I have not written a single word of fiction since spring break ended. No time. Too much stuff to grade for school. And … prom. What a nightmare this thing has become! In a year in which the school budget is being cut by 25 percent, we’re committed to about $4,000 on prom, and so far we’ve sold less than 15 tickets. The prom is eight days away. We’re hampered by the lack of an intercom system, so kids don’t realize we’re selling tickets during lunch. Some don’t even know the date of prom! And I’m having trouble getting student help sometimes. One day I was selling and numbering tickets, writing receipts, managing king and queen nominations and making change by myself. Multi-tasking is not my strength.

Beyond prom, there is Conestoga. I’ll be doing a workshop on using all five of your senses in your writing. I think it’ll be fun. I’ve never done a workshop at a sci-fi/fantasy/horror con. I wish I’d have a new book out this year. Not much chance of that, though.
 
After that, I’m taking a writing vacation. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I’m going to a small, unfurnished hut with a view of a nearby lake. It has electricity and a table, but that’s all. I’ll be there for a couple of days with just the laptop. No Madden football. I might take Bubba, but he’ll be the only distraction.

The Scholastic book fair is going on at school this week. Usually we just get the middle school/junior high books. This year we got high school books. I was looking them over today and came across a shelf with books by Cynthia Leitich Smith, Carrie Jones, and Melissa Marr right next to each other. It was pretty cool to see books by three authors I know there in our school.

I bought the Forrest Gump sountrack off Ebay last week and it arrived today. This is good stuff.