Challenges of a Sleepless Morning: Writing Process and Weather Reflections

Late Morning, Monday, August 12, 2024, Madison, New Hampshire

It is a cool, partly cloudy morning in late summer. At 67°F (19°C), it feels more like a winter day in Florida than an August day in New England. The forecast high is 73°F (23°C), but there are also expected scattered light rain showers later in the day. Currently, the sun is shining through a thin layer of clouds, and the feels-like temperature is 80°F (26°C). I should go outside before the rain starts, I think.

I woke up at 4 this morning, even though I wanted to sleep until 6. Instead of going back to sleep, I ended up watching several episodes of the 1998 documentary Cold War. One episode was about the Berlin Wall, and the other was about the genesis of the Cuban Missile Crisis. I’m not feeling sleepy or tired, but I do wish I had gotten those two extra hours of sleep.

I hope that today’s writing session will be productive. I know that Saturday’s was successful. I managed to write the first vignette for Scene Five of Reunion: Coda’s 19th chapter on a day that’s usually reserved for rest. That part of the story came out nicely. It’s a light and somewhat comedic sequence, which surprises me still because I’m not in the best of moods lately.

I haven’t decided on the topic for the second vignette yet. This afternoon, I’ll brainstorm ideas for it based on the existing content and where the story needs to go. I’d love to include Maddie again—she’s so enjoyable to write—but as of now, this bit of Scene Five remains unwritten.

I need to go outside before the scattered showers arrive – if they do show up, anyway – so I’ll close for now. Wish me luck with my writing endeavors. I need all the good fortune that comes my way.