Kidney stone :-(

I've had better days.

( Cut for medical TMI )

So the bottom line is that I'm fine now, if a bit achy and woozy, and clear to travel to Texas. The doctor did see some "nodules" in my lungs on the CAT scan and recommended I see my primary doctor for a more thorough lung screen as soon as I get back, but they are very likely nothing to worry about. I also need to take the kidney stone to a urologist for an analysis -- knowing the stone's composition may help me avoid future such experiences, through changes in diet or some such. (The CAT scan showed a second, smaller stone in the kidney, but it might never cause any problems.)

Whee. Also ow.

In better news... novel draft complete!

I see that I also have some good news to share which I have not yet blogged. I'm going to a one-week novel critique workshop on the Oregon coast immediately after the Worldcon, for which I just recently finished the first draft of my YA Regency interplanetary airship adventure, currently titled Arabella and the Marsman. This is my fourth completed novel and I feel really, really good about it, though there's still at least one more edit pass to go before I start submitting it. I've already received some very positive feedback on the draft.

This draft took almost two years to write (11/11/11 - 8/4/13, counting from the beginning of the outlining phase) and I have been SO CLOSE to the end for a long time now. When I hit the end of what I thought would be the penultimate chapter, I wrote one perfect, summarizing sentence and I realized that was the end of the book. I had a whole denouement planned out, but it wasn't necessary. I cried. This was in a coffeeshop in Seattle and I'm pleased to say that Kate and Janna were both there for it.

Sometimes an ending sneaks up on you. This happened to me once before, with the All-Star Zeppelin Adventures story "Love in the Balance," and I think that's one of my more powerful endings. We'll see if people find this one satisfying.

Heading to the airport, en route to Texas for the Worldcon, in just a few minutes! See some of you there.