ( I keep thinking it's the weekend and wondering why you are all working)
yay! - Drunk Monk - 05-27-2009
another albatross enabler.
maybe we could sit next to each other for the book signings at BEA...
Re: The Queen's Albatross - The Queen - 05-30-2009
Too soon to dream about the book signings and publicity tour.
Just finished Chapter 5. On to Chapter 6 on Monday. Unless I'm bored tomorrow, too.
Re: The Queen's Albatross - The Queen - 06-18-2009
Chapter 6 complete, working on Chapter 7.
Re: The Queen's Albatross - Dr. Ivor Yeti - 06-19-2009
You GO, girl - er- Your Majesty!
Chapter 7 complete! - The Queen - 07-02-2009
Chapter 7 is done! After the holiday weekend, I start work on Chapter 8 (page 165) of the textbook and (page 43) the accompanying Instructor's Guide.
Oh, and my deadline has been extended; they want to hold off release to time it with the next software release. Which is good because at the annual national convention on August 6-9, we're going to be introducing a new writer which will affect a lot of what I've already written in chapters 1 and 5.
But hey, Section 1 of 3 is close to complete - I'd guess about 3 weeks or so.
Re: The Queen's Albatross - Dr. Ivor Yeti - 07-02-2009
Are you drunk? I though all writers drank all day and all night, forewent bathing, cursed, threw things like crockery, chain-smoked constantly, and basically destroyed their bodies while completely draining their souls to create their various Magna opi. Is that how it's done?
Re: The Queen's Albatross - Greg_phpbb3_import1 - 07-03-2009
yes. That's what I've been seeing. You did forget the Laudanum, though.
Re: The Queen's Albatross - The Queen - 07-03-2009
So that's what I've been doing wrong. Stupid me, working out, eating right...
That's what I've been doing... - Drunk Monk - 07-06-2009
...and TQ is totally kicking my albatross arse. But in my defense, I'm having a rocking summer. 8)
Re: The Queen's Albatross - The Queen - 07-09-2009
Chapter 8 done except for the quiz, extra credit questions/activities and Instructor's Guide - should be able to finish all that tomorrow. Only two more chapters to go in Section 1 (1st year students).
Haven't plucked a feather in months... - Drunk Monk - 07-10-2009
...I wanted to get further before summer struck, but failed...
:oops:
Re: The Queen's Albatross - The Queen - 07-10-2009
I blew off the textbook today; wrote a dozen more e-columns for the web site http://www.stenograph.com/pages.aspx?docid=378 instead -- got enough of those now to last through 1st week of November.
Re: The Queen's Albatross - The Queen - 07-15-2009
Finally got those last little niggly details of Chapter 8 (quiz, instructor's guide) done. Phew!