name that tune
Had a terrific time on the West Coast, the trip brought my summer to the perfect close. Kids go back to school tomorrow, whole new program kicking off around here. Overnight, it seems, the demands upon my time and attention have quadrupled and I’m pretty excited about it. I’m as focused as I think I’ve ever been; may discover that it’s way too much, but for now I’m confident and hopeful. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty pivotal, I’m hoping to take a ton of writing and bridge momentum with me to Shanghai.
Sculpting a fictional bridge world is tricky; I’ve chosen to drive a very close parallel line — my characters inhabit a world strikingly similar to the living, breathing North American bridge scene. They play the same tournaments on the same calendar as we do, with the same basic sociopolitical structure and range of players. I’m trying to craft a sufficiently rich setting that it will resonate with bridge players without being inaccessible to the uninitiated. I can imagine several ways of getting the job done; so far I’ve leaned heavily on the world aspect, drawing out the landscape of the tournament in terms of physical geography. The Grand Ballroom is a sea, and the various games are islands upon it. I envision continents spanning the vertical space of the hotel, and the task for Beckett and the team is to navigate through what amount to the lower circles of hell.
Speaking of the lower circles of hell, have you seen the White Sox scores lately? We’ll be at the ballpark this afternoon and we’re due for a win. Go Sox go.
Leave a Comment