I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, by the way, though all these drabbles were a little distracting.

I've got some grad school stuff keeping me busy.

The next chapter of resurrection iii will either be charming, because I'm trying to write conversations between the characters with a little substance, or it will be idle chitchat, because that's how people really talk. I feel like such a noob, still. I'm finding it a challenge to make conversation interesting and well-written. There are certain things I want the characters to say, but it's hard to find ways to say them.

Also, muggy_mountain's wonderful Red and Black is challenging me to spend a little more time trying to be original, find unique phrasings. It's so hard to be artful without being artificial!

All interesting challenges. The conversation's almost got its finished shape now, it's just a matter of refining it.