No, not a secret code. "A bad code." At least, that's how I say it. What I mean is, I have a sore throat and a sniffle. And my nose is red from blowing it so much. You know... a "code."

Anyway because I've been busy busy with school stuff, I must admit I haven't done much in the way of writing today. But I'm going to try to do a little work now before Istart thinking about what's for supper.

I'm still trying to get the ending on my guard dog book right... and now I'm going to go back to the beginning one more time and see whether I can find the ending along the way. Not sure if that makes sense to you, but that is sort of how endings work for me... it's like the right ending is there the whole time, lurking just beneath the surface ... the trouble is finding it.... 

This morning, I taught my class in Writing for Children. Ahh, what fun! (Hope the students are enjoying it, too!!) I read a bit from a YA book I started last night. It's called Getting the Girl: A Guide to Private Investigation, Surveillance and Cookery, and it's by prizewinning author Susan Juby. It's told from the point of view of a young guy who is dying to be a ladies' man, but not having too much success. My students cracked up when I read them a few excerpts. Here's a couple of lines they liked a lot. You need a bit of context. Sherman, the narrator, talks about how the detectives in books seem to get women by ignoring them: "so far that hasn't worked for me. I've tried. I've ignored almost every girl in my class at one time or another and not one of them has noticed." Poor Sherman!!

Anyway, here's my plan for the next few hours: I'm going to fuss with my manuscript, and then I'm getting back to Sherman's troubles. Hope you've got an entertaining book to read, too! And keep away from ladies with sniffles!