Would you look at that, I’d managed to squish this post with what I meant to be my 8 year Blogiversary, and. Well. It is, in fact, my 9 year Blogiversary. 🎂 Hah. How about that.
2022 is well under way, so let’s briefly dwell on the past.
“Where were you, you haven’t posted anything since September 2020?!?” First of all, kudos to you for noticing. Despite the constant self-inflicted, unfortunately self-sustaining* guilt trip running loops in the back of my mind, I sometimes forget I have a blog to nourish. (Fine, that’s a lie. Unless I’m well distracted. Or drowning in my unpleasant feelings and the guilt of not updating is an anchor to the head, you know the feeling. Right?) Second of all, I… was. I was here? Just, here, in my room, at my desk, on the internet… Generally not writing and beating myself up about it.
*Just imagine the green revolution if we could power our lives with our emotions. I could stand on a street corner and yell “extra guilt! Charge up your device!” Or maybe certain emotions for certain types of devices/charges? Hm, this sounds like a story. Yes this is how my brain works, stories everywhere!
Since my last update, I
- got a job (this is not important for the writing, but tremendously helpful for my mental health in nipping the uselessness in the bud – until I start doubting whether I’m doing that properly)
- wrote and finished 2 whole stories! 🥳 Yes fanfiction, but over 10k of goodness that I’m proud of
- had an epiphany about thoughts I didn’t realize I’d had for… over a year?
- edited a short story and excited about it because rewriting a scene suggested by feedback (which felt off to me) improved it a lot and aligns with my theme (vision?) for it 🤩
- read more in 2021 than possibly ever? I didn’t keep track, but it’d be fair to say about 90-95% of it was fanfiction, and yes I had (have) so much fun! So many good storytellers out there 🤓
That’s a nice summary (I’m probably forgetting the other half), the not so nice summary I’m keeping to myself (for now?).
Meanwhile, the world keeps doing its… thing? 👀
In retaliation, I’ve been doing my thing.
Which is… uh, writing. Sort of. (Sometimes?) Once in a blue moon. I think about writing a lot, and I had a few new ideas, but I’ve gotta say, a pandemic on top of everything already weighing me down prior did not, in fact, improve things.
(Let’s not get into who benefited from the pandemic and all its ramifications, it’s more that can, or should, be said in a blog post, on a writing blog no less, and definitely deserves to be discussed by someone more knowledgeable.) But I digress.
What have I been up to now, you ask?
Well, I returned to my job (still wrestling with a proper sleep schedule, curses), and I was working on a makeover for my blog, got all excited to try the Full Site editing and everything (it was telling I hadn’t updated in too long because the new block features I didn’t want to use are actually cool to mess around with), but it didn’t work like I wanted and I ran out of time. So I returned to my painstakingly achieved minor makeover of what I have. It’ll do, I’m sure by the time I’m ready to change things again, the hiccups in the beta version will be worked out. 🤞
Last year I found an answer I didn’t think I needed to a question I couldn’t think of until I learned new things. I’m hoping this year I’ll be able to get some answers to questions I’ve long asked about my writing (the most burning one I run into anytime I even think about potentially publishing anything: what genre do I write!?).
Hmm. Writing about writing is a good reminder that I do like it, even if I’ve been frustrated and stuck and without direction for much longer than I’d like. The fact is, even when I’m not actively, physically writing, my brain converts coincidences, ideas, and new information into stories anyway. Might as well write them down and share, right? Seems like a waste not to. So maybe, just maybe, I shouldn’t worry so much about what to do with this blog and how it can help others because, as writing advice goes, “write for yourself.”
Look at that, I’m so wise talking to myself! Amazing, I never cease to impress me. (Good and bad. 😉) Hopefully my monologue (or is it dialogue because I’m kinda talking to the screen, does that count? Is there a me at the keyboard and a me in the screen? Yeah okay, jotting this down as another story idea) can provide some insights to your musings, and if not, maybe it made you smile! 😊
I’ve exhausted my wisdom for the day (night), so I’ll keep writing the next post now that it’s not squished into another. Some things need their own space, after all.
Write on, stay sane, and have a flower, as a reminder of the coming spring: 🌷
Mel
Melinda's Musings 