Arrant Nonsense

It came in at just under 4200 words, so I've got some whackage to do, but anyone can cut 5% of the manuscript and still have it be good, if not vastly improved thereby. I will completely ignore the fact that I usually add words rather than subtract them in edits and just sit here and be happy that my first draft is done.

Now I have a week to beat it into some semblance of shape. But all in all, I'm happy with it. Alex is a delight to write and I always have fun with him.

And then I get to start on the cyborg story. After a brainstorming session with my Writing Buddy tonight, I at least have a semblance of Plot for that one; it's due the 15th of September. I'll spend tomorrow on edits for the coffee story and outlining the cyborg story.

And someday, I'll put the final finishing touches on the cat-hoarding dragon story as well. That one got back-burnered because Deadlines, but it's nearly done.

And because the novel for Angry Bitter Angel is intimidating the hell out of me right now, I'm...

Going to attempt a couple of shorts for upcoming anthos.

One is the Coffee anthology. I already have a character who drinks Kopi Luwak, so coming up with a 4000-word story in which something terrible happens to his $600-per-pound coffee should not be difficult. The deadline for that one is August 31, so I'd better get on it.

The other is the Cyborg antho. I've got 8000 words for that one, a basic premise, and a (tentative) deadline of Sept. 15. Yes. It will star a werewolf with a prosthetic limb. Yes. I am headdesking mightily over this because I am going to be forever known as That Werewolf Writer.

On the plus side, Ben gets to sit this one out. However, for the coffee antho, I have no idea how I'm going to shut Alex up enough to squeeze something about him into 4000 words. I guess we'll see. I have outline docs open right now.

There is something wrong with me.