I am face-down in the first draft of the third instalment of my new Rapier Workbook series. Part Two, Completing the Basics is back from the proof reader and I sent it off to layout this morning. Huzzah!

Part Three, Developing Your Skills is proving to be a bit of a beast. It's about how to train, how to develop skills, how to add depth to your art. I have it all clear in my head as one solid unit, but breaking down that massive and complex network of interrelated concepts into the linear framework that books demand is proving quite hard.

I almost never moan about such things on Facebook, but did, on Friday, and got a lot of useful ideas and moral support. My friend Jaakko Tahkokallio posted a link to the blog “Inframethodology”. It's flipping awesome. I especially like this article: On Telling People  What To Do. If you write, especially non-fiction, you should check it out.

I cracked the problem this morning. Instead of trying to establish the structure in advance, and put it neatly in the introduction, I'm just writing out the lessons as I would teach them in class. I'll identify the structure (and tweak as necessary) *after the fact*. This is going so well that I've got time to write this! It's lunchtime and I haven't had time to get dressed yet, but who cares? When the words are flowing, don't stop for trivia.