Writer’s Shop Talk: Exciting Developments in ‘Reunion: Coda’ – Chapter 21

Midday/Early Afternoon, Thursday, December 5, 2024, Miami, Florida

Hello, Constant Readers!

I’m thrilled to announce that yesterday afternoon’s writing session was unexpectedly successful. After two hours of brainstorming – and, admittedly, worrying that I wasn’t making any progress – filled with drafting, editing, and revising, I completed the 21st chapter of Reunion: Coda. This chapter’s fourth scene, in particular, wraps up a major subplot, adding a satisfying conclusion to this segment of my debut novel.

This is the first time in many months that I’ve written two complete scenes within a few days of each other. It usually takes me between seven and ten days to move from completing one scene to starting another. I attribute these gaps to my desire to avoid rushing pell-mell to the end, which could potentially ruin the novel, and the fact that I’ve been diligently working on Reunion: Coda since early March of 2023. As I near the conclusion of both the novel and the Reunion Duology, these pauses become even more pronounced, making this recent burst of productivity all the more thrilling.

I was focused on finishing the subplot involving Professor Jim Garraty’s combative former student, Miguel Hernandez. I had dedicated a significant amount of time and effort to this narrative thread. I had a general idea of how I wanted to conclude Miguel’s storyline; the main question was whether to make it more melodramatic or stick to a realistic tone. I considered two possible endings: one was realistic and more appropriate for Jim’s story arc, while the other would have transformed Jim into an action hero, which I chose to avoid.

Now that the B story in Jim’s “Present Day” narrative is complete, I can focus all my creative energy on wrapping up his captivating relationship with the enchanting and talented pianist, Madison (Maddie). This next part of the novel promises to be an exciting journey, especially since it will reference a pivotal scene from Book 1 of the duology, Reunion: A Story, which is available in both paperback and Kindle editions. With a few plot threads still to resolve, I eagerly look forward to crafting a satisfying conclusion to Jim’s journey—for both my readers and myself!