I am returning to this project in a very positive mood; it needs to be finished. I would go so far as to say that it demands to be finished. It is a personal project in that much of the subject matter is related to my own experiences of life. These experiences are unique to me in that my interpretation of them cannot be truly understood by anyone else. I can give you an explanation of that interpretation, but as you have not lived my life in my body then you will not fully understand my views on everything; not even if I write the most brilliant manuscript in literary history. To me this a truth, a bone of contention, and a challenge to me as a writer. I want to give the reader a taste of my experience even though I accept that I can never give anything but a semblance of it. By the book’s conclusion I hope that my values, beliefs, and approach to life might be better understood. I am not looking to convert anyone to my way of thinking because my way of thinking is entirely unique to me and probably does not suit anyone else. This is a very real challenge because this book means an awful lot to me; it is that personal.

The last time that I looked at the manuscript was some ten months ago, so I am going to have to restart this project by reading through everything that I have written, drafts, notes, stylesheet; everything. That could take some time, and I expect to be making quite a few observations along the way. However, when I put this book to one side last year I did so knowing that I had a working end to the story, which in many respects is also the motivation for the entire novel; it has a destination but the journey still needs to be written; that is my task now.