Entry 600

[virgo186]

...wow, really? Huh.

So it's been a while since the last post, but luckily not as long as some of my other breaks have been. My birthday was two days ago, and it went rather well.

The 'rewrite' gang surprised me with a lunch meetup and gifts, which I really didn't expect...especially on the actual day! I thought for sure they'd both be too busy.

Nothing fancy for lunch, we did pizza and I got to bring home the leftovers. :)

While we were out, we decided to go browse the toy store, and I bought a few new pony blind bags. Five new friends for my display shelves!

As for what the girls brought, well, I'm sure I won't have to worry about buying more starlight mints for a long time, haha. I also got a bar of really nice chocolate (dark with raspberry, sounds wonderful~) and a small bottle of sparkling apple cider.

The crowning glory, however, is the wonderful Princess Twilight plush they created with love for me at the local Build-A-Bear. She currently sits in my room, staring happily at my well-stocked bookshelves. I think she'll enjoy being here. :)

(Hey, with our group? I'm the Twilight, so it all fits.)

Not only did I get a party offline, but I got a party in my Animal Crossing game too! Rather fun to get gifts and celebration from my villagers. Quite a day~

In other news, the house we've been working so hard to clean out? Finally done! The last truckload was brought home this week, so we're officially out and the new owners no longer have to deal with us being around. I finally have my lamp, which I plan on giving a nice coat of paint to and a new plug before I bring it in and set it up.

Also, I've been working on my writing more. It feels good to be spinning stories again, and when I feel ready, I'll start posting chapters of this latest piece to FDD. Things have been quiet in there again, so I suppose I should get back to it. Even if nobody else joins or posts anything, I rather like the fact I've gained enough courage to post my work online. It feels like a step in the right direction. :)

Oh hey, this is another milestone post! Like with the others, I declare this an open-request post. Maybe we can get to high comment counts, maybe not, but if anyone has questions they want answered or just want to chat, or request ficlets, or whatever, drop a message.

Let's hope I can keep going for a long time!

~Virgo

Comments

[virgo186]

I'm not very good at providing prompts, myself. >>

If not writing, well...I hate to sound like I'm tooting my own horn, but have you been interested in the stuff I'm posting to FDD currently? Have any questions on other ideas I've been mentioning here?

Burned out /and/ depressed? Oh dear. Never a good combination. Is it the writing thing alone, or more complex?

[fic-for-all.livejournal.com]

It's a few things all coming together at the same time and they're all not good. Hm, I'd need to catch up on the stuff you've been posting to FDD, but, where are you planning on taking the story and the characters?

[virgo186]

Well, for right now that particular story is on hold while I work on another project and juggle writing and work. I do plan on getting back to it at some point, though. :)

It started as a random crack idea, so I have to get back to my planning before I continue it. I don't remember where I was going to start up next. Do you remember where you left off in reading it?

...ugh, the "cluster of all that is fail" stress. Definitely never a good thing.

[fic-for-all.livejournal.com]

I believe it may have been in part two. Then things started going badly and I didn't get time to catch up. I probably need to start over again. Did you need help planning it or anything?

Yeah, it never is. I'm hoping it eases up soon, but it's a huge cluster of fail that seems to have far-reaching effects.

[virgo186]

Well, you have plenty of time to catch up on that one, since it's currently on the back-burner while I plow through this current one I have in progress. I actually made a wordpad file of ideas so I could keep track of everything I have that I want to work on! Some of the stuff is other parts to this 'project' I'm working on a piece for, others are just whatever I randomly came up with, and the nameless crossover thing I've been posting is on there as well.

Sometimes, being an adult just sucks. Hopefully things get way better for you soon, you deserve some good news.

[fic-for-all.livejournal.com]

All righty. I think you showed me that wordpad file. :)

Yes, yes it does. I don't know if/when it will, but even the Chinese fortune cookie I got the other day agrees, since it said something good is in my near future. I hope it's right.

[virgo186]

I've been joking that one of the 'stand-in goddesses' decided to take a random vacation, so I'm working on something else with the remaining two. Feel free to ask questions about any of the girls, or whatever. :)

(I'm not regretting the wordpad file. I am, however, regretting not doing it sooner. Way to go, me.)

Something good should be very soon, you certainly deserve it. Many good somethings, in fact.

[fic-for-all.livejournal.com]

Sorry for the AIM disappearance last night. I had to log off for something and then go to bed because early work day. Yay. And sure, I will as soon as I have some time to read. :)

I wish I had so many ideas I needed a wordpad file. *Looks at blank screen* I hope you're able to do them all.

Thank you. I hope so, too. So far, nothing's popped up yet.

[virgo186]

I figured you had to go and didn't really get a chance to say anything. No worries. :)

At least you have a job again for the time being, so money is coming in again. Small blessings. :)

[fic-for-all.livejournal.com]

I still feel badly for leaving without saying anything. I'm so tired today I could drop. I'm trying to save up money for the holidays and my mom's birthday at the end of November, so the job does help. I'd do commissions but I won't even get into the number of people who look down on those and fanfic as 'inferior to creator owned work.' Pfft.

[virgo186]

Oh, "inferior" my ass, haters. There's plenty of good fanart and fanfic out there, even if it's hidden amongst all the crap.

(There's also some really awful stuff that managed to somehow get published. 50 Shades, anyone?)

If you want to write, don't let the haters get you down. There's probably still people out there looking for someone with good art skills to draw things they can't, and they're willing to pay. Chin up! :)

[fic-for-all.livejournal.com]

You'd be surprised how many people (some of whom are 'professionals') who say, 'Oh, you can't publish it professionally, so that's why doing your own stuff is better.' >> I can't really draw well, and even one of my own commissioners (!) took the attitude I described above, so, there you go. Some people...

[virgo186]

One of the people who hit you up for a commission did that? Man.

Done well, fanfic can be an interesting way of challenging writing skills. Sure, original stuff has some benefits, but if one wants to write for an established universe first? I say go for it. Crawl before walking, walk before running. Fanfic is a good way to start out.

(Plus, somedays you just want to work with characters you already know and don't have to create wholecloth.)

[fic-for-all.livejournal.com]

I think the main benefit of writing creator-owned stuff is money and ego. Take those away and it's not all that different. And yeah, one of my commissioners did, which has me considering stopping because although I enjoy it, it's not worth keeping up with if all people are going to do is look down on it.

[virgo186]

If I had the money, I'd see about hitting you up for a commission! Alas, my money is going to other things lately. Being an adult sucks sometimes.

Were you actually getting business, aside from that one downer?

[fic-for-all.livejournal.com]

Here and there. Not feeling too up to writing lately and having my own stuff repeatedly not come together has put a permanent damper on trying to write anything. I feel like I'll never be ready to write my own things and have them be good. And that's okay, don't worry about commissioning me. Honestly, as I said, I've been seriously considering stopping with the writing altogether.

[virgo186]

Only you can truly make the decision.

Maybe take some time away from writing and see if something else creative strikes? Just stick with reading things? It definitely sounds like you're burned out. Take as long of a break as you need, then revisit the issue. Nothing saying you have to decide now. :)

[fic-for-all.livejournal.com]

That's true. I've been trying to stick with reading only because to be very honest, outside of writing, I'm not very good at creative things. It also doesn't help that today I had to throw out a decent number of books because my room is 'crowded' to use my parents' wording. They've been stressed with family drama and taking it out on me, so today has been especially miserable. I just want to give up.

[virgo186]

Throw out? As in literal, in the trash? Or as in "get rid of by giving away"?

(The idea of actually throwing books out...I admit, it scares me. I'm a packrat, but I'd rather see books go to charity instead of the dump.)

Also, they shouldn't be taking their stress out on you. They should find a better way to deal with things. I wish I had room up here, you could come up and stuff, but right now we barely have room for us with all the stuff we brought back.

Don't suppose you have any local pals you can hang out with, to escape for a bit?

[fic-for-all.livejournal.com]

Eh, I have a few friends, but they're all busy. I got some of the books back out, but some of them still had to go because the library isn't really accepting anything and even getting there isn't an option for me with no car. Yes, they shouldn't, but they're human. It's the rest of the family I'm annoyed at for starting the crap they're stressed out about.

[virgo186]

I know the "have local friends, but they're all busy" thing. It sucks.

At least you managed to reclaim some of the books. Hopefully nothing super-valuable ended up in the trash.

I don't blame you for being annoyed. Family drama is just awful. Definitely worse when you end up in the middle of it and you didn't want to be (and made it clear such, I'm guessing).

At least you have me to rant to? I wish I could be more helpful, though...

(...and we can start a new thread any time you want. :) I set no limits.)