Mid- to Late Morning, Thursday, May 2, 2024, Madison, New Hampshire
Hi, everyone, and welcome to the 1,516th post of my A Certain Point of View, Too blog. It’s another gray, wet spring day here in my corner of New England. Currently, the temperature is 49°F (9°C) under cloudy skies. With humidity at 98% and the wind blowing from the south at 2 MPH (3 Km/H), the feels-like temperature is 57°F (14°C). Today’s forecast calls for heavy rain during the day and a high of 57°F (14°C). Tonight, we can expect scattered light showers. The low will be 39°F (4°C).
On Writing & Storytelling: Post-Chapter 15 – Revising and Editing…Again
Unsurprisingly, yesterday’s afternoon work session saw no writing of “fresh copy.” I had hoped to keep moving Reunion: Coda forward and begin Chapter 16 immediately after finishing Chapter 15. After all, if I want to publish the novel in midsummer, I must keep the pauses between the completion of one chapter and the start of the next chapter to a minimum.
Alas, once I establish a pattern for writing – whether it involves when I write or how I write – I tend to stick to it like a remora clings to a larger, unwilling host. So, instead of writing the first scene for Chapter 16, I doubled back to earlier parts of the manuscript – not just Chapter 15! – to make some revisions and edits, mostly to tighten the narrative. I also wanted to ensure the story’s continuity is consistent and true, especially concerning a character’s traits.
Here’s one of the revised sections from an earlier section of Reunion: Coda:
We sit close together, our arms wrapped around each other, feeling warm and cozy despite the chill in the air. Gazing at the pond, we watch boats of various colors and sizes glide across the water—some swiftly, others leisurely. They’re a vivid metaphor for us: diverse in our ways but united in our journey.
Our conversation turns to music, one of our shared passions. We both have an affinity for classical and Big Band, yet our tastes diverge when it comes to contemporary tunes. I lean towards the classics like Billy Joel, The Beatles, and doo-wop, while Maddie embraces the newer hits. She speaks fondly of songs we heard earlier from a distant boom box—“I Knew I Loved You” by Savage Garden and “Thank God I Found You” by Mariah Carey, calling them romantic and sweet. I playfully counter, calling them cheesy and sappy. Our laughter mingles, a testament to our comfortable rapport.
As we delve into our musical preferences, I notice Maddie’s foot tapping—a rhythmic pulse that seems to accompany her thoughtful moments. “You’re brimming with energy,” I observe, intrigued by her zest.
Her laughter is light, mirroring her spirited nature. “That’s the result of my gym workouts. There’s this women-only gym near my place—it’s modest, but the sense of community is invigorating, and it helps me stay in shape.”
Impressed, I respond, “That’s commendable. Keeping active is key.”
She nods, a playful flex of her arm showcasing her fitness. “It’s my sanctuary. Keeps me feeling young and fit—like I’m still in my early thirties.”
I can’t help but agree with a chuckle. “It’s certainly paying off.”
I revised other parts of the novel, but this was the one that required more than “simple” edits. I added the bit about Maddie’s workout routine to establish her exacting self-care habits, a character trait/plot point that pays off in Chapter 15.
As you can see, I take my work as a writer and storyteller seriously; I want to give readers a good story that is well-told and well-written, not one that’s carelessly crafted and rushed just to “make a quick buck.”
Action This Day
It’s relatively early, and rainy days lower my energy and affect my mood, so I don’t know what I will do during my afternoon work shift. I want to start Chapter 16 (which I have tentatively titled “The Breathless Hush of Evening), but experience shows that there’s usually a two- to three-day gap between writing the end of one chapter and the beginning of the next. So, we’ll see what my little gray cells do when I return to my desk after my midday break this afternoon.
I don’t have any life updates to share, so I’ll wrap up things here. Until next time, stay safe, stay healthy, and I’ll catch you on the sunny side of things.
A Certain Point of View, Too 
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