... And How Have You Been?

Well, F2K is almost over. Nothing remains but the late assignment posts and contest submissions from our students. Then we Mentors will choose which submissions are the finalists and toss them into what we call the Masters Workshop so they can edit and polish their tales. The winner will be published in the T-Zero magazine and receive $25, along with a copy of the Spring Issue. Not bad for a writing course, right?

January will find me Mentoring another writing Class based on the book, "Between The Lines" by J. P. Morrell. I did this once before and it was a learning experience, let me tell you. I don't really care for books about 'how to write' since they tend to get a writer over-thinking. But this one was very helpful. And Mentoring another class will be fun, as well as tiring. I can't recall how long the class runs, but it might even overlap our next F2K session which begins in ... wait for it! ... February!

I'm a very busy volunteer at Writers' Village University, these days. That's why I simply stopped blogging after Election Day. Not to mention the fact that I was also entered in the 2008 edition of NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month - which I finished. Finished! Over 50,000 words written in a month! Maybe not what a professional novel writer would do, but pretty good totals for me. And I was Mentoring that F2K class the whole time, too!

Yeah, I'm bragging a little. I think I can see the end of my Young Adult SF novel. And that's a plus. I've been noodling this for close to a year, but finally got down to it, and pounded it out. It helps when the story just sort of unfolds before you, and it has, for the most part. Once that's finished - the first draft, at least - then I will go back to my unfinished SF novel, "Space Pirates" and get it done. That one has been tickling my mind for awhile. Time to get it done, right?

Let's see ... Thanksgiving found me at my Folks' for supper, which was excellent! My step-sister was visiting from 'up north' and we had a good time chatting, nibbling, and drinking. When I left Mom not only gave me a heap of left-overs - yum! - but my step-Dad wrapped the turkey carcass for me to take, too. Simmered for a few hours, that carcass fed me for three days, and I have turkey broth left. Not bad, right?

I hope your Thanksgiving was a good one.

I'm not terribly happy with the election results, especially as the MSM remains in the pocket of the Socialist Democrats and is hurrahing the coming Coronation of their choice for our national Messiah. The Georgia U.S. Senate run-off shows that the Dems are not as popular and all-powerful as they claim. Al Franken, unfunny as ever, is trying anything he can to pull out a victory from his defeat in the Minnesota U.S. Senate race. I figure any state that elects an idiot to office gets precisely what they deserve. Maybe Minnesotans aren't completely foolish, eh?

Why the heck aren't all ships, plying the seas off Somalia, armed? Why aren't we blowing those murderous Pirates to Kingdom Come? The companies insuring those vessels should demand they be armed and sailors be trained in use of those arms or refuse to insure the vessels. The naval forces 'protecting' that shipping lane, and any others in the world pestered by Pirates, should stop trying to capture them and simply annihilate them. Any pirates captured should be hanged. Immediately. Or keel-hauled. Or simply shot and tossed over-board. It's not a criminal justice issue, folks, it's a war on the High Seas. Time to bring down the hammer.

I have more, but to heck with it! Time to make breakfast. I'm kinda back. And still busy.

Take care!