You and I, Revisited, After a Stretch of Time, Where Not A Word Has Changed, But Still, Everything Is Different

My friend David (from college), who reconnected with me during Covid, and encouraged me to write again, in earnest, by offering to read and to comment on my stories, even though horror wasn’t his genre, and he didn’t know the language of minimalism that Chuck taught, and rarely gave advice that I took, he has a new song out today:

An earlier version of this song inspired my story, You and I.

You and I is the story that I submitted when I applied (and was subsequently accepted) into The Great Substack Story Challenge Two, where I met the marvelous

Meg Oolders

and

J.E. Petersen

and

Brian Reindel 👾⚔️

, wonderful and fantastic Substack writers all.

Joining The Great Substack Challenge created in me the desire to write and offer entertainment beyond the wry reflections on short story submissions and rejections and so I began the barely obscured and memoirized Walt Darling saga. (Which is continuing! Next chapter soon! (On the way - a second chance with Erica! - an actual witch! - fooling around after mutual admiration of St. Francis of Assisi!)

You and I is the story I submitted to Chuck Palahniuk for his Gloves Off critiques:

Gloves Off: Round XXX

Chuck correctly chastised me for failing to begin with tension and overdoing the star references and I do intend to rewrite You and I with his advice, but also, I think it’s a pretty good story as it is.

David wrote the song after watching the Richard Linklater Before Trilogy with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight). I wrote the song after hearing his song as a work-in-progress. (The version I heard lacked guitars, was mostly strings and drums and vocals. He said this version sounds more “like him.” I agree).

So this song began quite a bit for me.

David is an artist friend whose work inspires me to create. When I listen to his songs, I think, the only thing stopping me from making amazing art, from writing that story that will make everyone laugh before breaking their heart - the only thing stopping me - is me.

So, quit distracting yourself and write.

Are you lucky enough to have a friend like that? I hope so.