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!
