p.s., I'm continuing my break from the novel by working on a new short story, titled "Amber". It's about 1,200 words right now, and I really like the way the idea is spinning out into something tangible. Makes me think I shouldn't systematically go through all of my old flashes of inspiration (including short stories I wrote as a kid) and see what they turn into once I start writing, or re-writing, as the case may be.