by Mary Carroll Moore

Books often start with a simple yearning to explore new territory: fascinating topics, characters who won’t leave you alone, a good story. Writing at this level is sheer fun. It’s a great way to find out what you believe and who you are, to listen to yourself on paper and make sense of what you hear.

Writing a book is one of the most far-reaching journeys a person can take. But because your book doesn’t always provide road signs, often you don’t know if you are getting anywhere at all. It’s easy to get lost along the way. You may have experienced the excitement of starting a book. You may have also experienced the frustration of stalling out midway through a manuscript because you didn’t know where to go next.