Musings & Thoughts for Friday, June 14, 2024, or: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Late Morning/Midday, Friday, June 14, 2024, Madison, New Hampshire

Madison Summer Almanac

Hi there. I’m writing this on a somewhat gray-shrouded and dimly lit early summer day in eastern New Hampshire. The current temperature is 74°F (23°C) under mostly cloudy conditions. With humidity at 75% and the wind blowing from the southwest at 6 MPH (10 Km/H), the feels-like temperature is 82°F (28°C). Today, we can expect scattered rain showers throughout the afternoon. The high is expected to reach 80°F (26°C). Tonight, the skies will be partly cloudy. The low will be 57°F (14°C).

On Writing & Storytelling: Cracking the Code to Chapter 18’s Scene One

The weather seems to have a big impact on how I can do my creative work, no matter where I am in the world. My guideline is: “If there’s sunshine and no sign of rain, I can write well. If the weather is lousy, it’s more difficult to turn my ideas into words.”

For instance, yesterday was a better day than today. The sky was blue, the air was mild, and I got some vitamin D and breeze even though I just lounged on a chair on the front porch and didn’t bother walking along Huttwill Drive.

(It also helped that I ate a good lunch and had a decent sleep the night before, so those things made a difference too.)  

As a loyal reader of this blog – and I appreciate your support! – you might have noticed that I’ve been struggling (a lot) to get Reunion: Coda’s eighteenth chapter off the ground. I’m sure part of it is that I’ve been writing this novel since last March and that’s a long time to be working on one project. Other things that have thrown me off balance include, but are not limited to, moving to a different state in December, adjusting to rural life after six decades of city living, and the unforeseen challenges that come with such a switch. Also, since Reunion: A Story – the first book in the Reunion Duology – hasn’t been selling well this month (0 sales in June so far), I sometimes lose motivation and wonder, “What’s the point of doing this?”

So, after spending days on Scene One of Chapter 18 and getting nowhere, I finally figured out how to make that part of the novel work and wrote a good rough draft of that pesky scene.

It didn’t hurt that the weather was agreeable. My spirits were, if not sky-high, at least decent. And like I mentioned before, I was well nourished, well slept, and had gotten some fresh air. On top of that, I had a fairly solid outline with the main events and possible problems mapped out. I even had some thoughts for the conversation, even if I didn’t have any exact words “pictured.”

So, as I wrote on my Facebook page last night:

Today I FINALLY cracked the code, so to speak, of the elusive first scene for Reunion: Coda’s 18th chapter.

I wrote a decent – or so I think – opening scene relatively early in the afternoon. This is rare…I usually really get going in my writing around 3 or 4 even if I sit down at my desk at 2 PM. But today I reached the endpoint of the scene at 2:45 PM.

Here’s an excerpt from the rough draft of Chapter 18, Scene One:

Wednesday, March 15, 2000, 2:45 PM

The afternoon sun filters through the tall windows of Fayerweather 301M, casting a scholarly glow over the long table where twenty-one minds are poised in thought. I stand at the head, leaning against the old green-surfaced blackboard, the chalk dust of countless lectures beneath my fingers.

“World War II,” I say, my voice echoing slightly in the high-ceilinged room, “was it an unavoidable conflict?” The question hangs in the air, an invitation for debate.

A hand shoots up, and I nod to Diane Lynn DeWitt, her blonde hair catching the light, gray eyes reminiscent of a teacher I once knew. “Professor Garraty,” she says confidently, “Woodrow Wilson’s shift from ‘peace without victory’ to the punitive measures of the Versailles Treaty laid the groundwork for unrest.”

I can’t help but notice how her eyes hold mine, a spark of something more than academic interest flickering there. It’s a moment that brings Maddie’s teasing question to mind—have any of my students ever had a crush on me? The thought is fleeting but lingers like the faintest perfume in the air.

“Interesting point, Diane Lynn,” I acknowledge, then turn to the class. “What about the broader geopolitical shifts post-World War I? Thoughts?”

Another student, a young man named Thomas, leans forward. “The rise of communism and fascism was like a pressure cooker. With the economic turmoil in Germany and Italy, ideologies were bound to clash.”

Even though the scene is in its rough draft form, it looks decent enough and shouldn’t be difficult to refine. Right?

Action This Day: A Slow Start to the Last Day of the Workweek

Dear Reader, I don’t know how much I’ll accomplish on this, the final day of the workweek. The rain has held off for now, but I slept in more than usual (almost till 8:45 AM), and even though I had a good breakfast, I’m feeling a little sleepy and distracted. And I’m running late, too. I was supposed to take my midday break an hour ago. If I want to work on Reunion: Coda and keep to my writing routine, that means I won’t be back at my desk until between 3:15 and 3:30 PM instead of between 2 and 2:30 PM.

Maybe I’ll squeeze in some writing today, even if it’s almost 4 PM by the time I start. But that’s not a sure thing right now. If I manage to do it, great. I’ll be pleased. If not…well, Monday is another day, right?

Some days, writing feels like a chore. Like today, for example. The sky is gray, the air is cold, and the words are not flowing. But I’m not here to complain. I’m here to remind you that the weekend is coming up, and that means more time to relax and enjoy some good books.

Speaking of books, have you read Reunion: A Novella yet? It’s a story that will take you on a journey through the past and the present, through the joys and sorrows of life, through the eyes of Jim Garraty, the protagonist of Reunion: Coda. If you’re curious, you can find the link to the book at the end of this post. I hope you have a great weekend, no matter where you are or what you do. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more updates on my writing journey.