It’s done.
By which I mean, ‘It’s off our desks.’
By which I mean, ‘It’s off our desks for now.’
Mel and I have finished the first draft of our takedown of fundamentalist religion. Our editor, the charming and hopeful Erin, will deal with it over the coming weeks. Unless she freaks out at the first chapters and we have to have an emergency meeting. (I don’t know why I mention that possibility. You’d think I was superstitious – touch wood.)
By ‘takedown’ I mean snarky commentary. Fundamentalism is nowhere near being taken down. The right-wing church establishment will not be worried by our book. The strongest reaction we can expect is to be banned in some Bible-y jurisdiction.
But still. We did our best. Our version of Prosperity Gospel bs has the honcho looking pretty silly. I don’t expect Copeland to pick up the book or, if he reads it, to recognize himself, but if he does, and feels even a little bit embarrassed, well, good.
Endings are always tricky. In the final scene, the two heroes meet downtown and get some surprising and hopeful news. I had them walking down the street with the bringer of the news and … didn’t know how to finish the story. I was a sentence or two away, but what should I say in those sentences?
I got another opinion. I should probably do this more often. (Don’t talk to my kids about the guy I found to build our fence. Another opinion would have been a great idea!) I phoned my writer pal Gayle, read the last paragraph aloud, and asked her thoughts on how to end the story.
“You could end it right there,” she said.
I sent the chapter to Melanie. Who approved. So it’s done.
For now.