So this is Rockin’ Chair Day for those of us here in the US; the “regular day” sandwiched between a Sunday and a Major Holiday. Rockin’ Chair Day is difficult for those of us who as a rule work on most Sundays and Major Holidays, because we are Free From the Constraints of a Day-Job. (And to tell you the truth, I wouldn’t have most of the things they’re calling “day-jobs” nowadays, since they mostly seem to embrace all of the working on Sundays and Major Holidays of the freelance life without the freedom to tell your boss what you think of them. But I digress.)
So, anyway, here we are, on the one day with mail delivery out of three, and we’re waiting for two checks. Spoiler: neither one arrived. However, we did receive, by way of a pleasant surprise, our authors’ copies of The Year’s Best Military and Adventure SF, Volume 3.
In other news, Liaden Universe® short “Due Diligence” is completed in, um, fourth draft and has passed from being a long novelette (at 17,400 words) to a mid-weight novella (at 22,000 words)*. It will now sit for a week to cool before the last pass. If all goes well, it will be published as an eChapbook before Steve and I head out to Confluence at the end of July.
The story being off my case means I can return my whole attention to Fifth of Five, and —
What’s that? Why did I stop to write a short story (well, it was supposed to have been a short story) when I should have been writing a novel?
Short answer: It was in the way.
Slightly longer answer: Sometimes writers forget how to write, and they need to take up a short — note that I do not say easy — project in order to relearn the skill.
The ants made a follow-up excursion into the kitchen this afternoon, but their hearts weren’t really in it. It was a short, victorious battle for our side. We remain vigilant.
And I think that’s it for the day.
If you celebrate Independence Day, enjoy!
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The progression of works, according to SFWA is this:
Novel: 40,000 words +
Novella: 17,500 – 39,999 words
Novelette: 7,500 – 17,499 words
Short Story: less than 7,500 words
Today’s blog post title brought to you by CW McCall, “Convoy.” Here’s your link.