Tom's Author Notes for Ruth Ditch Prologue - Ch. 3

Study questions for your holiday reading:

• How do you feel about the Prologue? Would you prefer that the novel started with Chapter 1?
• Before Ruth is introduced in Chapter 1, does the opening of the chapter feel message oriented, ironic, a mixture, too soon to say? Would you prefer that the novel started with Ruth’s introduction in Chapter 1, i.e. no prologue and no opening Chapter 1 sequence at the memorial?
• Do you think there is too much dialogue driving the action, especially in the first two chapters?
• Does it feel plodding at any point? Does it take too long for the “story” to start? Would you like to see indicators of where the story is heading sooner
• Any glaring POV issues?
• There is violence in this story, no getting around that. But I recognize that some people are put off by it regardless of context. If it’s possible to put aside any reader bias, does the physical violence ever seem gratuitous or not serving anything larger in the story?
• If more flashbacks to Ruth’s early life are used intermittently to shed light on the present, would that bother you?
• Anything else on your minds is welcome. 

Thanks for reading.