Ouch.

I just lopped 4555 words off Lizardfic, which dropped me back down below 60,000 words. (59,746.) To quote Spock in “Devil in the Dark,” “PAAAAAAAAAAAAAIN!!!!” I have short stories in circulation that are shorter than 4555 words. I may be able to recycle some of them, though. It makes me sad, because there was some stuff I liked there, but it’s for the structural good of the story.
I should go write at least 254 words so it doesn’t hurt as much.