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10,000 Hours

Science has discovered that if you do anything for 10,000 hours, you become an expert at it. :)

Four hours a day would take about seven years to add up to 10,000. I think I became an expert at running BigCloset sometime about three years ago. :)

How many of you have become experts at something without quite realizing it?

- Erin

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Discipline, Respect, Honesty, and Madam Martinique's Plaque

This is the plaque mentioned in my story, Madam Martinique's Finishing School. When I had started writing the story, I had the idea of there being three principles upon which the school was founded, but I did put a bit of thought into what those principles would be. Below are some of the thoughts behind them, which may wind up being woven into future chapters ... if I ever manage to pull enough of a story together to make decent chapters.

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Christian by Maya Angelou

When I say... "I am a Christian", I am not shouting "I'm clean livin'"

I'm whispering " I was lost,now I'm found and forgiven."
When I say... "I am a Christian", I'm not trying to be strong.

I am professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.
When I say... "I am a Christian", I'm not bragging of success.

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65

Hi everybody. I just discovered BC. A little later than most, I guess. At age 65 I am still theoretically male externally, but confused internally. If only the internet had existed 50 years ago! Anyway, I missed my best chance at the age of 19 through a combination of a lack of maturity and utter cowardice in a time when transsexuality was almost a capital crime and only brave souls like Christine Johannsen and April Ashley made the journey. I did not have their guts. Not complaining. My decision, and life compensates you in other ways.

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ideas in the works.

Okay, I thought I would lay down my thoughts of Accidental magic.

I have been having a great deal of fun writing this, as well as reading the comments left by people about it. The speculations as to what I have in store for my characters is what amuses me the most, since there are so many good ideas there.

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New Girl

Hi I am new at this just wanted to say hi, I am 58 TG but have not done the change may never as it's out side my price range. I just wanted to say that there are some good writers here and I love this site. As with any there are storys that I don't like, Women who talk there husband or boyfriend into dressing then fall for a "MAN" and leave the poor guy hanging, there are storys that I really like but that is with anyone. I have left a few words to a few of the writers telling them I liked there story or some that I would never read there story again.

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Lost again ... Help!!

I always feel so dumb dealing with computers, and I know it's just another language.. but.
I simply cannot understand the instructions for submitting a few chapters of a longer story. Like, and how to format it and whether I'll be creating an unreadable problem instead of a posting... I don't even know if *book* is the correct category...
Please, can you help me?
Michelle

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Heroes of Justice

Hey Everyone! I posted Heroes of Justice some time ago but meant to include a graphic. The problem was I hand drew the base figure and scanned it to Paint. Once there I couldn't leave the Beep Beep Beepity Beep thing alone! I kept changing stuff! Finally I'm half way satisfied with it! I'm not a good artist but I'm stubborn to keep at it till it at least resembles what I'm envisioning. You can take a peek here. http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/fiction/3807/heroes-justice
Thanks again for everyone who commented on the story!
Hugs!
grover

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Once Upon a Blue Moon

Well, Blue Moon is done. My first novel since the obligatory, bad, coming-of-age tripe I wrote in college.

It didn't start out to be a novel; originally I just had a cute idea for a short story based on the calendar and having recently re-read Lainie Lee's incomplete "The Devil in Drag."

A lot of people asked me to continue the story, so I tried. It turned into a serial, then a serialized novel under the continued encouragement of several people.

Thank you all, you know who you are. ::smile::

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Keep Falling or What?

I've posted 42 episodes of Falling Off...... in almost as many days. Given its time frame, I'm aware that it is 'literature lite' rather than anything more substantial, the Beano rather than Nature. I'm also aware more people probably read the Beano than the more learned journal.

Some people appear to enjoy my tale of a seemingly powerless individual swept along by the demands of others, caught up in her conflicting desires and needs. Maybe it reflects stages most of us go through at times in our lives, when it all seems a bit directionless because the trees obscure the wood.

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R.I.P. Fred Saberhagen

Shortly after I posted "Berserker Chromosome" I learned of the death of Fred Saberhagen.
Fred Saberhagen was a science fiction author and the creator of the Berserkers. He was a great influence on my work. I am saddened that he will not be adding to the body of work he has left us.
If you haven't read Fred Saberhagen you are doing yourself a great disservice. It is worth a trip to the library. It's worth the money to purchase a few of his books. I urge you to do so.

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Why an Alternate Reality?

Why an alternate reality? Why not?
It all started with a readers comment sent to me by Shelly shalimar. She read "The Girl Who Touched the Stars" and apparently enjoyed it, and sent me the comment to let me know. Now I get nervous whenever I Include a "real" character in my work, but Shelly was one of the residents of The Neighborhood and deserved a place in the tale.

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BigCloset/Stardust General Chat - 2 pm EDT, Saturday, August 18, 2007

BigCloset/Stardust General Chat
beginning at 2 pm EDT, Saturday, August 18, 2007

Been a while since we had one of these. :) That's 11 am PDT and 7 or 8 pm in the UK and Europe. Something real late at night, early morning in Australia, sorry about that. <waddaygonnado?>

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Talk To Me, So You Can See, Oh, What's Going On

Comments and Voting -- What Does It Mean?

I don't have a clue of comments or voting mean anything. I've written, read, edited anough stories to have a fairly good idea what passes for good writing in this genre.

During the last three weeks I've posted seven stories on Fictionmania that were also posted on BigCloset.

I'll list them in order from the best quality story, in my opinion, to the story that is the worst quality of the seven. I will list how many comments I received on Fictionmania, how many comments on BigCloset and how many votes on BigCloset.

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sorry my english writting is not that good

i know not all of you will be able to read this but give me some time as i want to translate it with meening and not just so it is translatet

Há¶r nicht auf fá¼r das zu leben an was du glaubst, glaub an dich und schá¶pfe Vertrauen und Kraft aus deiner Familie die Nacht fá¼r Nacht deine Seele bawacht und dich liebt ganz egal was du tust, was geschiet, die dich wie eine Há¼lle umgibt, wenn du diese Glá¼ck hast hast du fast gesiegt, fast gesiegt.

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Thanks again for Danielle and have you read Bob Arnold's latest Zapped?

Thanks again for you kind thoughts for Danielle. I've not heard anything recently, time will tell. Best wishes to Danielle and family.

On a happier note Bob Arnold is writing new Zapped chapters -- Zapped!-The lost pages. The first test chapter is up now at his Stardust site -- Erin has a link to it.

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Yay Metric System! (Edeyn's Birthday post)

Took a week off for my birthday!

Just thought it'd be better to let you all know that :)

I came to Kansas City Monday morning early, and I'm not heading home until late Sunday night, spent this week here with a friend so I could unlax (unwind+relax) leading up to my birthday -- which is today :)

I'm 32 today... :(

But I just convert it to metric and I'm 4 months shy of my 27th birthday ;)

Edeyn

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Anyone else feel weird

It feels weird to have people actually email me and ask me when the next chapter will be done. Its like, I write to get out my frustrations, and other people read it. Ive only written 2 stories so far and both were well received, however I have a real hard time taking compliments so, I dont know, I just wanted to say it feels weird having fans of The Guardian Princess, but in a good way that I havent felt before=)

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Gender & sex; pheromones & mice

I ran across a Reuters story on Yahoo News the other day, telling how researchers had changed the sexual prefences of female mice by altering the functionality of a certain organ in them that processes pheromones, the vomeronasal organ.

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Alert ! Alert ! Alert !

I do not know how to get this out to people, but I had just bought $9500 in Travelers checks to finance my trip to Thailand and I just got an email from [email protected], saying that the banks there are no longer accepting traveler's cheques.

Now, I have to run back to the bank and turn them all in. All 95 of them, I am getting writers cramp. LOL

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Want some new exposure for one of your old stories?

Repost to Stardust at http://www.stardustr.us !!

The commenting proportion is similar to BC, there's a lot of overlapping readership so some of your old fans are bound to be reminded of an old favorite and Bob Arnold is just a nice host!

Note the posting restrictions at the top of the Stardust main page, they're different than BCs. :)

Hugs,
Erin

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Proof reader?

Hi all,

I was wondering if there was anyone out there who would be willing to proof read my stories.

I have been looking through my previous scribblings and have noted that I am not as good as would like to be, gramatically wise.

I am dyslexic and that doesn't help much as it sometimes makes me blind to my faults and errors.

So if there is anyone who has the time, please let me know.

Hugs
Susan

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Working on an audio-book version of Shoes

Hiya everyone! I've been trying to create an audio-book version of my story, Shoes. I've been using a program called Record Producer by Voyetra. I've got the whole story recorded in .rpp format, but for some reason, the program won't save it as a .wav or any other format most people can use. Is there anyone out there who knows how to turn convert my recording into something a bit more useful?

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What you reveal of yourself may help someone to heal.

While I was reading Fleurie's "Deception of Choice", I spent much time bawling and completely overcome by grief. I actually complained to the author that this story was much too difficult for me to absorb. It brought feelings to the surface that I had never been able to express and it was really draining. I complained piteously.

Later in the series, I began to realize that his work was healing some terrible wounding in my soul but now for the reasons that many would think.

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Danielle_J is very ill, asks for your prayers

Danielle_J, who is experiencing another bad reoccurance of cancer asked to pass this message on.

Hi,

I've been hospitalized because of fluid collecting in my lungs. The doctors are trying to keep me from developing full fledged pneumonia. Please keep me in your prayers and feel free to let anyone else, hyperboard, big closet, etc know.

If I can't, Jennibeth will keep you informed.

Danielle

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New author, new to site, wish help, reciprocal

Hi!
Michelle Wilder here.
I've written occasional stories through the years, often with TG theme and content (subjectively, at least) and would like advice, help, and all that, as I think I'd like to contribute some of them. I admire the work of many of the authors here at BC, and can think of no better feedback than from them or their readers.
I'm a pretty good copy editor (newspapers) so I'd be glad to reciprocate your help.
Sincerely,
Michelle

P.S. It's not self-evident how to post in this site...

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Sk8r Grrls Best and Worst

I'm gonna be gone soon. Was delayed until 8am (45 minutes from now) but will be gone until late Sunday evening. I'm actually really curious... who are the favorite characters and who are the most hated villains?

I wanna know...

Who is your favorite character and why?

Who is your favorite villain and why?

Who is your favorite peripheral (minor) character and why?

Please discuss while I'm away! :)

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UK Floods

I have been speaking with Kristina LS and she says that she has heard about the flooding in the UK and thought many others would like to know what has happened. I can't tell you much, but what I saw yesterday was pretty horrific.

Parts of Oxford and Gloucester are under feet of water (A Foot: That's about a third of a metre for the metric among us - not measured in units of toes). Rivers have burst their banks after approximately one months worth of rain fell in an hour.

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Updating My First Endocrinologist Visit

Since my visit, I have found a group called: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TSVets/

They are all TS Service or ex-service members who have either transitioned, are planning on it, or are starting on the path.

There is a lot of info there, but as with any forum, you have to hunt a bit for it. You also HAVE to be either IN the service, or have BEEN in the service to join. This is only my second day on the forum there, but I have already found some good information that is going to help me get what I need from the V.A.

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Personal Crisis and Depression

I realized late last night that I'm hitting another gully in the cycle of depression and recovery. I have the stories running around in my head, but can't find the enthusiasm to write them down. I want to just lie in bed and cry for hours

I guess I just feel myself slipping away, bit by bit. I'm losing weight, but not fast enough. I'm writing, but my head continues to fill to overmuch. There's a possibility of new romance on the horizon, but am I just fooling myself?

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A smart heterosexual male..

..should not attack, insult or in any other way discourage another male who feels he should be a girl. After all, if he becomes a she then
- she's another possible 'prey' for him
- there's one less competitor for female attention

instead he should dream of a world where all other males feel that way. It would mean he got all the girls.

..should not attack, insult or in any other way discourage a male to express himself as being gay. After all, if he hooks up with another male then
- there's two less competitors for female attention

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FDA Warning

I just received this and felt I should pass it along. The US FDA is warning that there is a risk of botulism from certain nationally distributed canned chili products. Here's a couple of links with the full details:

Emergency Email & Wireless Network

US Food & Drug Administration

Botulism is extremely serious so if you even think you may have a suspect product please throw it away.

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Removed blog post

I removed Kristina L S's blog post on the fickleness of mob politics because it touched on a controversial political subject here in the States. It's my feeling that discussion of this issue, sideways to Kristina's point, would be divisive to the community. At least two comment posts seem to bear me out, so in the interest of keeping peace and my own sanity, I removed the blog.

Sorry, Kristina, you had something important to say but the side issue was too hot.

Hugs to all,
Erin

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A First Visit To An Endocrinologist

Yesterday, Wednesday, I had my first visit with an endo. She was VERY understanding and helpful, and I ended up with patches instead of pills for my hormone treatments and, for the first time, progesterone, as well. Additionally, I made serious inquiries about an orchiectomy. I was told that the V.A doesn't "do that", but there might be a way around that.

This was at the V.A. hospital in Buffalo, New York, and I have to say that I was treated at ALL times, with respect and understanding, as well as compassion.

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L8r Sk8r

Okay. Sorry about the missed deadline. I needed sleep and then there was an issue that had me aternately screaming into a pillow and sobbing with all of my being for something like 11 hours straight. Then I started writing again and found that while I didn't have writer's block, I couldn't write it. The subject matter being way too close to my own past. It will be finished, and likely posted Friday

Edeyn Hannah Blackeney

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Soapy Serials?

I may have started something.

BC and Stardust (and perhaps now Tor der Traume, in German) are the only open TG sites, I think, where this story could be told in this way. Since I did Urban Renewal, Adonna has begun Blue Moon at Stardust and now Angharad with Easy as Falling off a Bike here: serials told in daily, or almost daily, short episodes. Edeyn's two recent serials may qualify for this category, too. :)

What shall we call this new artform? :)

- Erin

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Many Many Thanks to all you good Writers out there

My Greatest Thanks

I would like to thank a few people for making my off work time really special even if i do not know them personally and there is no order to my preference as all of you have a beautiful way of writing and capturing my heart

Juli O, Wanda Cunningham, Scott Ramsey, TeddyS , Angel o Hare, Babara Lynn Terri, Ellen Hayes, Maddy Bell, Jannet Stickney(who Posts on other good fiction Sites)

I know there are a lot of others out there that I have not Had the change to read as up today but I hopefully get around to read each and every story

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Danger, baddie, magic ......

Why don't I get magic? Of all of the stories I read those that depend on magic are the ones that don't press my buttons and that includes everything from BC stories to Harry Potter -I couldn't finish the first book.

The fact that magic is so popular means that I'm the odd one out (guess I already know I'm odd otherwise I woudn't be here.) But Why?

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Sleeeeeeeeepy Edeyn

Since waking up from a nap on Friday evening around 9pm (Central US time), I've not slept much

1 hour Saturday afternoon

2 hours Sunday evening

3 hours Monday afternoon

So. I'm going to bed now (4am Tuesday morning) and sleeping until I wake up. Then I'll write Sk8r Grrls for this week. If it's not done in time... sorry. I'm unashamedly unabashed about missing this deadline. Not that I don't care about how awesome you've all been... I'm just too damn tired to give more than passing thought to it

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Extremely exciting news for transwomen

Perhaps many of you as I have, tried desparately for many years to find the why. We know about the MRI transgender wishful connection, the knowing when we are born, the always dreaming of being a woman and all that stuff that makes us wonder if the heart of our desires are born in a fantasy world.

Well, I was talking to my step sister and my brothers wife last night I had not seen my step sister in years. She is an extremely successful biologist and researcher in Canada.

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I Just Don't Get It

I write "The only Real Magic," a piece of fluff, and I get over 20 comments and it is quickly read by thousands. I write quality stories such as "Victor and the Witch," "Broken Glass," and "The Death and Life of Maxmillion Kagen" and get practically no reviews and low reading results. Am I missing something?

My intergrity insists that I write each story as quality.

shalimar

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Slip Sliding Away

It is at times a small step, from happy, well relatively... to that grey and cold world of loneliness and despair. Tears and depression... a small step to oblivion. Some, perhaps many, will sneer...'Coward'... to which I shrug and with a small and slightly crooked smile, reply... 'Empathy'... something you obviously don't understand.

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Attention Fans of Ma'at

I'm sure you all recall Hatshepsut from Ma'at. Recently, in what has been described as the most important find since the discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb, archaeologists have identified the mummy of Hatshepsut, a woman more powerful than either Cleopatra or Nefertiti. Tomorrow, July 15th at 9PM Eastern the Discovery Channel will air 'Secrets of Egypt's Lost Queen', which details the archaeological and forensic journey that led to her mummy being identified.

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My Flashbacks are true.

I was treated to a wonderful surprise this week end and I think it will change my life. As with some of us, there is that lingering guilt over transitioning and I had it a lot.

This week end, I saw my step sister who is 4 years older than I and the conversation brought up something that my half brother's wife remembered my step father telling her in bragging tones.

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Twenty One Years.

As we came into double figures in July, apart from my son-in-law's birthday on the 12th and my daughter's birthday on the 26th, I knew there was another significant date I should be aware of, but for the life of me I couldn't think what. It niggled at me but no answers came.

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For anyone who wondered where I was today...

...the cable connecting our mobile to power burned up mid-morning. What with having to leave for a doctor app, it took about nine hours to,get fixed. And $300.

But all seems well now, except that during the frenzy of plugging and unplugging I can't find my phone charging cable. :(

Hope all ofmyou are well. :)

Hugs,
Erin

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On the value of comments and voting

Something happened over the last couple of weeks that really illustrated to me the value of comments and the new voting feature Erin set up. First, my story 'In the Line of Duty: No Greater Love', which was posted back in January, got a comment. No the story generally gets one or two hits a day, but thanks to this comment the hit count soared. A few days ago, the same thing happened for my very first story, 'Lost Luggage'. This time, the first comment led to another person reading and commenting, and again the hit count soared.

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HELP!!

I'm sorry to put this here but I've tried every other route through to no avail.

I can't send PM's.

I can't read PM's.

I can't write to author, in fact this is the only way I have to point out a problem. It may be at my end - but I wouldn't know what to do about it if it is.

Every time I try and read a PM (I have a new one), I get the mailbox empty message. If I try and reread a PM I get the same thing. If I try and send a message to author - I've tried from one of Erin's blogs, I get my sent list. If I try and read one of those I get the mailbox empty message.

What do I do?

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Trying to find a Ballet school or teacher who can train and teach sissys

Does anyone have past experience or know of the best ways on approaching ballet school to join in ballet lessons without offending the the other students who being real girls have much more derserving of there place. Maybe i could work at the school after lessons and clean all of the teachers and students ballet shoes to show how much i appriciate there time in teaching me to become a sissy balerina.

Any help i would be most thankful for.

Balletsissy.

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FTS Ending on July 11th!

So, that IRC session I mentioned, for the Q&A? I'd like to schedule it for sometime tomorrow (July 11) evening :)

The IRC I've been frequenting apparently has a separate room for author chats, anyway, so that'll be good

irc.tgsa.net port 6667
and it's apparently the one that you get to through Storysite
Um... time and room is the only things not set -- and the room may be

Suggestions?

Edeyn

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Hourou Musuko

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Non-TG stuff!

Hello I was chatting tonight and a interesting idea come up. We have a wonderful group of talented authors here at BC and that got me to wondering what if any Non-TG materials they might have written. For that matter is there a convenient place where we can find these hidden treasures? I know some have their own homepages but what for those like me who are technically inept? Anyone?

Well maybe not a good idea, but just maybe...
hugs!
grover

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All Natural Serial - No Trans Fat

One of the joys of writing Blue Moon is finding uses for elements I introduced earlier just for color or bits of business. Do people writing novels do this, too, or is the tuxedo cat stealing cream in chapter four never to be seen again?

What if you needed a sudden noise in the middle of the night in chapter thirteen? Wouldn't it make sense for Mr. Underfoot to turn out to be the same cat? And then, near the climax when the villain needs to send a message, poor little kitty gets a curtain call?

Grisly example but does this happen in novel-writing?

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Took a day off

I've got a ton of stuff to do but I took the Fourth off to laze around at friends', eat, cook and talk. I came home last night and slept 10-1/2 hours, very unusual for me. Now I feel like crud, aches and pains all over, stuffed up sinuses and a sore throat. I'm going to take it easy today, do very little and hope I feel better tomorrow.

Hugs to all and especially those of you waiting for me to do something in particular,
Erin

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