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 )

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

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?

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?

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!

Would anyone be up to beta - maybe co-beta - an epic angst-fic for me?

It's not quite finished yet - I think there's another 4, maybe 5 chapters to write so, about another month before it'll be complete, but since it's already 103,000 words long whoever takes on the task will probably want to be starting sooner rather than later.

Happy to give details, just let me know if you might be interested.

Look at me, on my arse, drinking a rather fine Rioja in the middle of the day, how can this be? I finished cleaning, the house gleams like seven kinds of shiny, had a shower and, smelling sweetly of Penhaligon's Bluebell and in my pj's I thought, why not?

I haven't updated for a bit. progress on all ongoing projects is hardly impressive, but steady. No Zokuto word meter because... O:! WHY???

That naughty slice of creamy lit called Entanglement is coming along well, plot and characters taking shape nicely: 68,549 words completed of an est. 200,000 which my calculator tells me = 34.3%

That seemingly endless TS fic, Blue marches on apace, still on schedule for completion in May:
92,591 words; 65%

And despite previous protestations, I may have found myself involved in a fic for Moonridge. Honest to gawd, Doctor, I have no idea how it happened! I just slipped and found myself buried inside this gratuitous piece of extreme Blair-angst! - I can tell ee I do not work alone, another TS writer of infamy and renown be involved in this appalling crime against nature. No estimates available at this time as I has no idea, my lovelies, how long twill be when tis done (why am I suddenly talking like a pirate? O:!)  Ahaharrrr! Oooh arrrr!

But now I must away for I has ficly blurb to be a writin' for this here scurvy tale, deed I do. ::hobbles off on wooden leg. Hits head on low beam due to restricted field of view caused by eye-patch. Utters most sore an' wrathful curses, arrrrrrrr.::

I'll bet y'all can't wait.

Work has been ongoing. The novel Entanglement, especially is going very well. Not a lot more in the way of fresh wordage, but a lot of progress on the story and motivation and stuff like that.

I spent a whole day working on one character, Jess; working through each phase of her story from the moment the protagonist meets her until her disappearance and in so doing, I found not only the ending, but the whole meaning of the story!

It's hard to describe because it's a complicated tale but, brief as I can - Originally Jess was the crux of the story - she was the reason everything goes wrong for me 'hero' (he's not very heroic. *g*) but then, scrapped that and she just became the consequence of events going awry - then I realised she was far more important - not the reason for what happens, but the meaning...

I'm not explaining it well. Take it from me that what I discovered as I worked through these chapters was crucial and has made me happy. *G*

As for the the ending, I already had it, I worked it out a few weeks ago, but not the reason for it. It's quite a sad ending on the surface, and rather cruel to two important characters and I couldn't work out why - then I realised that this character Jess is so important - she gives the whole thing meaning and makes the end, far from sad and downbeat, actually makes it a hopeful and positive thing.

Anyway, word counts are as follows - Entanglement; coming on well

52,812 / 200,000 (26.4%)

My TS fic Blue has suffered as a consequence with only half a chapter finished this week, but now the novel is running on clean, smooth rails, I'm expecting to catch up this week.

83,257 / 142,000 (58.6%)

Such was my writerly week my darlings. I hope yours has been good to you, too. XXX

Since much Googling has failed me. You're an American; you've been charged with murder and refused bail, they're going to hold you in prison till your trial.  In the UK, this would be termed 'remanded in custody'. What would it be called in the US?

(I'm sure I asked this once before but darned if I can find the post so maybe not.)
Many TIA.

ETA. Apparently it's pretty much the same, remanded into custody. Thank you everyone.

Slow but steady. I've just finished a brief chapter of Entanglement in which we first meet poor Jess, aka (oh noes!) teh VICTIM! a slightly dodgy but respectable 1,450 words which brings the current total to:

26,065 / 200,000 (13.0%)

I finished another chapter of Blue this morning, it'll need a read-through but should be up, as per tomorrow. Current status, right on schedule!

78,249 / 142,000 (55.1%)

Such was my week. I have nothing much else to say, really. I've cleaned here and there, chopped some wood, shopped, read four books and written two reviews, still working on the new website and my Vic and Bob mood theme. Tonight I'm off out with a friend, if all goes as usual we shall discuss Cuba, Peru and Venezuela until we've got a couple of beers down out necks and then it'll be mostly Mighty Boosh impressions and Russell Brand.

Urm...

That's it, I'm afraid. My life is insufferably dull. *g* I hope you're all having a simply marvellous weekend my lovely wee piglets. Keep the home fires burning - unless you're on the bottom half of this most goodly orb in which case, light no fires and may all the Gods send you nice breezes to cool your bottoms with.

Sending love XXX

ETA: Sorry there's no cut but it was doing mental things to this post.