On Writing and Storytelling: All Good Things – Even Sabbaticals – Must Come to an End…Just Not Yet

Tuesday, August 11, 2026 – Orlando, Florida

Hi, everyone.

Late summer in Central Florida has a way of announcing itself without saying a word. If you’ve spent any time in the Sunshine State, you already know the drill: heat thick enough to feel like a physical presence, humidity that clings like an overly affectionate relative, and rain showers that drift in and out as casually as neighbors dropping by uninvited. After decades here, I don’t complain about it anymore. I simply acknowledge it as the price of living in the subtropics during peak hurricane season.

Right now, a few shy little rain showers are passing over this corner of Orange County. Nothing dramatic— some thunder, no torrential downpours—just the kind of light rain that barely registers on the radar and only manages to dim the sunlight and darken the inside of my mobile home. Maybe it’s nudging the temperature down from a blistering 96°F (35°C) to a merely punishing 95°F (35°C). A “cooldown” in the Floridian sense of the word. It won’t last, of course. The sun will be back soon, determined as ever.

Speaking of things that won’t last…

My sabbatical is winding down. I’m easing my way back toward my usual rhythm of blogging in the morning and writing fiction in the afternoon. I don’t have a firm date circled yet—certainly not today, probably not tomorrow—but maybe by Friday. I’m still recovering from the marathon of the past three years: writing creatively while ricocheting up and down the Eastern Seaboard, producing not only Reunion: Coda but Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen, The Summer of Two Movies, and The Jim Garraty Chronicles. Even with a week of rest, I’m still tired. And while I know And the Horse You Rode in On is a Jim Garraty story set before he ever walks through the doors of South Miami High, the rest of the tale hasn’t quite revealed itself to me yet.

So yes—I’m enjoying the pause. I love almost everything about creative writing (the business side can take a number), and I can’t imagine doing anything else at this stage of my life. But writing demands stamina, patience, and—above all—the discipline to sit down at the desk and put in the hours. As much as I’m eager to begin The New Story, I won’t rush myself back into the grind. The work deserves better than that, and frankly, so do I.

If you’d like to follow along as I ease back into the writing life—or if you’re curious about what comes next in the Garratyverse—stick around, subscribe, or drop me a note. I always appreciate the company.