Late Morning, Sunday, November 10, 2024, Miami, Florida
Hi, Constant Readers!
It’s a warm, muggy late autumn day here in my hometown of Miami. The temperature is 82°F (28°C) under partly sunny skies, but with humidity at 69% and an easterly wind blowing at 15 MPH (25 Km/H), it feels like 87°F (31°C). Today, we expect partly sunny skies and a high of 84°F (29°C). Having experienced one winter in New England, I now understand why “reverse snowbirds” who migrate north to live in colder climes are so rare—especially since you’re not likely to spot any bikini-clad models in Madison, NH this time of year!
Weekend Update, Part the First: A Break from Writing the Novel
Yesterday, I followed Stephen King’s sage advice and took a break from crafting my novel. Instead of hammering out new prose or tinkering with the old, I immersed myself in the world of Reunion: Coda differently. I journeyed through Chapters 18, 19, and 20, ensuring they flowed seamlessly, their narratives free of plot holes, weaving a tapestry of unity and coherence.
I also used Word’s “Read Aloud” feature to ensure everything – especially the dialogue – hit the right notes. This feature is a writer’s secret weapon. Firstly, it catches those sneaky mistakes or clunky passages that silent reading might miss. Secondly, it lets me experience my work as an audiobook, offering a fresh perspective and making sure the prose flows as smoothly as a jazz solo. This auditory review is essential for dialogue, as it ensures the conversations sound as genuine as a chat with an old friend.
(And speaking of audiobooks, I don’t expect to offer any audiobook editions of either Reunion: A Story or Reunion: Coda. I lack the voice, talent, and recording equipment to read my work, and though I know one actor who would be willing, he’s busy with his commitments to his career.)
Other than that, I didn’t mess with my manuscript yesterday even though the Great Road Trip from Madison to Miami caused me to lose more writing days than my earlier move from Florida to New Hampshire last December. I was tempted to at least start outlining Chapter 21’s first scene, but I decided to wait until tomorrow to tackle that job. Sometimes, taking a break from writing is like hitting the reset button on your brain. It gives your creativity a chance to recharge and helps you return to your work with fresh eyes and new ideas. Plus, it ensures you don’t end up writing about your characters taking a nap in the middle of a thrilling action scene just because you’re tired!
It was a quiet and uneventful Saturday in South Florida, and it looks as though today will be similar.
A Certain Point of View, Too 
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