Good morning!
As you may have seen in my 11 in 2011 resolution list, one of my goals for 2011 is to write a vegan cookbook proposal and sell the idea to a publisher. During Project Food Blog, I was contacted by a few literary agents and I am currently in the process of figuring out my next steps.
I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed with the idea of ‘where to start’ with my cookbook proposal and these feelings have taken me back to my thesis days. My undergraduate thesis and my Master’s thesis were both huge undertakings and I remember how I used to feel so overwhelmed whenever I had to take the first step and get started.
For me, starting a big project has always been the most difficult part.
Once I have started and I have a plan, then it seems to get a bit easier. That is just how I work.
My fear of beginning large projects has something to do with the high expectations I place on myself. I tend to put off big projects for fear of not doing a good job; if I can put it off, maybe the right idea will just ‘hit me’ and then I can move forward. But, that is rarely the case. It takes work, and lots of it, to get big projects off to a good start. Sometimes, I wait and wait for the ‘perfect’ idea, when I already have very good ideas to work with. Every project needs a solid foundation and while they shouldn’t be rushed, procrastination doesn’t do any good. I am really guilty of procrastination with large endeavors.
I mentioned ‘once I have a plan’ things seems to flow more smoothly. Having specific and attainable goals are always present in my life, but every good goal must have a plan to go along with it too! The reason why I have felt overwhelmed with my cookbook proposal is that I did not have a plan to guide me.
Every specific goal must have a specific plan to go along with it.
I would like to share my experiences with this process as much as I can. I also want my book to be largely based on your feedback. What types of recipes do you want to see in a vegan cookbook? What ingredients do you like to cook and bake with? What questions do you have about vegan cooking and baking? All of these things are things that I think about and I hope to address many of these things as I go through the process. (Don’t worry about answering the questions now as I will be creating a survey at some point). I want the book to be not only a reflection of my fun approach to a vegan diet, but also a reflection of what types of things you would want to see in a vegan cookbook.
I thought I would show you how I was finally able to get this project off the ground and running.
I have been brainstorming cookbook ideas for over a year now, but my brainstorming never translated into much more than that. I finally realized that I needed to take the next step and create an outline, so I started a Word document and I created a chapter outline of how my cookbook may look. What sections do I want? What would I call them? What types of recipes do I want to focus on? How many recipes per section? How would the order of the sections flow?
While I always do my brainstorming on paper, I prefer not to use pen and paper when doing a large outline. I find an electronic Word document is much cleaner because I can easily delete things and have a clean looking document at all times.
I have half a notebook filled with brainstorming ideas from Project Food Blog!
and weird diagrams apparently! haha
Don’t ask. I really don’t know what’s going on in these diagrams. I think I wanted to make a raw layered pumpkin pie at one point. Then I realized the challenge was to make a BAKED good. Doh!
I worked on my outline this weekend and I am already feeling so much better about things. Once I planned out the chapters in my book, I started to place recipes or recipe ideas underneath each chapter that I may want to include. Over time, this is how my cookbook proposal will grow. Of course, what I plan now will likely change many times over, but at least there is a plan there to guide me and that is all that matters in the initial stages!
Do you have any big projects looming in 2011? Do you suffer from procrastination or fear of failure when big projects loom? Have you ever been intimidated by a large project? How did you begin?
Angela-I just started reading your website about a month ago and I LOVE it! Your food easy to make with ingredients that are easy to find in my grocery store. I made Pumpkin Chia Spelt Scuffins and they were amazing! I really like how your recipes use whole, real ingredients, like a flax egg instead of egg replacer powder.
I tend to do one of two things: Jump in with both feet without enough information, only to find out I can’t do what I wanted to do and get discouraged, or think things through and set a plan but have a bit of trouble getting started because of feeling overwhelmed/fear of failure. Write out action steps and a clear goal is a huge help to me, and then just making myself DO IT. I usually say, “I’ll work on xyz for 20 minutes and then can stop if I want to”. By the time the 20 minutes is up, I’m usually deeply immersed in the le projet.
I would love for you to include tips about vegan substitute ingredients- what temperatures are they best baked/cooked at? what are the measurement differences? basically a general reference table or chart at the back maybe?! Just my two cents.
I am currently writing a master’s thesis myself- I know all about procrastination, fear of failure and feeling completely overwhelmed by a daunting task!! It’s funny how you can sometimes feel alone in that but it is such a common experience in writers and researchers.
I agree an outline is key! Feedback and input from other colleagues (or in this case, your blog readers) also really does give a sense of whether or not what you are working on makes sense and speaks to people.
Good luck Angela !
I love the recipes that I can “un-veganize” as it were. I’m not nearly vegetarian, and my husband is decidedly carniverous, so I love the recipes where I don’t NEED to search for vegan ingredients or go out and buy a ton of stuff (i.e. the pumpkin cinnamon rolls, the high protein mashed potatoes that have become a staple in my house). I eat way less meat than I used to, so spins on “typical” recipes and opportunities to sneak in veggies/legumes/beans work so well too.
Good luck! I’ll definitely be pre-ordering!
Congrats on this amazing prospect. Even if you simply printed out your blog recipes straight from the page, you’d have a winning book =)
I think I would buy your cookbook for everyone I knew! haha You are totally the source of 90% of my foodie inspiration!!
Congratulations on starting this process Angela! One thing I would like to see in a vegan cookbook is more gluten free options. I am a gluten free vegan, and many vegan cookbooks aren’t helpful in the gluten free department!!
How exciting for you! I have always you would write an excelllent cookbook. I have enjoyed keeping up with your blog and trying your recipes. They are always so easy to follow and you give great direction. I can totally understand the intimidation. I unfortunately allow fear to keep from taking too many risks but I’m trying to overcome that. Good luck and look forward to reading your progress :)
Not sure if you’ve already thought of this, but what I’d like to see right at the beginning of the book is a list and explanation of the main substitute ingredients you will need to have in the store cupboard (e.g. the flax egg) and where you can buy these ingredients.
Perhaps target the book at people who would like to try going vegan for the first time, or just try the occasional vegan meal, and (this is what I think you do really well on this site) make it seem like it will be easy and fun.
I think a cookbook is a great idea and yours would be very appealing (based on the pictures you put in your blog). I’ve wanted to try vegan cooking for a while. I really love seeing your recipes but am very intimidated by them as I’ve never really cooked with a lot of the ingredients before. A cookbook with items that are accessible at most grocery stores would be great. Also, nutritional information and pictures would be very helpful.
Thanks!
I think that anything you do will be fabulous! But I think that the main things that attracted me to your blog in the first place are that you are an inspiration and yet you are totally real. You prove to people that a healthy lifestyle can be fun and empowering vs. difficult and limiting. I love pretty much all your recipes and make them several times a week…ok let’s be honest, probably more like every day :)
For me commiting to something big is very tough, for the same reasons you have a hard time with it. I also like to write and sometimes just putting my thoughts on paper of my feelings about the commitment and why I am fearful helps me to get to the root of the issue and inspires me with a new perspective.
Can’t wait to hear about your progress!
Thanks Lindsay! I think that is a great tip about listing feelings and why you are fearful.
Good luck with your plan! I would be so excited to see a cookbook by you. I agree with Leanne that nutritional info. would be very helpful. Maybe also a few tips on cooking with vegan ingredients? I also get intimidated by some of the ingredients since I haven’t used them before. It would be great to get some tips on cooking (or baking) vegan.
I agree that plans are key! I like that you’ve got a strategy for this project and I can’t wait to see it come to fruition. My ‘big’ projects this year involve budgeting (properly), and completing some more fitness/nutrition certifications. I have plans to attack each one, but uncertainty in some of the details is something I don’t like so much!
I would love to see a vegan cookbook that includes the nutritional information for each recipe… not the calorie count, but the other stuff. It would be so helpful for baked goods (to know how many grams of sugar) or savory dinners (to know how much protein). I struggle to get enough protein and iron so having that information would be ridiculously helpful!
That said, I’ve tried quite a few of your recipes in the last year and have loved every single one. The sweet potato-pear holiday soup is my favorite so far!
I don’t know if there is already a vegan cook book like this, but you really seem to love to take non-vegan favorites and veganize them. Transitioning to a vegan diet is hard – people just get really comfortable and like what they are used to. Drastic changes tend to make people feel deprived and the changes don’t stick. So, I’m sure newbies would really appreciate a cookbook where they can find vegan versions of what they already like!
“My fear of beginning large projects has something to do with the high expectations I place on myself. I tend to put off big projects for fear of not doing a good job; if I can put it off, maybe the right idea will just ‘hit me’ and then I can move forward.”
You and me are one in the same girl!
Wow, best of luck with your book! I hope you’re able to get it up and going, I can understand not know where to start with projects.
This year I plan to renew my vows. I am not girly and never thought I’d be married in the first place, so I am having a a difficult time knowing where to start. It’s a bit more difficult as we live in Germany so we have to find a venue SOON as the party is scheduled for this November! A good place I have started is reading your blog hoping to get inspired so I will have the “glow” in my vow renewal photos :) I had the glow when we were originally married because I was 8 months pregnant with my daughter :)
Sorry this is long! Looking forward to reading your progress.
I would love to have some “30 minute meal” type recipes that are Vegan! I think quick and easy recipes are the ones I’m more receptive to.
Big projects give me hives, but I’ve found the best way to tackle them is to just do it. No more fear. No more worrying if it’s not right. Set aside a day and don’t go to bed until that project is started. Because, really, starting is the hardest part.
The process for you is so exciting! You are right, once you have a plan things are much easier as you can tick off each aspect as you complete it.
My goal is a marathon, and even though I have made the training plan, the thoight of some of the longer runs make me very nervous. So I am trying to look at one week (or one run) at a time, and not look further ahead! Then it isnt so daunting.