This picture does not express how I felt about my week–

I just think the idea of Sinbad leading rocs against an alien invasion is cool (I wouldn’t bet the story lives up to it though).
This was another return-to-the-mean week. I really wasn’t focusing well on my eHows, which may be simply because Christmas festivities made it impractical to work in the evenings, so I didn’t get the long lunches I’ve been giving myself. So we’ll try that next week and if that doesn’t work, I’ll see if cutting back slightly on eHows helps. Now that I’m no longer paying COBRA insurance rates, I can afford to do a little less, and putting the time into fiction or article queries instead might keep me more focused. It’s certainly preferable to doing fewer eHows just because my mind is wandering and I’m writing slower.
Fiction writing went well. Cindy Holbrook thumbed up Mage’s Masquerade, so I’ll take it to the writing group in Jan. (after a couple of changes to tighten a plot hole that occurred to me). I couldn’t come up with an end for The Savage Years but everything leading up to the finish works well. Once I get a climax to top things off, it’ll be ready for beta-reading.
•I finally got past the point in Brain From Outer Space where I’ve been stuck, but I’m still not sure where the hell it’s going. No wonder my novels take so long to write.
•I sat down and replotted a long short story/novella (not sure yet) about elves in a small Southern bedroom community (no title yet). The revised plot looks a lot better——I cleared out a lot of elements that weren’t working (I’d originally seen this as a novel and stuffed it rather full)——but the character arcs need work. The romantic/sexual angle I’d started with just ain’t happening——I’m not sure if I need to rejigger my concept of a couple of the cast members or ditch it and look elsewhere for the arc. I’ll think some more next week.
•Although I received a tentative go-ahead for an article idea a couple of weeks back, I haven’t heard anything since I sent the editor a more detailed proposal. So either she’s off for the hols (it’s a new publication so they may be able to pull that off) or it’s a no-go (I’m assuming the latter, but I’ll be delighted to be wrong).
Now, eHows for the week:
•What Is HZ in Linux?
•How to Allocate Memory to a Process on a Server
•Javascript Partial Functions
•TSP Policy
•Network Unavailable
•How to Install a Game on Cloud Computing
•VBA Object Required
•Control Methods for Printer Quality
•The Maximum Capacity of the Oracle Database
•What Is a Fluid Text Vs. a Stable One?
•How to Design Graphics for iPad Apps
•What Is the Bandwidth Delay Product?
•Front Projector vs. LED
•What Is DM Cache?
•Network Latency Milliseconds Per Mile
•How to Build a Fingerprint Recognizer
•T-SQL Proper Functions
•What Is Mod Tracking?
•How Does Kindle Store Books on iPhone’s File Storage?
•The 50 Largest Hedge Funds
•Hedge Fund Pros and Cons
•Hedge Fund Publicity Tips
•Taxes on Short-Term Equity
•Temporary Imports Under Bond
•Do You Have to Pay Taxes on Stocks & Bonds That Are Cashed In?
•Do I Pay a Penalty if I Cash in My Savings Bonds for School
•Reasons for a Bond to Be Revoked
•The Term DRIP in Reference to the Stock Market
•Does Filing for Bankruptcy for an S Corporation Affect Personal Assets
•Diluted vs. Undiluted Shares of Stock.