Which party?

When I first became eligible to vote, I registered as an independent. I figured I didn't know enough abut either party to decide which one to join.

Later, I became a Republican, because at the time, I thought we were going somewhat in the same direction.

These days I am not so sure.

I believe in a limited federal government and fiscal responsibility. I believe that judges should interpret the law and not pull new ones out of thin air. On most social issues, I would be considered conservative.

Yet the Republicans lately seem no more fiscally responsible than the Democrats. Nor do they object to bloated and ineffective government programs. They pay lip service to these things, but when you get right down to it, they don't practice what they preach.

Because I am pro-life I can't bring myself to go to the Democratic Party (yeah, tell me about their big tent. Pro-lifers are lepers in the tent). I am looking seriously at returning to my independent beginnings. Only reason I haven't done it yet is the whole issue of primaries, and I find that being a member of a party just so I can vote in that party's primary isn't a strong enough reason anymore.

Who left? Me or my party?

Thoughts?

The problem of being out of town a few days...

...is the fact that when you get back there is a ton of stuff to catch up on and often you aren't motivated enough to do it the first couple of days back.

Today I am finally trying to deal with stuff - dishwasher, laundry, and finding the floor in my office (long story on the last one).

I also have a checkbook to balance, and stories to mail out, and stories to FINISH.

Time to get busy!

Nice rejection

Rejection is part of the deal of being a writer. You send stuff out, and a lot of times you'll get your self-addressed stamped envelope back with a "thanks, but no thanks" form letter.

You learn to take your encouragement where you can get it. I got a chance to do that last week, when The New Yorker sent a rejection email for a short story I sent them.

In the email, they said the story had "evident merit."

I checked with fellow writers and they assured me this was indeed a positive rejection.

So the story is out to another magazine, and I have hope someone might buy it at some point.

A lotta words.

I have said that I my goal for August was to write 30,000 words.
My total on my novel came to 26,932. That does not count my column or any work I did on short stories.
I have written at least 1,000 words/day since August 6th.
So I figure if I didn't hit 30,000 I came pretty close.

Also, for the Labor Day weekend, a group of us writers challenged ourselves to a high goal - 30,000 words from Saturday (or Friday night) to Monday bedtime. Some people set different goals, being at different points in their careers.
I shot for 30,000. It was hard work. You might not think that sitting at a keyboard making stuff up is hard, but I was whipped today.
And my novel was 24,003 words longer.
It wasn't my goal, but close enough to make me pleased.

Gotta admit that's a LOT of words...