Tempting talk of inks

That's Caran d'Ache ink on the left. The color is called Saffron. It's new. Doesn't it look delicious? I'm sorely tempted to buy a bottle. So I thought why not spread the temptation around? All you have to do is click on that photo and you'll find yourself at writersbloc, ready to purchase this great-looking new color. I think I have to buy it. On the other hand, I have Caran d'Ache's Sunset ink, which is a beautiful color but doesn't work well in my pens. That may be an omen. Buying inks is a dicey thing. Still, that color is to die for.

As for my own realm, it's time to report on my daring experiment. Amazingly, all my pens wrote readily after sitting idle for seven days. I was surprised. I thought surely a few would muck up. But no, they all wrote from the very first stroke. Now I won't feel compelled to write with each of them nightly. I'll probably still do it, but I won't have to.

Here are the inks presently in my pens. I approve of them all.

Aurora Black
Diamine Crimson (surprisingly fun, very bright)
Diamine Pumpkin
J. Herbin's Lierre Sauvage (a green)
Levenger Pinkly (no longer sold; Carmine scored one at a garage sale)
Noodler's Blue
Diamine Aqua Blue
Private Reserve Orange Crush
Noodler's Lexington Gray (I adore this one)
Diamine Chocolate Brown
Noodler's Red-Black
Noodler's Purple
Noodler's Baystate Blue
Private Reserve Tanzanite (a dark purple with slight blue highlights)

Just a little ink talk to brighten your day. It sure brightens mine.

The only slogan that works

I was feeling worn out today and didn't think I could write.  However, I employed my fabulous mantra -- Drink Espresso and Open Scrivener -- and it worked. It always works.

I wrote the next section of "Ink" today, the book within which my short stories will live. Since there are four short stories to surround, I need five scenes for the "outer" story.  To date, I've done three of the needed scenes and have inserted three short stories within this framework. It's sounding good so far, IMHO. Only one more short story to stick in, meaning I've only got to write two additional scenes and the book is done.

Okay, okay, not the "book", the novella. And is that a sad fate for fiction, or what? If the only thing you can do with short stories is give them away, the novella probably occupies a rung even lower on that ladder. How many readers see "novella" and think, "oh, goodie!"? Uh-huh, it's a bad length.

Nevertheless, I like the idea of writing a book to showcase my short stories. I'll decide what to do with it later.

Thing is, I wrote today, which makes me a major success.