I don’t know any other writers who write the way I do.

I call it writing to plot.

First, I never, ever start a novel from a cold, white page. After I finish one, before I even read it over, I start the next one. That way I’m always in the middle of a novel. I usually write between ten and fifteen pages for the next book.

Then, I switch to research. For some books, I research a lot. For the one that takes place in a Geisha house in Kyoto, Japan, I read seventy-five books. (The pile astonished me so much, I counted them!) For others, like the one that happens around Chicago—The Musical, I didn’t read one.

In my research, I follow my instincts. Let’s talk about the book I’m researching now. It’s the eighth Mex Stone novel, and it’s called Legally Bond. It takes place around a Boston touring company of the musical Legally Blonde. The musical is about a girl named Elle Woods who goes to Harvard Law School to follow her one true love, falls in love with the law, and Emmet Forrest, and ends up valedictorian of her class. On the way, she’s dissed over and over again for being a woman and being a blonde.

I live in Boston, and I know I need to go to Harvard and look around the law school. I’ll do it when the weather is a little less frigid. In the meantime, I’m reading memoirs about HLS experiences that are opening my eyes wide. It could be summarized: HLS, not all it’s cracked up to be.

As the Universe would have it, when I had just finished the seventh book, a client came to see me who works in white collar crime prevention for a major bank. That got me thinking about Legally Blonde, and it explains how it turned into Legally Bond, which also turns out to be a pun. It came to me that I would have three 2Ls create a faux bond issue to pay for their 3L tuition. My client assured me it could be done, and she could explain how.

In addition, each novel addresses an “issue” in my protagonist’s life. This one addresses the hot potato of gay marriage as she’s met her soulmate, and they’re in love. Now what? So Bond has two connotations.

Here’s the coolest thing about writing to plot: I only sort of know the plot in the book. Yeah, the “big things,” but not the details. I can’t even begin to figure out the details. Truth is, I discover them as I write, which is part of what makes writing so fun.

And the universe becomes a total conspiracy for my plot. Catalogues arrive with T-shirts that my characters need to be wearing. I’ll see a poem. Quotes from beliefnet.com. Emails. Everything contributes. I consider the way I write a novel a miracle, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

And lookee here! Last month, I promised more on miracles next month … les voila!

Next month … creative mind vs. editing mind …

For spiritual nourishment, visit Dr. Susan Corso’s website http://www.susancorso.com. Follow her on Twitter @PeaceCorso  http://www.twitter.com/PeaceCorsoand Friend her on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/algore#/profile.php?id=1365699347&ref=profile.