There's another review of The Western Front, this time at the Internet Review of Science Fiction, which is, let's say, less positive than the last one. In fact, I think it's the most negative review I've received for a story. I know negative reviews shouldn't get me down, particularly as a review is only one person's opinion and sometimes people just don't get your stories, but human nature and logic just don't have much to do with each other, so I'm feeling depressed anyway. In this case, I just don't think Bluejack got the story at all. At least part of that must be my fault as a writer. Bah.

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Also, in the spirit of moaning, I think I've forgotten how to write short stories. I've been trying one as a break in between novels, and I don't really know what I'm doing any more. I think the writing is fine, the characters are interesting, and there's plenty of cool stuff in it, but I don't really know what it's all about or why stuff is happening. I was hoping I'd figure it out, but I haven't yet. Perhaps I should just go back to novels; after all, that's what I want to write anyway, so why am I wasting my time and effort on short stories? I guess it's a kind of inertia that's sucking me in its wake. Most of the people I hang out with online are short fiction writers and they are all submitting and publishing, so I find myself doing it too. It also delivers that regular hit of success that you don't get when you're writing novels that haven't yet been published. It's cool that I've had several stories out this year. I like the feeling. But I'm not sure it's really taking me where I want to with my writing.

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I feel I should say something positive now.

I have banana muffins to eat. I'm going to eat them.