Writing

Sooo much writing. Not to say publishing. That's different.

Wrote a Precinct Puerto Rico short story. Took a long time. Started it about 3 years ago, then stopped. Backburner. Then picked it up again and took it from about 1,500 words to 6,000 and the end.

In the same vein, I've been poking along on a Precinct Puerto Rico novel and a Lucy Cruz novel. Has anyone in the world asked to see these? Well, yes and no. On the one hand, publishers would, I'm almost certain, be indifferent. But Jennifer Jordan mentioned (a year or two ago) that Lucy Cruz deserved a second book. I agree.

And over the years people have asked when the next Precinct Puerto Rico novel would be out. The series did get some starred reviews to go along with lackluster sales, so another book is not out of order... just not likely to be profitable. Ah well.

Wrote my first comic mystery with real high hopes of making a sale. Can't even tell you the premise because, like Donald Trump, I'm afraid you'll steal my ideas, and then there'll be no reason to elect me president...

This was another case of starting the story years ago and returning to it. Stuck at about 1,000 words and ending at about 3,000,

Are there other projects I'm working on? Of course. I don't even know how many open projects I have. Is my writer's block gone? No idea. Hope so.

Philadelphia

Went to Philadelphia a week ago. Had last been there in the 1970s on a day trip with my 4th grade class. I liked it then, and I liked it again.

The Museum of Fine Arts is spectacular - a world class collection, especially of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings. Nude Descending a Staircase? Amazing. Three Musicians? Awesome.

The Franklin Institute still has the giant heart you can walk through travelling the circuit your blood takes through that muscle. My 7 y.o. wanted me to go with her. I can say it is made for the 7 and 8 y.o. set, not their parents.  There's also a Brain Games type exhibit that my daughter enjoyed. (Not to say I didn't -thought it was quite cool.) And a lot of the interactive stuff that computers make possible.

We also visited Betsy Ross' house. Very learnifying. Daughter came away thinking she'd actually met Betsy Ross - why else would the young lady reenactor say she was Betsy Ross?

Down side? Two things. First, plenty of homeless people living on the streets and in the parks. As a New Yawker born and bred, this wasn't a problem, but you'd think Philadelphia would have a plan. Of course, Ben Franklin himself slept on a church pew his first day in Philadelphia and drank water from the river...

Second, my wife and I have figured out the  bus and train systems in NYC, London, Paris, Madrid, Chicago, St. Louis, New Orleans, etc. without a hitch. This time around, we couldn't even find the train, couldn't figure out the buses, and were advised by the front desk people at our hotel to not bother. I wouldn't have thought that from a town that has everything it needs to be a major destination town.

Overall, 4.1 out of 5 stars...