I’m working on a short story set in the Edge universe. It features Cross, and it’s set in 1935. I wrote a scene where a man approaches Cross for help, and Cross asks if there is a bar in this berg in Oklahoma. Well, I knew prohibition had been repealed in December 1933, but I figured I better dig a bit deeper. Turned out the states could remain dry. Next thought, Oh hell, this story is set is Oklahoma.
So, I check out Oklahoma. They didn’t repeal prohibition until 1959. So the scene I had envisioned just blew out the top of the computer. Now they are drinking from Cross’s hip flask on a bridge over a crick.
Instead of leaping forward with my story as planned I spent a lot of time reading about prohibition. It was all interesting, but not a lot of forward progress.
It’s a shame when facts get in the way of your notions. Wish I were a Republican — then I could just ignore inconvenient facts.
