One of the things I like about the writing process is the fact that, even if you are not actually sitting down and writing, your mind (subconscious? unconscious?) is still working on the book. That's what the past week has been: me not at the computer but my mind at the proverbial grindstone working its way through various thoughts and ideas for Luke, the new Phillip Gold novel.

I am still very excited with the idea for the book and have great confidence that the writing process will be fairly smooth. The plot is clearly established in my brain and the characters are starting to take shape. I will have to do some research in the field of psychiatry, especially child psychiatry, even beyond watching old Frasier episodes, but that's okay. Research isn't my strong point but I figure I need to get better at it someday.

I have several five-day long business trips coming up so I hope to take advantage of quiet nights in dreary hotel rooms to get some writing done. I asked Patti the other day: do you think it's reasonable to set a goal of completing the novel by the summer? The look she gave me suggested "perhaps not" but what's the sense of setting goals if their easy to meet, right?

Meanwhile, I finished re-re-re-re-reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on the weekend. I tried to force myself to savour every word but I'm afraid some scenes were still just too exciting for me. What a great book. I always feel a slight sense of loss when I finish it, like something wonderful is coming to a close. And I always start thinking again about my own Rowling-world novel, The Way Forward, which currently rests, slightly abandoned, here on this website.

I've already had some new ideas for it so, perhaps once I've got the first draft of Luke put to bed, I'll get back to Aberforth and George for a while.

Tags: Harry Potter, Phillip Gold