The first drafts of all my past books were long, followed by many rounds of editing, including a lot of cutting. My latest draft is around 80,000 words with maybe 20 percent more to write. At 275 words per page, that’s pushing 300 pages. Not bad for a first draft.

Except for some good news. My best writing, or progress, tends to come not when I’m writing or at the keyboard, but when I wake up before the alarm or if I go to sleep early and wake up in the middle of the night and allow myself to reflect. I also write most of the most important parts by hand, since that way feels like there’s less between me and what I’m writing.

I know that a lot I’m writing is meaningful but will have to be cut. A challenge is that until I write it, I’m not sure how it will read.

Last night’s reflections led me to see the core message without all the fluff. Fluff is too harsh a term, but the unnecessary parts that will make great other material, but detract from the core. I saw a core of a book of fifty to one hundred pages: just the raw, core message. It felt wonderful. Readers would find it simple, compelling, engaging, and easy to understand.

Unfortunately, when I woke up, I only remembered a fraction of it. Partly I’m disappointed I lost something so valuable, but know it will return. I’ve been giving myself time to reflect today, but with all the daily stuff that occupies one’s time, it hasn’t returned.

Still, once I had that vision in my mental grasp, I know I can find it again. Simplicity takes work. In this case, months of writing, talking, editing, exploring.

It’s close.

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