Trying not to be stupid

A little while ago I got into my head the silly idea that I needed a tiny little laptop so that I wouldn't feel pressured to get home and write if I had errands to run at night in the city. (If I have errands to run at night in the city, I can spend as much as 1:45 on the train, and if I get home after 9:30 or so it's real hard to convince myself to write.) But then, it's better for me to feel pressured to get home and write, because it's cheaper that way.

Still, I probably will talk myself into getting one by Wiscon, because liveblogging panels would be fun.

BUT, I really have to buy the things my inner adult wants, instead of the things my inner child wants -- the salt/slush/ice mix on the sidewalks is about to kill shoes that were getting worn out anyway, and I just ordered a new coat...

It's called "Sparks and Ashes," maybe.

Or "Flicker," but that's too close to the photo-sharing site, isn't it?

One consequence of working on this novel for six months (even with absolutely no sign of forward progress!) is that I'm developing a very good sense of this character, and I just really like her. Like many of my heroines, she thinks that she knows what all her problems are and she can keep them under control as long as she doesn't tell anyone about them or ask anyone for help.

That trick never works.