Welcome to my perfumed garden

My Year in retrospect, by gillyp, aged.

( Fandom and Fic )( Writing )


( Reading )( Reading )
In general: Life has been a bit rough at times. We’re still doing one week home, one week at Dad’s which is stressful and tiring. Dad is exactly as he was, some days up, some days down (some days very down indeed), it’s become routine really, a bit bothersome. I have to keep reminding myself that in many respects, I have a life that’s pretty good, that many might envy. OK, a bit (very! Oh so very...)  uneventful and dull, but far from arduous and relatively free of pain. I do keep reminding myself of that (but if the Gods are listening, a little more excitement – of the nicer sort - really wouldn’t go amiss in 2010)

So to round off 2009, I’m going to do that first-post, last-post LJ meme and say, have a marvellous 2010 everyone, I think we all deserve a break. Much love to you all, thank you so much, every one of you, for the laughs and the love and for keeping me sane.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

( My Year on LJ )

Blue no longer be up for Est. Rel but has moved to slash novel (as if anyone really needs to know that). A pity, never been up for 'Est Rel' before, seem to end up in 'novel' every year (I cant imagine why. ::she sighed, rolling her eyes::)

We ran out of butter. Mark has trolled down to Booths in search of same. I'm sipping coffee, trying to drag my brain awake. The neighbour's cat is here. We've been hearing a bit about the neighbour's cat, of which more later (see if I can grab a picture).

Sunday. All relaxing and that, what? Sun's out but my dears, the RAIN last night! OMG! I thought it was an earthquake or the roof coming in.

Don't worry, this is not one of those long, angsty RL-SUKZ! type entries, just something of an apology I suppose, a rather low-key (and somewhat dull) FRIDAY! post if you will.

( Cut in the interest of the disinterested )

I'm remiss in the extreme in my contributions to picspamyou_2009  and worst of all, my long absences from LJ mean I've missed talking to you lovely people. I've missed a fair few birthdays too for which I'm very sorry, most especially that darling delight of a human Earthling  the4ts . I hope your day was perfection, sugarbutton. I'm sorry I took my eye off the ball and missed you completely. Please have some very belated kisses in the flavour of your choosing. XXXXXXX

I've posted Blue. Here it is.

- Only to 852 at the moment (and yes, it's riddled with the inevitable glitches, why can't I ever get it right? Why?!) but soon to ASR3, I hope and also a new website (coming soon).

I started writing Blue 2 years ago when 20 people contributed $10 to watch this monster get written on a private LJ com, with another 5 getting their updates by email. betagoddess , fluterbev , luicat , snycock , slipperieslope , shiredancer , lear1027 , t_verano , patk , earth2skye ,tany_z , alibongo , suemc , monkeyfun1 , debmc , still_ra ,jazzybea47 , juneb , artemis54  and ponders_life on LJ. Also Mariojoe, Terry O'Donnell, Gloria Ainsworth, Cynthia and the lovely Gerri - who have all been so generous with their comment  and suggestions and have greatly added to the story and I thank them all.

Special thanks to the magnificent runriggers for one of the most rapid betas I've ever had, ever!

If you're planning to read it, be warned it's 126,000 words long and it's angsty. You would  expect it to be, I suppose, angst is my MO, but Blue is mega-angst of galactic proportions. I didn't intend it to be quite so very packed with pain, it was sort of an accident. Sorry.

It's slash but in its very mildest forms. There's nothing much there, really, that would mither even the terribly sensitive.

Sudden Unexpected Avalanche! Cabin buried! Everyone dies!!! Cawthorne police dance and laugh (a lot!) - Teh End!
by Panik and fluterbev , collaborative age 94 years and 6 weeks .

Ah. I wish!


OK, back to reality nao... 7,443 words of massive angst  and growing bigger all the damn time. ::exhausted sigh:: Where's the grink?

A sunny Sunday morning with m'favourite doxy. A long, leisurely breakfast has been consumed, creamy eggs, buttered toast, juice, pan chocolat and copious quantities of Ethiopian coffee.

I think it goes without saying that we're still in our pjs.

Current status: lolling on our respective sofas, writing our respective fics. Soon we shall compare notes. Probably about the time I go and make vanilla lattes.I'm working on the final (O:! Oh yes indeedy!) chapter of Blue. I just finished the first draft but it needs much work yet before I can post it.

Just finished the first rough (very) draft of the pivotal, oh so that's why that happened then and she said that and all the rest of it. OK - chapter of Entanglement. 2,590 words though it felt much longer when I was working on it. Three more chapters to write...

Let's repeat that, because it feels so good.

Three more chapters to write and then the plotly bits will all be done! ::laughs at the sky like a mad loon:: There's still a ton to do but when the story is set out, I can piece it all together, identify the bits that need expanding and start filling the many holes. It's getting there. Currenly 125,000 words - still hoping to complete the first draft by early June.

The TS fic Blue is now a chapter from completion (two weeks still to go, it's only one chapter but it's a gosh-darned long one). The first 320 pages are already with the betas, bless their kind and patient hearts - so that's almost done now. I can hardly believe it. It will leave a hole in my life that I'm certain I shall find very easy to fill.:o)

It's been a funny old week, mostly consisting of toiling at the coal face of m'novel, endless housework and fist fights with the WI. I'm already feeling fragile and still so much to do today; a sitting room to clean, a father to feed and water, a work-out to complete - but at the end of it, a chilled bottie of Pinot Grigio, a delightfully runny Cornish brie, a tub of Greek olives and some of my favourite creamy garlic pasta await, for it be FRIDAY! my fluffy young chickens of luuurve! Let us give thanks and dance naked in the rain, if only metaphorically for even in our joy, there are others to consider.

I've already started sprinkling the weekend glitter, how about you?

In between <cough> acquiring old films, shopping and playing with Spotify I somehow managed to get 1903 words of the novel written and the next chapter of fic planned.

No, I don't know how either, but there it is.

And while researching my locations I found this! Filmed on Bedford High Street, 1975 - I could have been there! OK, I wasn't but heck - I could have been! *G*

No need for comment. :o) Just taking a well-deserved (oh babies, you have NO idea! *G*) break with a cup of soothing Russian Caravan before pressing on with the rest of the day and I see it's been a while since I updated my writerly progress and - hey, it's Friday! and I need a moment of distraction and prevarication so -

Where I'm at.
Entanglement - got a bit neglected as I dealt with life while writing a mega-chapter of TS fic, then had to tackle a mysterious character who wasn't giving it up at all well but we're back on track now. I've been working on the central character's history which is coming along pleasingly. I found a new character in the form of the slightly mad and Catweazle-like 'Old Jammy'; Old Jammy – named for his fondness for preserves and the sticky mess of it on his coat and beard. All summer long he was a martyr to wasps... Which was good.

As of this morning, 111,294 words, est. 57% done and still aiming to have the 1st draft done by midsummer.

The TS fic called Blue - got a  bit behind due to hanging out with a bunch of doxies all Easter but the last, massive chapter brings it to: 106,643 words, and est. 90% complete. Just 2, maybe 3 more chapters to go on that and she's DONE! Betas - bless you both, I haven't forgotten and shall send the story-so-far to you after I've done this.

OK. Break is really more than over and I must press on. I wish you all a delightful Friday! and a weekend to come of near-unbearable, glittering fabulousness and shall see you all later, perhaps, when all the dull stuff is finally done and we can dance naked 'neath the moon and sing 'It is the weekend and BANK HOLIDAY Weekend! at that. Let us praise all the Gods that preside over transient and fortuitous connections and worshipped by those least excellent of mankind! Oh yes indeedy!

I just spent a straight 5h 40 mins working on a fic without a break, I think that's a record for me. I think I may have broken something in the process, I feel a bit odd in the head.

Right. Shower, wine, dinner. ::nods::