Writing: How I Do It 

Terry Lamb

I have always found writing to be easy - it flows naturally for me, and I've been doing it for years. So, I made it a part of my astrology business on an occasional basis since the beginning, in the late 1970s. In early 2000 I decided I wanted to make it a greater part of my work. Subsequently, I met two of the editors for Llewellyn Publications, Sharon Leah and Stephanie Clement, at the ASTRO 2000 conference in Denver, where I was speaking. As a result, I was invited to write an article for the Moon Sign Book 2002, which Sharon edits. When the contract for the forecasts of their Sun Sign Book became available in 2001 for the 2003 edition, I was very excited about the possibility of writing it for them. I had for a long time felt that sun sign forecasts were limited in their ability to give people true insight into their experiences of the world, and clearly there is much more depth in personal astrological services. However, as I learned more about solar astrology, which has been widely practiced and respected since the most ancient times, I recognized how powerful a tool it is. I decided to submit an application, as did several other astrologers.

The application required writing portions of text that represent the processes and techniques used in the forecasts. In addition, I had to answer questions like, "How will you keep the material fresh from year to year?" To write it, I had to "reverse engineer" what was already being written. The format that Llewellyn was already using (which has since been modified slightly) was well-thought out and hit all of the bases I would want to hit in writing a detailed yearly forecast for a sun sign. When I was awarded the position in the spring of 2002, I began work immediately, even though Llewellyn's payment cycle did not begin until the fall. It is paid by contract rather than on the basis of royalties. Although the forecasts are the major part of the annual, there are other articles and items in it as well. There are four submission deadlines which commence in the fall, and the final submission has to be made in March.

The way I work with the material is that I lay the groundwork first, mapping out the travel of planets, major planetary events such as eclipses and stations, and the solar houses that are transited for each sign. Then I do all the writing. Rather than writing everything for one sign and proceeding to the next, I write all of one section (for every sign) and then proceed to another section. This is more efficient for me, as it allows me to remember the parameters I have established without reviewing them. It also permits me to be more consistent in my writing. Once I get into a rhythm, I can write more to the point, with less over-writing (writing too much for a section). Each section has a number of words defined for it. My editor, Kate Brielmaier, likes me to over-write a little, and then she edits it down. I rarely need to edit my own work, which saves me time. I rarely have difficulty getting the writing to flow when I'm writing this material, but if I do, I have found that it's better for me to wait until they do than to write anyway and then edit.

I feel very fortunate in being able to maintain this assignment, and I am optimistic that I will enjoy it for many years to come.