Thanks so much for reading this, Daniel. It applies to non-fiction, too - e.g. your story about Gabrielle.

It's important to make sure that everything you're writing is necessary and cohesive. It's easy to start wandering off topic or bring in extraneous extras. It's essential to be clear and follow a guide or a map, so a book doesn't just become a rambling series of thoughts or stories, always taking the reader off on detours that can leave them confused about where they were and what the point of the section or chapter was.

Storytelling is storytelling, and I'm sure you'll have heard some not-great speakers in your life, along with some excellent ones. The not-great ones lose our attention because they wander all over the place or they don't tell the story in an engaging and cohesive way.

I hope the year is off to a good start for you, my friend. Gosh, halfway through the first month already??! Hope you're having fun with your keyboard!