So I’m up on the roof. The breeze has been strong out of the north for the last couple of days, with gusts of twenty-five knots. It has laid down a bit, but still breezy enough to use a stemless wineglass. Floating city lights pass beyond the reef on the way to St. Thomas or Tortola or wherever. This time of year the sun sets more to the south, behind the land, but still the end of the day can be quite dramatic. Today was not one of those days. Later, the sun will set on the ocean like this.
This is a new thing for me. I have posted my Rooftop Musings for years on Facebook but now I am migrating to my own platform. The last year has been transformative for me as I find my bearings as a writer. I want to chronicle my journey as I chase the dream of becoming not just a writer, but a published author. At the same time, I will continue to report from the Puerto Rican front line as I see it and will not shy away from the occasional social commentary. As I have in the past, I will always advocate civil discourse and tolerance.
I am not one of those that “always wanted to write.” I had other things to do. But one dark night, I guess as a way to sidestep fear, I started writing. Two decades later, after stops and starts and life getting in the way, I finally had a novel. It was, in retrospect, terrible. But it was just good enough that my wife thought it could be something. With honest feedback from my family, (“This chapter is unreadable.” or “I hate your main character”) I revised and revised and finally felt I had a decent novel. I spent the next year studying the basics of the craft of writing and applying it to my novel, which by then acquired the title PANHANDLING.
In the process, I have become a writer. PANHANDLING is, I believe, a good novel. Time will tell if it is commercially viable. I am editing the sequel now, which I think will be even better. Tentatively titled CEMI PRECIOUS, it is set in Puerto Rico and features a strong female protagonist and a load of Taino history. I have also written several short stories. So feel free to join me on the roof. Should be a lot of fun.
Cobb Out