Finis

I finished writing my latest book (The Worlds). Now I've got to read it. It's always strange to read a book that I've written. Truth is, there are always parts of the book that I don't remember writing. To be more precise, these sections seem a bit familiar, like something half-remembered from a dream. Who knows? Maybe I'm a multiple personality. (Drat, I just remembered that no one believes in multiple personalities anymore. Never mind.)

As for blogging, I have nothing to say. The world is far too stupid to write about. I read all the news stories and, honestly, no one anywhere is making sense (except for digby). How do you critique nonsense? You don't; you just ignore it. In this way, blogging has fallen to the wayside.

But I've got another book. Hooray!

PS: In the meanwhile, go read Xmas Carol, if you haven't already done so. It's your duty as a regular visitor to my blog -- so much so that you may go to jail for not reading it. Sorry, but that's how it works. Oh, and those of you who have read it but haven't yet written a review at Amazon...what are you waiting for?

Absent blogger checks in

Aw, ya miss me, doncha? I had to put the blog aside for a few days because I had a breakthrough. No, not on the book I'm currently working on ("The Worlds") but on a book of short stories. This is a collection that will be called "Ink".

I love several of the short stories I've written for the book -- but I want them packaged in a certain way. The book is five (or six, I'm not sure yet) short stories that live within a larger short story (I refuse to call it a "novella", which sounds like an ice cream concoction). The inner stories all relate to the larger story within which they live; they play a vital role, each in its own way.

The breakthrough was the addition of a final short story that ties it all together. As usual, the idea came to me while I was watching TV. (Someone should do a study on the volume of creative ideas that pop up while one watches TV; am I alone in this? Happens all the time.)

So now I'm diving back into this book of stories, trying to polish those that are written as I work on the final tale. It's going to be a sparkling collection. At least, that's my goal.

Okay, you may now return to the gloom that descended upon you this morning when you learned that Mitt Romney won't be running for president. Darn!