In September I left a novel on the operating table. Cut open, guts oozing, parts everywhere. I called it my Frankenstein novel.

Guess what???

Frankstein lives!

I have resurrected the monster! This monster novel that I started in May and shelved in August when it became a gigantic pile of word doody has a beating heart again!

Because the characters kept knocking on my skull. Sure, they were surrounded by heaping piles of word doody. But they had hope for themselves! They believed in their story! They wanted to be rescued! I heeded their call in late January and promptly began performing reconstructive surgery on the novel. I’m still in the operating room and it’s a grueling procedure. In fact, I’ll be here for another — 22 days — because I’m gunning for March 31 as my big fat goal to have finished the first draft! I reached 41,756 words on Sunday March 7 and am figuring at 1300 words a day I could have a first draft done by the end of the month.

That first draft will surely need much work and countless revisions. But I’m going to sew this patient up!