Chapter work

I have a concept, an outline, and a plan for this manuscript, the first of two books I will write. Book #1, the paragliding story that’s also a cancer story, will be done by August of this year, and then at some point it will be published. The mechanics of how and when that will happen are not a concern right now, the focus is simply getting it written.

Over the past two weeks, I’ve finished the first three chapters and started in on the fourth. Presently, my average daily output is exceeding my target, and while I don’t want to be overly optimistic, if I stay on the current pace I should have an edit-ready manuscript by Spring time. I am quite pleased with myself and the progress I’ve made thus far.

I’ve been finding more writerly advice, mostly on Substack and there’s a school of thought in which the author walks away for a time, putting some distance between themselves and the work before editing begins. It’s difficult to imagine doing this, in part because editing is a lot of fun, often more than the slow grind of daily pages. Of course I am going to want to print everything and give it a once over, if not right away then a few days after. I’m probably not going to wait before I start the first edit.

I finished Paul Kalanithi’s memoir and started in on Stephen King’s, which is funny and honest, lovely in its simplicity, a product of a lifetime of writing. I love how he describes his wife’s presence - encouraging him with his writing, and helping him through the struggles with addiction.

Her support was constant, one of the few good things I could take as a given. And whenever I see a first novel dedicated to a wife (or a husband), I smile and think, There’s someone who knows. Writing is a lonely job. Having someone who believes in you makes a lot of difference. They don’t have to make speeches. Just believing is usually enough.

I wasn’t a writer when Lindsay and I met, not yet, but she supported and helped me through some of the worst times. I never had to suffer alone. The chapter where Lindsay comes into the story, into my life, wasn’t on the original outline, so I changed it. We’re now at 13 chapters all told, not including intro and ending. The chapter on identity, chapter 3, where I’m meeting other YA cancer folks, going on trips, etc - I realized it may not fill 3,000-4,000 words. I was reflecting on this point in the timeline (2015-2016) after a mid morning nap - because it’s when, roughly 9 years ago, I met Lindsay. I thought about her love, kindness, and unwavering support through the challenges of recurrent cancer and major surgery. It’s unlikely I would be flying now, if not for her.

I am sharing a history, alluding to an origin story that begins earlier than where I am choosing to start this book. There might be an opportunity to give readers a glimpse of the life I’d left behind when I decided to move west. That is a story in and of itself, beyond the scope of this narrative, but maybe someday it will turn into an essay. I don’t relish revisiting some of those moments, when my self came apart like a wound struggling to heal. But those were formative experiences and the people who were there, the ones I still know, have a reference point for just have far I have traveled.

A few days ago, I was chatting with a coworker who said he appreciated my “savage optimism”. That has a pleasant ring to it, both witty and true. I hope this outlook comes across in my voice, in this book.

Chapter outline