Everyone knows everyone in a small town, who you are, and what you’ve done. What you’ve failed to do. Before leaving for college, before David and family and the tragedy that had now set upon her life like a heavy indissoluble fog, Olivia dreamed of escape. Back then, the curious watchful stares of the town’s nosy busybody network were everywhere. The stares fed the gossip, which traveled seemingly as fast as the wind, reaching every corner of Cornerstone, Illinois.
So here's a bit of trivia for all of you: the story of the Wheelers and the town of Cornerstone? That's the plot of a novel I wrote before 86ed. Their inclusion here was totally me wanting to revisit that family, even if it was just a cameo. As I was originally writing 86ed back in 2015-16, I wanted Olivia to come from a small town and realized I had already written 400 pages about one in particular. What's even cooler is back in 2016 (which was 16 years after driving writing that first novel), I got to drive through the fictional town I created, but based on another one I found on a map. Such a long story. I have pics from my time driving through that town that I believe I once posted on Facebook.
I remember years ago you talking on the podcast about a character in a book you'd written (or were writing) using the Lord's name in vain, and you felt weird writing it, but that's what that character would say. Was that referring to the Wheelers' story?
It was. I was working on rewrites of that novel at that time. It wasn't one of the Wheelers who would swear, but a classmate of the oldest son. Good memory!
Oh no! I caught up; now I have to wait for the next chapter like everyone else.
As someone who has been in the place of inexplicable tragedy, and wondered "Will the light actually overcome this darkness?", this chapter really spoke to me. Thank you, Greg.
1. She’d rattle off a list of the friends of which she knew her parents approved, …
I believe it should be “whom” instead of “which” since you are referring to people.
2. The next day Olivia would sit in the pews at Church feeling like all of her parent's friends …
Should be: parents’
3. The family at the center of the mystery were prominent in town,…
I believe “family” is considered singular so it should be “was” instead of “were”.
4. “2 Corinthians states, ‘For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of the darkness,’ is the One who has shone…
I believe you alternate quotation marks when nesting them so you should put double quotes around “Light shall shine out of darkness,” instead of singles.
Thanks for all these, Lisa. There are some tricky ones here.
1. Not sure if the "which" points to the list or the friends in this case. I think you're right, but for some reason, "whom" sounds weird to my ears on this one.
2. This is why I always did well on creative assignments, but got angry at grammar.
So here's a bit of trivia for all of you: the story of the Wheelers and the town of Cornerstone? That's the plot of a novel I wrote before 86ed. Their inclusion here was totally me wanting to revisit that family, even if it was just a cameo. As I was originally writing 86ed back in 2015-16, I wanted Olivia to come from a small town and realized I had already written 400 pages about one in particular. What's even cooler is back in 2016 (which was 16 years after driving writing that first novel), I got to drive through the fictional town I created, but based on another one I found on a map. Such a long story. I have pics from my time driving through that town that I believe I once posted on Facebook.
I remember years ago you talking on the podcast about a character in a book you'd written (or were writing) using the Lord's name in vain, and you felt weird writing it, but that's what that character would say. Was that referring to the Wheelers' story?
It was. I was working on rewrites of that novel at that time. It wasn't one of the Wheelers who would swear, but a classmate of the oldest son. Good memory!
Oh no! I caught up; now I have to wait for the next chapter like everyone else.
As someone who has been in the place of inexplicable tragedy, and wondered "Will the light actually overcome this darkness?", this chapter really spoke to me. Thank you, Greg.
1. She’d rattle off a list of the friends of which she knew her parents approved, …
I believe it should be “whom” instead of “which” since you are referring to people.
2. The next day Olivia would sit in the pews at Church feeling like all of her parent's friends …
Should be: parents’
3. The family at the center of the mystery were prominent in town,…
I believe “family” is considered singular so it should be “was” instead of “were”.
4. “2 Corinthians states, ‘For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of the darkness,’ is the One who has shone…
I believe you alternate quotation marks when nesting them so you should put double quotes around “Light shall shine out of darkness,” instead of singles.
Thanks for all these, Lisa. There are some tricky ones here.
1. Not sure if the "which" points to the list or the friends in this case. I think you're right, but for some reason, "whom" sounds weird to my ears on this one.
2. This is why I always did well on creative assignments, but got angry at grammar.
3. Ditto what I said in number 2.
4. Ditto 2 and 3.
You misspelled Olivia: "Oliva was sure that somehow everyone knew." Also, "Set amongst endless corn fields" should be cornfields.
Maybe her friends called her Oliva :)
Let's go with that. :-)