Glad to do it.

I've got Cog experimental chapter 1 rewrite written. Well, I need to go over it and then decide if it works before putting it in the to-be-revised bucket.

I wrote a lot when I was a little kid, like all kids do, I suppose, but I got very lazy about it in high school and university, even though many professors told me that I was pretty good.

Anyway, an idea popped into my head the other day and I hashed out a ton of brainstorming ideas, and I am very pleasantly surprised at how eager I seem to write again! So far what I have would probably be a better TV pilot than a novel, and all that is is a couple pages of inane stream-of-consciousness rambling, but it's definitely more than I've written in years. So that counts for something, right? Give my brain something to do other than watch TV and play the Sims.

Excellent. It sounds like a good start.

Ugh. My online crit group has a troll. A very erudite troll that I suspect has a direct line to my own insecurities. And what do I do? Reader, I read his feedback again. Ugh. I need to go rinse out my brain.

Every group has one, ime.

Don't let the trolls get you down.

I got my rewrite of chapter one done. Now to decide what I think of it before deciding which version to revise (or chucking them both).

The LA Banks event was great. It was good to celebrate all that she'd done for the city, and her writing, and good to get out and talk to people, especially with DH there to remind me that I wasn't being a complete ass. The mayor came and spoke about Banks' activities with literacy in the city, and a representative from Chakka Fattah's office read a Congressional proclamation. There were raffle and silent auction fundraisers for her daughter & I talked to the editors of The Journal Of Unlikely Entomology a bunch. They're very fun. And the raffle and auction fairies were very good to us: a signed edition of a new book, a bowling party for 8, and a manuscript review. Now I need a manuscript.

wrt the troll, yes, I'm voting with my feet. He's reviewed my work again and again because I did a substantive critique of a piece of his after his first review (where he told me that my story had enormous issues but that was ok because he'd written me an outline to follow that would solve all the problems). He found my comments useful, and said some nice things about it on a public channel about it. I did that critique in the spirit of "this is the kind of review I'd like to receive" - ie: one that didn't mansplain writing to me, and one that didn't sound like a frustrated NYT Book Review. That obviously didn't work. I'm using the latest feedback to practice being reviewed by frustrated want-to-be NYT Book Reviewers. Otherwise, buh-bye.

I'm glad you went, Sox. I'm very sad about LA Banks and feel badly for her family and friends...and readers.

I'm glad you're walking. Writing's hard enough without dealing with supercilious trolls.

ION, anyone got a few minutes to beta a personal essay I'm sending out this week? I've re-worked it a bit; I think a couple of peeps beta'd it in April.

It's short - 930 words, and I'd like to send the query and the sub out early next week.

Any recs on a title would be great, also. E-me at profile addy if you're interested.

I flung the new first chapter of Cog your way, Sox. Thanks.

Thanks Gud! Gmail's being a mule and won't let me dl it, but I'll try again in a bit.

Erin, I can't look at anything more until midweek, but would be happy to do it then.