Caroline was 34, working on spec, and trying to avoid her husband Harry's attempt to push her down the Mom Hole. After all, she works from home trying to get a development nibble from her agents and they're not biting-isn't it time to start having their first child like all their friends are doing? She hasn't had a real writing job in a while, one with a regular paycheck and health insurance. She misses the camaraderie of fellow writers as they all pitch in to develop the dialogue, plot, and scripts of tv shows that sometimes get airplay and even become hits. She doesn't even know if she really wants children, but mid 30's is the ticking time bomb for making that decision. Harry suggested that she have her eggs harvested and preserved, but she knows the procedure is expensive. How can she justify the money?
She takes a meeting with Marcus, the rep for a famous movie and TV star who produces her own movies, and he knew she wrote humor. He sent her a copy of a rom-com novel as a project for development. She couldn't believe that anyone would be interested in this garbage, but there were no other offers so she gave it a try. The story about a young naive woman who moves to NYC for adventure and immediately falls for the gruff bartender was supposed to be the "jumping-off point" for Caroline's treatment but she knew that hackneyed plot didn't have a prayer. Unless... She could model the heroine on one of her husband's patients-the one he shared a little information about. The Teacher taught special-ed students but was lonely and Harry felt sorry for her. He knew he shared TMI with his wife and didn't refer to her again. Unfortunately, they shared a home office, Harry left The Teacher's file on his desk and Caroline couldn't help picking it up and reading it. What she found could turn that novel on its head-if she used The Teacher's dream as the basis of her script she might have a blockbuster. But that would be absolutely unethical-wouldn't it?
Cantor leads her readers into development hell as her character writes and rewrites her script to please her new bosses while she hides the truth from her unwittingly patient husband. Cantor knows of what she speaks, having been a writer on shows like Arrested Development and Inside Amy Schumer. Her novel was very good at showing the hurry up and wait aspect of the creative process in making a new show, and how it might lead to the desperation her writer demonstrates. It made me appreciate the fact that anything worth watching ever ends up on the screen.
Reviewed by Donna Ballard
April 7, 2026
Reserve a physical copy - Coming soon
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