It’s been an impressively productive week. I’ve written three short stories from scratch, rewritten a fourth and submitted it to an anthology, proofread a book, updated my webpage to include the Writers of the Future Honorable Mentions logo, and completed Kris Rusch’s Short Story Intensive. I also turned in story number 50 to Dean for the Great Challenge.

I’m pretty tired, but it is a self-satisfied kind of tiredness. I’ve contacted my inner workaholic and we’re friends again, ready to sneak off into the night armed only with a jug of coffee, to steal tired kisses.

I have only two short stories left (just two weeks left) until the end of The Great Challenge of 52 short stories in 52 weeks.

Next I start on a novel that I intend to write fast and “into the dark.” Here are the books I’m trying to decide between:

• Thule – A magical Viking land set in 932 AD with Magnihild the Lightning Scarred as the protagonist.
• Argosy – A fantasy story set in the ancient Mediterranean aboard a city of ships. I will probably take The Case of the Missing Wind and turn it into a novel or a novella and change the point of view to Chloris.
• Time Travel with the Time Rescue Service (including my latest character, the Time Librarian)
• The Pirate Plague Ship Caper – This is a short fantasy story I wrote that I think would be better as a novella or a novel.
• Steamy Romance A contemporary steamy romance.

The idea of writing this book is to write it fast and to use it to learn how to write a novel then take what I learn and use it to write more novels that will hopefully get better as I go.

I am very tempted by the last three, largely because they are recent in my brain. I have a lot of the skills to write time travel and a critique group willing to read it, so I may choose that one. Though probably the Pirate Plague Ship Caper would be just as good for that.

So that’s the update. Lots of writing behind me. Lots of writing ahead. I’m cranking up the engine, pulling away the chocks, and I’m ready to fly.

I hope your life is busy in the best way and that you also have lots of exciting things ahead. Be well, friends. And stay well.