Crossing the River

Pep Talks, Warnings & Screeds by George Singleton, with illustrations by Daniel Wallace

Rarely does a person come to the end of a path and find a wide river with only one set of stones upon which she can cross. Most of the time, there are a variety of options for getting from one shore to the other. There's the shortest, most direct way, which may involve half-submerged rocks that will cause the person to get her ankles wet. Then there's the circuitous, safe route, which may take so much time to complete that he person become bored with the entire excursion.

And so it is with stories and novels. The writer has choices as to safe routes, quick routes, most interesting routes, and so on. And there will never be surefire, unquestionably correct travel plans for every reader.