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New Year, Same Me but with Strategy
New Year, Same Me but with Strategy
Happy freakin’ new year! I hope to all the gods (both old and new) that 2022 treats us all a little better than 2021. A brand new year prompts new year’s resolutions, and for me that means making a plan. I have three main goals for 2022 that each need to be broken into daily bite-size pieces. First, I want to get back to my pre-covid body. GOALS: -exercise every day (20 minute minimum to an…
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Lightspeed Summer
Why does summertime seem to exist outside the normal passage of time? I swear, every June it’s like I blink and it’s August. I don’t know if this is a shared experience for everyone or if it has something to do with being in the Midwest or if it’s just my own life structure, but the winters are always insufferably long and the summers devastatingly short. So, where did I leave off? Let’s see, my…
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The Book is (a)Live!
The Book is (a)Live!
I’ve officially started my online publishing experiment. I’m really interested to see how this goes. I haven’t posted my writing in a public forum since I was writing bad Inuyasha fanfiction as a wee lass. XD Chapter 1 & 2 are up on Wattpad and AO3. Chapter 1 is up on Fictionpress with chapter 2 going up tomorrow. (Fictionpress had posting delays for new accounts) Guess we’ll see how it goes!…
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Spring & New Things
Spring & New Things
I’ve been trying to keep to the habit of writing an update once a month or so, buuuuut it got away from me again. (shocking) February was busy and then I got freakin’ Covid which took me out for a week but the disruption to my anxiety meds made me less than fully operational for over a month. Woof. Now it’s mid-April and I’m finally starting to feel like I’m back on solid footing. I really need…
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It’s the most wonderful time of the (very bad) year
It’s the most wonderful time of the (very bad) year
I don’t think I need to spend much time reminiscing over how much this year sucked; we all know about it all too well. Instead I’m going to focus on some of the good stuff I’ve got going on. The Pub podcast is coming back in the new year and we already have some recording sessions scheduled. I really missed doing the Pub so I’m excited to get back into it.I took my desire to do more podcasting…
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The Writer's Paradox
The Writer’s Paradox
Thank goodness for the online writing community. If I didn’t have a chorus of fellow writers echoing my gripes, I would think I was a lunatic. Why is it so common that, for those who love writing, writing is so damn difficult? (I know this isn’t true for all of us, but for the subset who share my very frustrating struggle, I hope you find some comfort in this commiseration)
I think about…
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Well it’s been a hot minute since I updated the old ramblespace but I wasn’t sure what to even say what with the whole damn world flipping upside down. Betcha didn’t have global pandemic on your 2020 bingo card, didja? I sure didn’t. It’s been one month and six days since I’ve left the house for more than the occasional supply run to the grocery store. I’ve finally settled into something resembling a routine while working from home and only rarely have the fleeting awareness of just how truly bizarre life has become. It comes on suddenly, disorienting and awful, but then it passes.
So let’s breakdown the last month or so into some highs and lows.
Low: Thought that, as an introvert, I was well prepared for a life where I’m forced to stay at home (something I love) and was quickly proven to be mistaken. I miss the occasional night out, the spontaneous adventure or, at the very least, the freedom of the option. I miss my friends. I miss my coworkers. I am sad for my very extroverted partner and feel his frustration acutely. I had a hard time managing my guilt for getting to work from home while he was forced to go back to work and I worry for his health and safety. I worry for my sibling who works at a restaurant. I worry for my grandparents. I worry for my workplace’s ability to function. I just worry a lot and I was already a worrier.
High: I was finally able to get in to see a doctor (digitally, of course) and was prescribed medication for my anxiety. After a rough adjustment period, I feel like it might be starting to work. My mood has stabilized and the anxiety is much easier to manage. I feel like I have more energy. I’m very hopeful! I’m still clenching my jaw a lot but the neck pain I get from stress is gone.
Low: Fizzled out so early in Camp NaNoWriMo as I was overcome with a crushing swell of anxiety and impostor syndrome.
High: Entered RevPit and, regardless of how I do in it, am feeling creatively energized by the writing community and really want to get back into it and try again. (especially now that I’m managing my anxiety so much better)
Low: Now that I’m always home, the feeling that I need to be using my time productively is worse. I have to constantly remind myself that isn’t true.
High: I’ve had time to get some reading done. Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom were so damn good. Instant favorites. The complexity of the story and the characters is as intimating as it is inspiring. They are masterpieces. Highly recommend.
High: Animal crossing is everything. I love it so much.
High: I finally get to fully utilize this amazing workspace.
High: I get to hang out all day with my fat little serotonin factory.
And thank the old gods and the new for Lofi music because right now it is the zen balm on my soul that gets me through each day. Have a listen if it’s your thing.
I sincerely hope that whoever you are, wherever you are, you are healthy and safe. Break the day into pieces and get through it one moment at a time. Be kind to yourself.
Welcome to Weird Well it's been a hot minute since I updated the old ramblespace but I wasn't sure what to even say what with the whole damn world flipping upside down.
Back from vacation- I survived! Well, except that I’m sick now, so I suppose I shouldn’t speak so soon. I always get sick when I travel. Air ports are goddamn Petri dishes. And I was so careful! T-T Oh well, it’s just a cold, more annoying than anything else.
Had a lot more fun on the cruise than I was anticipating. I’m not a drinker and my partner is, so I wasn’t sure how that dynamic would play out. Plus travel and crowds hella spike my anxiety, but it was actually a lovely time. I got plenty of sun; the view was always incredible. Did some fun stuff at the various ports and, most importantly, got some reading in!
I sped through Howl’s Moving Castle within the first two days and loved it. Very interesting to see the similarities and differences between the source and the Ghibli adaptation. I really want to read the sequels now. Then I started Truthwitch and MAN what a book. I’m halfway through and I know the whole series is going on the TBR list. When am I going to have time to read all this stuff?! Very exciting, though- I love finding new favorites. Reading such awesome stories has really got me inspired to write again, too. I bought a lil’ dollar pocket notebook and have been jotting down ideas for a new fantasy. Plotting and world-building again is so enjoyable and a great pallet cleanser after finishing another round of revisions on my manuscript.
Speaking of, I wrapped up revisions just in time to enter Author Mentor Match. I have no idea if anything will come of it as I still have a hard time judging if the book is ready. I certainly feel better prepared than I did for Pitch Wars. I knew that was a shot in the dark- I had barely finished the manuscript when I entered. I’ve done a lot of polishing since then. I think my greatest hope (aside from being selected, obviously) is that I get some sort of defined feedback to better guide me in where to go next. We shall see.
All told, I’m loving where my writing life is right now. I have a finished story I adore and I learned a ton about the craft in the process. I’ve got my toes in a community that seems really supportive and fun and I’m dying to dive deeper. I don’t feel as frustrated or impatient with myself anymore. I write more and feel burned out less. Hopefully the trend only continues to improve.
The only thing that could make me happier is ditching this cough and maybe some warmer weather. (And a request for a full in my inbox, of course)
Back, & Back At It Back from vacation- I survived! Well, except that I’m sick now, so I suppose I shouldn’t speak so soon.
Another year, another Daisho Con in the books! I had a lovely time. I learned from last year’s mistake and did not schedule anything for any particular time in order to minimize the anxiety I get trying to get into cosplay. (I am very slow at cosplay makeup, so not having a deadline removed a ton of stress) That being said, boy did the weekend fly by. I feel like I didn’t have enough downtime to chill with my friends, and our schedules didn’t always align, which was a bummer but no one’s fault. I didn’t go to any panels, but I rarely do. I didn’t even make it to the vendor hall till the last day. The new layout with the convention center expansion was cool but the vendor room still needs a little work. The artist alley aisles got really congested really quickly. Still, it was a marked improvement over last year and I hope the con continues to improve and find ways to better use the space.
I loved seeing a lot of cosplay friends I’ve met through Instagram. (And quite the accomplishment for one as introverted as me) All told, it just feels like I didn’t do a whole lot before the weekend was over. I did get some killer pictures of two of my favorite cosplays- my old standby, Haruko from FLCL, and a dream debut of Sesshomaru from Inuyasha. I’m so grateful that my boyfriend is patient enough to help me get around with my cosplays and be my personal photographer. He has a really good eye. And I think my editing is starting to improve.
That being said, I’m ready for a break. I love cosplay and I’m sure I’ll always participate in some fashion for a long time yet, but I can’t see myself doing another big build like Sesshomaru anytime soon. I always underestimate how complicated these builds will be and they never get done on schedule. I was supposed to have it completely finished by Halloween so it wouldn’t interfere with my participation in NaNoWriMo. But work was so hectic in October with working six day weeks, I didn’t make it. Then, since I had underestimated its complexity, I tried to do the build and NaNo and ending up having to almost drop NaNo entirely and still ended up finishing the build the night before the con. Never again. I can’t be both a writer and a crafter. They both take up way too much time on top of working full time. I can only do one- and I know that. I want to focus on writing. Which means cosplay has to be shelved for a while. And I’m fine with that! I have plenty of costumes I can re-wear if I want to go to a con, plus I love just running around and taking photos. I’m sure I’ll get bit by the build bug again someday, but writing has to come first if I want to seriously pursue my dream of being published.
So while I’m very proud of my cosplay this past weekend, I’m ready to switch gears. NaNo was bit of a loss, though not terribly surprising given my track record. I’ll still write the rest of the week for whatever its worth, but it just means I need to work that much harder in December. I want to get my book ready for querying in the new year and I’m honestly excited to get to work. I refuse to be discouraged or down on myself anymore. It doesn’t accomplish anything. I can’t change the past, I can only focus on moving forward.
This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us: A Time Management Story Another year, another Daisho Con in the books! I had a lovely time. I learned from last year’s mistake and did not schedule anything for any particular time in order to minimize the anxiety I get trying to get into cosplay.
Pitch Wars? Pitch Wars.
Pitch Wars? Pitch Wars.
Heeeeeey remember how I said I needed to ease my way back into writing regularly? Weeeeeellll, then I remembered Pitch Wars was a thing…twelve days before the deadline. So I worked nonstop, writing probably over 100 pages worth of edits, rewrites, and hole-filling in order to meet that deadline. I honestly thought there was no possible way I would have it done and presentable in time, but I did…
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Seeya Summer
I guess the summer is already over. These Midwest summers are like phantoms- blink and you miss ’em. Even so, I feel like I was propelled through this one in particular at break neck speeds. I have never been so damned busy. I’ll be switching to 6 day work weeks soon, so it doesn’t seem my situation is likely to improve. Not till after the leaves have fallen, anyway. But I could certainly use the…
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Life is Weird
I started the day by waking up at a quarter to four in tears. I had another dream about my Dad. I was speaking to him on some strange little speaker, and the sound kept going in and out, so much so that I wasn’t sure if he was hearing me. But I loved hearing him. He sounded happy. I’m getting teary-eyed just trying to recount it and I’m heartbroken that the finer details of the dream are already…
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Happy Spring!
If it would only stop raining already it might be half-way decent out. Not that it matters- I’ve been too busy to enjoy the weather yet. Or much of anything else, for that matter. But I think that’s about to change. I have a couple more weeks left of working six days before I get my second day off back. It’s amazing what a critical difference having a second day off makes in my work-life-hobby balancing act. If I’m busy on Saturday, as I have been for the last couple weeks, I fall behind on everything else. My house is an absolute train wreck right now and it really effects my psyche. Going to burn my day off this week on deep cleaning and doing some long overdue organizing/throwing shit out. I like to have a clean slate when I start to get overwhelmed so I know that will help. My other two goals for the week are to get my Etsy shop updated (I have a batch of stuff already made that just needs to get listed- a more time consuming process than you might think) and edit the few pics I managed to get from Acen. (photo drop coming soon!)
I’m happy I made it down for Saturday of the con this year but, as always, I have a couple regrets. Once again, I really wish I got more pictures. I’m not sure how to rectify this without really changing my entire approach to conventions. If I want to get more pictures, and better quality pictures, I probably need to stake out places with better backdrops, away from the crowds, where I can really take my time. This means I need to break away from my friends and do my own thing (at least for part of the time) and I’ve NEVER done that. Cons have always been something I experience with a close friend group first and foremost. But, especially now that I don’t drink anymore, maybe that’s something to consider? I feel like my not drinking does have a noticeable impact on how I meld with my friend group and has changed how I experience conventions. Still, I don’t know. I have some more thinking to do on the whole thing and I know I don’t have to come up with any sort of definitive answer anytime soon. There were always be more cons and I can dabble with how I approach them as I go.
Speaking of changes, I want to switch up my focus going forward. For the past month or two, I’ve been spending all my spare time on crafting. While it’s definitely been fun and rewarding, and I certainly want to do more (especially with clay- I just started getting into making polymer clay charms and I really want to try some more) I think it’s time to shift my energy back to writing and editing instead. I like crafting and it’s a fun way to spend my time but, since I have so little of it to spend, I really need to get back on track if I want to finish anytime soon. And I really really do.
Polymerclay charm before glaze
A larger dice tray
Big batch of necklaces and keychains
To a lesser degree, I also want to get back to spending time on non-productive hobbies. I haven’t sat down and just binged out on a video game or anything like that in months. Which, if you knew me, you’d know is incredibly strange. I think I have been consumed with this idea that I have to spend every moment of my time creating something. It’s a pitfall I’ve seen echoed amongst many other folks my age- especially (though not always) other creative types. That all our hobbies need to be monetized, that if we don’t have something to show for the time we spend, that time is wasted. It’s an unhealthy mindset, one that my boyfriend noticed I was starting to slip into when he pointed out how stressed I was getting over making stuff for my little shop. The shop is and always will be just for fun. I don’t really make a profit from it- it’s just a way to make back some of the money I have into materials and to find homes for the things I make rather than amassing a hoard of trinkets I don’t need. But it’s not a job- it was never meant to be. And if I start stressing over it like a job, then I’ve really lost the plot. I mean, I’m happy I’m spending my free time productively. There was a time in my earlier twenties where I would play games in excess- they consumed my life and left room for little else. I’m happy to have moved on from that but now the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction. I want to find time to enjoy things just for the experience they give- just for how they enrich my life and give me a break from making. It’s always a struggle to find harmony in my life, something I’m sure I have in common with many others. Yet, even if things are still a little out of balance, I cannot claim to be unhappy. I’m far from that.
Wishing you all luck in overcoming your own struggles, whatever they may be!
Making Time Happy Spring! If it would only stop raining already it might be half-way decent out. Not that it matters- I’ve been too busy to enjoy the weather yet.
Long time no meaningless rambling! I’ve been keeping pretty busy. Still working six day weeks but, as we’ve finally hired another coordinator, the end is in sight. Well, kind of. We’re also going into (one of) the busy times so maybe I’ll get a second day off again by like… June? But I really can’t complain about the much needed OT. Finally making some progress in paying off my debt!
Other than work work (zug zug) I’ve been keeping busy busting out little resin crafts for my Etsy store. And I’ve started making a few sales! I don’t expect to make any real profit off this enterprise but I really enjoy making stuff and selling it is weirdly fun. At the very least, the money I make can help pay for new materials so I can make more things. In fact, I just made enough in sales that I could afford to buy a couple D20 dice molds. I can’t wait to try my hand at dice making! Even if they won’t work for play (I have no idea if they’ll be balanced or not) I can at least use them for jewelry. So excited!
If you like what you see, my Etsy shop is here. 😉
My other motivation through this constant tinkering is I’m hoping to create a habit of creative behavior. One that will carry over when I start getting back into editing. I’ve begun to chip away at it here and there in what few spare moments I can. But, boy, are they few and spare. Still, the itch is there again to get this story told already. And in that nagging, an often repeated question has resurfaced: what to do when it’s done. For the last year or so, I was dead set on getting it ready to shop out to agents in the pursuit of traditional publishing. And I still want to, just to see what happens. But I’m also thinking about just posting it online again. I mean, it would be awesome to see some money back after all the time I’ve sunk into this project but that was never the main reason for writing. More than anything, I just want a readership. Any I know there are a lot of sites and other platforms where I think I could get at least a small pool of readers. I still think it would be silly not to throw it out to at least a few agents, just to see, but I’m becoming so impatient. I just want to get this in front of people! I want to share it and talk about it! Any other writers have this problem? Anyone have any experience posting on like fictionpress or wattpad or something similar?
Other than finishing this ding dang novel, I am aching to start taking pictures again. Just need the weather to improve. Any good cons coming up in the Midwest? I think I’ll hit Acen on Saturday. And I’m going to Gen Con in August after a TEN year absence so I’m pumped for that. Anything I’m missing or may not know about??
Summer’s right around the corner! Or that’s what I’m telling myself anyway. ^^;;
Keep on Keepin’ On Long time no meaningless rambling! I’ve been keeping pretty busy. Still working six day weeks but, as we’ve finally hired another coordinator, the end is in sight. 507 more words
Finally starting to get some listings up in my lil Etsy shop! 😊
https://www.etsy.com/shop/Hyp3rCraftItemShop?ref=s2-header-shopname
Welcome to 2019! We did it; we survived. 2018 was not an especially kind year for me and those close to me, but I’m feeling optimistic about what’s to come.
The worst of my work for the year is already behind me as I’m just coming off the big Chicago Boat Show weekend. (80 hours in seven days!) Work will start to die back down to its normal hum, which means I can reclaim some of my energy and get back to my projects and hobbies.
I’ve already accomplished one of my major goals for the year, which was to get an Etsy shop up and running. It’s only got a small supply of dice bags and potion bottle jewelry right now but as I get back into crafting, I’m hoping to have more stock and options in soon. You can check it out here! And here’s a few examples of current listings.
Beyond that, I’m looking forward to a couple small upcoming trips we have planned. Travelling has been hard to swing in recent years since money’s been so tight, but I’m hoping that starts to reverse in the coming year as well. I’m switching up what I do at work, taking on a new position and new responsibilities and looking forward to it.
Otherwise I’m just hoping to read more (currently reading Tell The Machine Goodnight by Katie Williams- very very good!), learn new crafts (making plushies, watercolor, & resin molds are at the top of the list), play some gosh dang video games and, finally, FINALLY finish my novel. I’ve recently gotten some really nice feedback on parts one through three of my rough draft. Part four is still kind of a mess but I’m anxious to dive back in and untangle it. Then it’s just the fifth and final chunk and it’ll be something resembling finished. Aiming for end of March, realistically.
Beyond that, I’m looking forward to more cons, more cosplay, and learning more about/practicing photography. I’m certainly aiming to keep busy, anyway.
Here’s to hoping that the new year is good us all!
Happy New Year! Welcome to 2019! We did it; we survived. 2018 was not an especially kind year for me and those close to me, but I’m feeling optimistic about what’s to come.
Well, hello there.
It’s almost the end of the month and I haven’t written a new post. That’s probably because every time I try to write something, I lose interest half way through and delete it. It’s pretty annoying. So I’m going to try something a little different. Gonna hitcha with some quick round-ups. Annnnnd go:
DAISHO-CON
Loved it (No surprise)
Didn’t hit the waterpark?! (surprise & travesty) Will rectify next year by booking an extra night
Tried to split my time between cosplay and photography to mixed success, but I did learn some important lessons
Loved the few models I had a chance to shoot with
Very ready to try my hand at photography again
Here’s some of my fave shots from the weekend. The ones with me in them were taken by my ever patient and very helpful boyfriend (who’s not too shabby behind the lens himself) and I still did the edits.
NaNoWriMo & My WIP
Made it mmmmmm maybe a week into NaNo before I had an existential breakdown about my career, my talent (or lack thereof), my future (also a little shaky), and my life in general, so I decided I wasn’t going to wrench blood from a stone. But it has a happy ending as a recent development at work (an upcoming promotion and solidified career path) have quelled that fire and I am ready to get my head back into a productive/creative space.
Hoping to start editing my WIP again this week (maybe even tonight!) and resume some kind of schedule toward completing my rough draft. Will I finish by year’s end as I originally set out to? Highly unlikely… but I guess we’ll wait and see.
Currently Obsessed With
Castlevania (I’m almost finished with season 2 and LOVING it)
Voltron (halfway through the last season- digging it. Shiro & Keith are faves)
Diablo 3 on Switch
Pokemon Lets Go Pikachu (how many Pokemon can you ride and why is each one more hilarious than the last??)
Throne of Glass (Just started but had to take a break to read a book for book club this week- will resume this weekend)
Want to Watch
She-Ra! (everyone is talking about it and I neeeeeed to watch it)
FLCL Season(s) 2 (I never sat down and gave them a proper viewing and it’s giving me heart palpitations)
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (heard good things- very much my aesthetic)
The Solo movie
Incredibles 2
MBMBaM TV Series (I’ve only seen bits and pieces and it’s an actual crime)
Want to Play
The Spyro Reignited Trilogy (Will wait till I finish my current game backlog)
Fallout 76 (Waiting till the servers stabilize and to see if anyone’s even still playing in a month)
Civ VI (I want to buy it right freaking now but I still have so much to play!)
Moonlighter (Bought it but couldn’t figure out the interface- will revisit when I need something new to play)
MISC
I might finally host my second episode of Monster of the Week if nothing unforeseen postpones it again
I’m day-dreaming about running a D&D campaign
I’ve committed to going to Gen Con next year!
I can’t wait till Christmas
I’m working six day weeks through the holidays and will continue to do so afterward until we find a replacement for my position. I’m in dire need of the OT but a little bummed by the lack of free time. Hoping it’ll pay off in the end!
And I think that’s all I got. I’ll try to have a more coherent and interesting post next month…but no promises. ;p
And now, a series of lists… Well, hello there. It’s almost the end of the month and I haven’t written a new post.