perhaps　a　little　wide…eyed；　he　is　a　Stephen　King　narrator　if　ever　there　was　one。　So　I　got　to　work；　but　in　a　tentative；　stopand…start　way。　Most　of　the　second　chapter　was　written　during　a　rain　delay　at　Fenway　Park！

When　Ralph　called；　I　had　filled　a　notebook　with　scribbled　pages　of　The　Green　Mile；　and　realized　I　was　building　a　novel　when　I　should　have　been　spending　my　time　clearing　my　desk　for　revisions　on　a　book　already　written　（Desperation…you'll　see　it　soon；　Constant　Reader）。　At　the　point　I　had　e　to　on　Mile；　there　are　usually　just　two　choices：　put　it　away　（probably　never　to　be　picked　up　again）　or　cast　everything　else　aside　and　chase。

Ralph　suggested　a　possible　third　alternative；　a　story　that　could　be　written　the　same　way　it　would　be　read…in　installments。　And　I　liked　the　high…wire　aspect　of　it；　too：　fall　down　on　the　job；　fail　to　carry　through；　and　all　at　once　about　a　million　readers　are　howling　for　your　blood。　No　one　knows　this　any　better　than　me；　unless　it's　my　secretary；　Juliann　Eugley；　we　get　dozens　of　angry　letters　each　week；　demanding　the　next　book　in　the　Dark　Tower　cycle　（patience；　followers　of　Roland；　another　year　or　so　and　your　wait　will　end；　I　promise）。　One　of　these　contained　a　Polaroid　of　a　teddy…bear　in　chains；　with　a　message　cut　out　of　newspaper　headlines　and　magazine　covers：　RELEASE　THE　NEXT　DARK　TOWER　BOOK　AT　ONCE　OR　THE　BEAR　DIES；　it　said。　I　put　it　up　in　my　office　to　remind　myself　both　of　my　responsibility　and　of　how　wonderful　it　is　to　have　people