Captain’s log #4: Harshmode, stardate 26-09-03
Rerouting around a system failure
This week was a stagnant one. It started last Wednesday when I felt lethargic, but I kept chugging along. Then, the body chills hit on Friday night, followed by a cough, sore throat, and dry nausea that wouldn’t let up on Saturday. That resulted in a total loss of appetite, upset stomach, and body weakness; well, you get the point. It seemed to have begun two weeks ago during my sister’s wedding week. Large gatherings often lead to illnesses circulating throughout, as is usually the case. Viral infections (including the common cold) always feel more severe in the summer. They are the kinds of distractions and messes nobody expects, wants, or prepares for. But the show must go on.
Speaking of things to look forward to, football is around the corner. Go Indianapolis Colts! I’m not sure what to expect from them this year. Last year’s squad returns mostly intact, but surrounded by lots of questions. Our quarterback, Daniel Jones, returns from an Achilles tear that ended the Colts’ 2025 season when they were lighting up the league. The future is uncertain this campaign. General Manager Ballard and head-coach Steichen appear to be on the hot seat—either show something or leave. Jones says he’s back to slinging the football, but coming off a brutal injury, he has questions surrounding his durability. Only time will tell. Our running back, Jonathan Taylor, is a powerhouse, but he can’t carry the team alone. While several moves improved the offense, the defense seems shaky. Ballard’s teams struggle with the pass-rush and this time, the young linebackers are untested, too. I hope the secondary stays healthy, but somehow that always goes wrong each year. Sports writers and critics are counting us out again, but that’s on par. Small city teams get overlooked. Here’s to a successful season! 🫡
Quote (or passage)
“The show must go on”
The phrase originated from 19th century circuses. When an animal got loose or a performer became injured mid-act, the ringmaster would use the phrase to keep the program moving. Regardless of the circumstances, the show never stops. I picked up the quote from a famous Indian film, ‘Mera Naam Joker’ (1970), but perhaps nobody encapsulates its spirit better than Robin Williams. Despite the hardships and depression he faced behind the curtain, he strove to bring joy to people. I have always looked up to Robin Williams for his lively personality and the kindness he exhibited throughout his illustrious career.
In life, there will be moments of triumph and moments of gloom, but neither should bring you to a halt. Keep pushing forward, keep moving forward. I find myself muttering that mantra day in and day out.
What I’m listening to
Demons, Imagine Dragons
Imagine Dragons has become my favorite band for the last 6-7 years, leaping past Linkin Park. Most are aware that ‘Demons’ was one of their first hits after entering the limelight. What many don’t know is that they wrote the song in two hours, and it’s dedicated to a 17-year-old Imagine Dragons fan who died fighting cancer in 2013. The song is not about doing evil or demons, but concerns admitting to imperfections and struggles. It takes courage to wear adversity on one’s sleeve rather than hiding behind a mask. It essentially says, “I have these dark shadows inside me that I’m trying to grasp and control. I fear that if I open up, I’ll lose you, so stay away from me.” There’s also the human vulnerability worry. If others see the real you, what if that pushes them away? This poetic song may not be optimistic, but it’s relatable in this day and age.
Lag Ja Gale, Lata Mangeshkar
I introduced my favorite Indian singer, Kishore Kumar, in a previous Captain’s log. Today, I present another beloved, everlasting giant of Indian music. Many say she was the greatest singer in Indian history throughout her 8 decades as a professional singer from the 1940s to the 2010s. It took me time to find a Lata Mangeshkar song from the many I enjoy that fit with demons (I debated using ‘believer’, potentially an easier song to connect with). When I reheard the opening lines, I knew ‘Lag Ja Gale’ was it, even though the tone, atmosphere, and meaning are mountains apart. The idea of this song is to embrace what you desire, as there may not be a tomorrow. An unknown exists tomorrow, but we are blessed to have this opportunity now, so hold on before it’s gone. The song is peaceful, sung in a way that every phrase touches the heart and mind, even if you don’t understand the lyrics. Lyrics: https://www.filmyquotes.com/songs/4291
The two songs act as a continuity. Demons explores the internal struggle of the self’s pain and loss, and ‘Lag Ja Gale’ explores the self’s external desire for connection. Together, you get: “I desire what you have to give me, but I’m broken. What will you think of me if you learned my pain? I still desire what you have to give me, and our time is short. What if I lose that chance?” It’s beautiful when contrasted and merged into a singularity. The story doesn’t have to be romantic; it can be about acceptance, friendship, empathy, compassion, or life. To bring it together, each song fears loss and separation for different reasons, but both cherish that human connection above all.
What I’m writing
Last time, I focused on my developmental editing process. This week, I’ll go through my line-editing process, which covers flow, pacing, consistency, and the clarity of every sentence and paragraph. While line-editing is simpler than juggling the “big picture” elements of developmental editing, I find it more time-intensive. I plan on reading a non-fiction book on line-editing, hoping to make my process more efficient. While my process might be effective (I can’t say because it’s my first time doing it), it’s tiring and takes up too much time. The shorter 2k word chapters take about 4 hours apiece, and the longer 5k word chapters take over 8 hours apiece.
-First pass: I open the chapter in the writing app ‘Scrivener’ and read it from start to finish. As I read, I correct blatant errors and repetitious sentences, phrases, or terms. For example, I might spot “The dog rose up from the floor.” The phrase ‘rose up’ is redundant, so I delete ‘up’. Every unnecessary word should be cut to improve pacing and readability. Fluff words/sentences add nothing to the story or prose. Perhaps it’s acceptable in dialogue if it’s your character’s voice, but it’s best to streamline prose for flow and clarity. I occasionally slash useless adjectives, adverbs, and anything that appears wordy. Stick to the point, keep it tight, and don’t go off the rails rambling. Brevity, brevity, brevity. If you use long sentences and big words just to sound smart, your reader will put your book aside two paragraphs in. Most people won’t sit around reading 1,000 words that can be expressed in 50. Brevity. Read books by Arthur C. Clarke; he was a master of brevity. The greatest communicators in history focus on mastering brevity.
-Second pass: I bring ProWritingAid (PWA) into the mix. PWA is software that helps edit both fiction and nonfiction writing. It highlights things like overused words, sticky sentences (wordy sentences), adverbs, cliches, etc. PWA is not perfect because it makes mistakes. I limit the rephrasing tool except in specific cases because it uses AI that will alter my voice. Don’t use its suggestions exactly as given; they are best used as inspiration. I disabled the Sparks tool, which likely uses generative AI. You have to be careful accepting any flags because I see errors every time. I find PWA useful for grammar checks and certain reports, especially for repetitive uses of certain words.
-Third pass is a polish for things I might have missed. I essentially repeat the first two passes all over again in conjunction. I might read out sections to check for rhythm or awkward phrasing.
What film I’m watching
Last Saturday, I streamed the film ‘Misery’ (1990) for the writing group, and it seemed to excite more people than I expected. I mean, it’s a horror film written by Stephen King about a kidnapped author. The relevance struck close to home! I previously reviewed Misery (1990), but it’s a fun flick. Two hours go by before you know it, with brilliant acting from Kathy Bates, writing, directing, cinematography, and editing. Watch it if you get a chance.
While in bed those sick days, I watched an Indian show named ‘Kota Factory’ (2019-2021). The city of Kota is a popular coaching hub in India where thousands of students go each year to prepare for entrance to IIT, a network of 23 Indian universities that focus on research, engineering, and technology. Over a million students apply annually, but only 15k students (1% of applicants) get accepted. The show depicts the fictional journey of a group of friends and their struggles. The acting, cinematography, production value, and writing are mind-blowing. It’s unbelievable the pressure these kids undergo. Indian culture, system, and families put tremendous pressure on these kids. The huge population and stagnant economy makes it much worse. That results in very high suicide rates, cheating scandals, and frauds.
This week, I decided to do a ‘back to school’ theme for my writing group’s Film Night Saturday poll. The options are The Breakfast Club (’85), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (’86), October Sky (’99), Akeelah and the Bee (’06), 10 Things I Hate About You (’99), and 3 Idiots (’09). The Breakfast Club and ’10 Things I Hate About You’ are neck-to-neck, with 11 and 10 votes respectively. Each option is a gem.
Looking Ahead
I lost four days being sick. My plan was to finish chapters 22-23 and start chapter 24 last night. I finished 22 and couldn’t finish 23. It’s catch-up time. Before football begins next week, all distractions go aside. I intended on doing a ‘Gone with the Wind’ film review next week, but that’s out the window for now. I could have finished 23 today if I had done that instead of this, but it’s okay. The journey continues, one chapter and word at a time. Forward!
That’s it for this biweekly. Feel free to post any questions concerning anything posted here. I’ll catch you next time. Carpe diem!
