Living in the Story

Before I ever begin to write a novel, the characters have visited with me time and time again, and I've watched scenes play out in my mind. I know my characters well, like good friends. I know the setting, where the story will begin, and generally how it will end. This continues for months, sometimes even years, until I have time to get it on paper. It's how I sort through all of my ideas. I write the ones that never fade and keep me coming back to them.

Then, when I begin writing, I live the story with my characters. I see what they see, hear what they hear, and feel what they feel. This works better when I can find a large block of time in which to write and don't have to keep coming in and out of my characters' world. But I can do it with only snippets of time if that's all I have. I love this process, and if I don't get to write on a manuscript for several days, I begin to feel that something important is missing.

However, all this doesn't necessarily end when a book is published. Like any good friends, they still visit occasionally, which is good because I miss them. Sometimes they tell me things I wish I had included in the book, but that's okay. I always feel a book is complete before I send the manuscript to the publisher. These are just extras I can treasure. And when I write by living the story, my readers can live the story when they read it.

___________________________________