Tag: Writing a First Novel
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Chapter 25 Sparks to Life in ‘Reunion: Coda’—Penning the Climax with Precision
Late Morning, Thursday, February 13, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi, everyone. Guess what? Yesterday, I penned the first scene for the 25th chapter of Reunion: Coda. It’s not a marathon scene—just 531 words, a bit more than those college essays from back in the day. You know, the ones I cranked out 40 years ago. But…
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Insights on Writing: Embracing the Journey
Late Morning, Tuesday, February 11, 2025, Miami, Florida “Writing is hard work. If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” – Stephen King What can I say about yesterday? For starters, my first day of the workweek was a mirror image…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Copyrights and Writer’s Block: My Saturday Saga
Early Afternoon, Sunday, February 9, 2025, Miami, Florida “Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can’t remember who we are or why we’re here.”– Sue Monk Kidd My Not-So-Restful Saturday Although I began yesterday as one of my two days off from work, I found myself preoccupied with thinking…
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From Novella to Epic: The Unexpected Journey of ‘Reunion: Coda’
Late Morning, Friday, February 7, 2025, Miami, Florida For me, the writing process is the same as the reading process. I want to know what happens next. – Neal Asher It’s remarkable to think that today marks 23 months since the inception of what has now become Reunion: Coda. Back in early March 2023, I…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Discussing the End of Chapter 24 of Reunion: Coda in the Chill of a Miami Morning
Mid-Morning, Thursday, February 6, 2025, Miami, Florida “After nourishment, shelter, and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.” ― Philip Pullman It’s a bit past 6:30 on a chilly – by Florida standards, at any rate – morning here in Miami. It’s still dark outside, and the temperature is a “brisk” 69°F…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Mastering the Craft: Progress Update on Writing ‘Reunion: Coda’ Chapter 24
Late Morning, Wednesday, February 5, 2025, Miami, Florida “Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy,…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: When Best-Laid Plans Go Astray on Laundry Day
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Late Morning, Tuesday, February 4, 2025, Miami, Florida Yesterday was not a productive day for writing my novel. Despite my best intentions and heartfelt desire to write – or at least outline – the fourth scene of Reunion: Coda’s 24th chapter, I experienced a mind-numbing writer’s block. One reason for my struggle was that it…
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The Writer’s Grind: Triumphs and Trials of Crafting ‘Reunion: Coda’
Early Afternoon, February 1, 2025, Miami, Florida Yesterday marked the end of my regular workweek as a first-time novelist. Despite my high hopes and good intentions, it was less productive than anticipated, especially concerning Reunion: Coda. My morning began with writing my daily blog post, followed by a refreshing midday break. Determined to make headway,…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Overcoming Writer’s Block and Riding the Wave of Creativity
Late Morning, Thursday, January 30, 2025, Miami, Florida “Writer’s block results from too much head. Cut off your head. Pegasus, poetry, was born of Medusa when her head was cut off. You have to be reckless when writing. Be as crazy as your conscience allows.” ― Joseph Campbell, A Joseph Campbell Companion: Reflections on the…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Winging It vs. Mapping It: A Writer’s Journey from Chaos to Clarity
Midday, Sunday, January 26, 2025, Miami, Florida In the world of writing, there are two primary camps: planners and pantsers. Planners meticulously outline their stories, mapping out each plot point and character arc before they ever write a single word. Pantsers, on the other hand, fly by the seat of their pants, allowing the story…
A Certain Point of View, Too 