PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JULY 13, 2024

 Still hard at work writing SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA.

Unfortunately I had plenty of interruptions this past week, so I'm still only on Chapter 29.

It also didn't help that part of what I had rewritten for Chapter 28 stank like a herd of skunks🦨🦨🦨 and I had to seriously rewrite the rewrite, which also reduced my overall word count to knock me back down to below 50,000 for the moment.

Hey, even writers have an off day once in a while.

But don't worry folks.

This is still just the first draft of the manuscript and I will certainly have all the bugs worked out of it before submitting the book for publication.

I want to give readers and fans the best work I can possibly produce, which is why I believe in QUALITY OVER QUANTITY.

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

14 July, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JULY 6, 2024

 I have finished Chapter 28 of SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA and am currently on Chapter 29 as the
overall manuscript approaches the 51,000+ word mark.

As usual life has had its own demands along the way, so not every moment of my day is at the keyboard writing, but I do make those that are count.

In any event, I am proud of the work I've done so far on this manuscript between the latter months of 2023 and what I've accomplished in 2024 so far.

The computer crash, the death of beloved pet Ariel the Wonder Dog and the passing of my father have taken their toll over the first half of this year.

I hope everyone understands that I just didn't really feel like talking about my personal losses, especially the latter considering I wasn't able to fly back to Texas for his funeral. 😢

Yet somehow I've persevered, even to the point of managing to write "Operation: Colossus" for the third volume of Robert J. Mendenhall's CODE NAME INTREPID CLASSIFIED anthology, which is now scheduled for a pre-Labor Day release next month.

SPEAKING OF WHICH...

Robert had the space available in Volume 3, which he is allowing contributors a chance to share brief excerpts of their work with Intrepid readers, so there WILL be a Sneak Peak of S2: THE AGENDA in that volume!😀😁😎

So I better get back to writing now to ensure that S2 really is "a forth coming release from Airship 27".

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

7 July, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JUNE 29, 2024

 Things are going as well as can be expected right now on SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA.

I'm "floating", "bouncing" or whatever word you prefer, between Chapters 28 and 29 because to do the latter properly, I've got to go back and make some changes to the former.

Overall, still in the early numbers of 50,000+ words but until I have 28/29 settled, can't give you an exact figure yet but don't worry.

I'll have it all worked out in time and will be going on to Chapters 30 and beyond before you know it.

In any event, take care.

STAY SAFE! 

And for those celebrating Thursday, a HAPPY...

Lee Houston, Junior

30 June, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JUNE 22, 2024

 😀GOOD NEWS EVERYBODY!😁

I have finished proofreading the existing chapters of SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA post computer crash and am back to writing new material in hopes of finishing the novel!

At this point I obvious can't say exactly when that will be, but I am in the middle of Chapter 29 and well over 50,000+ words into the project.

So I better get back to writing now.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

23 June, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JUNE 15, 2024

 I am past the halfway point reviewing the existing 29 chapters of SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA post computer crash.

I have added an additional 171 words to the manuscript at this point, mostly from either expanding upon or inserting more detail to select sections as needed.

Hopefully by this time next weekend I will be able to pick up where I left off writing wise before the computer crash in the middle of Chapter 29.

Then again, life has had other ideas lately, and household chores like fixing meals and doing laundry still need to be addressed on a regular basis.

As I've said before,

this writer's entire household staff consists

of me, myself and I.

In any event, take care.

STAY SAFE!

And for those celebrating today→→→→→→→

Lee Houston, Junior

16 June, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JUNE 8, 2024

 With all work completed on "Operation Colossus" for the third volume of Robert J. Mendenhall's CODE NAME INTREPID CLASSIFIED ANTHOLOGY, my rereading of SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA is proceeding apace.

I've added about 35 words to the overall manuscript since page 1 and am in the middle of Chapter 10 (of 29, to date) as I post this.

Once I get through Chapter 28, I can pick up where I left off before the infamous computer crash of Boxing Day 2023 and finish writing Chapter 29, let alone the rest of the novel, before I go on to my next project.

"But what will that be?" I had a fan recently ask me.

There are three possibilities.

1. There is MY SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL that I finished writing last year and still have yet to find a publisher for.

Once SOLITAIRE 2 is finished, I could reread that to make sure everything is as good as it can humanly be before trying it on the Submission Trail again.

2. There is the story I wrote for what would have been the sequel to Jim Beard's Super Swingin' Hero 1968 Special that was set in the 1970s. It needs to be rewritten before it can make its initial trip on the Submission Trail because the 1970s book was going to be a homage to the Marvel Comics magazines of that time, so there are a couple of Interlude scenes as well as some footnotes referencing what would have been the other tales in that volume that need to be removed so the story and featured character that I created can stand on their own.

3. The most obvious, of course, would be getting started on what will eventually become SOLITAIRE 3, subtitle to be determined as the novel progresses.

I would like to do at least #1 before moving on to #3, but in any event I should finish SOLITAIRE 2 first.

So with that in mind I'm going to get back to writing now.

Take care.

STAY  SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

9 June, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JUNE 1, 2024

 THIS AND THAT.

While not the official galley, for that won't be sent until closer to publication, I have gone back over my "Operation Colossus" story and made a few tweaks and corrections at Robert J. Mendenhall's request.

For those interested, the new word count is now at 9,579; so I remain well above the 7,500 minimum and below the 10,000 maximum.

The adventure is still on track for inclusion in the third volume of his ongoing CODE NAME INTREPID CLASSIFIED anthology series, which will be available sometime after Labor Day 2024.

Other than the brief INTREPID pause, I have started going back over SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA in preparation for picking up where I left off to finish writing the second novel in the Mysterious Samaritan's ongoing series from Airship 27.

I'm only in the middle of Chapter 2 at the moment and the word count has just changed by 3 words, but I'm not worried about its total length at the present time.

I just want SOLITAIRE'S latest adventure, like all my writing efforts, to be the best I can create.

In any event, I better get back to it.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

2 June, 2024