On Writing & Storytelling: A Quick SITREP on My Writing Plan for Today

Hey, there, folks. It’s late morning here in Lithia, Florida, on Thursday, June 22, 2023. It’s a warm (79°F/26°C), humid early summer day in the Tampa Bay area, and it’s going to be both hotter and stormy, especially in the afternoon. Today’s forecast calls for a high of 91°F/33°C and thunderstorms will likely pass through our area sometime after 2 PM.

Action This Day

Of course, this means that if I am to work on Reunion: Coda, I need to start soon, otherwise, I risk repeating yesterday’s frustrations and not getting anything done with the novel. I wasn’t thrilled about that last night; each day that I lose – for whatever reason – during this “write the first draft” phase means the postponement of publishing the novel either before I move to Brandon or Christmas 2023 rolls around. Thus, I need to get started ASAP so that when – not if – the boomers roll through my neighborhood in the afternoon, at least I’d have made some progress with my writing, no matter which chapter of Reunion: Coda I end up working on.

As of right now, my two writing choices are:

• Option One: Revisit Chapter Eight and add new details to Scene Three so that it’s more complete and – in my eyes, anyway, more satisfying
• Option Two: Keep working on Chapter 10, especially the first scene, so I can move on to Scene Two and possibly Scene Three

To be honest, I am more inclined to go with Option One. Back when I wrote the final scene of Chapter Eight, I was in a hurry to get to Nine, which to me was a pivotal “Jimmy and Marty” interlude. (This was also the chapter for which I wanted to get permission to use lyrics from Bernstein and Sondheim’s “Somewhere,” and I put a lot of arduous work into it. I have no idea if it works “as is” now. It probably does, but I need a second opinion, and my Beta Reader has not seen that part of the story yet. (I try to not overwhelm her with too many chapters in one sitting.)

Anyway, as Will Andersen (John Wayne) says – several times – in 1972’s The Cowboys, I’m burnin’ daylight. I have a story to work on, so I better have a quick snack (yes, I had breakfast, but I’m hungry again, and hunger is an unwelcome distraction when I’m trying to write) and get into “author mode.” So, until next time, stay safe, stay healthy, and I’ll catch you on the sunny side of things