The thing is, there's a sound principle behind all the advice. It's just not anything close to an absolute. But for some reason it's very hard to explain the nuances.

If you need a guest speaker, I'm in.

I'm especially fierce in defense of the adverb, used properly.

Question--in the most recent section I took to my Monday writers group, I referred to Anna getting a stitch in her side (as in, the pain you get from walking or running past your normal limits, not a gut wound being sewn up). One of the group members circled it with a question mark. That's not some obscure Southernism, is it?

I'm familiar with the usage, but apparently my home region has a lot more Southernism than I previously thought. I thought it was fairly common.

That's not some obscure Southernism, is it?

I always used it as a kid. I don't know where I picked it up, but my grampa was from the midwest. Maybe he passed it down.

We used it here. My Nova Scotian grandmother (born 1906) used it, too.

Too true. (Where "too" is, technically, an adverb.)

Adverbs are like cookies that way. Everybody thinks you can't have any, or you have to have the whole box in a sitting. Surely the course of moderation can be discovered?

OK, sounds universal enough that I'm going to leave it for now.

Fuck. Computer just ate a humongous long post.

Susan, both ends of my family use "stitch". My only query is, would have been common in that point in time?

Still in publishing weirdness, on which I still can't elaborate. But I can say that "Cruel Sister" is, at least, approved and going to be offered on. Other bullshit going on that is making me remember why I hate publishing with a passion.

Allyson, Jenn finally ploughed through a month's back emails and says that, if you have any questions about what agents want and submissions and whatnot, to just write her and ask, she'd be pleased to help out. Amy can vouch for Jenn. So e me if you need.

Meanwhile, beginning to work out the flesh for my next series. No ghosts this time, straight mystery, the main man being a member of a superstar rock band, but not the frontman: think John Entwhistle or John Paul Jones or Charlie Watts: a musician who is a sort of accidental superstar. He's got a female bodyguard (thank you, ita, for allowing it!). There's going to be a lot of injokes and insider stuff, but nothing that can get me sued.

Opinions? Is this likely to fly? I am an evil beeyotch and am seriously thinking about having the first victim be a fanboy biographer....

Deb, the new series sounds like it would be hella fun. Start flinging the glitter.