Friday, August 27, 2010

This is fun!

The Art of Nonfiction: A Guide for Writers and ReadersI have to say, "This is fun!" Sure, I'm up late and I'm sweating a [self-imposed] deadline. But, the challenge of formulating an argument that is complex and yet hangs together; that's energizing.
Today, I focused on putting together an in-depth mental plan for the first chapter, entitled "How does the Objectivist View the Nature of the Universe?" I know, it's kind of heady, but that's where the book needs to start if it's going to compare Objectivism and Christianity.
Especially at this foundational level of philosophy, I am finding that I have to go back and read more philosophical, and specifically Objectivist, literature. Ayn Rand and Leonard Peikoff have thought long and hard about these issues("existence exists"), and I have been drawing on their articulation. After all, I'm not trying to "reinvent the wheel;" I want to present these concepts in an accessible, educated-layman's framework.
So, I find myself asking questions like "How should this chapter flow?" "What are the questions that need to be answered?" "What level should I aim for, and what depth does that require?" That process has overwhelmed me, to say the least, but I am really juiced about what I envision as the final product.
And, I know that it's somewhat odd and a little freaky that I would get excited about it, but I suppose it's a good thing that I am, or I would be the wrong person for the job.

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