A Cheat Sheet for 1970s Slang

You won't know exactly how many characters you will need until you start writing. It's usually better for workflow if you can avoid stopping to create and verify characters.

Good dialogue will help readers become invested in your characters and, by extension, your story.

Ask people their idea of Kentucky, and you're likely to get an answer that mentions horse farms or coal mines. These images tend to be associated with eastern Kentucky. Neither describes my fictional town of Hartsend, which is located in western Kentucky.

As Christmas approaches in Hartsend, Jodie reflects on traditions that will remain the same and those that will be forever changed now that her best friend is dead.