Forget your troubles, come on, get happy!

[apple_pathways]

I've been rather negative lately. Time for a Happy Post Round-Up.

♥ Finished my Hunger Games entry for dark_fest! F YEAH! (The fairy tale verse...might be shelved for awhile. My brain can't process meter at the moment.) If anyone has the time to look over this story and give it a quick beta before tomorrow afternoon, let me know: otherwise, I'll just give it a once-over myself in the morning and send it in. (WARNING: this is a dark!fic. It contains non/dubcon themes and issues of maternal apathy/neglect. Umm...yeah.)

♥ GOING TO CHICAGO NEXT MONTH! F YEAH, pretend mini-vacations!

♥ Music Meme. Y'all now how I like those:

I've done this one before, but WHATEVS: music meme! Crying out for completion.

Want a letter? Ask for a letter! I'll give you a letter, and you list your five favorite songs beginning with that letter!

I have been given a 'C' by the lovely planejane. (C is for cookie, that's good enough for me...)



"A Case of You" - Joni Mitchell

"Cecelia" - Simon & Garfunkel

"Close Call" - Rilo Kiley

"Cosmic Love" - Florence + The Machine

"The Crane Wife 3" - The Decemberists

* BONUS VIDEO *
"C is For Cookie" - Cookie Monster

Comments

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I hear people that actually schedule to finish ahead of deadlines can do this.

Ha! No, I was not so forward with my planning. The way the fest works is you email a copy of your finished submission to the mod for them to check over, and then they assign you a date to post your fic. Since the authors are posting the fics and not the mods, technically I can fiddle with it all the way up until my posting date.

And as for writer's block, that sucks. I don't suppose you've tried walking away for it for a while? I have tested that; the muses generally can't stand this, often running after you, pleading for a second chance.

Do you mean walking away from a specific project, or walking away from writing altogether for awhile? I keep trying to ease back on my writing commitments, but it's hard: there's always something coming up I want to do! And since I feel the need to finish just about everything I commit to, it makes for a horrible rush of projects to finish.

Right now, I have a monthly fic-writing commitment to thegameison_sh and a prompt I claimed for my own fest at sherlockmas. (It would not look good if I didn't honor that one!)

I think a prolonged break from fests, exchanges, and other commitments is definitely in order. I should just write for myself, without a deadline, and publish when I'm good and ready. Blech.

(Anyway, thank you for the compliment, and for reading my story! xx)

Am tempted to stalk your friend because I totally would have jumped in on that epic House analysis :)

Go for it! Just mention you found your way via me, and things should be cool. evilhippo loves a good meta discussion, and I'm sure she'd welcome any input you have. (She's in Portland at the moment, though, so I wouldn't expect a response right away.)

Anyway. Are you working on anything at the moment?

[jobey-in-error.livejournal.com]

Do you mean walking away from a specific project, or walking away from writing altogether for awhile?

Good question! Walking away from writing altogether, I think--though that sounds awfully final. Shutting off the damn computer and doing some housework often seems to make my creative mind get into gear. It feels like threatening my muse. Hey, I'm not going to wait around all day, I say. Muse: Okay, okay! Look, here's an idea! The walking away might not last more than an afternoon or even an hour, but I find that I can't "trick" myself by taking an hour off--I really have to convince myself that I'm quitting for the day/weekend before it'll work.

I know a change is as good as a rest, but working on something else sounds like an invitation to multiplying unfinished projects. But I'd like to try it and see how it goes one of these days.

Is the "blech" because you're tired in general, or because the idea of not writing for a deadline takes the edge out of it for you? ;)

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

I don't know. I like writing to deadlines--it's motivating and gives me something to aim for. But when I'm in a good writing groove, I don't need deadlines: I'm excited to get my ideas out on the page. I haven't had that for awhile, though.

I think part of my problem is I have too many hobbies, so if I walk away from my writing, I don't have a problem finding other things to occupy my mind. Already, I'm shifting into full-on Garden Mode, I have a crochet project going, and I'm in the middle of a book I'm enjoying.

What I need to do is finish whatever commitments I've made, and then give myself a true break: where I don't have some deadline looming, or some unfinished project taunting my from my harddrive.

[jobey-in-error.livejournal.com]

I think part of my problem is I have too many hobbies, so if I walk away from my writing, I don't have a problem finding other things to occupy my mind. Already, I'm shifting into full-on Garden Mode, I have a crochet project going, and I'm in the middle of a book I'm enjoying.

Have you tried not being so awesome?

Seriously, though, I guess the question that comes to me then is: why angst about the writing then? If you were in a crocheting creative slump, would you be as worried about it as writer's block?

*wishes good luck on sweeping away all those pesky commitments, it sounds like a plan*

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

I guess the question that comes to me then is: why angst about the writing then?

It's a good point, but if you knew me better, it's one you wouldn't bother asking! (I'm...rather tightly wound, let's just say!) I suppose it's just that writing has always been a passion of mine, but one I've never stuck with for a long enough period to do anything about it. I don't have illusions of becoming a professional writer, but I would like to sell something, someday and to do that, I need more practice.

If you were in a crocheting creative slump, would you be as worried about it as writer's block?

Sorta, yeah! (Like I said: tightly wound!) I do feel...guilty, I guess...if I put it down for too long. (Actually, this reminds me: one of my friends is having baby #2 this summer, and I need to make him something!)

But no, not as worried as the writer's block!

I think it's time I just admit that I am mentally ill and in need of a prescription for tranquilizers.

Or a glass of wine.

Or five. :P