Turn Back the Clocks
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This is the most challenging novel I’ve worked on, because it begins with a somewhat fantastic premise: Diane Devlin, age 65, wife and mother, has suddenly and inexplicably begun growing younger.
I didn’t want to write a sci-fi book, so I dived into research to see if there was a shred of possibility in the premise. Short answer: yes. Over several months, I read everything I could find on the subject of “age disruption” and “age reversal.” Then I reached out to scientists quoted in the literature, and I found some amazingly helpful members of the scientific community. Many were intrigued by my project, and one PhD even offered to review my story outline and provide feedback to make it plausible. His suggestions and guidance were invaluable in crafting a story that perhaps even scientists will consider credible. But the story’s not really about the science. It’s more about the human factor: Diane’s unexpected rejuvenation comes with a set of dilemmas, because certain unknowns exist even after the fictional scientists have tracked down the cause of her condition. No one knows how long it will continue. Can it be stopped? Does she want it to stop? If she continues to grow younger, what about her husband? Her children? Her friends? These are the issues Diane wrestles with over the course of the novel, and I hope the ending answers those questions to a reader’s satisfaction. |
