We critiqued four more manuscripts today and I turned in my second story for Clarion. Three other participants also turned in stories so within the first week, everyone will have a critique except for one member who had to leave due to a death in the family. We'll critique his manuscript when he returns.

We're certainly a more proficient bunch than I expected. I think we all arrived with stories waiting to burst forth and it will be interesting to see how long we hold this momentum. I've started another story and I hope to finish it over the weekend.

From where I stand, Clarion is already a success. I feel better about my strengths and weaknesses and ability to move forward. Clarion is giving my self-confidence the opportunity to grow that I could never grant it and it's starting to blossom. I think this is going to work very, very well for me. No matter where I go as a writer, I will treasure the gift of finally being able to accept myself the way I am.

Woo hoo! Last minute update. As of 2130 hours, I have completed a story that I started after 1300 hours today. That's 9:30 pm and 1:30 pm respectively for you civilians who are trying to figure out what the heck this time means. YES! This is a 3,100 word story and it's based on one sentence that slipped out a long time ago and which begins the story. My father always wore a Stetson.

That much of the story is true. My father's meticulous nature about grass cutting is true and so is that little episode where I stopped by to find him cutting grass by strapping his portable oxygen tank to the back of a John Deere tractor. Everything else is fiction. I skidded to a halt on this one about 3pm and that was when Angel walked by and said she was on the way to the gym. I quit, recognizing I was stuck, and thus Jennifer, Angel, and I tested some of the equipment at the gym. When I came back, I deleted the last three paragraphs and started forward in just a slightly different direction. It's either the best thing I've written in a while or the worst piece of crap I ever produced. Tomorrow, I'll probably decide it's crap. Tonight, I feel HIGH! and that's a feeling I've not gotten in a while. Woo Hoo! I am HAPPY!

Sleep? What's that?

Stories to critique have been read. Notes made. Need to re-read and key in all the things I need to remember to say. It feels so good to get this story out.