An author who grew up in northern Ontario calls her latest book a platonic romantic comedy. Heidi Reimer now lives in Brockville but said she grew up in the bush on a dead-end dirt road off Highway 17 between Wahnapitae and Markstay. In What We Found Instead, Reimer uses a lake in the northeast as her backdrop. “Two women, Eve and Maggie, discover right at the outset that they are in a relationship with the same man. A relationship that they thought was monogamous and exclusive. It upends both their lives but more crucially, they are forced together into each others company as they search for answers,” said Reimer. Reimer explained to CTV News that the two characters were not friends and did not know of each others existence. “The whole platonic rom-com thing kind of follows the traditional romantic-comedy script from enemies, and in this case, to friends,” she said. Novel explores friendship, self-trust Reimer said there were a lot of twists and turns in the book, adding there was an underlying theme. “It’s a journey of self-alienation to self-trust,” she said. “This is also a story about complex female friendships and friendship as a sign of growth and self-becoming.” Advice to aspiring writers Reimer, an essayist, novelist and creative writing coach, offered this advice for young writers or those who wish to become an author. “Seek community, you don’t have to be a lone wolf writing in a garret and another is to actually trust yourself,” said Reimer, adding it is important to trust your instinct and believe in what you have to say.
