This was the third Crankshaft book published by Andrews McMeel and the cover once again showcases one of the running tropes from Crankshaft. Speaking personally, it’s one of the better tropes. I remember sitting with my writing book in a doctor’s waiting room one day back when I felt that I had to spend every available second writing… and, in this particular case, it’s a good thing I did. I remember jotting down a very brief flashback idea involving Ed Crankshaft, and suddenly getting a feeling that I had just opened the door to a very rich field of exploration. It allowed me to be less linear and more digressive in the writing, and it eventually paved the way for Crankshaft’s baseball career with the Toledo Mud Hens. It was work that was very satisfying to engage in as a writer, and it helped to provide the raison d’tera for Crankshaft’s character. Not bad for fifteen minutes in a doctor’s waiting room.
