Got it, babe! I'll send you my impressions tonight or tomorrow morning.

After a big push, I'm now cleaning up 60, or 60, 61, and 62 after I split 60 into three chapters. No wonder 60 took so long to do.

I've started in on 63 and I'm adapting the ending of the rough draft to fit onto the end of this revision. 63 will glue the ending onto the end of 62 and pretty soon I'll be finishing up for this go-round.

I am really thinking about quitting right now. So what? I can turn a phrase a little. But the thing that sets me apart the most is also my biggest liability and keeps my writing for the specialty press(AKA the writer short bus)

Clever. I hope it's more than that, too.

I've seen something else like that. Looks like it's a new creative style.

Seems like you could write some crime/detective stuff erika. From what I've read you have a good style for that.

Clever. I hope it's more than that, too.

It seems like a shake-up is on the radar with e-book and e-readers. I don't think it's eminent, but it one really good and affordable e-reader plus a consensus or emergent standard on rights management and things will change pretty quickly.

I am really thinking about quitting right now.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, erika, every month I read several stories in Ellery Queen that are not as good as the not-completely-finished-polishing betas I've read for you. I can understand if not getting the luck component is frustrating.

It's cool, though. Maybe it'll be groundbreaking to be the first Lutheran Schlemiel. Not exactly the barrier-busting I'm after, though. And it's harder to cope with because the whole blessing-counting thing is filled with so many more pauses...I'm not even sure I can count "my health" strictly speaking, although I usually do because it's not really a disease to be wired like a Fiat(Tony is apparently not a researcher in neurology)

I am really thinking about quitting right now. So what? I can turn a phrase a little. But the thing that sets me apart the most is also my biggest liability and keeps my writing for the specialty press(AKA the writer short bus)

erika, I have admired your sharp wit and your ability skewer with one twist of phrase since I first started lurking here. I think many of your columns are spot on. I think you have the potential to be a killer procedural writer, true crime writer, script writer, political writer or professional snarker. If you can use the "short bus" press as a springboard, do it. If you think it's holding you back, we can brainstorm about approaches you can take to break out. But please don't stop writing. I can hunt you down. I know where you live...

Thanks...I don't know that I would really stop(or even how much of option that is past the first week or two) I'm just in an annoying phase at the moment. Because I feel like I've learned too much to just make a mess like a newbie and feel okay about it, but I'm not quite a pro, either. Especially since I started in a new form and get to be stupid all over again. It's just another place to not-quite belong, and where do I feel like that, besides, I don't know, *every* place else. And, with my new ethic to try to do it every day, I have lost my Shiny Fun Hobby too,(Keith Olbermann used to feel that way about sports too, but I don't make enough to get jaded like that. Also, he used way more words than that.Naturally.) and these Script Frenzy people are so*stoked*...they are the people that buy all the mugs with the sayings on them, and they go over their scenes with multicolored pens, even though it's been pointed out that that's insane. And I think they are tremendous dorks...Inner Billy Walsh is already planning how to take their lunch money and spend it at the racetrack. But. They are having fun with their fingerpaints and I am not. And I know there's tons of crap I don't know, but quite frankly, if I could afford to take courses and be mentored, I doubt I'd apply myself this much. And besides, in every group or class I've ever been in, I make the facilitator Good Daddy or Bad Mommy and spend most of every class kissing their asses.(um, not literally)