Writing the three books of Semantography
Charles starts work on his three large books on Semantography (later to be combined into one publication called Semantography (Blissymbolics)). This is done to the chagrin of his family, who think he should go into business.
I wanted to write first my book on my “World writing”, which I later called Semantography. I thought that one year would be sufficient time to write it. In the meantime we could live on our money. SS 210-72
...people here in Sydney consider me a hopeless crank with regard to my Semantography. I showed them time and again how immensely practical I am in all my business ventures here, and I said to them time and again, that my work is of immense practical value too, only it needs a fresh approach by fresh minds to realize this. The result of all my business activities was and is, that I was able to spend thousands of pounds on my Semantography, was able to hire typists and printers, was able to do nothing for three years, just writing on my work, and was able to earn leisurely in leisure jobs only the basic wage of an unskilled labourer, which left my mind free and unburdened by business troubles, and thus free to work on my Semantography - and yet I was able to quadruple my money, thus offsetting all the inflation of the last 15 years. SS 210-73
The writing of the three books takes 3 years, after initially anticipating the project would take 1 year
And so the years 1947, 1948, and 1949 came and went. I assumed at first that I would need only one year to write my book, but three years came and went. I had two choices before me. I could write a short book, or rather a brochure only, in which I would discuss all problems, and would then show samples of my symbols. What held me back was the belief that a small book with samples only would leave my critics with the argument that all this is only just a beginning, and perhaps the best proof that symbol writing is impossible. After all, the dictionaries of most languages contain hundreds of thousands of meanings. It could be well impossible to invent symbols to cover all meanings. I therefore had to resort to my second choice: that is, to write a large book, discuss every aspect of every symbol, treat every field in which symbols can be used in the utmost detail in order to prove not so to my critics, but foremost to myself that I can indeed cover all the meanings with the symbol elements less than 100 of which I had invented. I wrote, of course, drafts and drafts of my manuscript, but soon realized that I had to find a better way and a more permanent way for my manuscript. It may well be that I would have to send copies of my writing to many people and publishers and professors. By typing in the ordinary way I could make not more than 5 legible copies, which would not be enough. I had therefore to write my manuscript on wax stencils and then make as many copies as necessary. Claire would read every page of my drafts and of the manuscript and offer her suggestions. She was intensely interested in all I did, and already in Shanghai, although dead tired in the evening would sit still and listen to my discussions with a Mr. Kars from Vienna, whom I hired to fire as much criticism at my symbols as he could think of. (SS 210-76) .
Later I realized that I could type my thoughts directly onto the wax stencil. This made later corrections very difficult, at the same time it forced me to type in clear sentences, because what I typed was then the last text. This method has proved very satisfactory, and, in fact, every issue of my Semantography series, including these pages I am typing now, are done directly on the wax stencil, which method has saved me much time. I refused to send out pages of my writing to people. I felt I had to finish my manuscript first. Sometimes I wondered when I should ever finish it as the pages grew more and more in number. At the same time I would delve in books on language and would come up with most interesting and often daring conclusions. So, I said to myself, write everything down whatever comes to your mind. Now is the time you can do it. Later you won’t be able to do it. Today and during the foregoing years, whenever I thought whether I had spent my first 3 years in Australia wisely, I always answered with a clear Yes! Indeed, I think that the best application of my savings was made when I decided to write my books. Without them Semantography would remain only an idea and nothing more. Moreover my experiences with the professors later on would have discouraged me to go on elaborating on my work. So, it was the best I did to use those first three years and write whatever I had to say, I realized that the pages amount already to three books, and I had almost finished the third book when something occurred which put a stop to all my writing. I had invested more than £2500 in our house and 4 properties. I had bought for £700 shares of the greatest Australian firm, the Broken Hill Ltd. The rest and the incoming dividends and rents I had used for our most modest living during the 3 years. And suddenly I had no money more to spend. I had to go into employment and earn the money necessary to finish my books. (SS 210-76) .
The following exerpt describes the research Charles conducted in Sydney. Based on this paragraph one is left with the idea that the initial creation in Shanghai came from Charles without access to libraries or research.
In Sydney I had the first opportunity to go to a great library and to get the books on linguistics, language planning, logic, semantics, etc. There I realized with horror the chasms and abysses over which I trod lightly in my ignorance. But then I read about language reforms and the ideas of Leibnitz and others and I realized that I had somehow hit on similar ideas and moreover, I had worked out a practical system: at least this is what I believe. (SB 219) .