Book cover related excitement produces fifth draft.

Maybe I won’t fail my self-imposed short story challenge of one story per month after all. At least, not in the first month. Taking part in NaNoWriMo will probably automatically fail me for the month of November, but I’m okay with that. Writing a novel probably counts even more, even if it’s not edited and polished.

Hopefully my test readers will adore it and the sixth draft will use substantially less red ink. I’m getting so giddy it’s impossible to contain the “It’s good enough” part of me. I love the new beginning of the story. I scrapped the first paragraph of the story and I think extending the introduction did wonders. I added some extra gore. Everyone loves gore.

I am so stoked over the cover art, still. I can’t wait to show off the story that goes with it.

My Neovella aspirations have stalled a bit. My partners in crime seem to have lost interest in Bobby the Incontinent Space Cadet. I must either slap them or find a way to make it public. I made an open story called Buster the Effeminate Cucumber Farmer, and it rocks. My cowriters are twisted geniuses, and I love it.

Okay, off to a reviewing event. I get to chew on some surrealism and anarchy.

I’m an anarchist.

It’s been obvious for a while. I’m probably some kind of anarchist flower child. I gave up on conventional work about a year ago, and becoming self-employed has been the best thing I’ve ever done. Self-employment has its ups and downs, I won’t deny that, but it’s so rewarding and enjoyable. I have autonomy, creativity and a complete lack of authority and bureaucratic bullshit.

Without self-employment, I wouldn’t have the will or the time to write, create or do much other than exist. I like living, and material goods are largely pointless distractions after a certain point. Give me a bike, something that connects to the Internet and can work some necessary software, some good books and a robust red pen. And a good kitchen. Can’t forget that. I must start taking photos and writing down my recipes for that cooking/gardening blog I dream about starting.

I went to Montreal’s Anarchist Bookfair this weekend on the advice of a former roommate. It seems now we have much more in common than we did when we were roommates. I find it funny how that turned out. She’s off on a farm somewhere for the summer so I couldn’t visit her zine. It’s kind of a pity, I want to pick up a copy of her book and get her to sign it.

The Bookfair was just a quick walk from the Atwater Market, so anonymous boyfriend and I walked over to enjoy the sights and shops. It was his first time there. I love the fromagerie with the epic beer selection. That and the place with the wall of hot sauces are some of my all-time favorite shops. We grabbed some Blair’s Mega hot sauce. This will be exciting!

I need to get back to Earth after a whirlwind weekend. My Neovella needs all the crazy love I can pump into it. Maybe I should give up zombie fiction and other “serious” genres and just do the utterly absurd. I doubt the Zombie Empress would approve, and I need to keep giving her reasons not to eat me. That reminds me, must finish edits and pump out another draft, lest I lose my self-imposed short story challenge.