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cornerofmadnessI was thinking about writing communities and how I feel like I'm missing one at this point. I don't like this feeling. Other than that twice a month zoom meet up I feel like I have no community (and even there I feel like an interloper but if not for me, there would be almost no one there) My friend and I tried to restart the local group on Nov. It was a miserable failure (other than us enjoying each other's company so it wasn't a complete waste of time)
So I was curious, do you feel like you have a good writing community? I'm not talking about the writing every day sort of thing. I shared plenty of them. I think the closest I come to on DW is![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
ushobwri and getyourwordsout. Both are good communities.
And there is every chance the emptiness is in ME and nothing I put into it will fill that hole. And I'm not even sure I have words to articulate what I'd like to see in a group (and it could be that I'm looking for a street team of alpha/beta readers but I'm not even sure that's it either)
So do you have a good one? Is it open? I'm curious.
Open Calls
Gramarye: Now Seeking Submissions
Verify You’re Not Human The main character of the story must be therian (identify as a non-human animal) with a strong focus on what that means
Obsidian: The Dark Space Novelette Anthology Darker 9000-25000 word stories about exploration, isolation, and the harsh conditions of space
Sapphic Spec Fic Anthology of Identity and Purpose Stories that explore sapphic identity and purpose through the lens of fantasy and speculative fiction
Black Horror, Then & Next Stories that recognize the legacy of Black horror, its literary milestones, cultural roots, and innovative voices, while pushing the genre into new, daring territory. (for Black authors only)
Newsela Original Fiction For Elementary-High School 1,500–5,000 word genre works that are targeting Upper Elementary, Middle School, and High School readers
Sci-Fi Ireland Science Fiction where if the science/technology element was removed the plot would not function
Note: To submit, you must be living on, or were born on, the Island of Ireland
23 Publishers Accepting Memoir Submissions
The Knight Before Christmas Christmas romances
From Around the Web
Notes from the Editor’s Desk: December 2025
An Argument for Writing Short Stories
When We Believe
Five Common Motivation Issues and How to Address Them
160 Christmas Writing Prompts
My Open Letter To That Open Letter About AI In Writing And Publishing by Chuck Wendig (in case you missed it last week the Nebula awards decided to allow AI writing and Publisher Weekly wrote how to use Ai and the authors went nuts (as they should have)
15 Rules for Negotiating a Large Book Sale
How to Make an Author Website in 8 Steps
Rules for Capitalizing Titles and Chapters.
Amazon Metadata Mistakes Every Indie Author Must Avoid
Self-Publishing Your Book: Quick Guide (Updated 2025)
Why Selling Direct Beats KDP for Long-Term Author Profits
17 Exciting Fantasy Novel Ideas for Authors
From Betty
How to Avoid Melodrama in Your Writing
Avoiding the Planet of Hats
Five Common Ways Fights Get Contrived
How to Write Scenes With Lots of New People
The Value of Writing Shock and Avoiding Valueless Trauma
Is Your Novel Ready for a Film Adaption? How to Begin the Process of Adapting My Story for Film
The Complete Guide to Self-editing for Writers Part 2: Practical Tools and Techniques to Strengthen Your Manuscript Before Outside Feedback
So I was curious, do you feel like you have a good writing community? I'm not talking about the writing every day sort of thing. I shared plenty of them. I think the closest I come to on DW is
ushobwri and getyourwordsout. Both are good communities.And there is every chance the emptiness is in ME and nothing I put into it will fill that hole. And I'm not even sure I have words to articulate what I'd like to see in a group (and it could be that I'm looking for a street team of alpha/beta readers but I'm not even sure that's it either)
So do you have a good one? Is it open? I'm curious.
Open Calls
Gramarye: Now Seeking Submissions
Verify You’re Not Human The main character of the story must be therian (identify as a non-human animal) with a strong focus on what that means
Obsidian: The Dark Space Novelette Anthology Darker 9000-25000 word stories about exploration, isolation, and the harsh conditions of space
Sapphic Spec Fic Anthology of Identity and Purpose Stories that explore sapphic identity and purpose through the lens of fantasy and speculative fiction
Black Horror, Then & Next Stories that recognize the legacy of Black horror, its literary milestones, cultural roots, and innovative voices, while pushing the genre into new, daring territory. (for Black authors only)
Newsela Original Fiction For Elementary-High School 1,500–5,000 word genre works that are targeting Upper Elementary, Middle School, and High School readers
Sci-Fi Ireland Science Fiction where if the science/technology element was removed the plot would not function
Note: To submit, you must be living on, or were born on, the Island of Ireland
23 Publishers Accepting Memoir Submissions
The Knight Before Christmas Christmas romances
From Around the Web
Notes from the Editor’s Desk: December 2025
An Argument for Writing Short Stories
When We Believe
Five Common Motivation Issues and How to Address Them
160 Christmas Writing Prompts
My Open Letter To That Open Letter About AI In Writing And Publishing by Chuck Wendig (in case you missed it last week the Nebula awards decided to allow AI writing and Publisher Weekly wrote how to use Ai and the authors went nuts (as they should have)
15 Rules for Negotiating a Large Book Sale
How to Make an Author Website in 8 Steps
Rules for Capitalizing Titles and Chapters.
Amazon Metadata Mistakes Every Indie Author Must Avoid
Self-Publishing Your Book: Quick Guide (Updated 2025)
Why Selling Direct Beats KDP for Long-Term Author Profits
17 Exciting Fantasy Novel Ideas for Authors
From Betty
How to Avoid Melodrama in Your Writing
Avoiding the Planet of Hats
Five Common Ways Fights Get Contrived
How to Write Scenes With Lots of New People
The Value of Writing Shock and Avoiding Valueless Trauma
Is Your Novel Ready for a Film Adaption? How to Begin the Process of Adapting My Story for Film
The Complete Guide to Self-editing for Writers Part 2: Practical Tools and Techniques to Strengthen Your Manuscript Before Outside Feedback
Tags:
silver_chipmunkGot up around 10:00ish, and had breakfast and coffee. Stayed in my pajamas all day.
At 1:30 I went to the Starsky and Hutch Creative work session. I actually wrote a little but mostly just chatted. There were five of us which was very nice.
We chatted until somewhat after 6:00, around 6:30ish, and then we ended.
At 7:00 I Teamed the FWiB, and we talked til almost 8:30. At 8:30 I called Middle Brother, he is enjoying his Christmas presents and looking forward to New Year's Eve, when I will call him at Midnight as I have done the last few years.
Then I ate a good helping of the ham leftovers that the Kid gave me on Christmas. Then I went into the bedroom and played solitaire on my phone.mashfanficchick called me about plans for the coming days. The 30th is when zer mother died last year and ze doesn't want to be alone, reasonably enough. So I am going to go over on Tuesday and bring my computer, and do my Al-anon Zoom meeting there, and then spend the night.
Then I will sleep late on the 31st while ze has work, and then we shall go to Liz G's place to have New Years Eve with her, Robyn, and maybe RK. So I'm looking forward to that.
Anyway, after ze called it was almost pet feeding time so I fed the pets and started here.
Gratitude List:
1. The FWiB.
2. The Starsky and Hutch fandom.
3. Plans for New Year.
4. Never got out of my pajamas.
5. Middle Brother is well.
6. Leftovers.
At 1:30 I went to the Starsky and Hutch Creative work session. I actually wrote a little but mostly just chatted. There were five of us which was very nice.
We chatted until somewhat after 6:00, around 6:30ish, and then we ended.
At 7:00 I Teamed the FWiB, and we talked til almost 8:30. At 8:30 I called Middle Brother, he is enjoying his Christmas presents and looking forward to New Year's Eve, when I will call him at Midnight as I have done the last few years.
Then I ate a good helping of the ham leftovers that the Kid gave me on Christmas. Then I went into the bedroom and played solitaire on my phone.
mashfanficchick called me about plans for the coming days. The 30th is when zer mother died last year and ze doesn't want to be alone, reasonably enough. So I am going to go over on Tuesday and bring my computer, and do my Al-anon Zoom meeting there, and then spend the night.Then I will sleep late on the 31st while ze has work, and then we shall go to Liz G's place to have New Years Eve with her, Robyn, and maybe RK. So I'm looking forward to that.
Anyway, after ze called it was almost pet feeding time so I fed the pets and started here.
Gratitude List:
1. The FWiB.
2. The Starsky and Hutch fandom.
3. Plans for New Year.
4. Never got out of my pajamas.
5. Middle Brother is well.
6. Leftovers.
canyonwalkerFlying for Fun & Profit #2
LAX Airport. Sun, 28 Dec 2026, 6pm.
On this mileage run I'm flying today I planned to be on the ground at LAX for 3-4 hours. It turns out I'm making a much quicker turnaround than that. As I disembarked from my flight I "Checked the TV monitors through the terminal for flight and gate information" (as the recorded announcements always say) on my return flight to SJC.... I saw an earlier flight available. In fact it was boarding practically right then. In fact it was boarding at the gate I just arrived at. The aircraft I flew on to LAW was turning around and going back to SJC!
I considered whether to wait it out 4 hours for my next flight or try flying standby on the earlier one. No agents were at the gate to tell me if seats were even available, so I went off to find a restroom and came back. Sure enough seats, were available. I put my name on the standby list and within 2 minutes had a new boarding pass.
Basically I've just danced the Hokey Pokey. I flew to LA, took a leak, and I turned myself around. That's what it's all about! 🎵
Now I'm back on the same aircraft ready to head home. I'm in the same seat, even. The flight attendant I chatted with on the way down here was... surprisingly not that surprised to see me again! I guess she's seen enough mileage runners she didn't even have to ask. This flight will be about 10 minutes late but it'll still get me home hours earlier than what I planned. Standby FTW!
Update: A happy ending to this mileage run as I land back home in time for dinner out with my spouse.
LAX Airport. Sun, 28 Dec 2026, 6pm.
On this mileage run I'm flying today I planned to be on the ground at LAX for 3-4 hours. It turns out I'm making a much quicker turnaround than that. As I disembarked from my flight I "Checked the TV monitors through the terminal for flight and gate information" (as the recorded announcements always say) on my return flight to SJC.... I saw an earlier flight available. In fact it was boarding practically right then. In fact it was boarding at the gate I just arrived at. The aircraft I flew on to LAW was turning around and going back to SJC!
I considered whether to wait it out 4 hours for my next flight or try flying standby on the earlier one. No agents were at the gate to tell me if seats were even available, so I went off to find a restroom and came back. Sure enough seats, were available. I put my name on the standby list and within 2 minutes had a new boarding pass.
Basically I've just danced the Hokey Pokey. I flew to LA, took a leak, and I turned myself around. That's what it's all about! 🎵
Now I'm back on the same aircraft ready to head home. I'm in the same seat, even. The flight attendant I chatted with on the way down here was... surprisingly not that surprised to see me again! I guess she's seen enough mileage runners she didn't even have to ask. This flight will be about 10 minutes late but it'll still get me home hours earlier than what I planned. Standby FTW!
Update: A happy ending to this mileage run as I land back home in time for dinner out with my spouse.
ismoThis was the tag end of our lovely family Christmas visit with three out of four children and their spouses, and all of the four grandchildren. The Diva and her family went home yesterday. They left between four and five in the morning to go to the airport. She told me not to get up, but I happened to be awake anyway, so I came downstairs and was able to say goodbye. Kansas is driving a Prius lent to him by a friend, and didn't think there would be room for himself, the Diva, and Muffinhead, and all their gear. So he took her to the airport first and let Muffinhead sleep a little longer. He reminded me not to lock the door! Then he came back and got Muffinhead, still before dawn. I've been sleeping rather badly.
The Philosopher and his family drove down to visit Tron and the Lumberjack yesterday, and to take care of some other business. We spent a relaxing and happy day with the Nipper, the Redhead, and Raptor. They had to get an oil change on their car, near the bookstore, so we hung out in the bookstore until their car was ready. They all found books they liked, and I got to carry out my little post-Christmas tradition of replenishing my stock of cards and wrapping paper at a slight discount. I made some ham with sweet potatoes, mushrooms with shallots and dill, broccoli, and mashed white potatoes. I texted the menu to the Philosopher, and told him when we'd probably eat, in case he might return by then. We ate about 6:30. He arrived around 8:45, looking very tired, with a very sleepy Aquinas in his arms. The Lovely Friend looked lovely, as always, but I'm sure she was exhausted too. They had picked up some takeout, which was probably sensible of them. I tried to sit with Aquinas so they could eat, but he quickly woke up and became lively again. Luckily his choice of activities included eating some rice, sweet potatoes, a box of raisins, and some sliced apples and pears. They all had to go back to the hotel pretty quickly, to get an early start in the morning.
The Nipper had not intended to stop on his way out, but as I was just getting up, he sent a text to say that he had to come by and drop off the key we had lent him. I'm glad he remembered! I bundled into my sweatshirt and staggered downstairs just in time to give him another quick hug and a wave. The Philosopher had tentatively planned that they would visit again in the morning, so we got dressed and awaited him. As it happened, they only came in to say goodbye. The weather wasn't promising. A rain and windstorm was on its way, and they wanted to get home. It seemed to me, as they were leaving, that the Philosopher was looking around as if to impress a memory, and I hope it was so and that it was a pleasant one.
I see I've only managed to describe the goodbyes, and none of the things that made the days so dear and their ending sad. But I'm so tired I can hardly move. Maybe tomorrow my heart and my old bones will have recovered a bit.
The Philosopher and his family drove down to visit Tron and the Lumberjack yesterday, and to take care of some other business. We spent a relaxing and happy day with the Nipper, the Redhead, and Raptor. They had to get an oil change on their car, near the bookstore, so we hung out in the bookstore until their car was ready. They all found books they liked, and I got to carry out my little post-Christmas tradition of replenishing my stock of cards and wrapping paper at a slight discount. I made some ham with sweet potatoes, mushrooms with shallots and dill, broccoli, and mashed white potatoes. I texted the menu to the Philosopher, and told him when we'd probably eat, in case he might return by then. We ate about 6:30. He arrived around 8:45, looking very tired, with a very sleepy Aquinas in his arms. The Lovely Friend looked lovely, as always, but I'm sure she was exhausted too. They had picked up some takeout, which was probably sensible of them. I tried to sit with Aquinas so they could eat, but he quickly woke up and became lively again. Luckily his choice of activities included eating some rice, sweet potatoes, a box of raisins, and some sliced apples and pears. They all had to go back to the hotel pretty quickly, to get an early start in the morning.
The Nipper had not intended to stop on his way out, but as I was just getting up, he sent a text to say that he had to come by and drop off the key we had lent him. I'm glad he remembered! I bundled into my sweatshirt and staggered downstairs just in time to give him another quick hug and a wave. The Philosopher had tentatively planned that they would visit again in the morning, so we got dressed and awaited him. As it happened, they only came in to say goodbye. The weather wasn't promising. A rain and windstorm was on its way, and they wanted to get home. It seemed to me, as they were leaving, that the Philosopher was looking around as if to impress a memory, and I hope it was so and that it was a pleasant one.
I see I've only managed to describe the goodbyes, and none of the things that made the days so dear and their ending sad. But I'm so tired I can hardly move. Maybe tomorrow my heart and my old bones will have recovered a bit.
shadaras1.
The darkest part of the year is always the hardest to remember to, like, be a person and not just curl up being grumbly about the long cold dark.
But, well, I do feel more like a person the more I act like a person and interact with people, as much as I might wish to be a lump and zone out while watching streams/tv that ask nothing of me.
2.
Yuletide revealed works!
There was perhaps 30min of AHHHH about 20min after reveals due to an Ao3 bug that revealed creators alongside works. Considering that this happened to Battleship this summer and the mods heard crickets from Support at the time, perhaps now that Yuletide hit the same bug (and solved the immediate problem with advice from the Battleship mods) Ao3 support will have more data and motivation to figure out wtf happened there and make sure it can't happen again.
Anyway, I received two Yuletide gifts:
This is for a fandom that, as the author's note says, I wrote a promo post last year (and then mentioned again during Battleship season when people were asking about good actual play podcasts), and am thus inevitably the reason this person got into the show. <3 Delightful to get a gift for it! I was not expecting one, but also when I saw a gift show up for me and no fandoms I'd requested in the collection list I was like "omg... perhaps..." and it was!
This is a lovely little coda adding into the Oathsworn epilogue, about what people are willing to do for the sake of their community and what secrets they're willing to keep and why. Absolutely delightful.
The other gift is WORLDBUILDING VIA TEXTBOOK EXCERPTS
aka, someone taking me up on my Worldbuilding and Atypical Narrative Stuff things. <3 Absolutely delightful. A+ look into how weird it is to do SCIENCE to the magic of Becoming A Lich and Living Forever As An Undead Being. The change in thought about said magic from the first excerpt to the last is very fun, and it's a good look at a bit of magic that the series itself takes rather for granted.
I have also received absolutely lovely comments on both of the fics I wrote for Yuletide! Further commentary about those after author reveals; I had a great time writing both of them for very different reasons. xD <3
3.
Been thinking about projects for the new year and things I want to do and how, as much as I'm like "ughhhhh I am TIRED all the time" it is annoyingly true that often if I do things anyway I will end up having more energy overall.
So.
Fundamentally I believe in my ability to Write Stuff so long as I, y'know, actually focus and put time into it. xD The part where I need to get myself to actually write instead of zoning out on the internet is the hard part, usually! But I would like to actually write about the blorbos I've been rotating in my head since this summer.
There's this part of me like "that would be easier if you had a TITLE for it" and I'm like "OKAY SO GIVE ME ONE" about it. (tavina most of the time I do not feel your pain about this BUT IN THIS CASE it feels weirdly true, considering that my brain can give me the primary arc of the story and the vibes I want but the idea of WRITING it is somehow ???. if a title helps I will sigh loudly but also be like "yeah okay sure".)
but I would like to be able to actually explain about my blorbos and their not-romance (it is an ADVENTURE STORY and they are absolutely Together but also get mad if one's like "so your BOYFRIEND" about it) (they are a half-triton/half-elf and a half-orc/half-dragon because why be Normal about your multiracial fantasy characters) (the half-dragon gets kidnapped to build an airship and that's what kicks the whole thing off) which means I need to WRITE IT
so really if I have any goal for next year it is probably simply "please actually write full draft of that <3", which, to be clear, is Very Doable based on how many words I am capable of writing xD just gotta make them words about this.
4.
It snowed the day after Christmas (or, well, the evening of Boxing Day into the early morning of the 27th), fluffy dry snow that's perfectly aesthetic and wasn't too much of a pain to clean off. Tonight it's supposed to be FREEZING RAIN, however, which is so much more UGH and is going to make going to work tomorrow Special. (I wish I got more time off for the holidays, but, whatever, it's not like I would do anything in particular except rest and read and write.)
5.
The dojo did get a new heater in. It's the same as the old heater, I'm pretty sure, except newer and thus works properly. xD
6.
A friend made me watch the first four episodes of I Am Nobody, a cdrama that they were like "I think you'll like it!" about because of the traits: Has Women (aka: is not actually a BL) and Is Modern Cultivation (because I'd made a comment about the Legend of Xiao Hei that they should've told me it was modern cultivation and not just "it has a cute cat! look at the cute cat!"). The thing is, it has women by virtue of being Probably Het (I think fandom is mostly like BUT BOYS about it) and the modern cultivation is "secret sects keep magic secret" and not the far more interesting "magical cultivation sects are integrated into everyday modern life" that Xiao Hei included.
So like... it's a show that I'd have fun watching with them, because it's honestly really well done for what it is, but unlike either friend I was watching with (either the one showing this to us or the other one new to it) I am not compelled to watch the rest on my own? It leans too much into comedy and not enough into the sort of worldbuilding or character dynamics that actually get their claws into me. Not a bad thing about it, really! I see why people like it! Just. Not as much my jam as that friend had hoped for.
7.
I watched del Toro's Frankenstein on Christmas Day, and spent the entire time talking with my friend about the use of color in that movie. It definitely understood what Frankenstein (the novel) was about! It portrayed The Themes (consequences of one's actions; accepting responsibility; the relationship between creator and creation) very well. It also did not shy away from gore and blood and the surgical nature of it all! (Also there were wolves that Did Not Act Like Wolves At All but also they're A Metaphor in the end so... whatever..) Very enjoyable, glad to have seen it!
The darkest part of the year is always the hardest to remember to, like, be a person and not just curl up being grumbly about the long cold dark.
But, well, I do feel more like a person the more I act like a person and interact with people, as much as I might wish to be a lump and zone out while watching streams/tv that ask nothing of me.
2.
Yuletide revealed works!
There was perhaps 30min of AHHHH about 20min after reveals due to an Ao3 bug that revealed creators alongside works. Considering that this happened to Battleship this summer and the mods heard crickets from Support at the time, perhaps now that Yuletide hit the same bug (and solved the immediate problem with advice from the Battleship mods) Ao3 support will have more data and motivation to figure out wtf happened there and make sure it can't happen again.
Anyway, I received two Yuletide gifts:
The Promise (1222 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Oathsworn (Actual Play Podcast)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Dorado the Adamant & Nabain Palisade
Characters: Dorado the Adamant, Nabain Palisade
Additional Tags: and the absence of Serikali, Post canon, Missing Scene, Dialogue Heavy, Major Spoilers
Summary:“Did you ever speak to Serikali?” Dorado asked.
“Not as often as I would have liked.” The broken promise settled over his shoulders like a yoke. But even under that weight, he still could carry curiosity. Dorado was direct: if she changed topic, there had to be a reason.
This is for a fandom that, as the author's note says, I wrote a promo post last year (and then mentioned again during Battleship season when people were asking about good actual play podcasts), and am thus inevitably the reason this person got into the show. <3 Delightful to get a gift for it! I was not expecting one, but also when I saw a gift show up for me and no fandoms I'd requested in the collection list I was like "omg... perhaps..." and it was!
This is a lovely little coda adding into the Oathsworn epilogue, about what people are willing to do for the sake of their community and what secrets they're willing to keep and why. Absolutely delightful.
The other gift is WORLDBUILDING VIA TEXTBOOK EXCERPTS
The Dresediel Lex Project And Its Consequences (2385 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Craft Sequence - Max Gladstone
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Maestre Gerhardt
Additional Tags: Worldbuilding, Epistolary
Summary:Excerpts from documents found in Tara Abernathy's bag before her graduation from the Hidden Schools, sketching out the historical project to understand undeath and some pertinent later findings.
aka, someone taking me up on my Worldbuilding and Atypical Narrative Stuff things. <3 Absolutely delightful. A+ look into how weird it is to do SCIENCE to the magic of Becoming A Lich and Living Forever As An Undead Being. The change in thought about said magic from the first excerpt to the last is very fun, and it's a good look at a bit of magic that the series itself takes rather for granted.
I have also received absolutely lovely comments on both of the fics I wrote for Yuletide! Further commentary about those after author reveals; I had a great time writing both of them for very different reasons. xD <3
3.
Been thinking about projects for the new year and things I want to do and how, as much as I'm like "ughhhhh I am TIRED all the time" it is annoyingly true that often if I do things anyway I will end up having more energy overall.
So.
Fundamentally I believe in my ability to Write Stuff so long as I, y'know, actually focus and put time into it. xD The part where I need to get myself to actually write instead of zoning out on the internet is the hard part, usually! But I would like to actually write about the blorbos I've been rotating in my head since this summer.
There's this part of me like "that would be easier if you had a TITLE for it" and I'm like "OKAY SO GIVE ME ONE" about it. (
tavina most of the time I do not feel your pain about this BUT IN THIS CASE it feels weirdly true, considering that my brain can give me the primary arc of the story and the vibes I want but the idea of WRITING it is somehow ???. if a title helps I will sigh loudly but also be like "yeah okay sure".)but I would like to be able to actually explain about my blorbos and their not-romance (it is an ADVENTURE STORY and they are absolutely Together but also get mad if one's like "so your BOYFRIEND" about it) (they are a half-triton/half-elf and a half-orc/half-dragon because why be Normal about your multiracial fantasy characters) (the half-dragon gets kidnapped to build an airship and that's what kicks the whole thing off) which means I need to WRITE IT
so really if I have any goal for next year it is probably simply "please actually write full draft of that <3", which, to be clear, is Very Doable based on how many words I am capable of writing xD just gotta make them words about this.
4.
It snowed the day after Christmas (or, well, the evening of Boxing Day into the early morning of the 27th), fluffy dry snow that's perfectly aesthetic and wasn't too much of a pain to clean off. Tonight it's supposed to be FREEZING RAIN, however, which is so much more UGH and is going to make going to work tomorrow Special. (I wish I got more time off for the holidays, but, whatever, it's not like I would do anything in particular except rest and read and write.)
5.
The dojo did get a new heater in. It's the same as the old heater, I'm pretty sure, except newer and thus works properly. xD
6.
A friend made me watch the first four episodes of I Am Nobody, a cdrama that they were like "I think you'll like it!" about because of the traits: Has Women (aka: is not actually a BL) and Is Modern Cultivation (because I'd made a comment about the Legend of Xiao Hei that they should've told me it was modern cultivation and not just "it has a cute cat! look at the cute cat!"). The thing is, it has women by virtue of being Probably Het (I think fandom is mostly like BUT BOYS about it) and the modern cultivation is "secret sects keep magic secret" and not the far more interesting "magical cultivation sects are integrated into everyday modern life" that Xiao Hei included.
So like... it's a show that I'd have fun watching with them, because it's honestly really well done for what it is, but unlike either friend I was watching with (either the one showing this to us or the other one new to it) I am not compelled to watch the rest on my own? It leans too much into comedy and not enough into the sort of worldbuilding or character dynamics that actually get their claws into me. Not a bad thing about it, really! I see why people like it! Just. Not as much my jam as that friend had hoped for.
7.
I watched del Toro's Frankenstein on Christmas Day, and spent the entire time talking with my friend about the use of color in that movie. It definitely understood what Frankenstein (the novel) was about! It portrayed The Themes (consequences of one's actions; accepting responsibility; the relationship between creator and creation) very well. It also did not shy away from gore and blood and the surgical nature of it all! (Also there were wolves that Did Not Act Like Wolves At All but also they're A Metaphor in the end so... whatever..) Very enjoyable, glad to have seen it!
flareonfury posting in comicbook_iconsVarious DC icon dump of various comics/shows/animated/film characters/pairings.
Preview
Please comment & credit if you use!
See the various character & ship icons here.....
Preview
Please comment & credit if you use!
See the various character & ship icons here.....
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mecurtinPurrcy finds a little taste from the bathroom faucet is one of the finest of vintages worth one of the cutest of bleps.
Purrcy was settling down to nap just where the precious, slanting rays of winter sun crossed the bed. Savoring every one.
We celebrated Dirk's 70th birthday early, on Tuesday (because that's when E&P could come), and this time we plotted to give him Major Presents:
- E&P got him a DVD/blu-ray player (plus cords)
- I got DVD or blu-ray sets of all New-Who Doctors
Take THAT! Disney/BBC, which have between them ensured that no New Era Doctor Who (except Gatwa) has been available to stream outside the UK for months running now, leaving his money just sitting there on the table, and have now contrived to *lose it forever* because he's never going to pay to stream it again. Also, the sets turn out to have all kinds of extra material he's never seen before, he's super happy.
Disney continues to shoot themselves in the foot inexplicably: the Doctor Who spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea just finished in the UK where it got really high ratings, Disney has the rights in the US, they haven't shown it & haven't said when they will. Dirk is very respectful of IP generally speaking, but I've DLed the eps via UK friends and am just waiting for him to snap and say Fuck Disney.
Beth decided she didn't want to go in on the big Doctor Who present, she bought him a trilobite fossil to keep on his desk. Excellent choice, also made him super happy and feeling very Time Lord-y as he plays with it while watching Doctor Who commentary during work breaks.
We don't really give presents anymore, because it stresses me out so much: it always took so much of my time and mental energy through the fall, it always made me very anxious, the payoff just wasn't worth it because I couldn't relax completely when enough to appreciate what I was given. Dirk's happiness this time *almost* makes me want to reconsider ... almost.
My brother came Christmas afternoon, had a simple dinner with us, hung around and chatted on Friday, ended up sleeping on our sofa instead of at his nearby hotel because the roads were so icy by 6:30. We didn't get the weight of snow we'd been expecting, but the ice was BAD. Fortunately his drive back to NYC in the late morning was OK. And now the temperature is on a steady rise and everything will wash away tomorrow.
Purrcy was settling down to nap just where the precious, slanting rays of winter sun crossed the bed. Savoring every one.
We celebrated Dirk's 70th birthday early, on Tuesday (because that's when E&P could come), and this time we plotted to give him Major Presents:
- E&P got him a DVD/blu-ray player (plus cords)
- I got DVD or blu-ray sets of all New-Who Doctors
Take THAT! Disney/BBC, which have between them ensured that no New Era Doctor Who (except Gatwa) has been available to stream outside the UK for months running now, leaving his money just sitting there on the table, and have now contrived to *lose it forever* because he's never going to pay to stream it again. Also, the sets turn out to have all kinds of extra material he's never seen before, he's super happy.
Disney continues to shoot themselves in the foot inexplicably: the Doctor Who spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea just finished in the UK where it got really high ratings, Disney has the rights in the US, they haven't shown it & haven't said when they will. Dirk is very respectful of IP generally speaking, but I've DLed the eps via UK friends and am just waiting for him to snap and say Fuck Disney.
Beth decided she didn't want to go in on the big Doctor Who present, she bought him a trilobite fossil to keep on his desk. Excellent choice, also made him super happy and feeling very Time Lord-y as he plays with it while watching Doctor Who commentary during work breaks.
We don't really give presents anymore, because it stresses me out so much: it always took so much of my time and mental energy through the fall, it always made me very anxious, the payoff just wasn't worth it because I couldn't relax completely when enough to appreciate what I was given. Dirk's happiness this time *almost* makes me want to reconsider ... almost.
My brother came Christmas afternoon, had a simple dinner with us, hung around and chatted on Friday, ended up sleeping on our sofa instead of at his nearby hotel because the roads were so icy by 6:30. We didn't get the weight of snow we'd been expecting, but the ice was BAD. Fortunately his drive back to NYC in the late morning was OK. And now the temperature is on a steady rise and everything will wash away tomorrow.
Tags:
muccamukkFandom:
snowflake_challenge: Running a multi-fandom prompt every other day for all of January. (Yours truly isn't modding this year around, but will hopefully still participate.)
cultivativity:
beagoldfish:
Archive of Our Own: Update on Our 2020 Commitment from the OTW Board, Chairs & Leads.
I haven't been active in fandom for a couple years now, but I appreciate that they still seem to be working on this.
Writer Beware: Army of Bots: Deeper Into the Vortex of Nigerian Marketing Scams.
LLMs are so fun. I'm glad everyone has access to them. It's def making the Internet better. /s
Science
The Tyee: Charting a Course Through Bears’ Eyes.
Popular Science: First-of-a-kind study shows encouraging data for trans kids who socially transition.
Politics
CBC: Pro-Palestinian protester suspended from Vancouver Island University loses court challenge.
My level of cynicism about higher education continues apace. It would cost VIU nothing to let the woman have her transcripts. They've made their point.
Sojourners: Politically Polarized Family Attempts White Elephant Gift Exchange.
Satire, gave me a laugh.
snowflake_challenge: Running a multi-fandom prompt every other day for all of January. (Yours truly isn't modding this year around, but will hopefully still participate.)cultivativity: This community is organized as a series of modules designed to help build a practice to nurture our creative selves.
beagoldfish: This is an event for small and non-traditional fanworks. We want to remind you to appreciate the little things, be kind, be curious, enjoy generously, and above all, 'be a goldfish.'Runs over January and Feburary 2026.
Archive of Our Own: Update on Our 2020 Commitment from the OTW Board, Chairs & Leads.
I haven't been active in fandom for a couple years now, but I appreciate that they still seem to be working on this.
Writer Beware: Army of Bots: Deeper Into the Vortex of Nigerian Marketing Scams.
LLMs are so fun. I'm glad everyone has access to them. It's def making the Internet better. /s
Science
The Tyee: Charting a Course Through Bears’ Eyes.
Stewards from the Heiltsuk First Nation are using computational models and Indigenous knowledge to protect bears’ access to salmon.
Popular Science: First-of-a-kind study shows encouraging data for trans kids who socially transition.
Politics
CBC: Pro-Palestinian protester suspended from Vancouver Island University loses court challenge.
My level of cynicism about higher education continues apace. It would cost VIU nothing to let the woman have her transcripts. They've made their point.
Sojourners: Politically Polarized Family Attempts White Elephant Gift Exchange.
Satire, gave me a laugh.
Tags:
kingstokenI realized I never got around to promoting my own fandomtrees, so here it is. I'm asking for anything other than icons (fic, art, podfic, etc), and the fandoms I'm asking for are: The Great Mouse Detective, Sherlock Holmes (both Granada and the Rathbone films), Our Flag Means Death, Dead Boy Detectives, Doctor Who, and podfic for any fandom I've written for.
fandomtrees, so here it is. I'm asking for anything other than icons (fic, art, podfic, etc), and the fandoms I'm asking for are: The Great Mouse Detective, Sherlock Holmes (both Granada and the Rathbone films), Our Flag Means Death, Dead Boy Detectives, Doctor Who, and podfic for any fandom I've written for.rolanniPress of business yesterday meant that I forgot to update y'all on the ever-fascinating details of my life. I now make amends. Thank you for your patience.
What went before
SATURDAY
Wakened early by Tali cursing the universe and the gods who had fashioned it.
Got up to find Rookie in the hall with a mouthful of orange fur, and Tali sitting on the edge of the dining room table (yes, yes, where No Cat is allowed, and it's possibly worth noting that Rook did not follow her up there, so at least somebody pays attention to the treaty). Firefly was squinched under the standup desk in my office.
So! I don't know exactly what the disagreement was about. Possibly Tali told Rook he had a stinky butt -- and if so, she was not wrong. So, we did some cat clean up, and then I took a shower to finish waking up and here we are.
Kettle's on, and Happy Lite also.
And how's your morning going?
#
It says here that I've been playing Finch for 500 days.
. . .not sure how I feel about that, actually. . .
#
Wrote about 800 words, WIP currently weighing in the vicinity of 115,790. Stopping to do PT homework, one's duty the cats, and um. I should eat something. I guess. Maybe a piece of leftover ham onna leftover biscuit. That's lunch, ain't it?
#
Do I look healthy to you?
Time to talk to the virtual-visit nurse.
#
SUNDAY
The Long Back Yard
#
Well. 2:30, hey?
I got Involved. Wrote +/-1,335 words, did some tinking of former words. The WIP entire now weighing in at +/-117,180. I think I have eight more scenes to write.
My Plan is to write those eight scenes, and then put out a call for Beta Readers. NOTE: This is not that call. I'll tell you when.
In between new words, I bought myself some on-sale alpaca socks form a local alpaca farm, and did a couple loads of laundry. I really thought I'd done laundry last week, but -- maybe not. Whatever.
The cats were with me all day -- that would be from 8:15 am until just a couple minutes ago. In fact, they're still in Steve's office, because once you get a good sleeping place primed, you just don't walk away from it.
Though it be late, I have dinner/lunch/whatever on the stove -- leftover chicken in gravy, peas, and mashed potatoes. I may actually have a glass of wine with that, because I am done writing for the day. (Breakfast, for those keeping score was oatmeal with almond butter and chocolate chips mixed in. Yes, again. I'm as baffled as you are.)
What else? Oh. I'm doing an Author Event at the Waterville Library on February 21, so I may start giving some thought as to what I'll be wanting to talk about. I will be reading from Diviner's Bow, and taking questions, along with the talking.
So! How's everybody doing this afternoon?
rolanniFor those interested in the Liaden read-along, commentary on the first two chapters is now live, here
For those who may have missed it, there's an intro here
Please accept this in the spirit of a first attempt, while we work together toward a format that's fun for everybody involved.
To be perfectly honest, I'm reading a lot faster than this and I WANT to read at my usual rate, as if (as close to "as if" as it's possible for me to be) I'm reading a book for enjoyment. I'm making some notes, but not very detailed ones. So! the chapter-by-chapter approach may not work FOR ME, which ultimately means that it won't work for you.
I would therefore appreciate input on what would be most fun for participants who are NOT me.
Thanks for your help -- and enjoy!
canyonwalkerFlying for Fun & Profit #1
SJC Airport. Sun, 28 Dec 2026, 3:30pm.
This afternoon I am embarking on a mileage run. It's a flight taken strictly for earning points snd status. A few weeks ago I saw I was coming up a tiny bit short on my Southwest status chase, so I booked this mileage run.
For this mileage run I booked a quick round-trip to LAX. But I'm not going to Los Angeles, other than spending a few hours on the ground at the airport. I get back on a flight home this evening.
Right now I'm at SJC airport. I arrived here well early for the first flight. I'm taking as few chances as possible with the schedule.
I've been checking the flights for on-time-ness all afternoon. The aircraft for my first flight has been tracking on time and just landed from its previous leg. The homebound flight has been drifting a bit late, probably picking up delays from coming from somewhere in the East, where snow has caused lots of cancellations. That flight being late is okay... I'd only get worried if my outbound were late, because then I might miss the homebound! I planned over 3 hours on the ground between flights, so the chances of that are small... though never zero.
Stay tuned, this should only take a few hours!
Update: the flight to LA was smooth, then I took a piss and I turned myself around... that's what it's al about!
SJC Airport. Sun, 28 Dec 2026, 3:30pm.
This afternoon I am embarking on a mileage run. It's a flight taken strictly for earning points snd status. A few weeks ago I saw I was coming up a tiny bit short on my Southwest status chase, so I booked this mileage run.
For this mileage run I booked a quick round-trip to LAX. But I'm not going to Los Angeles, other than spending a few hours on the ground at the airport. I get back on a flight home this evening.
Right now I'm at SJC airport. I arrived here well early for the first flight. I'm taking as few chances as possible with the schedule.
I've been checking the flights for on-time-ness all afternoon. The aircraft for my first flight has been tracking on time and just landed from its previous leg. The homebound flight has been drifting a bit late, probably picking up delays from coming from somewhere in the East, where snow has caused lots of cancellations. That flight being late is okay... I'd only get worried if my outbound were late, because then I might miss the homebound! I planned over 3 hours on the ground between flights, so the chances of that are small... though never zero.
Stay tuned, this should only take a few hours!
Update: the flight to LA was smooth, then I took a piss and I turned myself around... that's what it's al about!
brickhousewench...people resent you for what they perceive to be unearned advantage, like not looking like Quasimodo when you first get up in the morning. Clearly, I sailed to glory on a wave of blond hair, even though it took me decades to get past a poverty/lower middle class income average as an artist.
My fat load of credits and Art Monster work ethic could not possibly have had anything to do with it.
Now we live in an age when even work ethic is denounced as unfair privilege. It's not; it's the default. Most people in the world can't even get by without hard core work ethic. Only privileged people of the comfortable classes think work ethic is unfair, and I come from poverty.
***
And one of the most important things about this gig is realizing that it is not privileged class, but working class work.
This is work.
A job.
Work.
All the love in the world cannot safely navigate the rough waters of contracts, and lawyers, and agents, and money management, and time management, and bankrupt clients, and sleazy con men, and stalkers, and obsessed rivals.
It just won't.
You need nerves of steel, a hide like a rhino, and focus. So much focus I can't even.
This is the reality.
The vast majority of people are doing it for love and for hope. And there will never, ever be a payday for them.
Know thyself.
– Colleen Doran
My fat load of credits and Art Monster work ethic could not possibly have had anything to do with it.
Now we live in an age when even work ethic is denounced as unfair privilege. It's not; it's the default. Most people in the world can't even get by without hard core work ethic. Only privileged people of the comfortable classes think work ethic is unfair, and I come from poverty.
***
And one of the most important things about this gig is realizing that it is not privileged class, but working class work.
This is work.
A job.
Work.
All the love in the world cannot safely navigate the rough waters of contracts, and lawyers, and agents, and money management, and time management, and bankrupt clients, and sleazy con men, and stalkers, and obsessed rivals.
It just won't.
You need nerves of steel, a hide like a rhino, and focus. So much focus I can't even.
This is the reality.
The vast majority of people are doing it for love and for hope. And there will never, ever be a payday for them.
Know thyself.
– Colleen Doran