ALL OVER, RED ROVER

The residency is over, finished, kaput, kapslurgen, garshnurflen, and when did this turn into a scene from Blazing Saddles?

I think it would be fair to view it as a successful endeavour, at least in terms of word count: I wrote more than 65 000 words in the four weeks of the residency, over 50 000 of which were on Nouvelle Hollande, and the rest comprising 5 completed short stories and 2 half-stories. I have already sent one of those stories out, so I can't complain at all. I had set myself a target of 40 000 words, 10 000 a week, all on the novel. I've exceeded that beyond all my hopes.

So the final tallies:

Novel Words at KSP: 51546
KSP Cumulative Total: 65 433
Novel Cumulative Total: 61 635

That last figure is important, too. Two-thirds of the novel is now under my belt, and if I can get a thousand words a day in from now on I'll have a completed first draft ready by mid-October, plenty of time to achieve my aim of having a package to send to agents and publishers by the end of the year.

BACK TO WORK

On the downside, the end of the residency means I have to get my tubby ass back to some sort of day job. This pleases me not at all, I have to say. I love being a writer, really love it very much. The lifestyle fits me perfectly. 10 hours a day being unsatisfied does not cheer my horizons. Ah well, I'm sure I'll sell the novel for a packet and buy that island I've always wanted...

FEAR, AND MY PLACE WITHIN IT

She claims its spring. I say its nesting. Whatever, I came through from the living room to find Luscious on the bed with a bucket and sponge, cleaning the fan. Then she was wiping the front of the washing machine and commanding me to change the sponge on the mop. Then it was the bathroom...

I'm afraid. Hold me.

MOVIES

Clash of The Titans tonight for bad movies. How can you read the phrase Harry Hamlin is Perseus and not get a fit of the giggles?

And then we have the kids next weekend, and the FTI has that festival of anime from the fellow who did Spirited Away.

Fun fun fun fun fun.