I know it has been awhile since I updated, but things have been hectic around here.

So, things that have happened: Richard Paul Russo is here and teaching, I had a story critiqued, and I had my conference.

Richard is a great guy. I really like him a lot as an instructor. He's extremely accessible, very human and often modest, and also very, very honest. He's managed to not softball people but also avoided, in my experience, being overly harsh. I've gotten some good advice from him.

Plus, he told me in the conference he liked my Bat Boy story, so obviously he rocks. Seriously though I think he's iunsightful and has been most helpful when discussing the business end of amtters as well. It has been a good week so far.

Even if I hated the story I had critiqued. Well, that's not accurate. It was a really hard story to write for me; I keep saying it's a story that didn't want to be written. And I think that difficulty showed. However, I believe there are some good ideas there and that in revision I can turn it into a pretty darn good stort. So yay! And hey, it had my first ever female protagonist. I coudn't stand her, but she was there. Woo hoo!

I'm getting tired and I'm getting cranky I noticed. I wasn't sure I believed the myth before but I do now: Week for is Going to Suck. Everyone is tired, some are irritable (me particularly), and I think we all know each other well enough now not to feel any hesitation in showing those things. As Ryan said in the best stage whisper ever: Cracks are forming.

And yet we still all get along well. No scandals, no dead bodies. I think we, as a group, will make it through this. I hope. :)

Tomorrow I get to see if the cat blows me off again. I miss my cats. And my ferrets. And my husband.

And my ideas. I have nothing to write about and it's driving me crazy. I think I'm going to take Jonathan's advice and throw a blanket over my window (I can almost never write during the day) and write anything that comes to mind. It has to be better than waiting desperately for something to write about.

Anyway, so far it has been a good week. Here's hoping it continues!

Bye for now, all!