Tuesday, August 25, 2015

BACK TO SCHOOL

It's that time of year.

Many years have passed since I had to worry about who my teachers would be, and if any of my friends would be in my classes. But the days grow shorter. There's urgency in the air. The newspaper is filled with ads for notebooks and pencils. It's time for a fresh start.




My latest novel, THE BOOK OF DARES FOR LOST FRIENDS, takes place at that time of transition. One of my characters Lanora remarks -- "How many times do we get the chance to begin again?"

She proceeds to make terrible choices. (Something must go wrong in a book before things can go well.) But she's right about one thing. How many times do we get the chance? How many times do we seize that chance? We are made of our memories and our past connections. Can we ever really begin again?

Yes, I say. Yes we can.

Whenever I rewrite a manuscript, I'm always tempted to paste in long sections from previous drafts. I resist the effort of starting fresh, even when I know that's exactly what I need to do!

But it's time to go back to school. Time to sharpen the pencils. Time for a clean page. Time for cool breezes to clear the air. Time to begin the final rewrite for a novel I've been working on for longer than I care to admit.

So here we go!



3 comments:

  1. Hi Jane! I'm co-editor of the WI SCBWI blog and am contacting regional presenters for the fall conference. Would you be so kind and send me your email address? Thanks! genevieve580@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. As a writer of the sassy, savvy, INsane Kardiak Arrest we all go through in this lifelong demise, I as well as you gotta lotta angst; however, the synonymous metaphors which shall creep stealthily across thy brain like the vivid, brazen dawn are the cohesion which brings U.S. together, girl...

    So, see if you cannot subliminally 'read-between-the-lines' or VERBUM SAT SAPIENTI (Latin: words to the wise): here's summore symbiotically-explosive-coolness done in sardonic satires when we passed-away:

    "Those who are wise will shine as brightly as the expanse of the Heavens, and those who have instructed many in uprightousness, as bright as stars for all eternity"
    -Daniel 12:3

    Here's what the prolific, exquisite GODy sed: 'the more you shall honor Me, the more I shall bless you'
    -the Infant Jesus of Prague.

    Go git'm, girl. You're incredible.
    See you Upstairs...
    I won't be joining them in the Abyss.
    Thesuperseedoftime.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. As a writer of the sassy, savvy, INsane Kardiak Arrest we all go through in this lifelong demise, I as well as you gotta lotta angst; however, the synonymous metaphors which shall creep stealthily across thy brain like the vivid, brazen dawn are the cohesion which brings U.S. together, girl...

    So, see if you cannot subliminally 'read-between-the-lines' or VERBUM SAT SAPIENTI (Latin: words to the wise): here's summore symbiotically-explosive-coolness done in sardonic satires when we passed-away:

    "Those who are wise will shine as brightly as the expanse of the Heavens, and those who have instructed many in uprightousness, as bright as stars for all eternity"
    -Daniel 12:3

    Here's what the prolific, exquisite GODy sed: 'the more you shall honor Me, the more I shall bless you'
    -the Infant Jesus of Prague.

    Go git'm, girl. You're incredible.
    See you Upstairs...
    I won't be joining them in the Abyss.
    Thesuperseedoftime.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete