I did the revisions the old editor wanted. He wants more. I'm pushing back a bit - explaining that some of what he dislikes about the structure was a selling point for the book in the original proposal. The problem is that it is not his proposal, and he did not buy into the vision. Tuesday there will be a discussion to find out exactly what he wants. But he already agreed that if we come to a meeting of minds on changes, he will then detail exactly what paragraphs he wants changed. And if the changes end up at the paragraph level I can live with that. But what I can't live with is structural changes. He took over another editor's project at a very late stage. He needs to live with what the previous editor and the author agreed to as a general strategy and vision.

I know some provisions I will definitely negotiate for in future contracts. An agent could helped there, but apparently it is harder to get an agent than to get published.

I had another novel idea smack me in the head. I'm starting to get a stack big enough that I might have to start giving up on some of them.

I might have to start giving up on some of them.

Now you understand writing. So many idea, so many terrific characters, so few opportunities to have an independent fortune that leads to a life of leisure fall into your lap.

Or, Gud, you could write down the ideas and file them away in case inspiration fails.

Me, I've come to hate the writing I do for my job. It's a major slog to get through it. Kind of like the proverbial writer's block with a topping of "don't wanna".

I've got some characters and a rough plot for the new idea which I think will be the next new book. My daughter isn't very interested in reading Cog since it's "too mechanical" and she's never much liked that the main character is named "Cog". My son read the rough draft and liked it, though.

The new idea is much more traditional fantasy and really targeted toward her interests, so I'm hoping I can get her involved in helping with getting some details right. I don't think it'll be especially marketable, but that's not really the point of it.

I've written an opening and have some notes for one of the other novel ideas which is the one that will probably slide. And I've written an outline, an opening chapter, and have a short story related to the other novel idea.

So creating notes is covered.

Gud, do you want to send me revised chapters?

Also, yay new ideas!

Sure, but I worry about sucking up too much of your time. I'm not planning any huge changes to the story, but there are bits that are different here and there (like more interaction with Hugo and dialogue changes and trying to generally fix sentences that have gone astray) and some scenes that will get cut (like Cog's first encounter with Sparky and the abduction attempt late in the story).

More bitch, bitch, bitch on my part.

My new editor claims the term "war budget" is a technical error, even though I specifically start by explaining why I use the term. Editor claim: military spending post 911 above the pre-911 base lines is war spending, but anything below that is defense spending:

Because the U.S. did not engage in any wars prior to 911? Or because every single war we engaged in before 911 was defensive? After all there were no claims that any of our wars post-911 were defensive wars...

Is this something you feel strongly about? It seems like semantics to me, but I'm not really invested in the topic.

You have to weigh how far he's going to dig his heels in versus how far you want to.

Well one point of bitching here is to keep it perspective. But "defense" budget definitely has connotations I don't want to live with. No coincidence that the "war department" was renamed the "defense department" when the U.S. starting first increasing its military budge. I'll settle for "military budget".