I have always loved to put puzzles together. I have to say that I do depend on the picture to guide me; especially when the going gets harder. Nature puzzles with lots of color are favorite. It is relaxing to me to think about the place in the picture, and what if I were there. What would it be like, and what else might be there that is not in the picture? What might I be doing if I were there? Who might be there with me?

I have found that writing a novel is much like a puzzle. There are times when I take some time away from the manuscript just like I’ve been instructed that I must. This “away time” is used a lot like the time used to take a break from working a puzzle. This is time when the brain is processing so that more progress can be made. A college professor once told us that children need recess time to play while their brains file information learned the past couple of hours so that they can learn and take in more in the next couple of hours before lunch break. That makes a lot of sense to me as I think about my own absorption of information.

This past few weeks I have taken some time off serious writing mostly because of other concerns that needed my attention. During that time I still thought about this novel, “The Sailor’s Legacy,” and as new ideas or solutions came to mind I wrote them down. My son sent a link to a history article that helped put some more pieces of this puzzle together. I am ready to storm the keyboard again and finish this manuscript and hopefully get it to an editor soon. I would love to have it published by the end of this year. The Lord knows when the right time is, and that is when I want it to be published.

Until then, I will enjoy piecing this manuscript puzzle together while praying that it will be what God intends and that I will allow Him to say what He has to say through it. If you happen to be a fellow writer and reading this, I wish you happy and successful writing! If you are not a fellow writer, I wish you happiness and success in you endeavors.

Have a very blessed week, friends.