Another day, another reader review for the manuscript. Verdict: 90 percent ready. Sweet. Recorded three micro cassettes worth of suggestions and corrections. To the five who remain: you’ve been warned; I tape meetings. Pre-submit reader three earns an additional thank you, as they caught an embarrassing glitch others — myself included — missed.

Much of the feedback has been character related, which suggests the narrator is a credible mouthpiece, and that the plot works. Even more interesting, so far each reader focused much of their efforts on a different character, without prompting from me.

Very, very peculiar feeling when someone says, “Character X wouldn’t say _____. They would say ____.” It’s the right sort of odd. The real good kind, I mean.