The End of 2021

I almost finished this year’s novel in time to send it off to Jericho Writers for analysis. Actually, I finished the writing, editing, and doing rewrite stuff, but didn’t quite finish the final read through. Just nine chapters to go, but maybe I’ll finish them before bedtime. The problem of an actual final read through remains because the first final read through turned into a editing and rewrite fest. So, the final, final read through will occur over the weekend.

I truly think this year’s novel, The Companion, has a chance of being picked up by a traditional publisher. I went back to the Argottean Empire that was created in stories posted at gayauthors.org back in the aughts, of which only three short stories (Annihilation and Sterilization, The Last Watcher, Walkabout) and a novel length story, A Very Schticky Thing To Do, remain from the software change that occurred in 2011. That was after I had that nervous breakdown in Jackson, Tennessee, and ended up in Dallas, Texas, only to be sent to the Texas State Hospital in Terrell for three weeks.

The Companion is about Willi’rs Brixti, a Schtickist high school senior who earns the chance to go to university, something that is a rarity in the empire. He’ll be in a program where he’ll be paired with a Normal at the same university. The story follows Willi from getting his parents to sign the application to being paired with Laury’ol Snank, who is the Viscount Bongos because he’s the son of the Earl of Melder.

The Earl of Melder turns out to be not who he seems and Laury almost dies as a result. Willi on the other hand becomes involved with the ‘xrsc, the pervasive computer systems that exist in the four physical dimensions and two recondite dimensions: here-there and now-then.

On the whole, though, 2021 has been an okay year. I’ve got the IRS Installment Agreement almost paid off. Then I’ll pay off the car. Then it’ll be pay off the credit card. There’ll be a new laptop somewhere in there. Then I’ll save up to move back up to Washington. It was a total mistake moving down to Texas. I could’ve found an apartment if I had looked harder, but I was so delusional that people were watching me because I had tried to become friends with that boy. Oh, well, I’ll only go back to Gold Bar to visit the dogs once I move up there.