On Writing and Storytelling: Between the Work I Want and the Work That Needs Doing

Monday, May 11, 2026, Orlando, Florida

Vapor, Vessel, and a Very Warm Monday

Hi there, and welcome to the Monday edition of A Certain Point of View, Too.

Although we’re still a few weeks away from the first day of summer—June 1 for those of us who follow the meteorological calendar, or June 21 at 4:24 a.m. EDT for the astronomically inclined—it already feels less like mid-May and more like late July. As I write this, it’s 91°F (33°C) and partly sunny. With 49% humidity and a west wind at 7 mph (11 km/h), the heat index is a toasty 98°F (37°C). Today’s forecast calls for a high of 93°F (34°C), a chance of light rain showers, and UV levels climbing into the very high range this afternoon. So if you don’t absolutely have to be outside, the great indoors has much to recommend it. If you do venture out, dress lightly, use sunscreen, and keep the water bottle within arm’s reach.

Today marks the start of a new workweek, so—even though I’m off to a later start than planned—I’ll be spending part of it editing The Jim Garraty Chronicles omnibus in Kindle Create. I approach this bit of literary housekeeping with roughly the same enthusiasm I once reserved for sixth‑period Algebra I during my senior year at South Miami Senior High, which may explain why my progress has been less than dazzling. There’s a difference between a passion project like a first novel and an ancillary project like an omnibus, even when both are elective. One calls to you; the other clears its throat and reminds you it still exists.

I could, theoretically, pull the plug on the omnibus and turn my attention to a new Jim Garraty story that has been quietly germinating in the back of my mind. I’m happiest, I think, when I’m discovering new facets of my characters’ lives and shaping them into a narrative that feels coherent, vivid, and worth a reader’s time. It isn’t always easy to decide which parts of Jim’s life belong in a story and which are better left buried in the sands of the past, and it’s certainly no small feat to turn a glimmer of an idea into actual words on an open Word document. But I’ve been taking this creative journey with Jim, Mark Prieto, Marty Reynaud, and company since 1998, and difficult or not, I still love the work. At this stage of life—I’m in my early 60s, after all—reinventing myself seems much less appealing than continuing to tell stories.

So yes, in theory I could set aside an omnibus that, let’s be honest, has not exactly inspired a groundswell of public demand—I have yet to hear anyone ask, “Hey, Alex, when is The Jim Garraty Chronicles going to hit Amazon?”—and move on to And the Horse You Rode In On…: A Jim Garraty Story.

In practice, though, it’s not that simple.

For one thing, while I know the basics of And the Horse You Rode In On—when it’s set, what kind of story I want to tell, roughly how long it will be (probably a novella or novelette), and who the principal characters are—what I have so far is still more vapor than vessel: a loose cluster of ideas, a few scraps of dialogue, and some new characters pacing in the wings of my subconscious. Readers of Reunion: Coda will probably recognize some of the particulars; like Comings and Goings, this new story grows out of an event mentioned in passing in the novel. So I’m not exactly venturing into terra incognita. It feels less like inventing a world from scratch and more like conducting a careful literary excavation.

That said, even with familiar characters, settings, and situations, I still don’t have enough of what my creative writing professor, David Schroeder, called “concrete details” to anchor a narrative and make it breathe. Finding those details—and then doing them justice on the page—takes time, effort, and a fair amount of mental sharpness. And because I’m still adjusting to life in Central Florida after three back‑to‑back moves in less than two years, summoning that focus hasn’t been easy. At least not lately, and certainly not on command.

I’ve also been working on The Jim Garraty Chronicles since last October, and until my previous computer stopped working late last month, I was making progress with the time‑consuming and unexciting—but necessary—task of fixing the Kindle Create–mangled subheadings in the Reunion: Coda section of the omnibus. I don’t like giving up on projects to which I’ve devoted a lot of time and energy, so even if there’s not much public demand, I’m pressing on, if only to avoid feeling like I’ve wasted several seasons of my life.

So, until I finish the Chronicles, I’m putting And the Horse You Rode In On in my To Be Worked On Later stack of projects.

And if you’re curious about the stories that brought Jim Garraty and company this far, you can always find Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, and Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen on Amazon and Audible. No pressure—just an invitation to spend a little time in the Garratyverse while I keep chipping away at the next chapter.