Musings & Thoughts for Friday, April 26, 2024, or: Scene Five of Reunion: Coda’s Chapter 15 is Done…and a Limited-Time Offer for Kindle Readers

Mid- to Late Morning, Friday, April 26, 2024, Madison, New Hampshire

Hi, there. It’s another beautiful but chilly spring day here in eastern New Hampshire. Currently, the temperature is 42°F (6°C) under sunny skies. With the wind blowing from the east at 1 MPH (2 Km/H), the feels-like temperature is 57°F (14°C). Today’s forecast calls for sunny skies and a high of 60°F (16°C). Tonight, we can expect clear skies. The low will be 26°F (-3°C).

On Writing & Storytelling: The Momentum Continues – Five Scenes Written for Chapter 15

As I hoped, yesterday was a productive day regarding progress with Reunion: Coda. I wasn’t 100% sure about how successful I’d be with Scene Five of the novel’s fifteenth chapter; my most optimistic expectation was that I’d write between one-half to two-thirds of the scene, which covers a brief period on the afternoon of March 11, 2000, but is fairly complicated in the narrative. It involves, among other things, a phone conversation between the adult versions of Jim Garraty and his childhood friend Mark Prieto, as well as two vignettes featuring Jim and Maddie.

The phone chat with Mark was important because while his teenage incarnation is present throughout the High School Jim Era interludes, he has been MIA in the Grownup Jim Era chapters. Since Mark is the major supporting character in Reunion: A Story, I needed to bring him back to the 2000 timeline, but I hadn’t quite figured out when – until yesterday.

It was fun to have Jim and Mark interact as guys in their mid-30s. Not only because the Reunion Duology isn’t only about Jim’s romantic ups and downs at two stages of his life, but also about friendship, loyalty, and human connections. The two BFFs are distinct individuals with different attitudes (Jim is quieter and more academically minded; Mark is more worldly and self-assured when it comes to women) and life goals, but they have each other’s backs, even in 2000, when they now live in two different cities.

The apartment is a sanctuary of stillness, punctuated only by the rhythmic ticking of the kitchen clock and the distant hum of city life that seeps through the walls. I’m ensconced in the living room, a space wrapped in the comforting embrace of familiar walls, with a half-read novel resting in my lap. My thoughts drift, untethered, in the wake of the conversation with Mark. His words linger, echoing the turmoil within, as if they’ve taken on a life of their own in the quiet of the room.

As the clock hands inch towards the hour, a soft murmur disrupts the silence. It’s Maddie, her voice a sleepy symphony, tinged with a refined British accent softened by years in the States. “Jim?” she calls out, her voice a soft melody that fills the void of silence.

A smile finds its way to my lips, and I set the book aside, the pages marking the spot where my mind had wandered off. “In here,” I respond, my voice carrying the warmth of the tea that awaits her.

Maddie pads softly into the living room, her steps light, her hair tousled from sleep. The sight of me, the familiar contours of my face, seems to bring a comfort that eases the disorientation of waking. Her eyes, still carrying the mist of dreams, meet mine, and she speaks in that charming, slightly groggy manner unique to those just roused from slumber. “I didn’t mean to sleep so long,” she says, her words wrapped in the velvety tones of her accent.

I rise, crossing the room to where she stands. “You needed it,” I assure her, and I reach out to tuck a stray lock behind her ear. “And you’re right on time. The tea’s ready, and the evening’s just beginning.”

As I said, because the scene is a bit complex, I thought I’d write most of it yesterday and finish it today, but I was wrong. I finished the rough draft of Scene Five around 8 PM, and I worked on finessing it until past 11 PM; the first draft was mostly okay, but I kept on seeing flaws – mostly involving pacing and point-of-view limitations – that needed correcting.

I usually don’t work so late at night, but I think I did all right, all things considered.

Action This Day

I didn’t sleep well last night. I had a lot on my mind – mostly worries – and I kept waking up at odd times (3:30 AM the first time; shortly after 5 the second time; 5:55 AM the third and final time). So, now I’m tired and worried, which is not an ideal combination for writing. I suspect that I’m able to write this thanks to willpower and three cups of coffee, but I’m not sure how the rest of this last day of my workweek will go.

I will try to take an extended rest break after I publish this post and come back sometime in the early afternoon. I don’t want to lose a writing day, so I’ll do my best to distract myself from my anxieties and watch a movie or read for a while. I’ll return to my desk after lunch – sometime between 1:30 and 2 PM.

Reunion: A Story – Free Kindle E-book Offer (Valid April 26-May 1,2024)

Before I go, I want to tell you about a special offer for my readers. If you’re looking for a short and engaging read, you might be interested in my novella, Reunion: A Story. It’s the first book in the duology featuring Jim, Mark, and Marty. It has earned an average rating of 4.8 (out of five) stars per customer reviews and ratings on Amazon.

The good news is that you can get the Kindle edition of Reunion: A Story for free on Amazon from April 26 to May 1, 2024. That’s right, free! All you have to do is click on this link and download it to your device. But hurry, because this offer won’t last long. Don’t miss this chance to grab a copy of Reunion: A Story and enjoy a story that one reviewer called “a sweet, sometimes bittersweet story of days gone by.”