The ending hasn’t been written yet, so we don’t know how it turns out. Although I have my notions. I always start a work with an emotional destination in mind — I always know how the character should feel at the end, even if I’m not sure what the actual ending event is.

I guess it depends on what “all right” means to you. To me, it means that by the end of the book Jane has become more herself rather than less.

Drown includes an accident, an actual drowning, that plays a strong role in the book. Very interesting that all three novels I’ve worked on so far have included this emphasis on the accidental. It’s the accident, and Jane’s response to it, that may take the story across the “mainstream” line into speculative fiction. Or maybe not.

The friendship between Jane, Annie and Del is important, and whether it will survive is a big part of the story. Whether any of Jane’s relationships will survive the changes that are coming to her.

But I’m particularly focused on the friendship because that so often gets short shrift in fiction (and movies and TV and music…) We focus on lovers, spouses and family as if those relationships were intrinsically more powerful and meaningful than friendship. But friendship isn’t lesser, it’s just very different, and I would like to see writers explore it more. I do it myself in many of the stories in Dangerous Space, and it’s also one of the primary concerns of Drown.

Clearly the drown word is very evocative.

I have no doubt ‘something’ will happen. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see where the writer decides to take it/us.

The dialogue and interplay amongst the three friends and the side play from the watcher’s point of view felt like the start of something.

Holy Plan B.

Wow, again. Lots of things that touched me in there.

I’m extraordinarily curious what you will have Jane do, how things will turn out for her in the end. I can think of a couple (most) likely scenarios that I’d maybe just as soon not read about, but of course, I would read it. Would have to. Too close to home maybe. All of the possibilities that come to mind which seem actually possible come with difficulties and hardships — in my mind, but what life doesn’t? I think I’d be riveted to the book no matter what, but hate it if the ending didn’t turn out in a way I’d like. But maybe you could make me see it in a way that I could learn to like it.

Sounds like there is no telling what you are going to do anyway – ghost story?

I can see where the ‘in-dwelling’ and ‘whiny’ (not really whiny so far) comments come from, but I haven’t seen enough of her to make up my mind yet. Anyway, some people like ‘in-dwelling’ novels, don’t they?

I think it has the potential to be a life-changing kind of book, if you ever decide to go back to it.

All I can say is — Thanks for sharing that, and…. more please.