On Writing & Storytelling: I Got the 11th Chapter Started, But It Needs More Work Today

Mid- to Late Morning, Tuesday, August 1, 2023, Lithia, Florida

Good morning – or good “whatever time it is where you are as you read this” – folks. It’s morning here in the Tampa Bay area, and though the day is still, as they say, young, it’s already hot (82°F/28°C) under sunny conditions. And this being high summer and the beginning of August (holy shit, time sure flies!), it is going to be hotter still. Today’s forecast calls for scattered rain showers – some of which might turn out to be thunderstorms – and a high of 93°F/33°C, plus humidity galore.

Oh, well. At least we don’t have any tropical storms or hurricanes headed our way.

Action This Day

Even though yesterday’s wordcount on Reunion: Coda was, shall we say, modest (I don’t think I exceeded 350 words, and I had a hell of a time writing those!), I did get started on Chapter 11 of the novel. Seven paragraphs are what I ended yesterday’s work session with. That’s not much, really, but it’s something, and something is always better than nothing. Right?

My plan for today, therefore, is to take a nice long break in the morning (or what’s left of it), then go back to Chapter 11 (no, not bankruptcy!) and add more paragraphs. If I finish that first scene in the chapter, I’ll be thrilled. If not…well, at least I will have more something than nothing down on Word.

The good thing about Chapter 11 is, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, that it is connected to one of the chapters in Reunion: A Story; indeed, it’s an expansion on a pivotal plot point from the first half of the Reunion Duology. This means that even though I might find it difficult – nay, nearly impossible – to write 2,000 words a day thanks to depression and anxiety, I do know how things will unfold for my “I-guy” and the other characters. I don’t have to guess as to what happens next – but I do have to work hard to tell that part of the story.

So, yeah. That’s what’s on my agenda today – pick up the narrative of Reunion: Coda where I left off and write as much as I can on this hot, humid, and potentially rainy Tuesday.

I don’t have anything else to share, so I’ll take my leave of you and get on with my rest break. Until next time, stay safe, stay healthy, and I’ll catch you on the sunny side of things.