I think that I understand how long it takes me to write a book now. From start to publication, it seems like it will always be at least a year.
That is really funny to me because in most of my books, the time covered in the book is weeks to months. It can take me an eight hour day to relate a thirty minute sequence of events.
The next two books in my Bayou Beni series are roughly outlined in my head. Very roughly. As the stories are recorded and the books take shape, they will change from what I am currently imagining.
For me, writing is very much like life. You have a plan, and you work your plan, but things never go quite the way you planned them.
There is a character that will have a large role in the next Bayou Beni book. I had planned a totally different role for her, but as I developed her character more fully, I saw that I had misjudged her development. It isn't the first time a character has redirected me.
My characters continue to teach me about life, about forgiveness, about hope and about brokenness. They are not born fully formed in my head, but grow and develop as events shape them.
My characters have helped me grow. When they mess up and forgive themselves, they help me to forgive myself. When they encourage each other, they help me to remember to encourage the people in my world.
What I hope to achieve from my writing is that the people that read my books are inspired to be kinder, gentler and more understanding of their neighbors.
A naive, innocent hope, but one that keeps me writing.
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