I just stumbled through the first forest and somehow dragged a novel out of it. There are at least four more forests beckoning. So far, though, I’ve been reluctant to enter any of them in earnest. I’m skirting their edges, spotting shapes between the trees. Some look friendly. Others decidedly less so. The funny thing? The thing that refuses to stay unfinished isn’t one of those forests. It’s the novel I already finished. That draft keeps giving me insomnia. Every so often it leans over and whispers: “I’m not done with you…”

@Dani Rosenblad James Mostly researching, noticing, listening. Writing poems, participating in SKOOLx, joining a writer community to potentially find fellow travellers. The funny thing is that the book seems to be doing some of the steering.

@Steven Cruz The prologue has a distinct voice. You show us a multi-POV entry point which I personally enjoyed, especially given where you say the story is heading afterwards. I do have one question that won’t leave me alone, though. When reading the prologue, I was struck by the size of the emotional cathedral you’re sketching. There is enough material here for an entire prequel. Are you certain you want to condense all of that into a prologue? Or would you be open to writing a promissory note instead? Something as brutal as: “He had simply said, ‘My baby loves almonds… my baby gets almonds.’ After that? Time had blurred for quite some time.” And then, over the course of the novel, slowly attach fragments to that memory as Aira revisits it? The reason I ask is that the almond line is the one that lingered with me. It feels like the emotional seed from which a much larger tree could grow.

@Steven Cruz I’m really glad you found it helpful. That sounds about right. Giving him space to breathe. Moments of joy, conflict, uncertainty, and those wonderfully awkward moments where his daughter can only respond with a spectacular eye-roll. Underneath it all, though, I sense wonder. “I helped make this life possible.” Not fully understanding what that would mean. And one day, years later, he would jog off to the gas station to buy almonds for the woman he loved. Of course he would.

Hi, I am Wolfram. I have a fondness for patterns. The rest? Still being decided.

@Shawn Helgerson I listened to your audio book in almost one sitting. You have a truly captivating voice. A gentle pace. I feel talked to. Not talked at. But that is just the albeit important atmosphere. What truly mesmerised me? At times, I was listening and learning. At other times? It was slightly more eerie. Like listening to adjacent thoughts in someone else’s mind. Thank you for sharing. Wolfram

@Shawn Helgerson, well, you dragged me down a rabbit hole and I rather enjoyed the ride. So I’d merely attribute it to gratitude. The way I was brought up, when another mind opens its doors and invites you to wander around for a while, the least one can do is leave an honest note in the guestbook. Thank you for sharing.

In retrospect? My why appears obvious. Although I can see Taleb mouthing “confirmation bias” from the balcony. I’ve been pattern tracing my whole life. Not in the knitting-pattern sense — although some of those can be rewarding. Some of the more obvious patterns?Truly puzzling. Not the patterns themselves.More their persistence. So I waited. For decades. When no one had the decency to write that story, I sighed, sat down, grabbed my favourite chipped coffee cup, and started writing. It isn’t about me. It never was. Just a slight sense that sharing a particular vista for a while might help steady someone else’s wobble. Sometimes that’s all we need for the next step.