Final Chapter

Life has kept me quite busy. Mostly I have been recovering from the death of my close friend, Judy Post aka Judi Lynn. I know she would be most upset with me for not keeping up my blog here. Well, I’m getting started again and have started writing again. Yesterday I finished the first scene of the final chapter of my first Lincoln novel. One of the other members of my writer’s group graciously has agreed to proofread the final version of the story. Judy used to do that for me. Every author needs a fresh set of eyes or more to look over their work for the little errors.

Chapter Twenty-four is an epilogue that takes place 26 years in the future from where the story previously ended. The first scene is a transition scene that brings the reader up to date with all that has happened to Abraham Lincoln and Owen Lovejoy in Congress and takes place in Washington D. C. The chapter has 3 scenes. The second scene also shows the reader what has happened by in Alton, Illinois. The final scene is an action scene that completes the story and brings the novel to closure.

Writing the last chapter is always difficult for me. Perhaps it is the letting go of something you have spent years working on. I first began this novel over 20 years ago. It has changed much since then. I revisited my outline and have put into it a few things I need to add to tie things up. I also want to delete somethings that slowed the story down. The editing should go much faster than the rough draft. The draft of this novel took so long because I had to put in on pause for over a decade while I went to school, got several degrees, and began working a day job.

Speaking of which, I am looking forward to retiring from my day job in another year or 14 months. I’m looking forward to becoming a full-time writer again, bookseller and hopefully publisher again. I plan to immerse myself into the writing world again. I am getting things organized around my house and life to enable me to do so. I’m cleaning my garage to make it more useable and efficient and I’m setting up all my books again. I will be selling some of my books as I have moved on in my interests over time and also selling some of Edward Bryant’s collection. I just don’t have room for everything, so I’m keeping the things I hope to use as reference material and to read for personal delight. It is so wonderful to see my old book friends again.

I also hope to travel and tour a bit. I want to visit writing friends in other cities and conferences and maybe a book tour. A lot to look forward to one step at a time.