Life has returned to normal. That's a good thing right?

[itsallovernow]

New music, which is always good.

A new year, and I should do the fic meme. But everything I wrote last year was unexpected. I never planned to write fanfic, never planned to get involved in fandom, certainly never planned to write vast amounts of smut for public consumption. I'm not at all sure what that means, but I can say that I've written things this past year that surprised me and pleased me and puzzled me and made me grin and made me blush, and all of them made me a better writer. I have no doubts on that front.

I always used to say that I'd never write fiction again because I wrote crappy dialogue. Which was an excuse because what I really wrote was crappy fiction. And I think I'm learning how to write something with plot and focus and heart, and so this year means doing that better, honing and refining and evaluating what I write so that everything gets better.

I read some gorgeous stuff over the holiday. Arcadia by Tom Stoppard, Briar Rose by Jane Yolen, Girl in Landscape by Jonathon Lethem and The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, which I liked but didn't love. I also read two Jennifer Crusie novels which are like chocolate and cheap wine. In moderation they make your whole body glow with good feeling:)

My father gave me his copy of The Silmarilion. It shook me up a little. That book's been in every bookshelf in every house he's had. I'm not sure it should be with me. And my stepmother, who's never asked before, asked if I'd think about moving back. My mother jumped on that bandwagon, actually saying out loud and in public, "If you move back, I'll find you a job and a man." You think they've evolved, and then they turn into Hollywood sterotypes:) She also referred to her cardiologist as a catch. I love her, but there are definite reasons that I live where I live;) She's normally not like that.

Happy belated birthday to shrift! Sounds like you're getting many a ficcy present, and I'm not sure that I can write something suitable, but for all of the work you've done for me, I'd certainly like to try. It will be late in coming, though:)

Doing crack_van recs for January. The mods of that community are amazing. All of the fandoms are indexed in the memories so that you can go look at what's been recced previously.

My office experienced a minor flood over the holidays and my chair mat has dissolved into a fascinating color and texture. And why yes, that was a random thought but I just mopped it and the stains came back like Lady Macbeth and Duncan's blood. It's kind of disgusting.

Oh, and this is also a GIP. Look what rubberneck made me!!