January 12, 2021
Sunday Letter: Finding the Right Words
This letter is not what I originally set out to write. This is my third try. No idea where this will go or turn out, but I need to write.
First, the obvious. Last Wednesday was a horror show, broadcast live to the world. The people’s house—our house—was at the center of a terrible tragedy. Despicable. Outrageous.
I’m heartbroken for my country. Gone is our innocence.
And yet, I spent the waning hours of that horrible Wednesday watching, along with my family, the power-center of our government perform its solemn duties.
“Dad, why do they keep repeating the same words over and over?”
Amidst a dark chapter in the history of our democracy, we learned the legal process for how our Congress certifies our elections. The pageant of the parliamentarians was riveting.
A moment of defiance against the violent forces of insurrection. An affirmation that our form of government can and will endure attacks—both foreign and domestic.
I will never forget that evening, or the phrase “… both regular in form, and authentic.”
The words are starting to come back. I’ve started working on a problematic plot in my Traveler series. I worried it would become major surgery, but it’s proven a fun bit of troubleshooting.
Times like these are when writing reminds me of programming. The story just needed a refactor.
My solution will likely require updates to earlier stories. I’ve not come out and said this you, but the final version of this series may be different from what you’ve read so far. Not terribly different, but hopefully improved.
I’m still on track to release The Addict soon. This updated arc reinforces the story and flow.
Once I’ve finished the series, I look forward to going into more specifics about the plot issues, and why I decided to change them. Since it’s central to core mysteries, I’m avoiding details that would spoil the story before it’s finished.
I’ve contemplated word changes to this site as well. The weekly letter has been an enjoyable addition to my week, but the Sunday part of the title is misleading. While I typically start the letters on Sunday, I’ve only finished and published a few on the same day.
Over the coming months, I plan to remove Sunday from the title and simply refer to them as “Letters”. Their titles will be replaced with their date of publication, while other essays maintain the traditional, descriptive title.
This change might accompany a design refresh. I dunno, something about isolation and idle hands.
Until next time.