This was a VERY popular question earlier this year when I asked what you wanted to know about the writing process!

So . . . where do I begin?

I'm not sure there really is a definitive beginning, per se. For me, writing a novel is equal parts planning ahead and letting intuition lead the way.

For the planning ahead part, I use a simple process of 15 "beats" (aka plot points) as shared by author Jessica Brody in her book Save the Cat Writes a Novel. If you've ever thought of writing fiction (in any genre), I highly recommend her teaching.

With Feathers in the Sand, I began with about 2/3 of those plot points "figured out." I knew exactly what the last scene was to be, but the 3-4 scenes before that one were unclear. I began telling the story anyway, trusting that the way would be made known (and it was!). It's all about Trusting the Process.

Creativity of any kind is exactly that—a process, a journey. Sometimes there's a clear beginning, middle and end; sometimes there's not. Once in a while you have to dive into the middle of a creative project and find your way back to the beginning. And it's all okay . . . there's no right or wrong way to do it.

Right now I am in the process of beginning the second book in the Seahaven Sunrise series. It's called Sea Glass Memories and at this stage of the process, "beginning" doesn't see me at my laptop. It doesn't even see me plotting out those "beats." Right now I am what you might call pre-beginning—letting the characters talk to me in my imagination as I go about my daily routine and get my other work done. In this way, I get a "feel" for who is stepping forward and who might have a more minor role.

This has been going on for a few months now and I'm okay with it because I know that these characters and new story need some time and space to take root in my body, mind, and spirit before I am ready to sit down and put words to paper (or keyboard, as the case may be).

Because of this, certain things have been made clear to me. For example, a character's last name is now certain (that took longer than expected!). Also, I had originally thought that the main character in the new book would be Elena Jeffries, Carlos's sister, who is the new English teacher at Seahaven High. But in this pre-beginning stage, as I let the characters wander around in my mind and make themselves known, it is clear to me that Sea Glass Memories is to be more about Aunt Kit's story. And because Elena's current story echoes Kit's past in many ways, she will play an important part in the telling of it.

One of the main themes of Sea Glass Memories will be how we carry grief. Kit experienced a tragic loss at the age of twenty, and Elena is experiencing a similar grief. It won't be all about sadness, however! There will be many lighter moments to balance it all out. It will be autumn in Seahaven, and there's going to be a very mportant Halloween Scavenger Hunt that will be lots of fun (and important to the story but I'm not telling how!).

I know for sure that some characters from Feathers in the Sand will also appear in the second book, and you'll get more glimpses of the popular restaurant Chloe's By the Sea and the unique Simply Coffee/Simply Sweets popular hangout.

I'll admit, sometimes I find it frustrating to be in this liminal stage of "in-between" two books. A part of me wants to sit down at that laptop and get going right now! But the pre-beginning stage is crucial to the whole journey, sort of like carefully packing a suitcase before I take a vacation. If I don't have everything I need, it won't be a very enjoyable vacation. And if I don't have the basics of the story set in my mind, it won't be a smooth writing experience.

I'm curious to hear how YOU begin something important. Please share when you fill out the form for the September give-away (see below) or send me an email.

 🏆 AUGUST Give-Away Winners 🏆

a paperback copy of The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd.

Lisa S. from Pennsylvania

Deborah C. from New York

This month I'm giving away TWO paperback copies of Twelve Times Blessed, by Jacquelyn Mitchard.

The title refers to the business started by True Dickinson: a gift-of-the-month club for new babies and their moms. Aside from her flourishing business, True has a young son, a mother, friends with lives of their own, and her own feelings of loss and emptiness, until she meets a man . . . a much younger man. I enjoy just about everything that this author writes and I think you will too!

If you want to enter, just fill out the short form here and I'll do a random drawing THIS SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 18. I'll send you an email notice that you've won on Monday, and I'll ask for your snail mail address after that!

(NOTE: I use the random generator at random.org to choose the winners

Here's another awesome book give-away!

50+ authors have gathered together to give away their best books. You don't need all 53 (or do you :), you can download whichever ones intrigue you. There's something there for everyone!

My first women's novel, Dragonflies at Night: More Than a Love Story is one of the give-aways.

Visit this page to see all the gifted books.

Greetings!Thank you for reading my author newsletter! This is me a few years ago when I was teaching SoulCollage® at Kripalu in the Massachusetts Berkshires.

In between newsletters, I'll be posting more often on Instagram, my blog, and/or my Facebook Author page, so I hope you'll visit me there too.