Is this Summer mode?

The new puppy didn’t allow us much sleep last night. We were prepared for this, and he isn’t our first puppy. Both of us took turns running him outside in the middle of the night.

He eats and drinks like a horse. This might be explained by his being more active today. Puppies seem to go through a few phases. At first they are timid and shy, then they start exploring their new homes. Today he moved through exploring and into playing and personality. I’m hoping he played so much that he’s plenty tired tonight.

I started a new short story, but only managed about 500 words. I think this might be my Summer mode. A few words here and there between other duties. I’ve hit it fairly hard in the last few months, and I’m okay with that. Sure, I’d like to have gotten more done, but I have a great start on my next novel. I also have a bunch of short stories put aside and can do something with them come Autumn.

Sometimes it’s important to know when to say “No.” I have this idea that could be fun, and it would certainly challenge me, but I think I’m going to pass. I just have enough irons in the fire.

It would have been set up like a stage play at a small mountain theatre. I wanted to write a melodrama, and hit as many cliché tropish beats as I could. By doing this on purpose, the challenge was to make it funny in its presentation.

I intended to use characters I’ve written previously and make them play roles in the melodrama. Unfortunately, if folks haven’t read the books it wouldn’t work. I can see Don Manuel de la Cámara y Libermoore, (from Panama) as the mustache twirling villain. I can even see Lisa the robot girl as either the damsel in distress or the heroine. Like I said, I just don’t have the time to mess with it right now.

I did the research and made some notes. I have a roster of the standard characters and their purpose in the story. Still, take a look at this video and tell me it couldn’t be fun:

The song is old, and has been recorded by multiple people. Buck Owens dropped a verse, but it was the best video I could find of it. The notes aren’t going anywhere, and I might resurrect the idea at some point.