In speaking about The Executioner’s Song, his Pulitzer Prize (1980) winning novel, Norman Mailer said, “Art is about the selection of detail.” He was likely quoting someone else, but nonetheless it stuck with me over the years. It may be stating the obvious, but it’s also true—as much in painting as in writing. From a world of facts and observations, a single well-chosen detail can make all the difference in a character, a painting, or a musical score. After SEREN was put to bed, I had some time to think about a few of the important details in the novel and why I decided to put them in and leave them in the final cut. In this section, I hope to offer a few thoughts on the subject of choices.