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 JULY 4, 2015

I hope that everyone who celebrated America's Independence yesterday did so safely and had a great time.

While I did manage to get some work done on ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON this past week, most of my creative time was spent on Anthology Avenue.

I'm almost finished with the short story for the Tommy Hancock Benefit anthology to be released from Airship 27, but something is just not quite right with it in my opinion, so I want to tweak it a little more and hope to get the tale as perfect as humanly possible and turned in later this week.

Otherwise, back to ALPHA 2, barring anything unforeseen.

Take care, and see you around the Internet!
Lee Houston, Junior
5 July, 2015

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JULY 5, 2014

First and foremost, let us agree on one established fact.

Writers are human too.

We are not infalliable, and at times make mistakes just like anyone else on planet Earth.
The above is a segue to announce that for better or worse, I have hit a snag on ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON.

The basic premise of the book is still valid.

After the conclusion of Book 1: PROJECT ALPHA, the fledgling superhero searches for his place in the universe, and maybe somewhere he can call home.

Unwanted equipment

It is in the details of trying to develop a supporting cast for the title character that life decided to throw a monkey wrench into the works.

One character was taking so long to set up, that he was on the verge of stealing the spotlight away from our hero.
The other I might as well have named "Mary Sue". This person was not a reflection of me, for I know the origin of the name, but considering how smart-aleky and perfect they were becoming...

Not mechanically inclined

So, going back over
everything and eliminating their material, depending upon the final outcome when I finish reformatting the remainder, has set me back to somewhere between Chapters 6 and 7.

The Free Choice E-zine is doing well, and my remaining short story commitment for 2014 technically isn't due until October, but maybe I'll work on that for a bit as a sort of "break" while I try to create a couple of new people for Alpha to interact with to replace the ones I "fired".

In any event, I need to get back to work, so I'll see you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
6 July, 2014