#himluv rambles

[himluv]

Today I wrote fanfic. Drank iced coffee. Went to a winery with friends. Ate pizza. Read poetry while my spouse napped beside me.

All on a rainy, cold February day. Proof that winter isn't all bad, I suppose.

[himluv]

Sometimes, you write a line and you know it's gonna piss off readers. You know it's evil. You know it's a cruel piece of foreshadowing

And you look at your document like this:

That's the good shit 😂😂😂.

[himluv]

I think mid-week holidays should be illegal. New Year's is on a Thursday? Well, guess we get the whole week off, enjoy everybody!

(I am at work and it is slow and everyone else took vacation so I can't just go home and it's s.t.u.p.i.d.)

[himluv]

Question Time

Okay. So. I finished my novel rough draft, which HURRAY! But, my brain is mush and I don't think I'll be writing much of anything for a few weeks while I recuperate.

So, is there anything folks would like to see/hear from me in the meantime?

what should HIMluv post about?

Creative Goal Setting

Craft Q&As

Book Recommendations

More Baking

some secret 5th thing (tag it)

Voting ended onJan 5

[himluv]

It was a busy day today. We got a new (to us) car, went for wine and pizza with friends, and took a nap before reading a bit of poetry.

It was a good, good day. I'll get my Rookanis Week recap posted tomorrow :)

[himluv]

2025 Faves and Not

This week I am trying to get caught up on my mentions, I swear! For this game, I was tagged by @sandcastlekings @ratbagjasper @davrinsleftpectoral @jukkaricity @serensama @kogarashi-art and @becausedragonage – thank you all so so much for thinking of me!

1. Favorite character to write for/about A: I mean... Lucanis. I love my girl, Embria, but the majority of And Your Heart (how it beats) is from Lucanis's pov. I love him and his still waters that run so, so deep, lol.

2. Least favorite character to write for/about A: Hmmm. Hard to say, because if they're a least favorite then I just wouldn't write them? I'd say... Rowena Aldwir, Embria's mother. She's just such a bitch most of the time, lol.

3. Favorite pairing A: Rookanis, obvs. But, also I am still so obsessed with Bellario. They are so much fun to write! So different from Embria and Lucanis, it's a ton of fun to go back and forth between them.

4. Least favorite pairing A: I'm not here to yuck any yums. However, DreadRook or SolRook is not for me. I hope Solas x Rook enjoyers continue to enjoy it, I will happily look the other way ;) (also anything involving Elgar'nan. No thank you.)

5. Favorite POV and Tense A: For fic I really like to stick to the tried and true past tense 3rd Person Limited. It feels very natural to me. In original fiction I LOVE to play with pov and tense, using whatever is the best vehicle for the story. But, I always feel a little thrill when I get to write 2nd Person present tense. It's just so juicy!

6. Something new you did this year A: So, I usually write slow burn or established relationships. I'm demi and I just really struggle with the idea of sleeping with someone without knowing them super well. BUT, this year I wrote Illario and Bellara having casual "no feelings" sex (that of course led to feelings). So that was a first for me!

7. Something other people have told you that you're good at A: Emotions. Is it even a HIMluv fic if you aren't moved to tears? I've also been told that, at least in original fiction, that "one of the cards" I've been dealt is an ability to establish mood and atmosphere. That compliment came from a really wonderful writer and has been etched into the inside of my skull ever since.

8. Something you think you're good at A: Emotions. I've had too many people tell me I made them cry to think I'm not good at them, lolol.

9. Something you want to improve on A: Setting descriptions, and descriptions in general. I have aphantasia, so I don't picture things in my head. I don't see characters, I hear them. This makes describing things in writing very challenging for me.

10. Favorite thing you read this year A: I posted about my favorite reads of 2025 here!

11. Favorite event you did this year A: Goodness, I participated in a few. I think DA Kiss Week was a ton of fun because SO MANY people participated from across the fandom. I also really loved Illario Summer Appreciation Week! It was a small group of enthusiasts, but the output was incredible!

12. Favorite song to listen to while you write/get you in the writing mood A: Everything I write gets a playlist, it's part of my prewriting process. So, just one song is never an option, lol. Right this moment I am bopping to Illusion by Fulton Lee on my original RomCom playlist.

13. Favorite type of fic to write (crack, fluff, angst, smut, etc) A: Uhhhhhhhhh. All of the above? No, probably not crack fic, tbh. But, I like to move between angst, fluff, and smut pretty consistently.

14. What do I want to work on in 2026? A: Well, I'm on the cusp of finishing my novel rough draft, so I'll be revising that in the spring. Fic-wise, I have some Embria pov ideas I'd like to explore and a potential longfic set a year or two after Yours to Tame (crave your taste). We'll see if I can get to it. Otherwise, no plans :)

I'm not gonna tag anyone because I know this has made the rounds these past few weeks. If you see this and haven't already done it, tag me so I can see!

[himluv]

Today is another baking day! I'm trying a new bread recipe, so in between rises I'll get my Bellara Week stuff typed up and posted. I'm also hoping to get caught up on the fics I'm reading and responding to my mentions.

Personal rambling beneath the cut :)

It was a busy work week last week. I had a lot of different tasks all come due at once, as well as a bit of prep to do for the next two weeks where I'll be running a different program every day. Library work is legitimately my dream, but program days are A Lot™. So, I'm in for a couple of intense weeks.

On top of that, I started revising my novel, am drafting a new longfic, and trying to squeeze out some oneshots for Bellara Week.

But worst of all, my ulnar nerve pain flared up after kneading bread last weekend, and I spent much of my week adjusting to new ergonomic setups at work to try and relieve the pain (which helped!). I haven't played piano all week, and I'm missing it already, but I can feel that my pinky and wrist aren't quite ready for it yet.

Also, it's February. The weather has finally shifted to the typical PNW rain, I had a migraine the last two days, and a recipe I tried from that Historical Food TikToker's cookbook was so atrocious we had to throw it out.

Today, I am a weird mix of tired and accomplished. A little morose, but also excited to make bread? Trying hard to allow myself to relax even when there are things I *should* be doing. My ADHD meds aren't quite right (my doctor knows, we have a Plan™) and so I'm doing all of this while feeling half-medicated. My executives are functioning, but only half the time?

So, yeah. That's what up today. I'm around. I'm liking and reblogging stuff. Just maybe with a more muted energy than usual.

[himluv]

Ok, so, I've been sick all week and am FINALLY feeling something like normal. I have one last fic to post, which will happen SOON™™™.

Then I'm going to write a big sappy Veilguard appreciation post so brace yourselves for rampant tags.

THEN, I'm gonna play Veilguard all day. And if I can figure it out I'll stream my Bellario run *Fingers crossed* until it's time to hand out candy :)

That's the plan friends. I hope you all have a lovely Halloween!