Bones

Houston, we have a story. The pieces came together in that late-night way they do sometimes, when you knock a stack of books and your only pair of glasses off the nightstand because you’re in too much of a hurry to lay hands on your notebook. Oh, the relief when you write the idea down in time, right? Just before it slithers away.

Of course I haven’t laid down a formal outline at this point. I’m not sure I want to. I do believe in having a structure in place before starting a book, at least in...