I wanted to do something different in this novel. I wanted to write a humorous story and I wanted it to be driven by dialogue. I was interested in bringing out a different aspect of my writing voice. I have found in the past that I enjoy dialogue and think it is the best way to develop characters. In my last novel and in Charlie No Face, I dabbled a bit with humor, but felt this was a story in which humor would be an effective way to address what are less than humorous themes---abandonment by a parent, substance abuse in a family, loss and grief. The juxtaposition of humor and real-life challenges makes for (what I hope is) a rich and nuanced story.
