PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JULY 26, 2025

 Alas last week was NOT a good one, writing wise. Barely managed 300 words on SHERLOCK HOLMES: "The Adventure of the Shakespearean Folly" since the last Progress Report, but at least that's 300 more words than I had.

There just isn't really enough time in any given day after I take care of life and everything else I have to.

With apologies to Douglas Adams, the universe can take care of itself.

There have been some new wrinkles in the MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PENDING that is going to affect my writing, but unfortunately I still cannot officially talk about it with you folks yet.

Given time, I hope to be able to speak about what is happening/had happened and the future, but DON'T PANIC! (Another Adams reference. Can you tell I'm a fan of his work?)

My health is as fine as it can be for a 63 year old man with a heart condition.

All the behind the scenes stuff happening right now is business, not medical.

But I definitely plan to stay indoors as much as possible over the next few days as my neck of the woods experiences its latest heatwave.

The third so far this year.

Collect them all, if you dare. 😡

In any event, I better get back to writing now.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

27 July, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JULY 19, 2025

 Still working on SHERLOCK HOLMES: "The Adventure of the Shakespearean Folly".

"Spare" time that I could dedicate solely to writing was not in much abundance this past week and this week looks uncertain at the moment as I post these words. But I am officially on the second half of the adventure and about to break the 8,000 (out of a projected 15,000) word count.

Will just have to see how things go.

In any event, take care.

STAY SAFE!

Have a great week, and I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

20 July, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JULY 12, 2025

 To repeat a classic line, SHERLOCK HOLMES knows the game's afoot. He hasn't got the whole mystery solved, but enough to continue investigating "The Adventure of the Shakespearean Folly" as I enter the second half of this short story.

Yet like I have said before, it not only takes time to craft a mystery, but even more to write one worthy of the Victorian Era's famous consulting detective.

Of course the never ending battle of housework, errands and other responsibilities versus having "free" time to write is another matter.

After all, the entire staff of my household is me, myself and I.😑

In any event, I better get back to writing now.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

13 July, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JULY 5, 2025

 Sometimes I wonder if I might be overthinking the situation, but it seems to me like trying to write a SHERLOCK HOLMES story worthy of the title character is like trying to solve a used jigsaw puzzle you bought at a flea market without the cover picture and no idea whether or not you have all the pieces to begin with.

In any event, work is proceeding apace on "The Adventure of the Shakespearean Folly", but every day I have to pause at least once to look up some detail about the Victorian Era or information on another related matter.

That is dedication to the writing craft, making sure I've got everything as correct as humanly possible.

The rest is just a question of time, effort and stubbornness.

I'd say I'm approaching, but haven't actually reached the halfway point yet.

Short stories are roughly 15,000 words on average. I haven't even made 10,000 yet, but every time I do get to write adds a little more to the overall manuscript.

Besides telling me that SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA has been proofread and only lacks interior and cover art at this point before publication, Ron Fortier at Airship 27 has inquired how my Holmes work is going, so I know the story has a home when finished.

But to reach that point I better get back to writing now.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

6 July, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JUNE 28, 2025

 Last week went all to heck, and I'm not talking about just the heatwave.

It seems like anything that could go wrong did, keeping me busier than an anteater at a picnic.

In any event, hopefully this week will be better.

Despite the fact that I've got a doctor's appointment, errands and the Fourth of July with family in the days ahead.

I did get a little additional writing done on SHERLOCK HOLMES "The Adventure of the Shakespearean Folly", but unfortunately little is the operative word here.

In any event, I've got to get back to writing now.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

29 June, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JUNE 21, 2025

 MAN, IS IT HOT OUTSIDE!

And this is just the FIRST day of the projected heatwave!🌞

Holmes immortalized

In any event, staying inside as much as possible and working on my SHERLOCK HOLMES story.

As I've mentioned previously during PROGRESS REPORTS for "The Adventure of the Artful Forger" and "The Adventure of the Unimaginable", crafting a good mystery, let alone one worthy of the Victorian Era's famous Consulting Detective takes a lot of time and effort.

When it's done, hopefully readers will enjoy "The Adventure of the Shakespearean Folly".

Even the casual Holmes fan would baulk if I got a background detail wrong concerning him and/or Doctor Watson, so it's best to do it write/right the first time instead of having to face countless revisions and rewrites later.

In any event, I better get another drink of water before returning to writing.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

22 June, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JUNE 14, 2025

 Have submitted my COMIC BOOK HORROR ANTHOLOGY STORIES. The contest doesn't end until July 31 so it probably won't be until sometime in August at the earliest that I hear something on the subject, thus I have returned to working on SHERLOCK HOLMES: "The Adventure of the Shakespearean Folly".

Still haven't heard any more news on that PENDING MAJOR DEVELOPMENT, but for those of you able to celebrate today...

Lee Houston, Junior

15 June, 2025