Word count: 66622 | Since last entry: 541 | This month: 1853 Sometimes success is worse than failure. It seems that whenever I have a major writing milestone or achievement, I stop writing for anything from a week to a month. I think it’s a combination of basking in the good feeling and fear that I’ll never be able to top that previous achievement. The last time I slacked off this long was, I think, after I finished the three-chapters-and-outline for the Wiscon writers’ workshop last year. In this case it was finishing the Lupton contest entry, plus the Hugo and Campbell nominations and the Zeppelin story sale. And I was sick for a week or so, and I’ve been to Minicon and the Nebulas (where I talked with a couple of agents — one asked to see sample chapters now, the other wanted to see them when it’s done) and I edited an old story and submitted it… and received an immediate rejection, and submitted it again. But during that time I have not done any novel writing, so I haven’t posted anything here. In the last couple of days I’ve been doing what’s known as “cat vacuuming” — just about any kind of chore or errand other than writing. The good news is that I got some things done that needed to get done. But I finally realized tonight what I was doing, and I made myself put my butt in the chair and write. Huzzah. I continued a scene I started some weeks ago, where Jason argues with Sienna about what they should do in Flea’s absence. That argument’s just about finished now, and the real action of the chapter starts next. Two weeks to finish the chapter. I should be able to do that. Of course, I think we’re going to be home for dinner only one night this week…