During my family’s spring break to the Smokies, I had plenty of time to meditate on Calyn’s story. I climbed steep trails and hiked through gaps that led from one valley to another. I had a good feel for the way the mountains took ragged chunks out of the sky. I was ready to get to work. On the following Monday, the copy edits for SUSPECT arrived. I spent the next two weeks working with my editor from Peachtree and the copy editor on tweaking lines and smoothing out continuity and logic issues. Calyn’s story had to be pushed completely aside. So now I’m back at it. This oftens happens to writers.
Chapter 8 needed some serious edits to match up with the novel’s new opening. Changes in the beginning of the novel will ripple through scenes all the way until the end. Chapter 9 looked like it could pretty much stay the way it was until I realized that I had the perfect spot to introduce two new characters. That’s my job for tomorrow.
Kristin Wolden Nitz 