Tuesday, October 23, 2012

What Are You Writing Now?

Whenever I do a reading or a book signing of my latest title, someone will ask the inevitable question, "What are you writing now?"

It used to be that I would circle around the answer, always avoiding telling what the new story was about, believing I could jinx it before it ever saw the light of day. (I believe this because it's happened to me.)

I acknowledge that in order to be happy I have to be writing something. I've always loved working with words — my own or editing those of someone else. Lately,  my writing has taken a different tack. I am helping a gentleman get his personal recollections ready to be published in a book.

Currently, I visit him once a week with my digital voice recorder, and he tells me the stories as they occur to him. He has lived in this town for more than 85 years and is a fount of knowledge of its history. A history buff myself, I am thrilled to be able to help preserve these memories.

After I have transcribed his words and edited them into a readable form, I email them to him to read. Before we record another session we will go over those pages together, making revisions. Another rewrite and edit, and they will be ready for him to make the final revisions.

Stay tuned!

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