"High Tide"

is now at 11k, after a worrisome few days during which my writing floundered. Though at first I was afraid that my first editorial rejection was souring my enthusiasm, I think in retrospect that it had much more to do with the fact that I couldn't keep my eyes open during my commute back to the North Shore! At any rate, I'm happy to report that in addition to abruptly changing the scene, I've discovered another surefire way out of what may seem like a creative dead end - write about sex. Though with this technique you have to take care not to veer away from your intended plotline into something better suited to Penthouse Forum, it's proving to be not only a great way to advance the story but to toss an additional plot wrench or two into the works for later, as well.

Sex and busted-up writer's block aside, however, I'm growing ever more eager to return to "Confessions". With any luck I can finish this story by Memorial Day and perhaps bring the novel to its conclusion by the end of the Summer - an ambitious timetable, to be sure, but a man's got to have benchmarks, however poorly imagined.