2018, Orienting

[schneefink]

Overall I feel like not much happened this year – even though I doubt it's objectively true – but I think I have a clearer picture now of where I am and in which direction I want to go, which is good.


I actually completed the 120 days writing habit challenge on getyourwordsout, but I didn't finish many stories. I published around ~14k.
Fic I wrote
Connection to the Unknown (Steerswoman/Star Trek: Discovery) – a short crossover snippet just for fun.
Ice + Fire (The Adventure Zone: Balance) – this one is tiny but I like it a lot.
Only a little (The Bright Sessions) chapter 3 – I finished my first WIP! Mind-control h/c, I'm satisfied with how it turned out.
Undead Memories (The Adventure Zone: Balance) chapters 3+4 – this one is still unfinished, but I want to finish it in 2019.
Uncut Gems (The Fire's Stone) – time travel + body sharing from an outsider PoV, I'm not completely satisfied with how it came out but it's ok.
On the Day She Dies (Bloodrights) – I wrote Bloodrights fic! I've wanted this fic to exist for about a decade and now I wrote it.
The Tower With the Orbs (To Whatever) – it was fun writing a drabble again.
To You (To Whatever) – romance in monologue style, I'm pretty happy with this one.

I recced stuff occasionally, though as every year not as much as I wanted. I made a few Fanlore edits and almost got sucked in again but narrowly avoided it. (So. Much. Missing.) Mostly, I read a lot of fic, got slightly better at commenting and tried to leave many comments, and tried to talk to more people.

Exactly as last year: My main fannish home is still DW for social interaction and AO3 for fic, and I spend time on Tumblr but mostly lurk. I spent more time on Twitter this year but more for politics than fandom, and some time on Reddit.

I didn't have a main fandom this year; I miss it, especially for the writing inspiration. But I'm sure I'll find one eventually. Things I for a time/to a certain degree felt fannish about this year included Critical Role, The Magicians, Star Trek Discovery, The Good Place, Black Sails, Black Panther, Guardian… I watched and read several other things and enjoyed them but without that level of fannish engagement. I read more books this year again, that was fun.

Fandom-adjacent (at least that's what it feels like), we finished our long-running D&D campaign, it was great. Currently I'm DMing my own campaign, it's a lot of fun (but also stressful.) The campaign is already longer than I originally planned and I have no idea how long it'll be in the end.


In non-fannish news, our lease was not renewed and my flatmate DD and I moved into a new apartment. I like it a lot, both the apartment and living together just the two of us, we fit well. I also joined a choir again, that's fun.

I also decided that I'm going to finish the Business Law degree. It's very interesting, even tax law, but work, too. That will take up the next few years, which is almost intimidating – several years is a lot, and last time it took me twice as long as planned and maybe I learned things but last time I was doing better when I started (or at least I thought I was.) But I have to concentrate on how much I like it; and a bonus incentive is that I'm pretty sure it'll be easier to find a job with this degree than my previous one, which is a little relieving.

Speaking of work, I worked part-time from late August until December, same job as last year again, which was fine. Now I'll have to look for a new job again, boo.

I'd planned to go on at least two dates and ended up not going on any, maybe I should put more effort into it, but right now a romantic partner is something that would be a very nice bonus but doesn't feel very important to have so it's harder to find the energy.

Plans for 2019:
- continue with my studies
- get a new job
- procrastinate less
- put more effort into cultivating friendships
- write stories
- go on at least two dates
- several other smaller things (a bit more sports, a bit more political involvement, more baking etc.)

Thanks to all of you for being you and being here and all the interactions, and all the best, health and joy and love and energy, to you and your loved ones.

Comments

[sheron]

Good luck with the law degree! It is great to study something you want to study :)

[schneefink]

Thanks! Civil law next semester, should be interesting :)

[dr_zook]

Good luck with the job hunting-- and the dating! Never had the knack for both, yet worked out so far for me. :)

Have a marvellous year yourself!

[schneefink]

For both I'm hoping that opportunities will just appear, that would be much more convenient than having to put effort into it ^^

[sholio]

Congrats on all of this! I hope you have a great year. ♥

[schneefink]

Thank you <3

[nonesensed]

Congrats on completing the writing habit challenge! I think 14k in a year is a lot for someone writing in their free time!

I feel you when it comes to missing having a "main fandom". It's nice to have a focus to feed one's creativity into. But being a DM is kind of writing D&D fanfic, so maybe that will have to be my source of fandom for a while XD

Sounds like you have a ton of great things ahead of you! Hope you have a great January and onward :D

[schneefink]

I should just stop comparing myself to my favorite authors, who are all much more prolific, but as always easier said than done. Yeah, D&D definitely plays into that same area of creativity - only the characters more literally have a mind of their own ^^

[nonesensed]

I feel you there - I keep reminding myself that all us writers have different life situations and that there's so much "invisible" stuff we do that take energy away from writing that we might not notice. I think you're doing fantastic! And yeah, the challenge of D&D players just going off on their own merry way, no matter what you as DM has planned XD I've learned to prep as little as possible for each session, to save energy and put myself in the mind-set for all the improve I'll eventually have to do, hehe.