"A Problem Page For All!"

Of course you get to know what my novel is about! I could hardly keep it secret, I'm so full of it. It's the lesbian-queen-who-falls-in-love-with-her-best-friend-in-the-face-of-an-arranged-marriage-to-said-best-friend's-twin-brother plot. Have I told you about this one before? I've been carrying the plot around in my head for, oh, almost a year now. I thought it would be perfect for my NaNo novel (since Charla and Damien seem to be angry at me these days -- they won't speak to me!). I've written about 2,000 words out of my 50,000 by now. You can check out the growing manuscript at http://www.bouma-holtrop.com/Elizabeth/nano03.html . I don't think I'll be posting it in my port, since I might want to get it published in some wild future day, and I've heard bad things about posting your work here if you want to get it published later. (Since you essentially publish it if you post it here, and some publishers demand first rights if they're going to buy your manuscript. I'm not sure about it all, but I want to play it safe. I can ask my lawyer friends in the WC about it again -- they always explain it to me but they use big words and I sort of glaze over after a while.)

Anyway. Yes, I was working on my Mae-in-the-graveyard-with-the-ex-hippie-parents novel last year. I'm surprised (and flattered) that you remember it, Caitlin -- and that you liked it, no less! Your description of your kind of storytelling holds me enthralled. Write one, write one, and please please let me read it! I think I've read all of one of your short stories: it was something about two sisters, a metaphor (I think?) of walking up the stairs, a mother who wrote a diary in Spanish...I loved it and remember being so envious of your talents. You've got it in you if you want to write fiction, Caitsy -- at least I think so.

Oh, blessed Lady! You've cut your hair! [Falling into pretend swoon.] Well, if that's what you gotta do.... Really, everyone's hair is different. I've come to realize that I've got really, like resiliant hair or something. It just keeps on growing and growing without me doing anything special to care for it. But lots of people need to take care with theirs, cosset it and pamper it to get it long, and sometimes it just won't go long. Good luck with yours. Did you like cutting it yourself? I've heard that it's empowering to do your own hair instead of having someone else cut it. Have you ever cut yours yourself before?

Me. Bed. Now.

Kisses to all!