On Writing & Storytelling: After a Slow Start to My Writing Day, I Finished a Scene…and Another Chapter in Reunion: Coda

On Writing & Storytelling: At Last – Finishing Reunion: Coda’s Chapter 17

Mission: Accomplished

After an excruciatingly slow start to my workday yesterday, I finally wrote the fourth scene for That Moment Divine, the seventeenth chapter of my upcoming novel, Reunion: Coda.

I must confess that for most of the day yesterday, I was convinced that I would finish my Tuesday writing session feeling unhappy and dissatisfied because I had not written Scene Four of Chapter 17. After all, I knew what was supposed to happen in the story – the previous scenes determined the events of Scene Four. Moreover, I felt intuitively that this scene was the end of the chapter; it concludes Jim and Maddie’s first intimate encounter, and it prepares a transition from one chapter to the next.

Alright, so I had a rough idea of what needed to go down in “You Are the Angel Glow That Lights a Star” (I enjoy giving my scenes some snazzy titles, too). My issue was – as it often is – that I wasn’t sure how to fill in the gaps of my story with solid detail, colorful sensory images, and snappy dialogue.

I only knew clearly that I wanted Maddie to copy the pose of Francisco Goya’s La Maja Desnuda as Jim puts on his clothes before taking her back to her place in Queens, and a funny ending with Jim and Maddie running into his upstairs neighbor, Mrs. Halverson, and her dog, Mr. Piffles.

The ‘Slows’…and How I Conquered Them

Yesterday, I told you about the terrible case of writer’s block that hit me – or “the slows,” as I sometimes call those moments when words refuse to flow from my brain to Microsoft Word – and how it messed up my work schedule. I have a routine for writing novels: I start at 2 PM and end between 6 and 7 PM, unless I wrap up a scene earlier. But yesterday, because of my sluggish start, I didn’t get to work on Reunion: Coda until almost 3 PM…and I was still stuck by 4:15 PM.  

I felt so annoyed that I left my desk, headed to the kitchen, and – with a rumbling stomach by then – whipped up a BBQ turkey cheeseburger for a premature dinner. (I normally dine after 8 PM.) Once I was done with my meal, I went back to work, hoping that I could finally crack Scene Four…or at least kick it off.

Maybe it was the power of the turkey cheeseburger, or maybe it was my relentless drive to put some of my thoughts on paper, but in an hour and a half, I hammered out more than 1,000 words – and they weren’t just filler words – and I didn’t just make some progress on Scene Four, I nailed it.

Naturally, what I saw on my screen at 6 PM (or maybe it was closer to 6:30 PM?) was just the rough draft. Most of it was not bad, and some parts were even quite good, but it still needed polishing. So I spent a few hours tweaking “You Are the Angel Glow That Lights a Star” by fixing some parts of the scene to make the timeline more clear, add missing details, or put in some dialogue where necessary. It was way past my usual clock-out time of 6 PM, and I was exhausted, but I wanted to make Scene Four as awesome as possible.

I finished my last draft around 10 PM. I was exhausted, but I was so excited that I had trouble falling asleep. I ended up watching an episode of The First World War on DVD until, finally, I went to sleep – still thinking about Scene Four and how to improve it – around 2 AM.

The Realities of a Writer’s Life

Some people might think that writing is an easy and glamorous job. They might imagine writers sitting at their desks, sipping coffee and typing away effortlessly, or traveling the world and meeting interesting people. But the reality of writing is far from that. Writing is hard work, and often very lonely. Writers have to deal with rejection, criticism, self-doubt, and isolation. They have to sacrifice their time, energy, and sometimes even their sanity, to create something that might never see the light of day.

This scene was one of the hardest I ever had to write. It involved a lot of hard work, imagination, and emotion. I wanted to capture the essence of the characters, their relationship, and their situation. I wanted to make the readers feel what they felt, and see what they saw. I wanted to do justice to their story, and to the novella that preceded it.

I don’t know if I succeeded, but I tried my best. Here is a short excerpt from “You Are the Angel Glow That Lights a Star”:

“You Are the Angel Glow That Lights a Star”

Late Afternoon, Jim Garraty’s Apartment

The soft glow of the afternoon light fills my apartment, casting a warm embrace over everything it touches. It’s 4:30 PM, and the distant hum of the city seeps through the windows, a subtle reminder of life beyond these walls.

Maddie lies beside me with sunlight playing across her skin, turning it into a canvas of peaches and cream. I’m captivated by the way the light accentuates the softness of her form, the delicate peach fuzz that covers her, and the single white hair amidst my chest hairs that she idly twirls with her fingers.

“We’ve been lucky this weekend,” I murmur, the words barely a whisper, lost in the tranquility of the moment.

She laughs softly, a sound that fills the room with warmth. “I’m sorry for not being quieter earlier… I hope Mrs. Halverson didn’t hear.”

I shake my head, smiling at the thought of my elderly neighbor. “She’s probably out with Mr. Piffles, enjoying the afternoon.”

Reluctantly, I slide out of bed, feeling the cool air against my skin. I dress quietly, aware of Maddie’s gaze following me. She doesn’t say anything, but we both know the weekend is drawing to a close, and reality awaits us.

As I finish getting dressed, Maddie watches me silently. Then, with a playful glint in her eye, she reclines in bed, striking a pose reminiscent of Goya’s La Maja Desnuda. “Do I compare to Pepita Tudó?” she asks, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

“You’re far prettier,” I assure her, and I mean every word.

Coda

It’s nearly 1 PM in my time zone, and the sky is getting dark and stormy. Some of the flashes and booms might be pretty intense. So I’ll sign off for now. Take care of yourself, keep well, and I’ll talk to you when things are bright again.