At the end of January, a number of RL circumstances impeded my time set aside for writing. A family member died (at the age of 98 and peacefully in his sleep), something changed at my SO’s job that left me as a single parent for a week, my daughter had pink eye and had to be taken out of daycare, followed by a week-long head cold that also kept her from daycare, followed by an ear infection that also kept her from daycare. I spent parts of this time working at home, and coming into my office when I could. Simultaneously, things blew up at my work that kept me from completing parts of my job and led to many stressful discussions around the office. I had to travel to Maine to see family somewhere in there as well.Â
In other words, it’s been a mess.
I wrote Written in Skin in January, with the exception of parts of the fourth chapter. So I was able to post the first three chapters for #MystradeSoulmatesWeek. I’m rewriting the fourth chapter when I can. I was able to do a read-through of Taking Flight to try and catch any plot holes or forgotten threads. That was the most enjoyable part of my month. This past week I got down to brass tacks and started polishing up the first few chapters in anticipation of handing them to my betas.Â
I know life happens and things don’t always go the way we plan them. I’m just super bummed. I had planned on posting all of Written in Skin in February. I planned to finish Magnetic North (Johnlock canon-divergence). I have The Killing Principle (Johnlock AU) 60% outlined and had thought I’d finish the outline in February. Into the Gloaming (another Johnlock AU) has been hanging around in my head, so I thought I’d outline that one, too. That way, in March I could have Magnetic North and Taking Flight in beta, while writing Into the Gloaming and The Killing Principle. I planned to finish Into the Gloaming in April or May, and The Killing Principle sometime in the summer. It’s gonna be a long one.Â
I built a brick wall of plans, and like the Kool-Aid man, life busted it down.
Now I’m having a hard time getting back into the swing of writing. I need to just shake off the malaise and get it together. Do 1,000 words per day Monday-Friday like I used to. May is #MystradeIsMagic month, and I have A Song for a Siren, which has been simmering on a backburner, all ready to finish writing. Magnetic North is half-written. I need to finish outlining The Killing Principle so I can start it by the end of March. I’ll move everything in my timeline forward. It’s okay. I lost a month. I didn’t lose everything. Bonus, I managed to stay on track for Taking Flight, and I have a tentative post date of April 3rd.
Now if Written in Skin could just finish itself for me.Â
But. but but but but. In all my complaining about my stresses, I’ve had some very kind people say comforting things, AND @copgirl1964​ commissioned camillo to create the following:
Isn’t it glorious? It’s from an off-screen scene in my fic Hand Me Your Armour. Camillo does amazing work, and I am forever grateful to copgirl1964 for brightening up a stressful time by surprising me with this.Â
Anyway, that’s where I’m at this WIP Wednesday. All in all, it isn’t terrible, just frustrating, and something wonderful came out of it anyway.Â
dededos
jacobvanloon
kaledo-art
yousharknotpass
gummygunk
titsay
izzy806
vaporwave
turnnoffyourmind
