Overwinter – BtC Transcript

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[Intro music plays]

[Woman’s Voice]

This is Behind the Cut with Christopher Gronlund. The companion show to Not About Lumberjacks.

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Christopher Gronlund:

Behind the Cut is an in-depth look at the latest episode of Not About Lumberjacks and often contains spoilers from the most recent story. You’ve been warned…

* * *

“Overwinter” was the right story at the right time for me…and, it seems, others as well.

I’ve been dealing with a health issue, and I just didn’t feel up to working on a story requiring a lot more thought and sound design. But I also didn’t want to skip two stories in a row. (I’m skipping September’s story this year to focus on health. [And, just so you know, the health thing is looking better than expected, so that’s great!]) I decided on a quiet story I knew I could finish during all I’ve been dealing with.

“Overwinter” has been a story I’ve thought about for some time. Initially, it was about a lighthouse keeper, but then I saw a 14-minute video about Alexandra de Steiguer, the winter keeper of The Oceanic Hotel on Star Island off the New Hampshire coast. It touched on the story I saw in my head.

So, the switch from a lighthouse to a hotel was inspired by her. What was going to be a celebration of solitude in a lighthouse changed to a bigger celebration of solitude on a larger island and bigger space.

(I also follow a firewatch who goes by FollowMyLeap on YouTube, and he often talks about the joy of being isolated and alone as well.)

* * *

I expected “Overwinter” to be between three and four thousand words, but once I had a timeline and started writing, focusing on each month meant it would be a longer story. None of it was particularly planned. I had some notes jotted down about an artist in a lighthouse, but much of this tale was created in the moment.

It’s no secret that I like solitude, but it would be a big mistake to take all of Daniel’s feelings about being alone as mine. Still, many of my feelings about social interactions (for example: going quiet around four or more people)—that’s totally me. Also: I did write much of this story with specific people in mind.

First, my wife Cynthia…who prefers not being social because of all the expectations and stresses that come with it. My wife is an introvert’s introvert, someone who doesn’t have the social battery most introverts seem to have, where they do go out, but only have so much to give. Even that’s too much for her.

There are also thoughts about art—again, written for my wife, our friend Julia Lundman, and soooooooo many artists who are expected to perform for attention, made worse by things like Internet trolls, AI images, and other struggles that come with creating art in such a connected world.

My friends Deacon and Erin are in this one as well, people who are content pondering things more than always just being on the go. And there’s a part about the “ghost” of an old boxer, totally written for my friend John. John just comes up with the greatest creative tangents on social media, sometimes creating personas and thoughts on the fly that seem so real. So that’s a nod to him.

But mostly, I wanted a story in which the introverts had their silent say—something for people who find even the company of other introverts absolutely exhausting.

* * *

There are also a lot of things I didn’t do with “Overwinter.” I still wanted that lighthouse—I even considered, “Well, maybe there’s a lighthouse in Daniel’s view, and he can paddle out to it in a kayak found on the property. Would he find someone there? Or…would he end up stranded for days, caught in a storm without proper preparations and realize he was lucky to survive?”

I even thought about someone coming out to the hotel and being surprised by Daniel’s presence—and Daniel by theirs. What would happen with such an encounter? Would they occupy the space together, or would Daniel send them off?”

And, of course, I thought about making it creepy. Maybe something otherworldly was out there, something always on the outside of Daniel’s senses that left him constantly on edge. Or just some straight up horror he had to overcome to survive.

There was even a scene I started, but quickly dropped: a bit in March in which Daniel went to the small cemetery on the island—on the anniversary of his twin brother’s death when they were in their late teens/early 20s—and talked to an unmarked stone.

That’s what I liked most about writing this story: while I usually do just write what comes to mind, most of my stories develop more of a plot than simply existing on an island for five months. I might begin with little idea where I’m going, but plotting and structure usually becomes clear and demands attention pretty early in the process.

With “Overwinter,” there was nothing I had to do, other than to get Daniel on and off an island in the Atlantic Ocean.

* * *

I see “Overwinter” as a bit of a companion piece to another Not About Lumberjacks story: “Revisions.” In that one, a woman struggles to write her second novel while also trying to finish construction on her dead mother’s house that was not completed before her passing.

I love quiet stories, things where structure doesn’t dictate progress. My favorite book is Robert Olmstead’s A Trail of Heart’s Blood Wherever We Go, and I tell most people, “You probably won’t like it,” if they say they plan to read it. Things do happen in the book, but it’s largely about a small town in New Hampshire and a friendship between two very different people. No hitting expected beats—just damn good writing and a strange coziness to me.

Nothing big needed to happen in “Overwinter,” and that’s what I love about the story.

* * *

I like stories that don’t follow typical formulas or always conform to expected beats and shapes.

In his 2021 Book, Craft in the Real World, Matthew Salesses makes a great argument about the Western literary canon shunning so many great works that don’t meet certain expectations.

He says: “We still talk about plot the way Aristotle wrote about it over two thousand years ago, when he argued that plot should be driven by character.”

But in Japan, stories deemed “plotless” by some are not uncommon, tales in which a person exists in a moment of time, just going through life with no huge goals or revelations. In other parts of Asia, a 4-act structure is more typical than the Western 3 or 5 act so-called “rules.” And African literature has often been criticized as not having well-rounded characters because sometimes the focus deviates from the protagonist’s journey, which is usually centered in Western literature: one man against the world!

Not everything needs to conform to expected standards—especially when those standards are often created by those with far more agency than others.

* * *

The world is a noisy place, and I’d argue we’d all do well to embrace slower stories. It’s clear we crave a slower pace, with people talking about getting out and touching grass or just stopping to catch their breath; the need for self-care or cozy time inside instead of social obligations.

The expectation to always be connected and on the go is reflected in much of our entertainment. People apologize for writing long posts on social media, even though “long” to them is a short paragraph instead of one of two quick lines. It’s people seeking “quick reads,” and fast content. People half-reading short articles and then rushing off to have a quick say.

At the same time, there’s a huge market for slow video games, things far more soothing than thrilling. A return to curating a play list or even buying vinyl albums again and losing oneself in music for the sake of music. And even the occasional bigger, slower novel pulling people in.

* * *

Right now, I needed to write a story like “Overwinter.”

I needed something slow and quiet in my life.

And from the feedback I’ve received from others, it seems I was not alone…

* * *

Thank you for listening to Not About Lumberjacks and Behind the Cut. Theme music for Behind the Cut is a tune called “Reaper” by Razen. Visit nolumberjacks.com for information about the music, the episodes, and voice talent.

Also, for as little as a dollar a month—and actually even free—you can have access to a bigger behind-the-scenes look at Not About Lumberjacks on Patreon. Check out patreon.com/cgronlund if that sounds like your kinda thing.

In November, the show enters its 10^th season with the most not Not About Lumberjacks story of the year!

Until next time: be mighty, and keep your axes sharp!