Hatchet job

Under 20,000 words! Man, that was rough going -- but i think I like the result. I axed a minor subplot, tightened up the beginning a lot, and generally went through slimming down the text. I think that I like the result: I don't think I sacrificed anything I need, and the story is better as a result. I'll do one more run to proofread it, but I think I need to stop touching it now, lest I fall prey to the temptation to keep tinkering. The current wordcount makes it eligible for a few more markets, plus Critters.

Speaking of workshops, I've heard that S&SF, together with Gardner Dozois, are going to be doing an online workshop -- but they announced it months ago, and there hasn't been a peep out of them since. The website's not even live. It'll be a pay workshop, but I would consider it worth a good sum of money to get feedback from Mr. Dozois, who I admire greatly: I've been reading his anthologies for many years, and generally feel confident in buying anything with his name on it.