Late Morning, Monday, March 10, 2025, Miami, Florida
“All novels are really letters aimed at one person.” – Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Two years. That’s how long it’s been since I embarked on the journey of writing Reunion: Coda. This book serves as both a prequel and a sequel to my novella, Reunion: A Story, which I first penned back in 1998, daring to see if I could breathe life into fiction. After much contemplation, I finally self-published it through CreateSpace Independent Publishing in 2018.
I didn’t labor over Reunion: Coda’s manuscript every single one of those 732 days between March 9, 2023, and today. My writing is often reserved for weekdays, giving me the weekends to recharge. Inevitably, there were days when my muse, Calliope, decided to take an extended vacation, leaving me without her gentle whispers of plot points or character revelations. And let’s not forget the disruption caused by moving twice within ten months, each time stealing away precious weeks of writing time.
Yet, every moment spent weaving this tale has been a labor of love, fired by passion that ignites the soul. Writing, after all, is a letter to that one special person—who, in this case, is you, dear reader.
On this Monday, March 10, 2025, the first day of a new workweek, I’ll don my novelist’s hat this afternoon—hopefully between 2 and 6, depending on the timing of my midday break. If Calliope graces me with her presence and a spark of inspiration, I’ll dive into Chapter 28, nudging the journey of Jim, Mark, Marty, and Maddie closer to its conclusion.
Every word I write reflects my hopes, dreams, and lived experiences. It’s my way of connecting with you, to share a piece of my soul and invite you into the world I’ve lovingly crafted. Writing isn’t a solitary endeavor; it’s a shared journey. And you, dear reader, are an indispensable part of it.
Even though I resisted revisiting Jim Garraty and Martina Elizabeth (Marty) Reynaud’s story for a quarter century, this was the one tale I was destined to write. In Reunion: Coda, Jim, a history professor at Columbia University, reflects on his high school years and his unspoken love for Marty, a fellow student. The novel intertwines his cherished memories with his current life and budding relationship with Maddie, a brilliant concert pianist for the New York Philharmonic.
Returning to Jim and Marty’s world felt like reconnecting with old friends, allowing me to delve into their emotions, dreams, and struggles. Each chapter has brought me closer to unveiling their story and has invited you to journey alongside me. Together, we explore the intricacies of love, memory, and the passage of time, all while witnessing Jim’s evolution.
Thank you for being here—for reading, for sharing this journey, and for making every word worthwhile.
A Certain Point of View, Too 
Comments
12 responses to “Dear Reader, Let Me Tell You a Story: A Novelist’s Two-Year Journey into ‘Reunion: Coda’”
Writing is very much a labor of love. We do it because there’s something inside us that needs to write even though it takes so much out of us.
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Absolutely. That’s why I bristle when folks who place far too much emphasis on financial success tell me I’m not a “real” writer. (I’m still annoyed by that remark, uttered in my presence two years ago.)
I’m exhausted. I had an epic bout of insomnia and went to sleep at 3 AM, only to wake up at 8 AM. I didn’t write any “fresh copy” for the novel, but I posted my daily blog…and revisions. Hopefully I won’t have to wake up tomorrow to fix today’s “fixes.” 🙂
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Yeah, I think it’s not about money for most writers but sometimes people (usually that are not writers) feel that someone is unsuccessful unless they can live off their writing. Which actually rarely happens.
Oh no, sorry to hear that. Hope you get some rest today.
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The shadows of Stephen King, Danielle Steel, Tom Clancy, James Patterson, Ernest Hemingway, Agatha Christie, and F. Scott Fitzgerald loom large in the public imagination. In my case, the person who claims I’m a “hobbyist” thinks along the lines of “Book Sales + Fame = Real Writer.”
Now, while it is true – I won’t deny this – that I would like to make a living from just writing fiction, my chances of being in the same literary circle as Steve King are miniscule. That’s not my main goal in life…storytelling is.
(Caveat: I do get a thrill each time I get an email from Kindle Direct Publishing letting me know a royalties payment is on the way. 🙂 )
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I think it’s great being able to do what you love but when it comes to writing I think the priority should be to just write and do it because you love it. Sure, when we do get paid for it that feels awesome but even when we don’t we should keep writing.
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I’ve been a writer since I first had access to a typewriter, and that was in 1972. I “became serious” about it as a high school journalist, then majored in newswriting and editing in college. And, as you know, I took my first tentative steps into fiction in ’98 with “Reunion: A Story.” I wouldn’t be doing this, especially in a country where writers aren’t held in high esteem, if I didn’t love it so much.
(And hey, you never know….”Reunion: Coda” might go viral…if enough fans spread the word.)
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I’ll definitely do my part to share Reunion: Coda; you definitely deserve a lot of success with both books.
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Aw. P.J….that’s so nice of you to say.
Your attitude proves Stephen King’s observation that we writers work best when we have moral support from others:
“Writing is a lonely job. Having someone who believes in you makes a lot if difference. They don’t have to makes speeches. Just believing is usually enough.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
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He is so right with that quote, I think it means even more when you have support from other writers because they understand how difficult the process is.
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Absolutely.
I’d rather get encouraging words from another scribbler than unhelpful, perhaps even toxic, comments from family members or partners who don’t read much or overemphasize the “fame and fortune” aspects of a literary career.
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Oh, and P.J., I am a bit more rested today. Still a bit weary – I don’t bounce back from sleepless nights as quickly as I used to.)
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I totally understand, I’ve had a couple of sleepless nights this month and it does take some time to recover and make up for the lost sleep.
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