the thing that gets me stuck most often is the feeling that I have to get things perfect out of the box.

Yes, THIS. Just write down the bad phrase and move on.

Susan, a mantra I cling to is "Start where the trouble starts." Does the trouble actually start while she's still married, or does it start after she's already a widow? If so, you can present the character as a widow who knows she ought to grieve more than she does, so the reader never really commits to the old marriage.

Susan, a mantra I cling to is "Start where the trouble starts." Does the trouble actually start while she's still married, or does it start after she's already a widow? If so, you can present the character as a widow who knows she ought to grieve more than she does, so the reader never really commits to the old marriage.

I can always go back and rewrite if I change my mind, but I really think it starts while she's still married. At least, I've got an opening scene stuck in my brain that I'm going to run with for now.

Pastoral English County to Be Named Later

Ooh, lovely! I vacationed there once....

And if it turns out that starting while she's married doesn't work, could your opening scene work recast as a flashback?

Quite possibly, though it's looking like several scenes, maybe as much as two or three chapters worth at this point. I want to have Anna and Jack meet and develop a rapport, then have a few scenes with Anna and her husband that illustrate the tensions in their marriage, maybe another nice friendly scene or two with Jack, and then she gets the word that her husband is dead.

Pastoral English County to Be Named Later

It's actually called "Washbasin-on-the-Drainboard" on the OS maps....

Anyone around?

I've just written my bio for the launch party announcement, as requested by Ed Kaufman, and it needs some serious beta reading, for tone and clarity.

It's supposed to be longish (he said so - that way, he can chop), and I'm trying for a particular feel.

I'm here, taking posting breaks between mindnumbingly boring work tasks....

I'm here. If you want to send it on profile addy's good.

Send it here, Deb.

Sending to all three. Thanks, loves - I need to get this off to Ed within a day or two.