Clearing the Head: A Day on the San Francisco Bay

Writing a novel series like A City of Two is an immersive, all-consuming process. When you spend months living inside your characters' heads—navigating their conflicts, building their emotional arcs, and tracing the tightrope they walk—the line between your reality and theirs can start to blur.

Sometimes, the only way forward is to step back, shut the laptop, and let everyone breathe for a moment.

Yesterday was one of those days.

The San Francisco Bay put on a masterclass in sailing weather. Crisp air, bright sun reflecting off the chop, and a steady breeze rolling in through the Golden Gate. There is something about being out on the water in a 40-foot sailboat that acts as an instant reset.

"Once you’ve internalized how to read the wind, watch the current, and work the rigging

in sync with the elements, it becomes second nature."

For anyone who has ever spent time learning the ropes, you know that those skills never really leave you. It’s a physical language of blocks, lines, and subtle shifts in the hull that clears out the mental clutter faster than anything else I know.

We had a small crew of good friends aboard, and we spent the afternoon tacking across the bay, letting the wind do the heavy lifting while we enjoyed the simple, grounding rhythm of sailing.

Of course, when you're out on the water with your husband, and your current manuscript happens to draw deeply from the well of your own life and history, shop talk is practically inevitable. We spent a good stretch of the afternoon talking through character motivations, plot points, and where the story is heading next.

Being married to someone who understands the life means he had plenty to say—sharp insights, strong opinions, and a few alternative directions for the plot. Will I take all of that advice? Well... time will tell. Some things are worth listening to instantly, while others might need to marinate a bit longer while I stare out at the horizon.