It took a lot of staring at the screen. A lot of using the strike-through, bold, italics, cut and paste tools. A lot of rereading the old draft.

It took reading about colliders, Higgs-Boson particles, Amish rumspringa, real estate internships, housing developments, conservation easements, small town populations, and economics. A lot of talking about energy, science fact and fiction, theoretical physics, and mad scientists with my husband.

It took starting two new docs, editing the timeline in chart, list, and paragraph form. Rewriting the blurb, revising a query letter, writing a two page synopsis.

But now, I think I know what happened. I think I understand what caused the problems, what can and can’t be fixed.

I think I know what the characters did before the MC got there, what they were trying to do, and which part failed.

I think I know what the characters know, and how they know it.

I think I know what is possible, and what they will have to find a way to live with.

Now the writing can start.

And we’ll see where it goes.