Random and Sundry, huddling together in the pre-dawn light...

Things that Don't Suck:

Toblerone for breakfast
Snuggle-kittens
Dentists who know when you're not going to need novacaine -- and are right.
Cold meds that work
Beef barley soup
Fleece jackets that look good and are also comfortable to nap in.

...feel free to add your own.
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In the meanwhile, cold or no cold, dentist or no dentist, the writing continues. It looks as though I'll finish THE NIGHT SERPENT before the contract appears, as per predictions. And have officially begun DOWN INTO DARKNESS (aka Retrievers 5)
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And since so many of us are preoccupied with the oncoming-if-still-distant train that is April 15th:

People often ask me how much I make in a year (which somehow doesn't strike them as being as rude as, say, asking a salaried worker how much THEY make). This often leads into a discussion of per-word rates versus advances and royalties, flat fees and WFH until they back away, not sure what just happened. From a discussion Elsewhere, I offer the following quote to simplify matters:

"With fiction, you don't know your actual hourly rate until you die, and sometimes not even then." -- Will McCarthy

Sums The Life up pretty neatly, methinks.


And now I need to worship the cafFiend.

pollage!

I've been up since 4am and been rather disgustingly productive. This is not a trend I would like to encourage overmuch. The first part of it, anyway. The productivity is nice.

While working, I noted that I was most productive during two periods -- in the early morning, working in silence, and now, working with a dvd playing in the background [a Jeff Foxworthy comedy concert I've watched a few times before]. I can work with the news on, or a television show, but my word count slows down. And music tends to make me want to get up and move, which is good for my circulation but not so much good for wordage...

So, that makes me wonder where I am along the work-norm...

[Poll #901544]