I am a writer. I don’t remember the exact age when I decided to write stories and make a living from it. It was probably around 12, but I became serious in the fall of 1977 after watching Star Wars for the first time. The realization that movies start as screenplays and seeing “written and directed by George Lucas” on the screen ignited a fire within me. Suddenly, storytelling became more than just a dream; it transformed into a thrilling adventure I wanted to embark on.
Throughout my life, I’ve always considered myself a writer, though I haven’t yet reached the pinnacle of literary fame. My writing journey is rooted in my high school and college studies in journalism, where I honed my craft. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, my talent for words earned me a reputation as a sought-after writing consultant for local businesses. My passion for storytelling also found an outlet in the digital world, where I’ve been an avid online reviewer and blogger since 2003.
Yet, my greatest aspirations were to write a novel and create a screenplay for a movie. In 2019, I proudly achieved the latter when I penned the script for “A Simple Ad” for Popcorn Sky Productions. While it may not be a blockbuster adorned with Oscars or Golden Globes, it holds a special place in my heart as my first-ever produced script, a significant milestone in my storytelling adventure.
As for my most ambitious project – the novel – let me tell you, it’s been quite the rollercoaster. I started writing Reunion: Coda in early March 2023, with dreams of a festive December 2024 release dancing in my head. Little did I know, life had other plans. Picture this: two interstate moves – first from sunny Florida to snowy New Hampshire and then back to the Sunshine State – all within ten whirlwind months. Talk about a plot twist!
Despite these geographic shenanigans, I’ve managed to crank out 21 chapters of what I hope will be a page-turner. Sure, my publication date has slipped into the first quarter of 2025, but hey, good things come to those who wait, right? So, while Reunion: Coda isn’t quite ready for its grand debut, I’m getting closer every day.
Regular readers of this blog know that Reunion: Coda is the much-anticipated follow-up to my 1998 novella, Reunion: A Story, which one particularly kind reviewer once called “a lovely lyrical book.” This sequel picks up two years after Jim Garraty’s memorable trip to Miami, and dives deeper into the labyrinthine backstory of Jim and Marty Reynaud – right up to their bittersweet farewell in Book One of what is now the Reunion Duology.
I originally aimed to kick off Reunion: Coda in Jim’s “Present Day” of March 2000, with an opening line that would echo the novella’s start. Sure, it was a neat idea, but something felt missing – like a cake without frosting. To connect more poignantly with the original’s heartfelt moments, I added a prologue set just minutes after Jim and his best friend Mark Prieto leave South Miami High School on the sultry afternoon of Wednesday, June 15, 1983.
Think of it as an epic prequel to the sequel – because who said the journey of a writer was ever straightforward? Life has its plot twists, and so do my stories!
If you want an idea of the Prologue from Reunion: Coda, here’s what it would look like in screenplay format:
EXT. SOUTH MIAMI HIGH SCHOOL – DAY
TIME: June 1983, Late Afternoon
FADE IN:
The canary yellow bunker of South Miami High School looms at the corner of Southwest 53rd Street and Southwest 68th Avenue. The final bell has rung, signaling the end of high school days. JIM and MARK walk together in silence, their last walk home.
JIM (V.O.)
This is a story I don’t tell often; I’m a private man, and I don’t like to spill my guts about my love life, or lack thereof. I’m fine with talking in front of a crowd – whether it’s my history students at Columbia University or the folks who come to hear me read from my latest World War II book at the bookstore. But when it comes to the women who have broken my heart, or the one who never knew she had it, I keep that to myself.
JIM and MARK walk from the school, the quiet weight of unspoken words hanging between them.
JIM (V.O.)
(CONT’D)
The only other person – besides you, now – who knows the truth about the letter and what I did with it and why is my best friend, Mark Prieto. Mark wasn’t there that day in June of ’83 when I met Marty for the next-to-the-last time in the chorus room at South Miami High School. I don’t know what would have happened if he had walked in on us, on me and the girl I loved more than anything but was too chicken to tell her.
FLASHBACK – CHORUS ROOM (1983)
– JIM and MARTY kiss in the chorus room, filled with emotion and regret.
JIM (V.O.)
(CONT’D)
But I was young and dumb, scared of my feelings, still hurting from Kathy – she had dumped me three years before, and I still hadn’t gotten over it.
INT. SOUTH MIAMI HIGH SCHOOL – DAY
– Room 136, the chorus room where Jim and Marty kissed.
JIM (V.O.)
(CONT’D)
I had set myself up for a fall. No one – not Mark, not Marty, not even God – could have saved me from the mess I had made of my own heart.
EXT. SOUTH MIAMI HIGH SCHOOL – DAY
JIM and MARK continue their walk home, past the familiar sights and sounds of their high school.
JIM (V.O.)
(CONT’D)
I can still see it in my mind, even after 20 years. South Miami High, that canary yellow bunker on the corner of Southwest 53rd Street and Southwest 68th Avenue. It was a short walk from the house where I lived with my mom, Sarah Garraty, ever since my dad died in the early years of America’s lost crusade in South Vietnam.
CUT TO:
INT. JIM’S HOUSE – LIVING ROOM – DAY
– Young JIM and his mom, SARAH, sharing a quiet moment.
JIM (V.O.)
(CONT’D)
“Cobra Country” was a warehouse for 2100 kids and 150 grown-ups, as one of the Cobras joked once. It was built in 1971, when the world was going crazy with wars and scandals and generational strife. It was a place full of secrets and surprises. It was where life happened, for better or worse.
CUT TO:
EXT. JIM AND MARK’S WALK HOME – DAY
MARK walks with JIM, silent but supportive. They approach Mark’s house, half a block away from Jim’s.
JIM (V.O.)
(CONT’D)
Mark walked with me that day, our last day of high school. He didn’t say much. He knew I was hurting. He knew I was losing Marty, and that I was feeling downright shitty about it.
FLASHBACK – MARTY’S DEPARTURE (1983):
– MARTY, teary-eyed, saying goodbye to JIM.
JIM (V.O.)
(CONT’D)
She was leaving for London with her family after graduation. She would be gone for the whole summer, maybe forever. I would be gone, too, heading north to Harvard, to start a new life without her.
CUT TO:
EXT. MARK’S HOUSE – DAY
MARK and JIM stand on the sidewalk, a few yards away from Mark’s front porch.
JIM (V.O.)
We had already said everything that needed to be said about “the thing with Marty” and the letter.
MARK finally breaks the silence.
MARK
Are you going to be okay, Jim?
MARK’s blue eyes, usually sparkling with wit or wisdom, are now a dimmer shade of grey-blue.
JIM
(sighs)
Yeah, I’ll be okay, pal.
MARK points in the direction of Jim’s house.
MARK
Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you to your front door? It’s no problem.
JIM
What are you now, my dad? I’ll be fine. It’s not like I live in Westchester or Sweetwater, bucko. I’ll probably go straight to my room and crash – I didn’t sleep much last night and I’ve been up since 6:30. I’m bushed.
MARK grins.
MARK
You sure it’s not because you’re afraid of running into that crazy cat lady next door?
JIM
(rolling eyes)
Very funny, Mark. But no, I think I can handle Mrs. Finklestein and her army of felines.
They both burst out laughing, the first genuine laugh since the final bell rang. But as the moment fades, their smiles turn into quiet sobriety.
MARK
Well, I’ll catch you tomorrow. But if you need to talk…
JIM
I got your digits.
JIM turns to walk towards his house.
MARK
Hey, Jim!
JIM stops and turns around.
JIM
What’s up?
MARK
(imitating Han Solo)
May the Force be with you.
JIM laughs and flips him the bird over his shoulder before continuing down the sun-drenched sidewalk towards home.
FADE OUT.
A Certain Point of View, Too 
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