Introduction: Cheyenne

Sharing a draft of a story I've written

This is my first effort at long-form fiction. My story, Cheyenne, centers around a middle-aged couple, Rich and Beth Clark, who have been experiencing an extended run of misfortune, including an unimaginable family tragedy.

Meanwhile, America is in a dark period of social and political upheaval and instability, to such an extent that the Clarks are selected for a new government transfer program to reintegrate “Red” and “Blue” states. In their new home in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the Clarks start over — meeting neighbors, exploring new opportunities, and hoping for a brighter future ahead.

This story draws inspiration from current events, but it is intended as a creative writing exercise.

While writing it, I’ve been surprised several times when actual events started to overlap with some of my storylines. This was concerning because my story is fucked up.

What you will be reading is a rough draft, but you will not be the first person to read it. At least one person close to me has actually read the entire first draft. They suggested that I get professional help.

“No,” I said,” I’m not interested in hiring an editor. This is just a hobby for me.”

Then I got that look —the one you don’t see very often, but the one where you brace yourself because you know you are about to be told something hard to hear and uncomfortable to say.

Well, screw it, I’m sharing this story with my small network on Substack.

My story and characters are unpolished. But we’ve completed our initial journey. You are welcome to read it, listen to it¹, or simply ignore it.

I’ll roll out chapters over the coming weeks. You can follow the progress by referring to the table of contents.

1. Substack has introduced an audio feature to written posts. You will notice a voiceover section above each chapter to access a voiceover.