David Gustafson for reading an early draft and calling immediately with expert feedback and an overabundance of enthusiasm. (I sure needed both—thank you!)
The Wordsmith Workshops community: Cristin Terrill for helping me brainstorm the scene that helped inform Thomas’s whole arc. Beth Revis for teaching me how to make difficult characters readable when I most needed to hear it. Mama Lynn for serving up the most delicious, gluten-free gourmet while always saying this day would come. Cristin and Beth, thank you for creating a second home full of creepy documentaries, Modelland-level bedtime stories, and a dynamic community of writers I couldn’t live without (especially you, Amy and Kim!).
My local writer kin. A profound thank you to all for the many write-ins, the sage advice, and the incredible gifts of your friendships, including Adi, Jeff, and the whole “Plague Bagels” gang; Rebekah, Karina, and Beth—love you ladies!; Erin, Lita, and the Kidlit603 New Words community.
Professor Nancy Ruth Patterson for gifting me the space in which to send those first fledgling pages and for telling me I was safe in her hands. I always knew I was, Coach. And thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for exemplifying not only what it takes to be a good writer, but also an even better person. Special thanks as well to Nancy’s tutorial group and my writing comrades: Clay, Amy, Suzanne, Danielle, Caity, and Michael.
My thesis adviser, the incomparable Ellen Kushner, and her extraordinary wife, Delia Sherman, who read far too many drafts of this book, whose generous pearls of wisdom helped shape this book’s very heart, and who showed me how to—quite literally—walk through a scene. Your guidance was exceptional, Ellen. Special thanks, too, to Ellen’s tutorial group and my author sisters: Ash, Sarah, Courtney, Danielle, and Kelly.
Hillary Homzie, whose brilliant creative writing class inspired not only this book but another one as well, and whose encouragement let me know I had what it took to write them. Thank you, Hillary!
The BSCC: Sharon, Caitlin, and Bryan. Thank you, brave creative soldiers, for your insightful comments and endless encouragement in early drafts. Tag, you’re next!
Nutschell, Alana, Angie, Maiko, and all of CBW-LA for being my original home base, kidlit writers-in-arms, and where my author journey began. You called it from Day One, Nutschell! Can’t wait to celebrate your debut next!
Scott Vadala, Eddie Schumacher, and Kyle Ganson for their solid (and immensely helpful) feedback on all things medical, pharmaceutical, and psychological; Sam Harding for his singular lacrosse expertise; Jackie Harkness for her stellar advice on everything “lawyer” and for rooting me on since the early days; Cacy Duncan for her proficiency in comic books; and Scott Evans for his solid police-force knowledge. Thank you, all! (Any errors found in these pages are my own.)
Rebecca Aronson, whose gift of exceptionally insightful edits helped direct this book early on in the exact right direction, which changed everything. (THANK YOU!)
Stephen Chbosky, who—after I’d explained the premise for this book at a writing conference—told me to write it immediately, saying, “I can already see the movie poster in my head.” Your words have carried me far, Stephen. I thank you for them!
And finally, for anyone else who has supported me throughout this Mr. Toad’s Wild Writerly Ride in ways both great and small, I thank you endlessly from the bottom of my heart.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CASSIE GUSTAFSON holds an MFA in Writing for Young Adults from Hollins University and an MA in English Literature from Cal State Fullerton. A New England transplant, she spends her time globe-trotting with her adventurous husband, Carl, wandering old cemeteries in her quaint coastal town, or—when the wind shifts in the right direction—trying to write with an overly talkative cat named Maui in her lap. Cassie’s interests include hunting for sea glass, shooting archery, decorating cupcakes, and obsessing over all things Halloween. After the Ink Dries is her first novel.
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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Text © 2021 by Cassie Gustafson
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CIP data for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-1-5344-7369-0 (hc)
ISBN 978-1-5344-7371-3 (eBook)
After the Ink Dries Page 26
