The Allure of Loose Ends

If you remember, over the months of writing The Hushing Days there have been several moments when thinning the cast seemed like a good idea. (Six siblings and their others do take up a lot of time and space in a single novel, no matter how you might finagle the goods in the pot.)

Leo, the youngest brother, spent a good part of January and February on the chopping block… before he and his mate grew on me like wild thyme on an old garden wall (that’s good, by the way).

Then Thackary, the lone unattached of the boys, took his turn splayed under the meat cleaver… Yeah, gruesome in thought and deed, so that idea was quickly tossed. (He’s the me, in the book. Can’t give up on the boy that easy.)

After a while, I finally settled in with the idea of everybody sharing a story and felt pretty good about the results. (I still do, by the way, no matter what the next sentences might convey.)

But now as the final weeks of work on The Hushing Days are upon us, I have had this crazy idea to stir the pot. Maybe, just maybe, switch some dance partners around.

Leave a few loose ends about, loose ends that when followed would lead to questions of “Wait a minute, even though “The End” is written right here, maybe she really belongs with Brother A instead of Brother B?”

Would this be foolhardy?

Or would this be bloody brilliant?

I have no idea.

Until tomorrow…

Chloe