On Writing and Storytelling: A Dispatch from the Battle of the Errant Subheads

Wednesday, April 1, 2026, Orlando, Florida

Hi there!

Today in Central Florida, we appear to have skipped spring altogether and leapt straight into a steamy prelude to summer. As I write, it’s just before noon on April Fool’s Day 2026, but the weather isn’t joking around—79 ° F (26 ° C), mostly sunny, and humid enough to wilt even the most optimistic potted plant. The heat index is a balmy 89 ° F (31 ° C). Saying it’s “hot in Orlando” feels like calling the ocean “damp”—an understatement of heroic proportions, especially for this early in the year. The forecast promises more of the same: mostly sunny skies and a high of 81°F (27 ° C). That’s right, the fun never stops.

Yesterday, I applied some gentle CPR to the subheads in the Reunion: Coda section of The Jim Garraty Chronicles. I corrected only a handful of the rogue Kindle Create subheadings—mainly because I’m not exactly racing to publish this omnibus, but also because my landlady, Nina, and I were forced by the cruel hand of necessity to make a pilgrimage to Aldi for groceries. The errand—a harrowing forty-eight-minute odyssey—ended with us back home and me in no mood to once again cross swords with the Kindle Create gremlins.

As you may have already deduced (or perhaps just guessed), my afternoon agenda features another round of subhead wrangling. The only consolation in this editorial slog is that every two or three subheadings I tame are two or three fewer waiting to ambush me tomorrow. Make no mistake—I find this task about as thrilling as watching paint dry on a humid Florida afternoon, which explains my glacial progress. Still, it must be done. Once I emerge victorious from this battle with formatting anarchy, I can finally tackle other items on my pre-publication To Do list, like writing an introduction and a new afterword for the omnibus. I’d much rather be crafting fresh prose than cleaning up a mess I didn’t create, so I’m counting down the days until I can plant my flag atop the conquered hill of Errant Subheads.

Scott Dickert

 A good story with a natural feel

Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2025

Format: Kindle

Verified Purchase

A good read! The author does a very good job of telling a story in which the characters feel natural, and the themes are relatable. I was struck by how genuine the thoughts and emotions in the story are; it reads and comes off like the characters are real people, with unique personalities and human thoughts, and aren’t just used as plot devices. A good story and easy read to get lost in.