Bridgetown: A Novel Update

If you ask me, this whole writing thing is a bloody wild ride. In February of this year, I was finally positioned to leave a job I was patently unhappy at to focus on something that gave me unlimited satisfaction and joy, and it was the best decision ever. Not only do I get to put my energies into something that gives me a sense of purpose, but I get to do so while bouncing my ten-month-old co-author on my lap. It’s a win-win for all involved, and I feel like I’m contributing something to this world for once.

Working from home and for myself is something I am committed to pulling off for the long term. And to me, writing doesn’t feel like a job, meaning I finally understand what they meant when they said, “if you do what you love, you never work have to work a day in your life.” It’s funny how I used to pull up to my job and sit in my car, debating whether I should call in sick from the parking lot. Now, I routinely wake up at 2 or 5 am to join a writer’s room on Clubhouse to learn everything I can.

The other thing I find fascinating about writing is the challenge it presents. I learned early on that having a story to tell is nowhere near enough. It has to be conveyed in a way that draws people in (or pushes them away) enough for them to want to know what happens next. I’ve changed a lot in how I contemplate communicating ideas into the written word and am playing catchup as I study the craft to make myself as good of a writer as I can be with no prior experience. Story structure is a new one for me, and everyone has their opinion, making it challenging to form my own. But I’ll get there, eventually.

I’m also compiling a running list of stories I want to tell, or instead lessons I want to entertain through stories. I have a few options to expand outside my niche, though as a new author, I’m not sure I should do so under the same name. I have interests that lie in both comedy and (of all things) horror, though I’m not sure where that drive stems from as I’m not necessarily a fan of either. Maybe it’s more of a challenge, and if that’s the case, it’s not something I’m willing to shy away from just yet.

What else? 

My second book, Bridgetown: A Harm Reduction Novel, is nearly completed and ready for audiobook production. I’m excited to find a talented female narrator but have to bide my time as I have a few queries out and have submitted to this year’s Pitch Wars contest. Nevertheless, I’m prepared to go indie again if I hear crickets, which worked well enough with One Hit Away and Rules to Die By, because if I’ve learned anything with my first book, it’s to believe in myself first, and others will follow. Besides, the publishing industry may be a highly competitive landscape to navigate, but it’s not to only way to bring a story to market. Not by a long shot.

Speaking of Bridgetown, here’s the current summary I am rolling with:

After losing a brother to addiction, Harley Hammond became a dedicated harm reductionist who manages a syringe exchange program in Portland, Oregon. When a batch of fentanyl-laced heroin floods the streets and overdoses skyrocket, Harley scrambles to put life-saving supplies into the hands of those who desperately need it. As her marginalized clients suffer through a public health crisis compounded by stigma, blame and fear, she aligns with dealers who have access to an untainted drug supply and opens an illegal safe consumption site under the veil of her syringe exchange. But after a young man takes his last breath in her lobby, a pitbull District Attorney delivers Harley an ultimatum that teaches her saving lives starts and ends with meeting people on their own ground.

I think it’s a decent summation that does the story justice, which in the end, is the ultimate goal. I also struggled quite some time with character names, likely because I do value the opinions of others so much. My original name for my MC was Oaklynn, which I ran with for a bit, though others struggled to give it their blessing. Then, Oaklynn became Sydney/Sidney (never quite settled on the spelling), but the “place-name” issue still wasn’t resonating. My wife eventually came up with Harley, and it just . . . worked. She also named another character Liv (short for Olivia), amongst many other contributions.

Now I’m shooting out requests for blurbs/endorsements from fellow authors, harm reductionists, doctors, advocates, et cetera. It’s one of my more favorite steps, terrifying as it may be because I’m sending out something so near and dear to me to be judged by others. Adding to the stress is I’m not on the finalized version quite yet, so it’s sort of like laying myself bare for all the world to see. Let’s hope I don’t make an ass out of myself.

I think that’s a good check-in. It’s been a bit, but I feel compelled to blog more again with the new site. Let me know below if you have any questions or topics you want me to expand more on. Writing can be many things to many people, so it need not be so isolating.