You may wonder how I weave together the tapestry of my stories. That's a good question! For the most part, I write from a place of inspiration. I get an idea and I just go with the flow. Point A logically, or not, proceeds naturally to Point B. I rarely have a preconceived notion of how my story is going to unfold when I begin each misadventure.It's not to say that I don't have to map out some of my stories as I get further into them. As you will notice when you continue to read the sequels to Misadventures, each of my books is thirty-three bite-sized chapters long. That lets me know exactly how much time I have to wrap up each book. With that in mind, I want to make sure that I keep pace with my conflicts and knit together the storyline in as satisfying a way as I can.
Of course, I want to keep you coming back. That's why I will sometimes leave you with a cliffhanger. Even so, I carefully construct each book so that it's a self-contained entity. I'd love to have you read them all, but I realize that's not always practical. As of early 2010, I have eleven books written in the series and I haven't run out of ideas yet.
The way I keep it fresh for myself is that, after book three, I travel backward in time. This allows me to develop the main characters as I trace their deliciously dysfunctional pasts. As is the case with Priscilla Bunhead and Martha Mayhem, you will come to see how they have become so delightfully twisted. It also allows me to introduce a larger cast of characters that are not present in the books in the “current” storyline.
I have an ongoing challenge as I create more and more characters. I have to keep track of their dates of birth and the circumstances of their lives over a span of fifty-odd years. I keep a notebook with all of those details. I have even made a model of Mildred Mayflower's mansion, Mayflower Manor, in order to trace the action as it moves around within the thirteen bedroom home.
To make it easier on myself, I write three books in sequence before I jump forward or backwards in time. That helps me with continuity. What helps inspire creative new ideas is the very act of time travel.
Writing these books is indeed like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Over the course of several generations, I have introduced close to a hundred characters. Just wait until you get to meet Priscilla's equally ornery aunt, Igotta Bea Bunhead. Then you will come to know the delightful cast of happy hookers at the best little whorehouse on the prairie. You'll meet the ever sunny Purdy Pleasya and the larger-than-life Annie Awesome.
Do any of them have secrets? You bet they do! You'll just have to read the books in order to get the inside scoop. Sister Mary Olga may tell tales out of school, but I will not!
Thank you and hope you follow me through my Journey,
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