I am writing again people! Fiction, that is. Finishing a novel. It feels flippin' good. Next week I get to work on my Writer's Digest book in earnest, but right now the fiction is flowin'.

Now, though many people have done it with much more flair and elan than I, especially Susan DiPlacido, I'm going to weigh in on Idol last night.

You want to know if I have a favorite? I do, and I don't.

Taylor and Elliott seem like true, honest good souls. Good guys with a real passion for music. Taylor's got a little bit more crazy-mojo than Elliott, but you get the feeling that Elliott would keep a secret, pull you out of a burning fire, and sing you to sleep if you had insomnia. I think Taylor should do a record because his voice is really unique. Better than Bo Bice any day. Elliott has totally grown on me. He can sing, he's easy going, and he deserves it.

I know y'all are going to hate me for this, but I think Katherine has the most commercial voice. And I gotta confess, when she sings, it seems effortless to me. It doesn't feel like she's working at it. I like her sound. She reminds me of a young Linda Rondstadt. Now it's true that in our culture we hate the girls who know they're pretty and act confident. I don't know what it is about confidence that turns people off, but most people seem to agree that she seems "too good" for everyone. I suspect she just has healthy self-esteem and is a people pleaser, which means she's always "on"... but I think her voice is outrageously good.

Paris. Why does that girl bother me so? Is it her speaking voice? Is it the strange hyper-emotional undercurrent? Am I the only one that thinks that girl is going to turn into a major handfull one day? Does it bother anyone else that her mother cries every time Paris sings? I mean...what's UP? I also seem to be the only one who thought last night's performance was only okay. Sure, it was better than her Queen week, but I think her register is too low, and it sounds like she's about to break into a smoker's cough at times. Something about her gets under my skin, and not in a good way.

Kellie. Oh lord. At first I thought she really was smarter than she seemed. Now I think she IS dumb, but mostly because she keeps believing that playing dumb works in her favor. I think that when she sings well, it's a blast to listen to her, and when she doesn't, like last night, it's very, very painful. It must be hard for Simon, who looks like he wants to bang her each time, to have to tell her it was bad, because that surely reduces his chances with her.

Oh god. When will they put Ace out of my misery? He has got to be one of the most transparently narcissistic, mealy-mouthed, mama's boy candidates they have ever had. I can't even stand to look at him. He's just...insufferable! Simon described him as a bit nasally. Have you looked at his nasal canal? It's tiny. That boy will need surgery to sing well. He seems like he'd make a good scientologist.

Chris. I still think Chris has a fine voice, and has a commercial future ahead of him. But I just never really come away feeling anything when he sings.

So that's that.
J