ON WRITING

Hi Guys:  Being a 'seat of the pants' writer, each new book is a new adventure for me.  Sure, I know the characters, the setting and era and I have an idea of the story when I start, but many times as I write, until I get there, I haven't a clue where I'm going.  Now I know there are writers, and I envy them, that sit down and map out an outline of the entire book.  Some even outline each chapter and then begin writing -- they amaze me and I'm sure that my way horrifies them -- sometimes it does me, too!  I wish I could do a great outline, but my brain (the part that still works...now and then) just doesn't work that way and explains why I often have those really bad writing patches.  This was made painfully clear to me just the other day.  As you all know (you've listened to me whine often enough lately), I've been having trouble with the book, but I hit section where I knew exactly where I was going.  The pages just zipped by and I felt like a real writer.  It's been a pretty good week writing wise.  I know that I'll hit another sticky section, but that's part of the adventure.  There's nothing like writing yourself into a corner and then figuring out how to get out...without leaving any sign of the struggle behind.  I know there'll be more sticky patches, but I also know that I'll discover new things about my characters and the book as I write through them and that eventually I'll be writing F I N IS and sending in another manuscript.  I leave you with -- "One day the Nouns were clustered in the street.  An adjective walked by, with her dark beauty.  The Nouns were struck, moved, changed.  The next day a Verb drove up and created the sentence."  Kenneth Koch , quoted from the Columbia College alumni magazine, via the Author's Guild Newsletter.