As regular readers of my Readers Club newsletter have known for a while, I’m deep in the throes of a new manuscript.

The book is Ghost at Dawn and is the companion novel to 2019’s Ghost at Dusk.

While the bulk of the events in Dawn take place before the events in Dusk, it’s not technically a prequel. Like Dusk, it’s a standalone novel. Neither requires the other. Reading both enhances the resonance, in any order.

What I’m finding interesting about Ghost at Dawn is the approach I’m taking. With most of my novels, I’ve striven to streamline my process. More steak, less sizzle; unless you’re vegan—you may have more seitan, less sizzle. Working hard to know where I’m going. Avoid over-writing. Lots of scaffolding while I’m drafting.

This time, I’m using a very different approach: almost improvisational. I know the story arc, the characters, the tone.

But there’s a certain emotional truth I’m after, and the way I’m getting there is through dictating the story, and going until I hit a vein of emotion—then following it. Every morning, I start each session by looking at the constraints I’ve put in place for the scene I’m heading into: the narrator’s strong want or need; the conflict she faces; the emotional change she experiences; the love/fear choice she faces. I have those sketched on in a notebook.

Then I just go. Look for the emotion. Dig into memory. Try angles out. Shift direction.

It may sound odd, I’m just now realizing. Method-ish? Pretentious? Artsy-fartsy?

But it’s not.

What’s coming out has a texture to it, a vibe to it—something unique to this story. Perfect for this story.

If all goes well, I’ll hit the last scene before the end of this month.

The revisions—I already have half a dozen pages of notes taken along the way—will be about taking all this material and distilling it into the most potent version of this story.

How long will that take?

Not sure. A couple of months, at least. I wish it could be faster. But getting it done right trumps getting it done fast.

I will keep you posted!