OK, this is my absolute last word on the upcoming contest. Honest.

Well, as the saying goes, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that I'm still writing.

The bad news is, I'm still writing.

The story requires more research than I have time for, as the contest ends on Christmas Eve, of course. I'm nearly at the 13,000 word mark at the moment, and I have quite a bit to go. I'd tell you folks what my specific problems with the story are, but I don't know how to do it without giving too much away. (Though if anyone cared to PM me, I'd be more than glad to tell you).

The main problem may be that I'm trying to write a novel when I ought to be writing a short story. But to pare it down to its essentials would require my completely re-writing it, and I don't have time for that either. What I really should have done, in retrospect, is focus on just two characters--my main character and his/her caregiver, and I would if it were still November and I were starting fresh.

There is another possibility. In order to enter the contest officially and be considered for judging, does a story have to be complete at the time it's submitted? I ask because I'd like to at least get the first parts out there.