On Returning (in more detail) (Patreon)

Hello again, all!

Brain's still addled by jetlag, and the workday's a struggle, but the familiarity of routine also seems to be good for writing. As I feared, precious little got done over the week's holiday. I read a bit, and sketched down some ideas for a few possible short stories, but despite thinking about my stories a great deal never quite found the time and space--read privacy--for writing. However, the downtime seems to have the brain some good. I was a little worried about picking up Constant again after a break but even with exhaustion nipping at my hindbrain, the writing's gone well today. Started with a reread of chapter 6 to date and found and fixed a host of typos and small mistakes, and added to a few bits here and there. I reckon I'll have this first part of the chapter complete by the end of the week.

One bit I added was an overt reference to Cindy's age--twenty--and therefore the fact that she can't legally buy alcohol. This firmly places the story on American soil, which I've avoided to date. I've been purposefully vague, using a mix of American and British English in referring to clothing, and avoiding precise geographical references. Measurements are metric because the story's set in the near future even though the US is probably as likely of ever giving up inches, pounds and Fahrenheit as it is of giving up arms. I'm not sure the reference will survive the final edit, as it forces rewriting of some earlier bits: how could she be drinking on the night out with Dan, for instance? At the same time, I feel the story benefits from being a bit more precise about place.

Overnight flights are terrible - the delay in serving dinner, and the serving of what passes for breakfast generally shrinks the low-light sleeping time to a few scant hours, and even those were regularly disrupted. (It didn't help that the woman sat in front of me wore unusually strong-scented perfume that left me nauseous for the first half of the flight!) I did manage to squeeze in a film, though: Nomadland, Oscar-winner from 2021, which flew under my radar then. I started it up without really intending to finish it and despite the slow pacing and mundane topic, I found myself utterly engrossed. The film's almost indescribably sad.

It was, perhaps, a poor choice considering my holiday was a return home to visit family who are in various states of decline: my grandmother recently passed; I have uncles in the final stages of their life; and a mother who is very ill. It's difficult to determine whether watching a sad movie at that point is cathartic or masochistic. Either way, I'd recommend it. Along with the very different films I watched on the way out (Barbie, Spiderman) it's given my unconscious a lot to mull over.

In any case, the writing continues apace and there should be some to share by the end of the week. Thank you, as always, for your continued support!