Sometimes the smallest things can trip up a writer. Almost happened to this one. But for the good eyes and critical thinking of my Writers Group, who don't even write the same genre as I, a piece of work I am working on would have continued with a significant error.
The problem came about because I changed the original time frame to fifteen years earlier. The reason isn't important; I just felt other elements would work better. In the process I failed to research that certain critical elements that couldn't be changed hadn't been developed by the new time frame, i.e. the Internet and emails not to mention certain "language" we commonly use such as BTW, FYI, LOL, etc.
Fortunately, one of the members in my Writers Group raised the issue. She wasn't sure but.... Stop the Presses and send out group "Help" messages to people of the appropriate ages and who lived in the story's location at the time of the story's time frame. Seems the Writers Group was on the money. And it was my daughter (!) who found the most "on the mark" piece of information needed.
Yes, the story can be "fixed", the time frame can be changed to fit the accuracy of that critical element - BUT what if I had not had the eyes and critical thinking of my Writers Group? Deep doo doo. That's what.
I had done research on car models and colors of the cars being used (not every color is produced by every car maker in a given year - something to check out). I had checked out the appropriateness of certain perfumes and men's colognes. But the Internet and the availability of email communication? Nope.
With so much technology evolving so quickly - and taken so much for granted by so many, writers need to be careful when incorporating any aspect of it in their writing. Once more, a butt was saved from the fire. Could have been a bonfire without that catch....
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