Reading Group Guide for Second Draft of My Life
by Sara Lewis

1. We often hear great achievers urging us to pursue our dreams no matter what obstacles we face. When the book opens, Charlotte decides to abandon her dream in favor of security. Is this a legitimate choice, or is it a mistake? Is there a point when a dream should be abandoned? If so, how do you know when you've reached it?

2. Did Charlotte have any control over her success as a novelist? In general, how much control do people have over their own success in life?

3. Have you ever considered starting a new career after many years of working in another field? If you have changed careers, share your experiences of the transition.

4. Do you think Charlotte should have continued teaching after her first year? What was more difficult, teaching or writing, and why? Are either of these careers any more difficult than other career she might have chosen?

5. What do you think of Charlotte's books as they are briefly described in Second Draft of My Life? Do they sound like books that you would like to read?

6. Because they are twins, Charlotte and Emily have a special relationship. Did you ever wish to be a twin? If you are a twin, is your relationship anything like theirs? If you are not a twin but have a sister, are their any similarities between your relationship with your sister and Charlotte and Emily's relationships? How important was Emily to Charlotte's writing?

7. Over the years, Charlotte has had many phone conversations with her agent, Howard. Is he responsible for more than just the sales of her books? What additional role(s) does he play?

8. In the classroom, Charlotte has a hard time getting her students to pay attention and do their work. What advice would you give her to make her a more successful teacher?

9. How does Charlotte's teaching experience change her?

10. Charlotte has difficulty developing good relationships with her new co-workers. Why is this? How and why do these relationships change?

11. Late in the novel, in Charlotte's book Accomplish Anything, she lists several steps for achieving goals. How effective do you think these steps would be when applied to real-life goals? What steps would you add or remove from the list?

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Text © 1992-2007 by Sara Lewis.

Sarah Lewis