I’m taking this weekend off
Jul 25, 2006 Book work
No internet for Friday, Saturday or Sunday because I’m determined to work on my sample chapter. Problem is, I have no interest in my sample chapter and will have to scare some up. I’m hoping that looking at my notes will get me back in the subject groove.
Sometimes people ask me why I’m not trying to sell a book on adoption but I don’t really think I want to. It’s one thing to write for this blog (when the mood strikes) but what would I say in a book? Besides who would read it? I wouldn’t write a memoir (I’m not interested in writing a memoir). And I wouldn’t want to write a “how-to” adoption book. So no memoir, no “how to adopt,” which leaves … nothing.
If I had scads of time I’d love to explore the idea of doing an “adoption in America” book that would look at the impact our growing ideas about openness is having on adoption. I’d love to look at “old schoolers” who still believe that a child begins the moment he’s placed in his adoptive parents’ arms and examine where this idea comes from and why it’s perpetuated (in the industry, in the hearts of adoptive parents) and I’d like to contrast that with newer research and talk to families — both by birth and adoption — who are challenging that. And I’d like to look at women who placed in the past and women who place today and how both generations challenge and/or fulfill stereotypes. I’d like to look at the transracial abductee activists and the antiadoption activists and see the ways they impact adoption reform. And I’d like to look at how the changing face of American adoption is also impacting international adoptions done by Americans.
Now that I would love to do but it’s really big and it makes me tired to even think that hard about it.
I have another adoption article idea that I dearly want to explore and if I get childcare (got two leads at writing group last night) I think I’m going to sit down and try to hammer out an outline. (It’s not in any way related to our adoption — it’s about international adoption.)
Anyway, those are my thoughts as my small daughter is sleeping and her brother is playing with his robots and I’m ignoring the dishes sitting in the kitchen sink.
Obviously, at this very moment I find adoption more interesting than secondary infertility but I know that earlier this summer I was all hep to secondary infertility so I just have to get there again. I hope I figure out how to get there or this weekend will be very frustrating.
July 25th, 2006 at 5:45 pm
Dawn, you left a comment on my blog. Would you be so kind as to send me your email address so I can respond to your comment? My email is adoptive_mom_1@yahoo.com.
July 25th, 2006 at 5:51 pm
That would be a great book. Now take this post down so someone doesn’t steal your idea. Maybe someday you will want to write it.
July 25th, 2006 at 6:38 pm
I would love to read that! Then again,I like to read pretty much everything you write so….
July 26th, 2006 at 11:24 am
It is exciting to read all your ideas tumbling out. Good luck working on one of them this weekend! You are inspiring me because it makes me tired thinking of all the great things there are to write about, but I know if I keep plugging away at one thing at a time progress will be made. You will do great and I can’t wait to read whatever you write next!
July 26th, 2006 at 1:10 pm
Sounds like a terrific idea for a book to me! I’d read it too.