Writing a new book

I’ve tried this writing game about every possible way, from having no idea where a book is going (too random and out of control) to having a complete plan (destroys the momentum of a book).

Like the good Canadian boy that I am, I’ve settled for middle ground … some idea of some characters before I start, a starting point, and after that, following the analogy of driving a car at night … You don’t need to see the entire journey, just as far as the beams reveal at any given time.

It’s scary sometimes because you get yourself into binds and have write your way out. But it seems to give the book the energy it needs.

That’s how I approached the last half of SNOW CANDY, out early in 2008 from Mercury Press, and that’s how I’m approaching its sequel (no firm title yet, currently at 16,000 words, first draft).