A problem shared

It’ll come as no surprise that I’ve been avoiding finishing up final edits on Book 2. It’s 98% there I reckon. My brilliant editor highlighted a problem; a great catch and something I had completely missed.

At a number of points in the book, it’s very important that information/exposition is provided through phone calls. Without considering whether that would have been possible from one private address to another, the story is pinned in several places by it.

Last night, I was at my Book Club and someone (very kindly) asked how the writing was going. I admitted that I’d been putting off finishing up edits because of the above problem. We talked it through as a group and there were some great suggestions alongside throwing in some time travel elements so my character could be on the phone. It was enough to guilt me into going home and seriously looking at that document.

While I’ve had to pivot ever so slightly, there were public payphones available in the era as well as shared phones in larger apartment buildings. A quick adjustment and the thing I’d spent weeks worrying about was cleared away like dust bunnies falling to the power of the Vileda 1-2 Spray Mop. What can I say, I’m a fan.

Writing is often a lonely process. We can become a martyr to our own causes. I value the opportunity to be a part of a local writer’s group as well as my book club. The sooner we start getting into the weeds on structure and problem-solving, the better.