She liked to collect curiosities

Pulled out Curiosity for the first time in a long time last night. Don't know why I never finished working on it, but there it was, halfway through a revision. I read through it, and rewrote the ending. Tonight, with luck I'll have a look at the smaller points that were raised -- showing and not telling with 'the rules', removing unneccesary action, purging the passive voice. I also want to download some stuff from the workshop ready to start reviewing again.

Update:
New Chapters -- 1;
Words -- 14400;
Stories in Circulation -- 2 (The Well, He Missed the Sea);
Rejections -- 6.

Later . . .

She liked to cheer me on

It's raining -- a light drizzle that eventually stops before the start of the race -- and the fifty or more of us huddle under the trees near to the start line. The air is cold and wet and the guy next to me complains of a sore throat. 'He said he'd call it off it rained,' says G-2. 'I'd like to hear his definition of rain.' He stalks off, complaining about the weather.

They don't call it off, and five minutes later we walk over to stand by the start line. I'm running the last lap, so I get to stand with all of the spectators, in their coats and umbrellas and 'told you so' grins, and wait for my turn.

The grass is slippery and I start too fast. I feel like I'm walking, as I'm getting overtaken every other step. The girls from my office alternate between calling me traitor (I run for the Coastal department) and cheering me on. When I get my breath back I find the woman with our clipboard, and I am over the fucking moon.

6'47"

It's not a great time in the scheme of things (one of the guys who overtook me got 5'15") but I'm more than pleased. I've only been running a month, I shaved about forty seconds off my PB, and (whisper it) I beat my ex and G-2.

Later . . .