Mid-September Writing Recap
Hi, everyone!
September is flying by at the Cerniglia household! Stella is the main source of all the activity—she started school, soccer, dance, and therapy, all in the last two weeks. I’ll be giving her plenty of flowers—she’s a resilient kid, eager to learn and grow. We decided to take swimming off her schedule for now, and soccer only runs until the end of October, so things will slow down soon. But for now, it's been quite the adjustment for all of us.
Thankfully, I’ve still been able to find pockets of time to write. It’s definitely more stop-and-start than it used to be, but I’m grateful for the chance to keep going.
Now, let’s dive into what we’ve covered so far this month!
ICYMI: I released the first two “tracks” (chapters) of the rock & roll novel I’m working on. If you like music, contemporary fiction, and a twist of suspense, then check this out!
I've received some really nice comments from readers, which, for a writer, is one of the most meaningful things that can happen!
I’m still working through “V3” of my draft. This time around, I had a lot of rewrites—adding scenes and even entire chapters in some cases. It was exciting to dive back into writing, but I’m glad to be back in more of an editing mode now. I’ve also realized I’m becoming a stronger writer—I’m spotting gaps I completely missed before and filling them in pretty easily.
Progress is slow, but it’s happening. I’m working on some images for a “meet the characters” series without giving too much away. It’s been fun learning AI art—some of my images turned out great, others … not so much. But it’s a fun little project to pair with editing!
Another ICYMI: I joined Fansided last week as a contributor covering the Kansas City Royals! It’s another byline to add to my portfolio, and hopefully, I’ll be covering the team well into October this year.
You can bookmark my KOK page here, but I’ll also be reposting the link with a mini write-up whenever a new column is published, just like I do with my Yardbarker columns.
Yardbarker ⚾️
Since returning from vacation, I’ve written just about every weekday and will continue to do so through the end of the MLB regular season and playoffs.
There is SO MUCH great baseball writing out there and I am grateful to those of you who choose to follow mine.
Here’s a rundown of what I’ve done so far in September:
Royals defy expectations on the road to resurgence
The Kansas City Royals are the shining example of what makes baseball exciting. Despite a recent six-game losing streak, FanGraphs still gives them a 77.9% chance to make the playoffs—a stunning turnaround for a team that lost 106 games just a year ago.
20-year-old rookie fuels Brewers' unlikely rise: 'Born to do this'
He might be the key to Milwaukee’s October dreams, turning what was once a gamble into one of the most exciting storylines in baseball.
Red Sox slide indicative of bigger issues
What in the world is happening to the Boston Red Sox?
Mets on fire with big chance to gain ground in playoff race
The New York Mets have a perfect chance for redemption this fall.
Why a wild September looms for American League
With three weeks left in the regular season, the American League is setting up for a thrilling finale.
Reunion of college teammates could set up Rangers for 2025 postseason return
The Vandy Boys, once collegiate superstars, have the chance to be a fabulous duo in the majors.
Chris Sale's Cy Young push highlights the value of veteran pitchers
The Braves are currently tied with the Mets for the final wild-card slot, and without Sale’s contributions, they might not even be in the hunt.
Detroit Tigers still hunting for a wild-card miracle
The Detroit Tigers could make the push for a surprise postseason bid if everything clicks down the stretch run of the regular season.
Way-too-early look at role players who could define MLB postseason
Here’s a way-too-early look at potential X factors from six first-place teams who could swing this year’s playoffs.
Remember, there are a couple of ways you can regularly keep up my Yardbarker writing:
Bookmark my archive page.
Subscribe by smashing the button below! I always repost my Yardbarker columns here 🙂
“Brother Jeremy” joined us on the pod last week. We talked music, the Voices in Vain album dropping on Oct. 18 (preorder you copy on vinyl here), and lots of other jigattagoob.
Give us a listen here, on YouTube, or on any of your favorite listening sites!
CERNIG 📈
More modest growth for the Substack over the past couple of weeks!
Thank you to those who continue to support me and to those who responded to my “Tightening the net” email!
🙏 If you have suggestions or ideas, please don’t hesitate to reach out.