OK, that was kind of my thinking. Since Virginia Barbour - she's a UK science and health writer, a research physician and someone who consults for UK medical TV shows - has offered to help me craft the perfect disease, I think I'm going to go for a Hot Zone feel, literally, pick a character - the grandfather of one of the current crop, maybe - and walk the reader through the precise moment when the chromosomal mutation hits, what's happening environmentally around him, his own unawareness, etc etc etc.

I am preemptively offering to beta that cause, dude.

P-C, honey? Get in line.

Deb, I've read it, too, and I agree with your suggestion and P-C's opinion.

Oooh, can't wait for Deb to finish her vampire book so I can read it. If only I had time to beta right now.

This latest challenge is producing some really intense drabbles. All of them so far have been jaw-droppers.

I nearly deleted mine 30 seconds after posting, because I was afraid it came off as all righteous and Gandhier-than-thou. I mean, every human being has to cultivate some detachment just to survive. You can't be purely empathetic or you'd die of contact poisoning from all the pain in this world.

Still, some days I can't help wondering where the line between healthy detachment and wilful indifference is, and when exactly I crossed it. Yesterday (obviously) was one of those days.

Lies:

There is plenty of time.

There's time to work on the novel, write the magazine proposal, clean out the closet, read Dorothy Dunnett, get rid of books, buy more books, lose weight, paint the bedroom, go to the movies, call friends, make friends, get cousin Claudia's watermelon rind pickle recipe, say a kind word, plant a tree, save the world.

The sunset glows like the world is burning. The autumn leaves swirl in the yard. The sand piles up in the hourglass. The clock ticks. The bomb timer counts down. I'm about to cut the red wire.

Plenty of time.

The writer Trish Jensen collapsed at her home, was hospitalized, and got better. Unfortunately, like many writers, she has no health insurance and is now $100,000 in debt.

A group of writers have gotten together and are offering critiques by published authors for auction. If you win an auction, the named author will critique your synopsis and first chapter. A full list of authors is on the page above; the participating authors for mystery, suspense, and other is here. The single-title (i.e. not necessarily marketed as romance) list is here.

Ginger, damn. My spine is moving over that one.

Betsy, I just emailed to offer services as well. Boy, do I know the feeling.

And, I am offering up a very early, hopefully non-jinxy SQUEEEE! I was just asked by a very good editor I know whether I'd be interested in contributing one or more short stories to a project they're looking at doing - a series, using different songwriters: think "The Literary Paul Simon" or whatnot, of short fiction anthologies based on the assigned songs.

Well, DUH.

I'm about to cut the red wire.

You just gave me chills, Ginger.

Ginger. Just...damn.

(Teppy, this challenge has produced some great pieces.)

Deb, that is (in a non-jinxy way) great!

Cindy!

Any progress on picking out a store in your area for me to descend upon? I'm firming up the calendar, with four firm west coast dates, two more being batted back and forth, and Deena mentioning an Ohio libraries swing. So I'm putting this stuff together.