Dear Readers:

I finished my first draft of Patsy and Virgie in April, 2011. Considering I started creative writing classes in 2007, completing this first pass seemed long overdue. Now it was time to edit. Members of my critique group who had preceded me into the wasteland of slash and burn warned me it was not an easy task, this revisiting and revision. I took a one week breather while I devised a cunning plan for my editing process. During the previous year I’d read, off and on, four books on revision and editing. I’d organized my research into easily found lists for each chapter. My roadmap ahead was to review my resources, refresh my brain concerning the prominent characteristics of my main players, and read again any inspirational clippings that even remotely pertained to the creative writing process. I also knew I needed additional information about mobsters and the tribal relationships that existed between rival hoodlums of the era. I wanted to make my villain more ruthless. I needed to improve my story details so they were logical and consistent. It seemed like a lot to keep in the frontal lobes all at one time but I felt ready to begin. I was pleasantly surprised that revising seemed easier than I anticipated. And I was pleased that I sensed continuous improvement in my writing as my original chapters scrolled past my eyeballs. The only disappointment was when it dawned on me a third round would be necessary. This meant the manuscript would be slower in release to my beta readers. That would be a disappointment to both me and all the people I have been stringing along trying to build interest and curiosity in my story. The plot thickens.