Unrelated to drabbles... how long do you keep beginnings that you haven't used, partially written drafts, and things like that? How long is too long to think "Hey, I might use this."

Still in 21, I was hoping the heist that happens could simply be tweaked from the rough draft, but I don't think that will work. It turns out there is a problematic aspect that will have to be changed.

I'm back into a low confidence swing. I'm hoping that the second revision can make a big improvement. The first revision is worlds better than the rough draft so far, maybe the next revision can make a similar leap.

Got a bit more of 21 done, but I spent most of my time banging out the critique on my plate. I'm not really into the story I'm critiquing, but I don't think it's bad, just not my thing. I've decided to not criticize the sheer number of POV characters, I think that's just her style, even if it frustrates me. Or maybe I should mention it, if more than one reader mentions it, then maybe it's not just me. I'm not sure, I don't want to be critical about things that are just personal preference.

I thought 21 would be a walk in the park--not literally, it takes place mostly underground--but not the case. I realized on the way to work I need to go back and fix a couple of things in what I've already done. I forgot to have Aimee ask who this Rainier guy is and Holly is supposed to be all hyped up in the first part. Two steps forward, one step back.

You can't not blink.

But her hand is so tiny in yours, so hot with fever. She sweats, though you're cold, and her small head tosses on the pillow. And you think, in the 3 a.m. dark, "Don't blink. If you don't blink, you won't fall asleep. If you don't blink, you can be sure. She'll be all right. It's just the flu or something. But if you blink, if you sleep, what if? What if something happens? What if you can't help because you slept, because you blinked? Don't. Just. Don't. Blink."

But you can't not blink, and you can't not sleep, and when you wake up she's fine, but you feel like you failed her.

Because you can't not blink.

Oh, MM.

erika, I keep all my stuff forever, because I'm crazy like that. Like, blue bins full of notebooks and archived data like whoa. It's kinda ridiculous. But I do often go back through and glean stuff, so I feel like it's worthwhile to have, my SO's protestations notwithstanding.

Lyrics and lyric snippets especially make reappearances later. In fact, right now I'm working up two old pieces and a new one.

MM, aww.

New drabble theme for today: power lines (to be used with any definition of power, or lines, or whatnot)

MM, man, that's--yeah. Nicely done.

Nice, MM. And poor Em, it sounds like she's recovering well though.

I'm still working on 21, maybe one more good block of time to finish it off. Good blocks of time are hard to get though.

I tried everything to write uplifting for "Power Lines", but this is what really wanted to be written:

Power Lines

Sometimes she can see it like anyone else sees it, freeze-frame, like "My God, what are you about to put up your nose?"Despite not being great at school, she's not a stupid person and can sometimes tell that sucking powder off a toilet tank that a billion people have used might not rank as the smartest idea ever, and pretty gross at that, and she's been doing it long enough that the highs aren't great like that first magical time. But she still likes how small her problems get as she does it, and how sometimes, it still feels like she can fly. But it's like she's Supergirl who's stranded in her phone booth.

Wow, erika. That is awesome.