Good Things in 2019
Jan. 1st, 2020 04:54 pmOh boy, though, my first thought was, what even happened in 2019? (Looking at a calendar helped! It reminded me of a few things I forgot)
It’s been a Rough Year, friends. Between OCD and basically travelling almost every weekend in the latter half of 2019, I am very much ready for a new year and hopefully a new slate.
But this is about the positives!
Personal
- Played a lot of Dungeons and Dragons! I am now officially in two campaigns. This year, I endeavored to recruit more women to play, including the wonderful
allatariel. I play both my beloved cleric, Maritsa (who I’ve been playing her years now) and my new character, Noara, a ranger elf with a red panda familiar (yeah, my DM let me do that for funsies, so I could get an animal sidekick but also still try out the Horizon Walker subclass).
- Speaking of red pandas, I accomplished my LIFE GOAL of meeting a red panda face-to-face. I got to feed Harriet at the Cincinnati Zoo for 30 minutes. She was adorable.
- Completed all my dental work and had a clean bill of dental health two cleanings in a row!
- Attended DC’s Around the World Embassy Day event, always fun
- Attended Star Wars night at a local library, where I got to participate in a short demo/lesson on how to fence with a lightsaber!
- Attended 50th Anniversary Celebration of Apollo 11 / landing on the moon (dude they projected the rocket on the Washington Monument and it looked so cool)
- Returned to the NY Ren Faire and upgraded my ren faire garb
- Celebrated at THREE friends’ weddings and got to catch up with old friends I hadn’t seen in awhile
- Ate ice cream at the Ben & Jerry’s Factory in Vermont
- Went to NYCC for the third year in a row. Got to wear 2 costumes this year: a 1920s flapper interpretation of an occamy and my Endor!Leia costume (repeat of 2017). Learned the True Pain of sewing. Created feather shawl for my occamy costume. Learned the True Pain of crafting.
- Celebrated one year anniversary with hubbie down where we got married: visited the museum we got married in and actually got a chance to enjoy the exhibits, went to our favorite brunch place down there, got to check out Fleet Week and tour an aircraft carrier and uh… I think it was a missile cruiser?
- Went up to PSU for a women’s hockey game for sister’s birthday (made embarrassing HAPPY BIRTHDAY sign for the cameras); also it was an absolutely wonderful fall drive on the way up there
- Got to see The Rise of Skywalker in IMAX at the Smithsonian Air & Space Center with the awesome
- Worked hard at therapy and self care
- Got a Sleep Number bed and holy shit let me tell you. i can actually sleep now.
- OH! I almost forgot!!! Started playing Assassin’s Creed! I’ve only ever really played the LEGO Star Wars and Harry Potter video games so like. This was big for me.
Writing
- Finally finished Learning Curve. TBH I was a bit shocked that this was in fact the only fic I published in 2019. What a travesty.
- However! I have been writing
- Just under the wire, I did manage to start my NatGeo AU, which I’ve been dreaming of since my honeymoon in Nov 2018
- Started editing/revising my original young adult fantasy novel
- Poked a little at my epic fantasy pirate travel novel idea
Books
- I read exactly one book, Among the Red Stars, which I enjoyed. It’s about women fighter pilots in Russia in WW2. Inspired by real people.
Music
- Saw Panic at the Disco! in concert. I went along with my sister. Not like a huge fan, but they put on a pretty fun show!
- Saw Waitress on Broadway!! OH MY GOD. And Sara Bareilles was starring in it. Amazing. I freaking love her music (”How does she know / what a heart sounds like?” gahhh). She was so good, and the show was so good. I literally cried all the way through it just because I was so happy to be there, but also because of the content. Man.
- Saw Sara Bareilles again, in concert, in Philly. I love her so much.
Television
- Finished Critical Role Campaign 1! Oh man, what a ride. Gosh, I love that show. I really need to catch up in C2 now. I’ve started it but I’m only on episode 26 or 27.
- I’m not sure whether I finished The Clone Wars in 2018 or 2019. I think it was early 2019. This show was amazing and this was the character development that Anakin Skywalker needed. I love Ahsoka Tano. I cannot wait for the last season.
- Finished Rebels!!! AGAIN, what a ride!!! I still love Ahsoka Tano. I also love Hera Syndulla and Sabine Wren. Sabine’s Darksaber arc was fantastic.
- The Mandalorian OMG BABY YODA!!! Yes, I have succumbed to the adorableness of Baby Yoda. Most adorable SW character forever. But also just an enjoyable story in general. This, this is how you craft a story. still NOT over the darksaber omg.
- The Good Place is continuing to be good. Not as crazy about season 4, but I’m so glad they decided to limit the seasons.
- Got my sister to watch Rebels!! And then even a few episodes of The Clone Wars!!! Mwahaha >)
- Finally got around to watching The Great British Bake Off, what a sweet show!
- OMG I ALMOST FORGOT Anne With an E!!! Gosh what a wonderful wholesome delightful show. No I haven’t watched S3 yet because I am Lawful Good to a fault and just patiently waiting for it to come on Netflix
Film
- So, I woefully neglected to mention The Aeronauts in this post about my favorite movies in the 2010s and that was a Mistake. Because I really enjoyed this one
- But otherwise probably check out that list. Because I don’t go to the movies that often, actually, and anything I really loved from 2019 is most definitely listed there.
Did I meet my 2019 Goals?
Writing: Fandom
- Finish Learning Curve YES
- …and How to Lose a Spy in 10 Days Uh, no, not so much
- Begin and complete the in-canon universe You’ve Got Mail AU YES, it is begun
but no it is not complete - Try to knock out a few other projects on my 30+ SW ideas Umm, I did start / poke at a few things in addition to the YGM and NatGeo AUs, but nothing really “knocked out”
- Try my hand at creating more visual fan works (like moodboards/photosets, step 1, learn proper terminology) ahahahah, no.
Writing: Original
- Query more agents for my completed original novel YIKES, No. But I wasn’t anticipating that I’d decide to heavily edit/revise my manuscript.
- Actually get around to deciding which idea I want to work on next and work on it Yeah, sure, I decided. How nice of past!Liz to make this goal so reachable as “deciding” lol
Reading
- Be more supportive in helping my friend run Book Club so that it can actually meet more regularly HA, oops. Book Club died, but kind of in favor of being able to start a second D&D campaign. At least that’s the trade off I’m looking at. I had some OCD-related glasses issues this year that inhibited reading a lot.
- Try to read at least one book for myself outside of Book Club lol WELL the one book I read this year was not part of Book Club sooo
Goals for 2020
Writing
- I’m not going to make this a completion goal, but instead…
- …I’d like to just focus on creating a regular writing schedule/habit. Whatever the project, I just want to make sure I carve out significant time each week just to write. I don’t want to set a specific goal like “x hours a week” for now, but I want to make sure that I am writing each week.
- To achieve that (because what are goals without maps):
- If the words don’t immediately jump onto the page, then I’m going to try outlining or summarizing. I’m going to let go of overthinking how sentences are phrased, and just pretend I’m describing the story idea to a friend.
- That blank page is staring at me and I’m just going to fill it with words no matter what I might think of them!
- And I’m going to let everything else expand from there. And see how that works.
- Edit my original manuscript
- Query more agents re: original manuscript
- Look into the idea of perhaps forming or joining a writer’s group for original writing
oh gosh that is so scary
Other
- Get back into reading
- Develop a routine for working out
- Eat healthier
- Continue focusing on therapy goals
- Get around to watching: Black Sails, Mad Max: Fury Road, Arrival
- Get better at responding to things in general
Hey, tagging anyone who reads this and wants to do it!
Happy New Year y’all!
Crossposted on tumblr
EDIT: is there ANY way to get cut tags to play nicely with bulleted lists??? jeez. why do i struggle with cut tags so much here.
It's been awhile! Oops. Blah blah blah, OCD sucks, I'm working on it, and I'm not ready to talk about it.*
But in the meantime! I've been:
( voraciously ripping my way through Campaign 1 of Critical Role )
( trying out various craft projects )
( working my way through Rebels )
( finishing Learning Curve )
( starting my next project )
Anyways. I also wanted to add. I think I sort of spent some time hesitating to come back into fandom just because -- well, it can be so exhausting, reading and commenting and reccing and the like. I even feel guilty saying that, because of course I know that commenting and participating in fandom isn't as exhausting as actually creating content, but it is a very different kind of energy, a more extroverted kind of energy, and that is exhausting for me. Worth it, rewarding, enjoyable -- but utterly exhausting. I want to be able to participate in fandom, to give back to content creators, but I'm also working very hard on myself right now (that OCD I mentioned earlier), and there's just so very much in life to do.
So I guess the point is, just like my exercises in therapy, I'm dipping my feet into the pool very slowly.
*What does OCD have to do with my participation in fandom? I'm incredibly anxious and fixated on my glasses, which makes reading difficult sometimes. That's all I'm going to say because I'm worried if I reread this later, it will be triggering for me. EDIT: Oh yeah, and also, the perpetual anxiety that when I do participate in any kind of social situation, my inevitable awkwardness will cause me to engage in the "wrong way" and anger / hurt / make people feel uncomfortable / embarrass myself. Ah the joys of fretting about everything I say and do.
But in the meantime! I've been:
( voraciously ripping my way through Campaign 1 of Critical Role )
( trying out various craft projects )
( working my way through Rebels )
( finishing Learning Curve )
( starting my next project )
Anyways. I also wanted to add. I think I sort of spent some time hesitating to come back into fandom just because -- well, it can be so exhausting, reading and commenting and reccing and the like. I even feel guilty saying that, because of course I know that commenting and participating in fandom isn't as exhausting as actually creating content, but it is a very different kind of energy, a more extroverted kind of energy, and that is exhausting for me. Worth it, rewarding, enjoyable -- but utterly exhausting. I want to be able to participate in fandom, to give back to content creators, but I'm also working very hard on myself right now (that OCD I mentioned earlier), and there's just so very much in life to do.
So I guess the point is, just like my exercises in therapy, I'm dipping my feet into the pool very slowly.
*What does OCD have to do with my participation in fandom? I'm incredibly anxious and fixated on my glasses, which makes reading difficult sometimes. That's all I'm going to say because I'm worried if I reread this later, it will be triggering for me. EDIT: Oh yeah, and also, the perpetual anxiety that when I do participate in any kind of social situation, my inevitable awkwardness will cause me to engage in the "wrong way" and anger / hurt / make people feel uncomfortable / embarrass myself. Ah the joys of fretting about everything I say and do.
Updates and the like
Jan. 28th, 2019 05:52 pmHow do these weeks keep going by so quickly? Sometimes I feel like “growing up” is just life pressing harder and harder on the gas, an acceleration that never abates, and I’m just clinging to the armrest.
On that note, two things:
- I’m going to start doing goals every other week, in between the fic rec posts. So that way I’m only doing one post each Sunday, and also I’m not like, bombarding y’all with my boring goals. I just like putting them somewhere public so that I can hold myself a little more accountable.
- Productivity this past week has been Low.
WRITING
1. Learning Curve | due mid January 2019 [LATE... obviously]
Current word count is 9,803, which indicates almost a thousand-word increase since last week. That is more progress than my last update, but it doesn’t feel like very much because I’m suspicious a good deal of it needs to be cut. Also, each chapter of this fic has basically doubled the length of the previous chapter, which I’m trying to tell my muse is a sign that I need to Shorten and Simplify. Unfortunately, I’ve somewhat written myself into a corner (it’s Krennic’s fault, absolutely Krennic’s fault) and I’ve struggling to fix it.
Is it a surprise that I’ve overcomplicated and overthought things? Not at all. But I do just want to finish this fic already!
2. Birthday Ficlet Prompts!
Thanks to all who submitted something. :) I’m mulling over them. They are not supposed to be lengthy things; unfortunately (two unfortunatelys in one post! Oh no!) one of them… one of them is giving me “Leia angst over Ben” vibes… and I’m… I’m thinking about it. But I’m less than keen on acknowledging anything that happened in TLJ, so. We’ll see.
I’m also hoping to use these for when the writer’s block for Learning Curve becomes too much. (Hence why I was poking at them today.) Sorry I want to try to knock these out quickly! I hope I didn’t take on too much for myself.
3. How to Lose a Spy in 10 Days | due March 1
4. You've Got Mail In-Canon Universe AU
FANDOM
1. Respond to comments
I’m pretty sure the rest of the comments I have left are for Learning Curve and How to Lose a Spy in 10 Days, and I’m debating whether I should just go ahead and respond now, or wait until I post the next chapter of each. Part of what makes me lean towards the latter is that means I can also focus on actually writing those next chapters.
2. Finish draft of fandom engagement post | due end of January 2019
No update here; I’m still collecting all the pieces/angles I want for this, so it’s gonna be a little longer, but I want to do it right.
Into a place, where thoughts can bloom
Jan. 21st, 2019 09:19 amHas it really been a week already since my last goals post? Oy, January has been way too busy for me and I do not like it. The wedding is over, I'm supposed to be able to relax now! I've had just so much real life stuff going on (don't get me started on Thank You Cards). Part of the busy has been hanging out with friends, but that's still kind of draining for me. Last week had a birthday game night, Saturday I went to a friend's engagement party, and last night I went to the Panic! at the Disco concert.
I made a personal life to-do list the other day and that thing is very overwhelming. The problem is that I've got a lot of doctor things to do, and that is no fun at all. (I have anxiety about going to the doctor.) In fact today I have an eye doctor appointment, which I am wayyy overdo for, but it's not going to be fun at all. Ick. (Dear self: remember future Liz will appreciate being able to see well again.)
ANYWAYS! Time for a goals update.
1. Main Goal from last week: stop collecting assignments, start finishing them!
Yes! No new items have been added to this list, and look at all the completed items here!
I made a personal life to-do list the other day and that thing is very overwhelming. The problem is that I've got a lot of doctor things to do, and that is no fun at all. (I have anxiety about going to the doctor.) In fact today I have an eye doctor appointment, which I am wayyy overdo for, but it's not going to be fun at all. Ick. (Dear self: remember future Liz will appreciate being able to see well again.)
ANYWAYS! Time for a goals update.
WRITING
1. Learning Curve | due mid January 2019
Current word count is 8,828. Only 291 words in a week! Darn, I didn't even break 300. Well, I spent some time yesterday organizing my outline, and I did finish a scene that had been sitting there for awhile. I'm making this my main priority this week, and hopefully even later today I'll be able to write, if I don't need to get my eyes dilated.
2. Birthday Ficlet Prompts!
3. How to Lose a Spy in 10 Days | due March 1)
4. You've Got Mail In-Canon Universe AU
FANDOM
1. Respond to comments
Steady progress here, but I still have comments left for Learning Curve and How to Lose a Spy in 10 Days. The problem is that the LC comments are from... September? So very long ago. My usual preferred practice for responding to comments is to respond when the next chapter goes up, and I keep hoping that I will be posting that *soon* so I'm holding off, but I don't know if I should anymore because it's been so long? and on THAT note. The How to Lose a Spy comments have been waiting EVEN LONGER (since like March). So should I just buck up and reply to all of them? or wait? Gahh.Hi welcome to my overthinking brain
Steady progress here, but I still have comments left for Learning Curve and How to Lose a Spy in 10 Days. The problem is that the LC comments are from... September? So very long ago. My usual preferred practice for responding to comments is to respond when the next chapter goes up, and I keep hoping that I will be posting that *soon* so I'm holding off, but I don't know if I should anymore because it's been so long? and on THAT note. The How to Lose a Spy comments have been waiting EVEN LONGER (since like March). So should I just buck up and reply to all of them? or wait? Gahh.
2. Finish draft of fandom engagement post | due end of January 2019
I don't think I'm going to finish this in January. I'm still collecting all the pieces/angles I want for this so it's gonna be a little longer, but I want to do it right.
COMPLETED ITEMS1. Main Goal from last week: stop collecting assignments, start finishing them!
Yes! No new items have been added to this list, and look at all the completed items here!
2. Reread and comment on all the fic in the rebelcaptain food travel AU | DONE
Yay, I finally finished all the works published in this series! Some very delightful reads.
3. At the Confluence of History and Hope: Visual Aids (tumblr post) | DONE, and crossposted on here and tumblr
4. Post Fan Work Recommendations | POSTED
At the Confluence of History and Hope
Jan. 14th, 2019 07:57 pm[This is a little old, but I realized I never posted this here, so here it is!]
~~
Title: At the Confluence of History and Hope
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Fandoms: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)Star Wars - All Media Types
Relationship: Cassian Andor/Jyn Erso
Characters: Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, The Rebelcaptain Food Travel AU, Turkey, Istanbul, Cappadocia, Mutual Pining, A little bit of angst, A little bit of fluff, Jyn misses her mother, Ahsoka plays travel guide, Luke demonstrates typical Skywalker shortsightedness when it comes to heights
Collections: Tell me what you eat and I'll tell you who you are
Words: 13,014
Chapters: 1/1
The next episode of the rebelcaptain food travel AU, set in Istanbul and Cappadocia, Turkey!
Jyn confronts ancient memories she thought she’d properly buried, learns a little more about Cassian’s history, and is forced outside her comfort zone. Plus some mutual pining.
#
She’s content just to stand next to him, silently observing the city from their incredible vantage point, tracking the path they’ll be taking later. She skims over Karaköy, the neighborhood directly below them, alleys and shops leading down to water. Seagulls flock over Galata Bridge, flapping around the fish market, and across the bridge, another hill rises, topped with Süleymaniye Mosque.
Everything’s ancient, on that side of the water—palaces and mosques, monuments and walls, columns and cisterns, all of it collecting centuries of memories, worn smooth by the passage of millions of lives.
Just looking at it, the land and buildings that comprised what was once Constantinople, the heart of the Byzantine empire, stirs her own stagnant memories, of people and places and times she’s tried to forget, tried to plaster over like the walls in the Hagia Sophia.
Read the whole chapter
( Photo Credit )
~~
Title: At the Confluence of History and Hope
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Fandoms: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)Star Wars - All Media Types
Relationship: Cassian Andor/Jyn Erso
Characters: Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, The Rebelcaptain Food Travel AU, Turkey, Istanbul, Cappadocia, Mutual Pining, A little bit of angst, A little bit of fluff, Jyn misses her mother, Ahsoka plays travel guide, Luke demonstrates typical Skywalker shortsightedness when it comes to heights
Collections: Tell me what you eat and I'll tell you who you are
Words: 13,014
Chapters: 1/1
The next episode of the rebelcaptain food travel AU, set in Istanbul and Cappadocia, Turkey!
Jyn confronts ancient memories she thought she’d properly buried, learns a little more about Cassian’s history, and is forced outside her comfort zone. Plus some mutual pining.
#
She’s content just to stand next to him, silently observing the city from their incredible vantage point, tracking the path they’ll be taking later. She skims over Karaköy, the neighborhood directly below them, alleys and shops leading down to water. Seagulls flock over Galata Bridge, flapping around the fish market, and across the bridge, another hill rises, topped with Süleymaniye Mosque.
Everything’s ancient, on that side of the water—palaces and mosques, monuments and walls, columns and cisterns, all of it collecting centuries of memories, worn smooth by the passage of millions of lives.
Just looking at it, the land and buildings that comprised what was once Constantinople, the heart of the Byzantine empire, stirs her own stagnant memories, of people and places and times she’s tried to forget, tried to plaster over like the walls in the Hagia Sophia.
Read the whole chapter
( Photo Credit )
Sunday Status ~ Mid-January
Jan. 13th, 2019 10:30 pmNot very much progress this week, as I spent time doing a lot of real life things. I spent all evening Tuesday and Wednesday trimming my honeymoon photo album to 200 which was very hard! Thursday was watching Brooklyn 99 and TGP. My birthday was Friday, and I asked for prompts! Thank you to all who gave some, I will be reviewing those this week to work on them. Also I've had company over all weekend which has prevented as much fandom engagement, but was fun -- played lots of Ticket to Ride and Love Letter.
WRITING
1. Learning Curve | due mid January 2019
Current word count is 8,537, which is certainly more than I thought I'd written since I last posted. A little over 1,000 words since my last update 11 days ago is not very reassuring progress, but I was busy with other to-do items so I'll take it, and try to make that a higher priority this week.
2. Birthday Ficlet Prompts!
3. At the Confluence of History and Hope: Visual Aids (tumblr post) | due ... soon
(What it is: visual aids for the food and places.) Absolutely no progress here.
4. How to Lose a Spy in 10 Days | due... well, it'd be nice to post chapter 2 before the anniversary of chapter 1, which is March 1)
5. You've Got Mail In-Canon Universe AU
FANDOM
1. Reread and comment on all the fic in the rebelcaptain food travel AU | due Sunday,December 21 January 6 January 14
"I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.” - Douglas Adams
but srsly, I have no excuse! I have 2 left though.
2. Post Fan Work Recommendations | due Sunday, January 6 POSTED (next update: January 20)
3. Respond to comments |due January 6 bc I am a cruel task master to myself yeah like, i really should have known better, but anyways. i'm just going to try to pick away at these as best I can
4. Finish draft of fandom engagement post | due end of January 2019
I didn't get around to working on this
Note to self: stop collecting assignments, start finishing them! That's the Main Goal for this week!
WRITING
1. Learning Curve | due mid January 2019
Current word count is 8,537, which is certainly more than I thought I'd written since I last posted. A little over 1,000 words since my last update 11 days ago is not very reassuring progress, but I was busy with other to-do items so I'll take it, and try to make that a higher priority this week.
2. Birthday Ficlet Prompts!
3. At the Confluence of History and Hope: Visual Aids (tumblr post) | due ... soon
(What it is: visual aids for the food and places.) Absolutely no progress here.
4. How to Lose a Spy in 10 Days | due... well, it'd be nice to post chapter 2 before the anniversary of chapter 1, which is March 1)
5. You've Got Mail In-Canon Universe AU
FANDOM
1. Reread and comment on all the fic in the rebelcaptain food travel AU | due Sunday,
"I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.” - Douglas Adams
but srsly, I have no excuse! I have 2 left though.
2. Post Fan Work Recommendations | due Sunday, January 6 POSTED (next update: January 20)
3. Respond to comments |
4. Finish draft of fandom engagement post | due end of January 2019
I didn't get around to working on this
Note to self: stop collecting assignments, start finishing them! That's the Main Goal for this week!
Mid-Week Status Update
Jan. 2nd, 2019 08:06 pmSundays are supposed to be the status update days, but I was travelling, and I keep checking my goals tag for my To-Do list only to realize it hasn't been officially updated, so I wanted to do a quick status update to my last goals post.
WRITING
1. Learning Curve | due mid January 2019
I had some writer's block yesterday, but I talked my way through it with my patient hubby. Currently at 7,481 words (which means I actually wrote about 800 words yesterday--more than I thought!).
2. At the Confluence of History and Hope: Visual Aids (tumblr post) | due ... soon
I did make a post on tumblr for this (with a panoramic picture of the Bosphorus), but I wanted to add more visual aids for the food and places. I've worked on this, I was trying to make a photoset, but I keep waffling on how I want to present this. My original thought was 3 posts, with 4 pics each and a corresponding excerpt, but I didn't like how that was going, so I started experimenting with a collage maker to make a larger photoset, and, well, the problem is that I'm totally overthinking things! Shocker. Anyways, I'm open to advice, in the mean time, I'm gonna continue overthinking.
3. How to Lose a Spy in 10 Days | due... well, it'd be nice to post chapter 2 before the anniversary of chapter 1..... yikes!
I simultaneously dread picking this up again (because I do recall how much I was struggling with chapter 2 when I effectively abandoned it to work on Learning Curve) and look forward to finishing it. I've had this idea in my head since the rom-com challenge was announced in, like, June 2017? But the ideas have always been vague and more of scenes than actual plot (not to mention it's heavily mission-oriented and that! that is a challenge for me!)
4. You've Got Mail In-Canon Universe AU
I think about this constantly, I can't wait to start working on it! :X
-
FANDOM
1. Reread and comment on all the fic in the rebelcaptain food travel AU | due Sunday,December 21 January 6
Weellll, clearly I missed THAT deadline. Blame the holidays. Anyways, I just finished 6 out of 9. 3 to go!
2. Post Fan Work Recommendations | due Sunday, January 6
Oh yes, I've been working on this and I'm excited. (That probably makes it sound more exciting than it is.) Anyways, I've drafted two posts (the first post and the template) and started a running list of titles, and I am super excited to say that this WILL start on Sunday and (hopefully) run every two weeks.
3. Respond to comments | due January 6 bc I am a cruel task master to myself
I realized the other day that I have quite a few comments in my inbox, many of which are ... probably for that first chapter of How to Lose a Spy in 10 Days. super yikes. I usually try to respond when I post the next chapter... it's a strategy, what can i say? i mean, it's also partly 'well if i have free time i should be writing the next chapter,' but yeah. i also think part of me just doesn't like seeing "inbox (0)" -- anyways that certainly failed here. i just need to buckle down and respond.
4. Finish draft of fandom engagement post | due end of January 2019
I've been collected and building on some random thoughts on this but haven't drafted anything lengthy yet. It is all in my head though, I just have to spend the time writing it.
Alright, no more time procrastinating! Time to write!
WRITING
1. Learning Curve | due mid January 2019
I had some writer's block yesterday, but I talked my way through it with my patient hubby. Currently at 7,481 words (which means I actually wrote about 800 words yesterday--more than I thought!).
2. At the Confluence of History and Hope: Visual Aids (tumblr post) | due ... soon
I did make a post on tumblr for this (with a panoramic picture of the Bosphorus), but I wanted to add more visual aids for the food and places. I've worked on this, I was trying to make a photoset, but I keep waffling on how I want to present this. My original thought was 3 posts, with 4 pics each and a corresponding excerpt, but I didn't like how that was going, so I started experimenting with a collage maker to make a larger photoset, and, well, the problem is that I'm totally overthinking things! Shocker. Anyways, I'm open to advice, in the mean time, I'm gonna continue overthinking.
3. How to Lose a Spy in 10 Days | due... well, it'd be nice to post chapter 2 before the anniversary of chapter 1..... yikes!
I simultaneously dread picking this up again (because I do recall how much I was struggling with chapter 2 when I effectively abandoned it to work on Learning Curve) and look forward to finishing it. I've had this idea in my head since the rom-com challenge was announced in, like, June 2017? But the ideas have always been vague and more of scenes than actual plot (not to mention it's heavily mission-oriented and that! that is a challenge for me!)
4. You've Got Mail In-Canon Universe AU
I think about this constantly, I can't wait to start working on it! :X
-
FANDOM
1. Reread and comment on all the fic in the rebelcaptain food travel AU | due Sunday,
Weellll, clearly I missed THAT deadline. Blame the holidays. Anyways, I just finished 6 out of 9. 3 to go!
2. Post Fan Work Recommendations | due Sunday, January 6
Oh yes, I've been working on this and I'm excited. (That probably makes it sound more exciting than it is.) Anyways, I've drafted two posts (the first post and the template) and started a running list of titles, and I am super excited to say that this WILL start on Sunday and (hopefully) run every two weeks.
3. Respond to comments | due January 6 bc I am a cruel task master to myself
I realized the other day that I have quite a few comments in my inbox, many of which are ... probably for that first chapter of How to Lose a Spy in 10 Days. super yikes. I usually try to respond when I post the next chapter... it's a strategy, what can i say? i mean, it's also partly 'well if i have free time i should be writing the next chapter,' but yeah. i also think part of me just doesn't like seeing "inbox (0)" -- anyways that certainly failed here. i just need to buckle down and respond.
4. Finish draft of fandom engagement post | due end of January 2019
I've been collected and building on some random thoughts on this but haven't drafted anything lengthy yet. It is all in my head though, I just have to spend the time writing it.
Alright, no more time procrastinating! Time to write!
Good Things in 2019
Dec. 31st, 2018 01:31 pmThe wonderful theputterer tagged me in her annual Good Things post. I'm crossposting my response on here and tumblr because I'm not sure which I'm more likely to be using this time next year and wanted to have it in both places!
This is a really cool meme to focus on the positive highlights of the last year as we move into the next one. The point is to remember everything good for future reference, from personal achievements to art that was particularly moving or inspiring (movies, books, tv, etc.) -- but feel free to set it up your own way, use different categories or what have you, whatever floats your boat. I started doing this last year and hope to make a habit of it.
Writing
Books
This is a really cool meme to focus on the positive highlights of the last year as we move into the next one. The point is to remember everything good for future reference, from personal achievements to art that was particularly moving or inspiring (movies, books, tv, etc.) -- but feel free to set it up your own way, use different categories or what have you, whatever floats your boat. I started doing this last year and hope to make a habit of it.
Personal
- Got married!
- To a wonderful, supportive man, who is always by my side on every adventure we go on, no matter how rough the winds
- In a fantastic venue, an Air & Space center — no need to go all out on decorations when there are already planes hanging over head :)
- With my amazing sister at my side who made the loveliest map-paper flowers I have ever seen
- Had a super fabulous honeymoon in which I:
- Got a bunch of new stamps in my passport, including: Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, and India
- Visited the jaw-dropping, fantastically beautiful Mosi-oa-Tunya (Victoria Falls) on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe
- Met a ton of cool people
- Stood within several feet of actual zebras (thanks for blocking our path on the way to dinner!)
- Enjoyed sundowners on the banks of the Zambezi overlooking Victoria Falls and witnessed the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen in my life
- Crossed a border where 4 countries all meet (Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia)
- Enjoyed my first safari experience at Pangolin Photo Safaris at Chobe National Park in Botswana — YES, I’m plugging this amazing place because it was so fantastic and you are about to find out why)
- Experienced 6 game drives (4 on a boat, 2 on a jeep)
- Saw more elephants than I could possibly imagine
- Came within several yards of many crocs (hey guess camouflage really works! Thank goodness we were in a boat)
- And hippos!!!! All the hippos!!!
- gained a newfound appreciation for birds and bird photography, thanks partly but not in full to the most beautiful bird ever, the lilac breasted roller, my new favorite bird, not that I had one before
- THE LEOPARD. The most beautiful cat I have ever seen, just trying to rest after catching her dinner, wondering what the heck all these jeeps are doing watching her when she just wants to eat
- Learned a ton about photography thanks to our wonderful, super knowledgeable and helpful, professional photographer safari guide who always had the best lessons to teach about what settings to use on the cameras based on the angle and the lighting and so forth
- Enjoyed fantastic food cooked by top notch chefs
- Visited the Cradle of Humankind, got to tour Sterkfontein Caves, where numerous early hominid fossils have been found
- Relaxed in beautiful Cape Town:
- Spent a day sightseeing along the cape, including seeing Cape Point, Cape of Good Hope, and LOTS OF PENGUINS at Boulders Beach
- Explored Table Mountain
- Experienced first class on a plane for the first time
- Survived an absolutely dreadful experience in India when they cancelled our flight and caused us to miss the majority of a good friend’s wedding
- Celebrated last day of friend’s wedding in beautiful old palace in Udaipur
- Enjoyed absolutely delicious, homemade Indian food at the coolest Airbnb ever in Agra… at midnight — because the owners were that awesome to cater to their late-arriving guests
- Saw the Taj Mahal!!!!
- Worked really hard to help my department achieve some new goals and update our processes, and got a promotion
- Had fun playing D&D again
- SAW FUCKING HAMILTON how the hell did i almost forget that
- Focused better on self care, including seeing dentist and therapist, both long overdue
Writing
- Wow, I can’t even say I’ve been half as productive as I was in 2017: only 43,330 words published on AO3 (I know I probably have a few tumblr-only posts somewhere in there, but the word count on those is negligible)
- I participated in a second exchange event (the first being rebelcaptain Secret Santa 2017) and i’m almost done writing it i’m so sorry this is not acceptable to have taken this long
- I participated in the group project rebelcaptain travel au
- Guys participating is hard for me, that’s why i’m listing it here, i’m very shy but i’m trying to participate more
- This year was quiet because real life stuff took over a lot of my time, but I hope to continue working on these in 2019, writing and participating even more
Books
- I read 10 books this year, not nearly as many as I would have preferred, but I was super busy
- Also I didn’t end up getting a lot of time to read books on my honeymoon as I thought
- Of those I particularly enjoyed My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga (killed me. Amazing. Well written. Very personal.)
- I also have a lot of books I started but, uh, didn’t finish. Oops. Look. time is hard.
GOALS FOR 2019
I thought this might be a helpful reference for when I do this next year.
- Writing
- Fandom
- Finish Learning Curve and How to Lose a Spy in 10 Days
- Begin and complete the in-canon universe You’ve Got Mail AU
- Try to knock out a few other projects on my 30+ SW ideas
- Try my hand at creating more visual fan works (like moodboards/photosets, step 1, learn proper terminology)
- Original
- Query more agents for my completed original novel
- Actually get around to deciding which idea I want to work on next and work on it
- Fandom
- Reading
- Be more supportive in helping my friend run Book Club so that it can actually meet more regularly
- Try to read at least one book for myself outside of Book Club
I am tagging anyone who follows me and wants to do this!
Happy New Year all!
also: crossposted on tumblr
silent night
Dec. 26th, 2018 10:20 pm...it's been very quiet, I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday and time with family! (and I also hope everyone who needs a little alone time can squeeze some in! family can be fun but also overwhelming) (also maybe everyone is hurrying to finish their secret santa gifts? who knows!)
Slowly but surely, I am making my way through the food travel AU! As I mentioned in my last goals post, I read them before (more like a speed-read), but am now going back and commenting. Four down, five to go! (Because I'm not counting my own obviously) I can appreciate them much better when I'm not trying to take notes to prepare for writing my own chapter, ha. Seriously some very sweet moments in there, between the food & the fluff!
(Also, yes, I know, no goals post last Sunday -- it's the holidays, consider this a sort of goals post, lite edition)
I prepped an album for some of the places mentioned in At the Confluence of History and Hope (these are my personal photos, so! there's that). I've written a plan for some visual reference posts I plan on posting to tumblr (photo sets with excerpts; these will include photos of food) but I've been too busy with family stuff to move further than that.
Husband and I went to see On the Basis of Sex last night and it was amazing! Great story, great writing, and of course Felicity was fantastic. Especially enjoyed the line, "...could topple the whole damn system of discrimination..." because, well, you know I couldn't help but think of a certain other line...
Also went to see the Zoo Lights tonight and they were very beautiful! I kind of want to incorporate that setting into a fic somehow. (The bright, multi-colored lights seem to float on their own in the dark sky... and everyone on the ground is weirdly silhouetted, you can barely make out a face, sometimes a person is barely more than a shadow, barely noticed until you run into them!) Maybe an alien world? Some beautiful alien bio-luminescence? Oooh, maybe the caves where Jyn and Lyra's rebel cell resides in my You've Got Mail in-universe AU? Hmmmm will have to ponder!
Slowly but surely, I am making my way through the food travel AU! As I mentioned in my last goals post, I read them before (more like a speed-read), but am now going back and commenting. Four down, five to go! (Because I'm not counting my own obviously) I can appreciate them much better when I'm not trying to take notes to prepare for writing my own chapter, ha. Seriously some very sweet moments in there, between the food & the fluff!
(Also, yes, I know, no goals post last Sunday -- it's the holidays, consider this a sort of goals post, lite edition)
I prepped an album for some of the places mentioned in At the Confluence of History and Hope (these are my personal photos, so! there's that). I've written a plan for some visual reference posts I plan on posting to tumblr (photo sets with excerpts; these will include photos of food) but I've been too busy with family stuff to move further than that.
Husband and I went to see On the Basis of Sex last night and it was amazing! Great story, great writing, and of course Felicity was fantastic. Especially enjoyed the line, "...could topple the whole damn system of discrimination..." because, well, you know I couldn't help but think of a certain other line...
Also went to see the Zoo Lights tonight and they were very beautiful! I kind of want to incorporate that setting into a fic somehow. (The bright, multi-colored lights seem to float on their own in the dark sky... and everyone on the ground is weirdly silhouetted, you can barely make out a face, sometimes a person is barely more than a shadow, barely noticed until you run into them!) Maybe an alien world? Some beautiful alien bio-luminescence? Oooh, maybe the caves where Jyn and Lyra's rebel cell resides in my You've Got Mail in-universe AU? Hmmmm will have to ponder!
can i sleep yet?
Dec. 18th, 2018 10:15 pmI really want to get in the habit of doing my "goals" post on Sunday, but here we are with Tuesday winding down and I'm just getting to it now.
I'm going to go through with updates from what I wrote about last week:
Anyways. Goal 1b: enough fixating on this.
I clocked in roughly 8,000 words over the weekend. WHEW!! I needed an Ajay from The American President ("Well, if anyone needs me, I’ll be in the Roosevelt room, giving Lewis oxygen.”) Many, many thanks to the wonderful![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
allatariel for all her support & betaing!!! Indispensable!
For the record... here it is!
Side goals: I do want to post some "visual aids" on tumblr. I collected and edited some of my pics from Turkey, plus found some pics of food to share as well (because apparently we failed spectacularly at taking pictures of the food. Like. What. What were were thinking? We were eating in food in Turkey. Why are there no pics!) So that's a goal for this week/rest of this month. This involves collecting like 4ish pics from each venue they visited and combine venue pics with food and posting the relevant excerpt with it. I think. Who knows plans could change once I get down to doing it.
2. Learning Curve, my May 4th Exchange Fic, chapter 4 (of 4) | due mid January 2019
I believe I've started a draft of the last chapter. I need to sit down and look over what I have written and my outline and get back into the flow of this.
3. How to Lose a Spy in 10 Days
Same as above re: need to sit down and get back in the flow of this. I need lots of help on the plot because mission fic are a real challenge for me and this fic is supposed to jump from mission to mission so, yay for new challenges. But also yikes.
4. You've Got Mail In-Canon Universe AU
I'm going ahead and listing this as number four because I can't stop thinking about it, I'm so excited for this!!! Yes it's set in a galaxy far far away and Lyra Lives because that's my jam (save the moms)!! I partly consider this a chance to explore some plot options I wish I had incorporated into Whatever I Do (sorta like a ... take 2! kinda thing, just partially though).
Yeah, this goal holds. Have not started. Need to get to it.
2. Construct plan for regular Friday Favorites | Due January 2019
This is going to be a fan works rec post for what content I've enjoyed over the past week. I think I'm going to do it on Fridays. Need to think it out. I want to do a digest format with a quick summary and quick thoughts on what I enjoyed about it. This will start the first week in January, that's the plan.
3. Begin early drafts of fandom engagement post. | due end of January 2019
I've started typing up the thoughts I had on scattered post its over the last year and collecting some other writings. Goal is to get this up in January and I'm going to post it here.
4. OH YEAH, and of course, be more active here!
I saw I missed a few things due to being busy with the food travel fic last week, but I hope to be more engaged this week. I will be traveling to visit family over the weekend but I hoooope to be able to sneak away to the computer now and then. (Please, please let me have time bc face-to-face social interaction is draining.)
WELL, it's 11 p.m. here and I need to catch up on some sleep soo, goodnight.
I'm going to go through with updates from what I wrote about last week:
Platform Plans
Still solidifying my plans for platform usage, but I think what I said last week still stands: main hub here for official presence (any kind of serious post, fic posting, etc.), with more casual presences on tumblr and Pillowfort, with a goal for 2019 overall to be to wean myself off tumblr. This latter goal is kind of dependent on Pillowfort's development. There are things tumblr does better, but if so many people are leaving (and innocent sfw blogs getting ... idk, whatever the right word is for being flagged/blocked as nfsw) then I really don't want to be there. Plus, tumblr's kind of addictive in a very non-productive way (mindless scrolling). At least when I'm on Dreamwidth or Pillowfort, I actually feel like I've gotten something positive out of talking to people on here.Anyways. Goal 1b: enough fixating on this.
Fic Writing
1. The next installment of the rebelcaptain food travel AU has been posted!!I clocked in roughly 8,000 words over the weekend. WHEW!! I needed an Ajay from The American President ("Well, if anyone needs me, I’ll be in the Roosevelt room, giving Lewis oxygen.”) Many, many thanks to the wonderful
allatariel for all her support & betaing!!! Indispensable! For the record... here it is!
At the Confluence of History and Hope
Part of the rebelcaptain food travel AU, "tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are"
Set in Istanbul and Cappadocia
Jyn confronts ancient memories she thought she’d properly buried, learns a little more about Cassian’s history, and is forced outside her comfort zone. Plus some mutual pining.
Side goals: I do want to post some "visual aids" on tumblr. I collected and edited some of my pics from Turkey, plus found some pics of food to share as well (because apparently we failed spectacularly at taking pictures of the food. Like. What. What were were thinking? We were eating in food in Turkey. Why are there no pics!) So that's a goal for this week/rest of this month. This involves collecting like 4ish pics from each venue they visited and combine venue pics with food and posting the relevant excerpt with it. I think. Who knows plans could change once I get down to doing it.
2. Learning Curve, my May 4th Exchange Fic, chapter 4 (of 4) | due mid January 2019
I believe I've started a draft of the last chapter. I need to sit down and look over what I have written and my outline and get back into the flow of this.
3. How to Lose a Spy in 10 Days
Same as above re: need to sit down and get back in the flow of this. I need lots of help on the plot because mission fic are a real challenge for me and this fic is supposed to jump from mission to mission so, yay for new challenges. But also yikes.
4. You've Got Mail In-Canon Universe AU
I'm going ahead and listing this as number four because I can't stop thinking about it, I'm so excited for this!!! Yes it's set in a galaxy far far away and Lyra Lives because that's my jam (save the moms)!! I partly consider this a chance to explore some plot options I wish I had incorporated into Whatever I Do (sorta like a ... take 2! kinda thing, just partially though).
Fandom Engagement
1. Reread and comment on all the fic in the rebelcaptain food travel AU. | due Sunday, December 21Yeah, this goal holds. Have not started. Need to get to it.
2. Construct plan for regular Friday Favorites | Due January 2019
This is going to be a fan works rec post for what content I've enjoyed over the past week. I think I'm going to do it on Fridays. Need to think it out. I want to do a digest format with a quick summary and quick thoughts on what I enjoyed about it. This will start the first week in January, that's the plan.
3. Begin early drafts of fandom engagement post. | due end of January 2019
I've started typing up the thoughts I had on scattered post its over the last year and collecting some other writings. Goal is to get this up in January and I'm going to post it here.
4. OH YEAH, and of course, be more active here!
I saw I missed a few things due to being busy with the food travel fic last week, but I hope to be more engaged this week. I will be traveling to visit family over the weekend but I hoooope to be able to sneak away to the computer now and then. (Please, please let me have time bc face-to-face social interaction is draining.)
WELL, it's 11 p.m. here and I need to catch up on some sleep soo, goodnight.
Here we are, human:
We are isolated, imprisoned, in our skulls.
We build tunnels and bridges and airplanes out of music and words and art.
There is joy in this construction.
But it is not their purpose.
All of these require a soft place to land.
A crew to welcome us home.
Elsewise we hit impenetrable rock, drown in the sea, crash land.
Alone, we perish.
We don’t expect to be welcome everywhere, or even many places.
Sometimes our construction is faulty. Inelegant. Incomplete. Lacking. Doesn’t meet code requirements.
Sometimes our maps are faulty. We stumble in the dark; our notes are sirens; our phrases are flashlights, our pictures are beacons.
We keep trying.
We meet rock and sea and air.
We despair.
We keep trying.
We emerge victorious, we cross the infinite, we land softly.
Our crew welcomes us home.
And still we are alone.
Our tunnels and bridges and airplanes are temporary; they crumble.
Our music and words and art cannot carry the fullness of ourselves.
We cannot negate the isolation of the self.
We cannot share our homes.
Here we are, human:
Still, we keep building.
Still, we welcome you home.
