This is growing in my garden and I don't know what it is. Should I kill it or eat it or what?

Edited to add: I should eat it! Apparently, these are gooseberries, and they're pretty tasty. Now I feel guilty for letting them go to waste. I should figure out to eat them--and kill some of that strangling vine wrapping itself around them. Gooseberry pie? http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/GOOSEBERRY-PIE-15237

"Tree of Life" Writing Log

7,168 / 80,000 (9.0%)

Words: 778
Total words: 7,168
Overused word: pod
Gratuitous word: permeated
Type of scene: Yes, he's still getting the damned tour. No, this could not have been a short story. Ever.
Challenge(s): Trying to describe caverns and tunnels without being a) repetitious, or b) ridiculous.
Which taste sensation is it anyways?

The wrapping crinkled as he peeled it back. Ration bars never looked appetizing, but he'd stomached enough of them over the length of his military career that it wouldn't be a problem. He took a bite and chewed.

Cherry, he thought at first. An overwhelming artificial cherry flavor filled his mouth. He couldn't pin down the strange, musky undertone. He chewed, remembering other meals. On the watery world of Vin's Harbor, he'd once--. He stopped chewing. "Fish?" he asked, around a full mouthful. He swallowed the bite, wishing for some water to swish the fading taste of cherry out of his mouth. The unpleasant aftertaste it left behind, he identified more quickly. "Onion."

Notes: Random guy is having his leg amputated and causing some strong emotional reaction in a minor character? Really? Dear subconscious, are you sure you know what you're doing? Just because I liked the blind cave fish and the stone pagodas doesn't mean you should get all crazy.
Other writingy stuff:
* read Writing-World newsletter - had a good article, "How to Read 'How to Write' Books." I really wish they'd provide static links to their articles.
* read WritersMarket newsletter
* penthius freewriting about where to find high ground in the apocalypse

These writing and literature panels I've been going to over the last few weeks have made me all jittery about my own writing. I mean, writing should be all complicated and intense and deep and meaningful. How dare I think I can even attempt that? I'm just telling stories.

...don't worry, I won't let it faze me, not really. I'm plenty mule-headed enough to keep writing.

• 06:59 Back to The On-Site With Downtime for the 3rd day in a row. Could get used to this.
• 08:41 Tomatoes weren't the salmonella culprit--it was jalapenos. ping.fm/crm9i
• 09:18 Coworker's eating ramen with hot sauce for breakfast. Now I'm hungry.
• 09:24 Great tips on getting unique portraits (DPS) ping.fm/jXUdq
• 09:26 My fooding schedule still hasn't adapted from the grazing pattern established at CONvergence.
• 09:26 Slow sync flash - must try this photo technique. (DPS) ping.fm/SuV33
• 10:17 Might be useful for my friends who are trying to quit smoking: ping.fm/ry6dE
• 11:19 ping.fm/Ykx7X SFW, if prone to making you giggle.
• 14:12 Cenotaxis is a good SF book for anybody interested in writing structure and lit reference games.

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter