Whew

 

 After 18 months of research and writing, I've finished the first draft (really many drafts because I edit along the way) of 300 Unsung Women. All the -mini-bios (100-200 words) are written, the formating is done and the women are in 68 categories such as activist, astronomer, doctor  inventor, lawyer, resistance fighter

Who are these women?

They did spectacular things, breaking the bondaries of gender limitations over the centuries.

•  Some were never known but their work made a difference
  
• Some were known by a few but are mostly forgotten
• Some had their work stolen by men

I want to sit down and chat with them all. I would like to thank the women who invented the dishwasher and windshield wipers. The woman who had to teach behind a screen so she wouldn't upset the male students. The ones refused degrees or were called names because they didn't fit the stereotype of what a woman should be. The spies that fought for their beliefs often sacrificing their lives.

I had help in finding the women. When I mentioned the project to friends, they would add names to those that I had already found. 

Then it was my job to research and write. I ended up with more than 300 women and the decision of whom to include was difficult at best. My husband said, there could be volume two.

Tomorrow, I print out the book to edit it again. Then my husband, also a writer, will edit it and probably after corrections are made still another editing before I am ready to send it out into the world.