In the earliest draft of Breaking Point, the first third of the book unfolded through alternating viewpoints across the band. While it worked structurally, it quickly became clear that, paired with the intensity of the later chapters, the story left very little room to breathe. Everything felt relentless, with no pause between emotional hits. ​ I also knew I wanted Susie, and the band’s collective healing, to be the true heart of the novel. So instead of starting at the begin