I was very excited to finish the first draft of my latest manuscript, Unwilling Witness.  Of course, it is my first draft!  Over the years I've sort of figured out how I need to write, though this is constantly evolving.  I have friends who are final draft writers.  Before they move on, each sentence must be perfect.  Each emotion must work.  By the time they finish the book, they just send it in.  I wish I could write that way.  I've tried to.  Believe me I have.  

However, one of the most important lessons I've learned over time is that each writer has to learn what works for them.  When I try to final draft write, my pacing suffers.  In fact, my pacing is so slow, I fall asleep reading my own story!  I've learned that my stories are best when I write iteratively.  It's irritating, actually--my process, I mean...

This has been an interesting week for me in the writing department.  I’ve been working on a proposal for the second book in a series while editors are considering the first book.  I want to have the proposal ready to go as soon as possible, and have been working on it for a while.  The issue: they’ve been the toughest beginning chapters I’ve ever written.  Truthfully, in the past, the first three chapters usually came pretty easy for me…once I’ve plotted a story out.  So what’s my problem this time?