She applied the Page 69 Test to her latest standalone thriller, Echoes of Memory, and reported the following:
From page 69:Visit Sara Driscoll's website.“Anyone else?” There were affirmative murmurs from several people around the circle. “I have a medical suggestion for him, but I’d like to hear your strategies first. What worked for you?” He turned to Peter, who leaned forward in his chair, his hands balled on his knees. “Peter, you have a suggestion?”Quinn Fleming suffers from post-traumatic amnesia, the result of a traumatic brain injury sustained during a brutal attack on a downtown San Diego street. As part of her recovery, she attends a group therapy session to find ways to meet the challenges she now faces.
“Oh yeah.” Peter scooped a hank of blond hair out of his eyes. “This is me for sure. Do you like games?”
Luis looked confounded at the quick change in topic. “Games?”
“Yeah, games. Video games in particular.”
Luis actually flushed. “I have a fishing simulator I like. And the PGA Tour game.”
“Nice! So, gamify the tasks.”
“Gamify?”
“That’s what I do. I give myself rewards for tasks as motivation. My easiest one is coffee. I love coffee. But I don’t get my next cup until this or that gets done. Just don’t stack the deck too high against yourself, at least at first. And pick what works for you.”
“That’s kind of what I do,” Doris said. “But my reward is a break. I set a timer. Started at one minute, now I do five minutes. Work for that time period at whatever you’re doing. For me, it’s dishes or laundry. Timer goes off and I can take a break. Then do it again. It’s more manageable for me when it happens in short chunks. And some days, when the timer goes off, I’ve not quite finished the job, so I keep going until it’s done. That’s just a bonus.”
“Maybe I couldn’t do my whole job that way, but I could use it to complete some of it.” Some of the strain etched into Luis’s face eased. “Thanks!”
Page 69 of Echoes of Memory takes place during one of these sessions, and while Quinn is silent in the background, it’s a good representation of one of the underlying concepts of the book—a traumatic brain injury sufferer’s journey toward healing.
In the scene, members of the group discuss ways to manage some of the challenges suffered by those recovering from traumatic brain injury. After effects from such an injury can include headaches, mood swings, anxiety, and depression. In this case, the group is tackling two other common residual effects—a lack of motivation and the inability to focus on tasks. When a group member describes how he struggles to get both work and home tasks completed, the idea of gamification is introduced—if he does x number of minutes on a task, he can give himself a reward for his efforts and focus.
All the research around memory and traumatic brain injury coping strategies in Echoes of Memory are based on real-world practical methods. This kind of injury is as unique as the individual who suffers from it. It can be caused by physical trauma—an attack or taking a hit to the head during a football or hockey game—or from brain cancer surgery or stroke. The extent of the injury and its effects heavily depend on the brain center involved in the injury. But one thing is extremely clear: the community around traumatic brain injury is strong, vibrant, and giving. Those who have gone through the trenches themselves know the personal hell of the journey, and do what they can to lighten the load of those just beginning their recovery.
Which is good, because after witnessing a murder she knows she’ll only remember for an hour at most, Quinn Fleming will need all the help she can get…
The Page 69 Test: Lone Wolf.
The Page 69 Test: Storm Rising.
The Page 69 Test: No Man's Land.
The Page 69 Test: Leave No Trace.
The Page 69 Test: That Others May Live.
--Marshal Zeringue