Category: Writing as a Craft
-
Writer’s Shop Talk: The Thing About Jim That Most Perplexes Maddie
Maddie struggles to understand Jim’s reluctance to express his feelings despite multiple opportunities. She believes his insecurities and emotional wounds hold him back, and that he could have won over Marty if he had been vulnerable. Despite seeing himself as a “history nerd,” she feels he could have been desirable if he had allowed himself…
-
Narrative Threads: A Conversation on Crafting the Reunion Duology: Part the Sixteenth
The Reunion Duology centers on the importance of true friendship, particularly Jim’s bonds with Mark Prieto and Bruce Holtzman. These relationships illustrate the impact of genuine connections on our lives. The author’s personal experiences and beliefs shape the portrayal of friendship, emphasizing its significant role in the narrative.
-
Narrative Threads: A Conversation on Crafting the Reunion Duology, Part the Thirteenth
The author of “Reunion: Coda” drew inspiration from Billy Joel’s “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” to implement a dual timeline approach. This allowed for a seamless transition between early 1980s South Florida and early 2000s New York City. The story features Jim and Marty’s high school journey and Jim’s romance with Maddie, presented through alternating…
-
Narrative Threads: A Conversation on Crafting the Reunion Duology, Part the Tenth
The author approaches dialogues as if writing a screenplay, embodying the characters and imagining their discourse. Dialogues are refined by reading aloud and ensuring authenticity, especially with female characters. Writing for a male protagonist is natural, but crafting dialogues for women, such as Maddie, proves more challenging due to the complexities of their personalities and…
-
Narrative Threads: A Conversation on Crafting the Reunion Duology, Part the Ninth
The author of “Reunion: Coda” faced challenges in writing from the perspective of a history professor, drawing from personal experiences of history classes in college. Crafting the protagonist’s lecture dialogue at Columbia University required tapping into memories of Miami-Dade professors. The process involved blending various teaching styles for a distinctive vibe.
-
Narrative Threads: A Conversation on Crafting the Reunion Duology, Part the Seventh
The author discusses maintaining narrative continuity in the two timelines of the book “Reunion: A Story”. By starting with a dream sequence and then expanding both ways, the author ensured consistent storytelling. Distinct time periods were denoted by writing high school parts in past tense and the 1998 frame story in present tense. The sequel,…
-
Narrative Threads: A Conversation on Crafting the Reunion Duology, Part the Sixth
The character Jim Garraty in the Reunion Duology mirrors the author’s own experiences and interests. Jim’s struggles with relationships, heartbreak, and self-worth parallel the author’s teenage years. While the character differs in some aspects, the portrayal captures personal elements. The duology delves into Jim’s past and presents a mature, open-hearted version of him in his…
-
Narrative Threads: A Conversation on Crafting the Reunion Duology, Part the Fifth
The author’s approach to writing changed significantly between the first book and the sequel. The original piece was written without plans for publishing, and the dream sequence was altered to be less suggestive. For the sequel, the author used classical music and film scores to influence the mood of the scenes and started employing new…
-
Narrative Threads: A Conversation on Crafting the Reunion Duology, Part the Fourth
The Reunion Duology draws from real-life experiences, incorporating the author’s high school memories into the narrative. The character Jim Garraty is infused with the author’s personal history, from choral performances to romantic experiences, while some aspects diverge intentionally. The story reflects a blend of reality and artistic invention, providing a compelling narrative.
-
Narrative Threads: A Conversation on Crafting the Reunion Duology, Part the Third
How do the settings of South Florida in the 1980s and New York City in the early 2000s influence the narrative of the duology? I grew up in South Florida, and except for a six-year stint in Latin America until I was nine, I lived there until 2016. In every version of Jim Garraty’s story—even…
A Certain Point of View, Too 