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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 )

Only I don't, not very much these days. Alas, the life of the gilly is a rather dreary and uneventful place of late and it seems a waste of everyone's time to be posting nonsense about nothing. I haven't even twittered in an age.

I still live, is, I suppose, the message of this pointless post, that and my old friend prevarication...

I'm still (yeah) waiting for news on the novel from th'Agent. I sent him a terribly gently worded prod a few weeks ago to which he responded that he still hadn't had time to finish it. It's getting on for 10 weeks since I sent him the full ms and I've run out of patience so I'm sending it off to some more agencies, which means I now have to produce a proper submission including the dread 'one page synopsis'.

Boiling a 548 page novel down to a single page is something of a bugger. I currently have it at 19 pages - hence this post. Anything (anything!!!) rather than go back to the ceremonial brain-boiling that is that bloody (bloody!) synopsis.

But such is life.

I'm working on a second novel at the moment, should anyone give a monkeys, a sequel to the last. I've prevaricated nicely on that one, too (see the shiny icon!) - and there's fic, too. fluterbev and I have been communing, work is ongoing, we're working to finish Decimated by Christmas but life may well get in the way of our well-crafted plans so I can promise nothing.

Urm. I think that's it, really. It's awfully dark and dreary outside. My coffee's going cold. I should get back to work. I hope life is being a perfect poppet for you all. ::making the kissy face:: XXX

It's a while since I did one of these. Don't worry, just a quickie.

Decimated. The fic I'm writing with the adorably sexy, massively talented fluterbev is now almost 13,000 words long, a constant joy to write and read and continuing to fill me with the most evil glee.

Entanglement. The second draft well underway now. I'm calling the process an 'edit', though it seems to be constantly growing rather than diminishing. It's acquired 3 new chapters already and it's not even half way through yet. 19 of 50(?) chapters put to bed, 69,275 words.

And that's it. See, that wasn't too painful was it? Top Gear tonight! My loins are freshly girded, my happy trousers clean and ironed, early cocoa and school in the morning...



I'm so sorry, I fear I have gone mad.

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

Can we be returned to our regular weather now please?

Thank you.

Been to Matalan. Pjs and t shirts have been achieved (and OMG! pink!) also sweat pants for the necessary work out and other sundry unexciting things. Got a nice big coffee mug for £2. I like Matalan, it takes the misery out of clothes and household shopping ::nods::

So. Currently feeding and watering myself prior to tackling the new, shiny chapter ten of the novel and a chapter of  Decimated, the fic I'm writing with the everso nicely naughty fluterbev . I must press on, I have been terribly remiss on the writing front of late.

Have some midweek love you naughty doxies. XXX

It's five O' Clock and it's Crackerjack! half past twelve and I've not put a finger to a keyboard yet.

Been busy. Been buying a new - well, new to us, refurbished, blue! - Aga from a very nice boy with a very noice aksent from Hereford and trying not to have nightmares over the £££. ::wibble::

Also been dealing with British Gas Plummer Man! Our Hero! Yes, whenever pipes are broken, or menaced by international communism, British Gas Plummer Man is ready and yes indeedy! He has fixed our hot water pressure problems and hot water is again flowing from the taps! No longer is showering more akin to standing under a slightly leaky gutter! I can has proper shower once mo!

Anyway, all that means no writing done yet but hey ho the nonny. I cock my shiny weekend snook at work for a bit and settle in for a little early cheese in the shape of this deliciously runny Camembert and a peach or two. There is more cheese for later in the attractively curvy shape of a ripe (very!) Reblochon, and wine (a Chilean Chardonnay Semillion ) and olives too, for it is FRIDAY! after all. The sun may not be shining but that means I don't have to go out and do workly things in the garden. The weekend forecast is for SUN. I have the wine, I'm up for that.

Right. Well. That's about it really. I'm hoping to bang out a couple of chapters of Moonridge fic Decimated this weekend. Otherwise, just presing on with the second draft of Entanglement which is coming on rather well. I've written a whole new chapter to ease the progress of the plot that actually had some laughs in it! I'm up to chapter 10 (of an est 50), 36,000 words completed. A long way to go yet. I'm also in the process of setting up a blog for the novel, of which more when it's ready to bear its bottom to the cold, cruel world.

Well, that's it I suppose. Carry on my darlings, I'm sure you're all doing very well.

Now that the list is complete, I'd like to thank the (omg!) 27generous people who donated to Moonridge for the story  fluterbev and I are writing together. $540 for the animals! Unbelievable! Thank you all so very much.

I'll be emailiing you all later with details of when you can (hopefully) expect to get your story.

Thank you all, you rock like the Himalayas!

ETA: Not complete for there are more, a total 29 now; $580! Beyond awesome, thank you all so much!

ETA 17.06.09: For the record, 31 contributors, $620!!!

What's the average vacation time for an American university student? How long is spring break, usually, and how long the summer (is it called summer break? How would you describe that, pretty-please)?

What time of year would those 2 vacation times occur? Approx dates are fine, thankee kindly.

Many TIA my lovelies.