What Now, Counselor Cow?

I'm sure you're dying to know what have I been doing since you last saw me here, blogging about Melanesia. It so happens I've written another full-length manuscript and am lobbing it around where those things usually go, however, that's not what I want to talk about. Books are pretty much self-explanatory, despite the miles of blog space devoted to them by their authors (their great and wonderful and, might I add great-looking authors -- many of whom are friends I do not want to offend).

Or, at least books ought to be self explanatory. One of the cardinal rules we learn in any critique group worth its ink is: "Don't explain your plot, your characters, your setting or your voice. It either stands on its own, or it doesn't." I should know, I've said that to a host of writers myself.

So, in the spirit of all this stuff I just said, I'm going to be blogging for a while about the other stuff in my life. Non-book stuff. The stuff I've been doing when not writing. And that's counseling. Pastoral Counseling. I'm studying it in school and doing it in a real-life office, complete with fainting couch.

Oh, and I'm co-leading a seminar on relationship skills. The seminar is the thing that intrigues me the most because the dynamic that sets up between two people in a couple is fascinating. Plus, the work people will do to help their relationships be healthier is inspiring. You'll be hearing more about all this soon, I'd bet on it.