Word count: 2236 | Since last entry: 623

The story’s moving along, and the rivets are flying. I may need to engineer a pause soon to work in some critical backstory. (“Engineer.” “Work in.” “Critical.” Yep, it’s a Baen story all right, with a protagonist who’s an engineer and a soldier.) Also, I’m almost halfway into a 5000-word story and the real problem hasn’t even appeared yet. Some of what I have just written may have to be jettisoned. (“Jettisoned.” Yep.)

As important as it is to me to finish this by this weekend, I still have some critiques and submissions and stuff to do this week, so I’m setting down the draft right now in favor of some of that. Sleep would also be good — I have an early meeting tomorrow.

But first, this public service announcement: the deadline for the R. L Fanthorpe Write-Alike Contest is October 10, which is remarkably nigh. The contest is a benefit for the Susan C. Petrey Clarion Scholarship Fund and is a chance for all you writers to get some bad writing out of your systems, aid a worthy cause, and maybe even win some cash money. Click the link for details. Enter early and often!