Road Map to Writing

[image error]Whenever I begin a writing project I feel like an explorer entering a new world.  I have no idea where I am, where I’m going, or what I’m looking for.  All I can do is press on and hope to discover something exciting.

This year, I’m beginning a new writing project in a completely different genre than I’m used to.  Already, the manuscript has taken many left turns.  What started as a romance has become a mystery.  The male main character was a man, but now she’s a woman.  Third-person point of view has changed to first.  I’ve added some characters and deleted others.  I know that, eventually, I’ll end up with something I like, but getting to that point will take time.  What I really need on this voyage is a good guidebook!

Enter one of my favorite writers, Anne Lamott.  I’ve read Bird by Bird before, but I want to study it all over again.  Bird by Bird is part autobiography part writing bible.  It’s funny and encouraging.  It boosted my confidence as a writer when I first read it, and I’m looking to it now to give me inspiration.

There are many great books on how to write a novel, but this one remains my favorite.  I can’t wait to continue on my journey of both reading and writing.