And Then There Were Two

I don’t want to interrupt my writing momentum too long this morning by blogging, but it seems like a good time to provide an update on my book project and reflect on how far I have come in the past year.

The working title of my book is Finding My Musical Family: A Tale of Crackerjack Bands, Hometown Boosters, and a Great-Grandfather’s Legacy. It is a combination memoir/history book about my quest to uncover the incredible career of my paternal great-grandfather, G. Oliver Riggs, a pioneering Minnesota bandmaster. In the process, I gain a greater appreciation for how music connects people across generations. That is my current elevator speech about the book!

As of this morning, I have two chapters left to write: Chapters 24 and 26, which are G. Oliver history chapters that span the years 1937–1946. I figured out yesterday where Chapter 24 ends and Chapter 26 begins, and I renamed both chapters and worked on the timeline of important events. My goals are always a bit over-ambitious, but I do think finishing these two chapters by mid-May is achievable.

My dog, Waffles, wonders how I will fit all this research into two chapters.

I am thrilled to be at this point in the project. I know there is still much work to do—for example, a few of the earlier chapters need some heavy revision, and I need to update a book proposal I wrote a few years ago—but, still, it feels like it’s all coming together.

The book is composed of 27 chapters, plus a prologue and an epilogue, and I have written 13 of those chapters since this time last year. It wouldn’t have been possible without the support of my family and friends, and I am sincerely thankful for all of you. Writing a book is an overwhelming proposition, but when you break it down into manageable chunks, and focus on one sentence at a time, you can trick yourself into thinking it is not as scary as it seems.

Before I get back to Chapter 24, I would like to wish a very happy milestone birthday to one of my biggest supporters, my daughter, Louisa! When G. Oliver turned 21, in November of 1891, he was finishing up his studies at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and he had all kinds of exciting adventures ahead of him as an adult. I know the same is true for you, Louisa!