A rookie mistake

My novel-in-progress, The Ice Coffin, starts with the discovery of a body that’s been revealed at the base of a melting glacier. This image was the initial spark of inspiration, and the whole story grew out of it. I was interested in the idea of the remains of the main “murder-ee” being found relatively intact, and the clues that would be left behind in such a scenario. But as I wrote the rest of the story, this plot point proved to be a problem.

Setting a key detail close to the top of a mountain gave my characters a lot of ground to cover, both literally and figuratively. If I hadn’t been brand new at this, I probably would have set my first book in a much more confined space, but I was already well into my first draft before I realized how challenging I had made my setting. It may have been another beginner’s error to keep writing anyway.

As I wrote, I found ways to incorporate the large tracts of wilderness into the story beyond the initial discovery of the body, and let the setting inform the actions of my characters in a way that made sense.

While I’m finishing the final drafts of this book, I’ve been plotting out another story to tackle next. That one takes place almost entirely in one house, which will provide its own challenges, but I hope I can take what I’ve learned from this too-big canvas and apply it to a more limited setting.