Of Epilogues and Editors

"I want to write books that unlock the traffic jam in everybody's head." ~John Updike

Yesterday I stopped by my local animal shelter, where I volunteer on a pretty regular basis. I had given a copy of Lost in Paradise to the woman who runs the "cat house." (Yeah, that's really what it's called. I actually own a t-shirt that reads "The Best Cat House in Town." Go ahead, laugh). Anyway, yesterday she told me that she'd finished it, "because, you know, it's the kind of book you can't put down once you've started it." She was so glad that I'd added the Epilogue. It isn't that long, a page or two, but it does jump a year into the future and peek at the hero and heroine. And that's funny, because it was my editor who asked for one. Even though I thought I'd given the story its happy ending, my editor suggested I provide a little more. Turns out she was right; it needed an Epilogue.

Just another reminder that sometimes, what we think is so clear inside our our minds doesn't necessarily translate to the page, or to our readers. Thank goodness for editors!

It's supposed to be a gorgeous weekend here...what are your plans?