Here's a theory regarding Bill's comment on MacDonald's
tendency to open many of the novels in April. Writers who are
prolific to the degree that they publish a novel a year tend
to begin the work on their manuscripts at the same time every
year. Part of this is due to a perennial schedule that has
evolved over time and a smaller part is due to a kind of
unspoken superstition (if the previous book's writing was
started in April, and it
"worked," maybe the next book's writing should be started in
April again). Also, as the first few chapters of a manuscript
generally represent the toughest time for a writer, anything
that can be done to make it
"easier"--including setting the book in the season in which
it is written--will be done. Put it another way: it's much
less taxing on the brain to look out your window and describe
the snowy landscape when the ground is indeed covered in
snow. Imagining cold and snow in mid-July is much more
difficult. Like I said, just a theory.
Pelecanos
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