My success has not necessarily followed as planned.  Chapter 17 is coming out in pieces, none of them linear, and not even within a single scene.  I spent the last two weeks distracted by everything but my writing goals: errands, chores, reading, being outside, new writing ideas, and a talk I'm supposed to give to the Boise Spec Fic group in May.

I wouldn't count that time as lost, however.  The new story idea was worth it by itself.  The talk I'm to give in May is about one of my favorite subjects: villains.  My house is somewhat clean, and it is beautiful outside.

I've been reading Patricia McKillip's Od Magic for the last two weeks.  I know, I know.  What is wrong with me?  The same book for two weeks?  What happened to sucking one down in a day?  Simply put, I can't afford to spend my entire day inhaling another writer's story, not when I have one of my own to finish.  Besides, as good as McKillip is, she's like eating a Death By Chocolate cake.  She's too rich to eat in one sitting.  I like to savor her books exactly because language is so rich.  And like that evil cake, I can only read her books ever once in awhile; they are my guilty, decadent pleasure.

I believe my next writing class starts next week, or the week after.  Again, this one is from Margie Lawson.  This class will be followed by the Master Class Weekend hosted by Murder in the Grove and the Popular Fiction Association of Idaho, Inc.  Special guests are Bob Mayer (Novel Writer's Tools) and Margie Lawson (Deep Editing Power).   www.murderinthegrove.com   Thus will conclude my writing classes for the rest of the year, I think.  Unless another good one comes up.

These writing classes are intense.  I learn so much that is squeezes out of my ears.  I've taken two now, and I still need to review what I learned from them.  I'll be adding yet another class in a couple of weeks, and then the very intense master classes.  I'm excited, but my brain is going to hit critical mass pretty soon.