Don’t get it right, get it written – a well-known approach to any writing.

Don’t fixate on the fascinating material that emerges during the research process... start writing.

Keep your focus on the purpose, word count and format of the book, especially during the research process.  In the case of the Dublin Zoo history, my objective was to present an illustrated overview history from 1830 to the time of writing.  If I had succumbed to the fascinating material I was coming across, I’d probably only have reached 1870 by now.

There can be a massive obstacle between the research process and actually starting to write.  It is so easy to carry on researching.  When you have enough material, pick the time to start writing, then heave yourself over the obstacle using tip number 1 above.

During a flow of writing, insert a word like ‘check’ in the text when a detail or fact check is required.  Details and fact checks can take hours or even days to sort out and it is better to get the body of the work written and come back to something that can be inserted with ease.

Maintain your references as you go along but don’t use ibid or op cit in case you move text around. Rationalise and tidy up your references when you are in the later edits.

With every round of editing, the text moves closer to an integrated work.  Early edits will leave some text in a rough state but carry on – rough sections will sort themselves out as the whole work falls into place.

If something isn’t sitting right, move it. It will be quicker to edit it into a new place than  try and make it work where it is. 

Leave a gap between edits to get a fresh look at the text as a whole.

Finish it!  It may not seem perfect, but finish it.  Trusted readers will bring a new perspective on the work and this will help in identifying any issues.