Hello,

I’m writing my second Owen Story novel as you know; I’m finishing the first draft to move into the long—but not too long—rewrite process which is the REAL process. My first step though is not to pick up the pen and get to it, I have to organize first. I don’t mean create an outline so I know where I’m going; I already know this for the most part, I mean putting all my notes, my snatches of information, my short story lines, my scribbled passages all together in front of me like a person opening a large box of chocolates a la Forest Gump and choosing the ones that best fit the story, the novel.

When I’m collecting these pieces written down on the backs of store receipts, in one of the small notebooks I carry around or on a stickem, I of course don’t know exactly where they may fit; only that they might. So when I gather them I try and fit most into the books storyline like working a puzzle where sometimes the pieces are large and give you an idea of the picture you’re creating and at other times, small and are needed just to help the picture develop while some you don’t need.

I enjoy this part of working my book because I find once I’m here, the book is alive and all I’m there to do is keep it breathing and healthy by feeding it the right words and taking out the useless, unnecessary ones; keeping it moving by throwing in a fast paced storyline ; filling it with excitement and adventure and with characters you want to know and love. It’s a pleasure to get to this phase though I have a ways to go until I’m done, but the fact I have gotten there lets me know I have a story worth finishing, that I enjoy and look forward to adding to it until it’s the way I want it to be and hope the end result will be a novel loved not only by me but my readers too.

Keep writing your novels, movie scripts, short stories, poems, because you love it.

If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.

Until next time, God willing,

Lori