loaded_march

So I had the ball -- then I dropped it. The ball rolled under the sofa and disappeared in the Dark Void, where it was snatched by whatever Monsters Live Under Random Furniture, presumably to add to their hidden hoard of Shiny-Things-And-Socks. As, once upon a time, I learned the lesson of never sticking my hand down unknown spaces without first (a) asking permission, and (b) wearing protection -- I'm talking about metal gauntlets, people, get your minds out of the gutter -- I chickened out of retrieving the ball and left it there.

For, ah, a couple of months.

Except for that random posting attempt in late May, it's taken me this long to get that ball back. Some of it was a matter of hiking my pants up higher, tipping my helmet up, and stalking forward like a Viking marching into a beastly cavern toward certain doom or victory, but forgetting to actually walk in. Mostly, though, I haven't been around because my head hasn't been in a good place.

Everything's fine, I promise. All those I love are healthy and safe. Nothing's been lost or destroyed. I have no explanation besides the fact that I was... well. I guess the best word for it is struggling.

I think I'm still struggling, in some ways. But I'm fine. Or I will be, I suppose.

In summary, the last two months?  Work has gotten worse on some levels, but better in others; unfortunately, the scales still don't balance out. So I've been hiding and not writing as much as I could, and have been busying myself with gardenwork and Dumb Things(TM) that make me happy. It means all of my writing projects got put on hold, all the other associated writing projects got put on hold, and I'm not where I'd hoped I'd be by this point in time.

(And that's okay.)

But, short version?

The LM-Reboot/original fiction?  There has been progress. Rough estimates are now at 80,000 words, with the ending of what will be Book 1 of 3 (maybe 5) definitely in sight (but not quite there, yet). Draft Zero, ahoy!

The website I told myself I'd put together for my original fiction?  I've hauled ass and started work on it, but my graphics skills are appallingly bad, so I'm looking for artists to commission to do different bits and pieces. I haven't been looking very hard thus far, so if you know of anyone taking commissions, please share!

For the special project I'm working on, there's been progress that I can't talk about yet, but I'm hoping people will be as excited about it as I am. Again, I haven't done as much with it as I would've liked, and the outcome has been pushed back, but -- progress is progress.

How has everyone been?