Writer’s Shop Talk: The Road to Recovering from a Road Trip is Hardly Ever Smooth

Late Morning/Midday, Thursday, October 31, 2024, Miami, Florida

Hi there. It’s shortly after 11 AM Eastern on the last day of October 2024. This being South Florida in mid-autumn, it’s warm (82°F/28°C), sunny, and humid. So, for those of you hoping to see a pumpkin freeze, you’re out of luck. According to today’s forecast for Halloween, it will be a humid and breezy day; the high is expected to reach 83°F (28°C), and the skies will be mostly sunny throughout the afternoon. What a difference from the weather in New Hampshire, the state I left behind two weeks ago. (Not that today would have been a “bad” one – weatherwise – for me in Madison: according to my Weather app, it’s now 67°F/19°C under sunny skies…a lovely day for my usual post-blogging walk up there.)

I don’t have a lot of news to share; I’m still tired from the long road trip back to South Florida. Last night, I fell asleep shortly after 9 PM, something I haven’t done since I left Tropical Elementary School at the end of the 1976-77 school year (yes, I’m ancient, but don’t call me a relic just yet). Of course, now that I’m an early riser, I woke up shortly before 5 AM, and even though I tried going back to sleep then, I’ve been up for almost seven hours. As a result, I feel a bit groggy and peckish, too… conditions that I’ll address when I take my usual midday break after I post this blog entry on WordPress. So, if you see a typo, blame it on the “zombie” fingers, not me.

On Writing and Storytelling: Action This Day

My plan for today is to stick to my usual work schedule (blog before midday, lunch/mental R&R break, work on the novel), even though I’m still not quite at my best, physically or mentally. Yesterday, I made a valiant attempt to dive back into Reunion: Coda. I managed to make a few small edits to the manuscript, but I haven’t written any new text since finishing the first scene of Chapter 20 several weeks ago. Ah, the joys of writer’s block!

Of course, I knew this might happen; it took me a bit over a week to get my writer’s “sea legs” and resume work on Reunion: Coda when I moved from Tampa to Madison in mid-December. That adventure also involved a road trip and a change of environment, but the Florida to New Hampshire journey didn’t involve any sightseeing or diversions from the itinerary. Thus, I was tired and disoriented for a briefer period then.

But today is a new day, and I’m feeling optimistic. I have a bottle of Boost on my desk, and I plan to tackle whatever comes my way after my midday break. My watchwords for today are Now, back to those characters who are eagerly awaiting the next twist in their tale!

As I wrap this up, I must remind you all that my fatigue may still slow my progress on the novel today. If you’re looking for a captivating read in the meantime, remember that the first book featuring Jim Garraty, his best friend Mark Prieto, and Jim’s high school crush, Martina “Marty” Reynaud, is available on Amazon.

Thomas Wikman said it best: “A successful history professor is forced to confront the fact that he allowed a love interest to slip away because of insecurity as well as because of the lure of promising opportunities. This novella presents a profound ‘what if’ scenario that is poignantly but beautifully told. It is a sad love story about regret and loss but also a story about friendship. The book reminds us about how differently a teenager and an adult views life and themselves and what the consequences could be.

The character development is excellent. The characters have personality and depth. The author describes the feelings and the thoughts of the characters in a manner that is both realistic and easy to relate to. The story is compelling and well-written, it draws you in, and it has something important to tell us, especially young people.

I was planning to read it over a couple of days, but after I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down, so I read it in one sitting. Later on, I read it again, more than once, which is why I updated this review. It is a really great story, one of the best I’ve ever read, and you can read many times. I highly recommend it.”

Wishing you all a very Happy Halloween! Enjoy the festivities and stay safe.

Until next time, sayonara.