Moving + writing

[luzula]

Whew, I am done with this stage of my moving, but it was a struggle. There was just more stuff, and then more stuff, as happens when a succession of housemates have lived in an apartment and left shit behind (wtf, why does Microsoft Word’s dictation censor the word shit and replace it with ***??). And I was left to take care of it. One particularly careless housemate even left dirty dishes in the sink when she left!!! *boggles* I am very grateful for my dad who helped me on the last day. Also very grateful I paid for the cleaning and made the housemates pay for some of that. And I am looking forward to hopefully getting housemates who take more responsibility.

I have managed to keep writing throughout most of this, and now have three chapters and 15K of my current longfic! I love it when a story is alive in my head: I always have a rough outline in my head when I start, with the main plot and with the basic emotional and/or relationship arc. But as for smaller plot details, they usually bloom and embroider themselves in my head when I get to that part of the story, and it's such a delight! When I've thought of a title for the story, I suppose I'll start posting it as I go.

Comments

[ride_4ever]

Yays for that stage of your move being done! How far was the move from the former place to the current place? Does the current place already have other established housemates?

[luzula]

My current place is my parents' house. : ) I'm staying there over the summer, with my stuff in storage in their garage, before moving to my new place in September.

[ride_4ever]

Oh, what a nice arrangement -- a familiar place and no new housemates as a midpoint before continuing the move.

[chestnut_pod]

Yay, progress!!

(Dishes in the sink post-move-out? Genuinely criminal.)

[luzula]

(Dishes in the sink post-move-out? Genuinely criminal.)
Thanks for the support. Yeah, I just...I was boggling. This is the person who also still owes me money for rent.

[sanguinity]

Hurrah! You are packed! (I assume that's the that stage that you have completed!) And hurrah for hiring help -- a move is SO MUCH EFFORT on your own.

Also a hurrah for the story progressing so well! I look forward to when you start posting!

[luzula]

Yeah, I paid for movers to transport most of my stuff as well, and it was still a ton of work! The completed stage is moving to my parents' house. : ) I'm staying there over the summer, with my stuff in storage in their garage, before moving to my new place in September.

I look forward to when you start posting!
Yay! *feels encouraged*

ETA: Also, I am rewarding myself with the next Hornblower book (Atropos)!

[nineveh_uk]

Microsoft Word has dictation software??

Moving is such a pain. May your next housemates be less thoughtless.

[luzula]

Yes! It's under the "Home" menu and then there's a button for dictation to the right (at least on my screen). Very useful for when my hands are hurting, which they sometimes do.

And thanks for the good wishes!

[edwardianspinsteraunt]

Hooray on finishing this stage of your moving! And argh, inconsiderate housemates are so frustrating - many commiserations. When I was in uni accommodation during the pandemic, one of my flatmates thought it would be a good idea to leave a large bagfull of perishable food items (including fresh milk and a half-eaten pack of hummus) in the shared kitchen in case anybody wanted them (??). I left a few days after her, so I ended up having to throw everything out, and by that time it was in a very poor condition.

Horror stories aside, I'm so glad the writing is going well! I have a similar approach of rough mental outline but allowing smaller details to emerge spontaneously - and it's so fun and exciting when they all click into place!

[luzula]

Augh. Giving things away is good, if you do it in a thoughtful manner...

I have a similar approach of rough mental outline but allowing smaller details to emerge spontaneously - and it's so fun and exciting when they all click into place!
Yes! : D I'd been having a small writing slump, and it's good to get back from that.

[jesse_the_k]

MS Word be d@mned! (I taught my phone to swear by adding a system-level text replacement: expand “fuck” into “fuck”. looks like this is a similar process in Windows Word)

Argh, housemates.

Moving moving moving!

[luzula]

Hee. I mean, I assume I can also just turn off the auto-correct (it's a new computer, so I haven't gotten around to it).

[china_shop]

they usually bloom and embroider themselves in my head when I get to that part of the story, and it's such a delight!

I love that feeling so much!!

Congrats on the writing going well, and very best of luck with the move! <3

[luzula]

Yes! : D And thanks for the good wishes. <3

[umadoshi]

Hooray for both moving progress and WORDS!

[luzula]

Thank you! : )

[sovay]

I have managed to keep writing throughout most of this, and now have three chapters and 15K of my current longfic!

Hooray!

[luzula]

Very satisfying! I'd been having a small writing slump, and it's good to get back from that. Well, slump is probably the wrong word: it's more the knowledge that I'm not in New Fandom Energy mode any longer in my current fandom, but more Established Relationship, and it's good to know that I can still be inspired.

[ride_4ever]

Pondering your words about "New Fandom Energy" and "Fandom Established Relationship". I have this distinct memory of the first time I modded a panel at a con (due South panel at Muskrat Jamboree, co-modded by bethbethbeth) when someone said to me that I was in the "honeymoon phase" with my fandom...or, as you've called it, "New Fandom Energy". Now that I've been in dSC6D for over a decade, it's very much what you have called "Established Relationship". I wrote fic then and I write fic now...but I can feel the difference in how I write it.

[luzula]

For me at least, the analogy with romantic relationships feels quite apt--there's the same head-over-heels phase, and then after a while you settle down into an established relationship. And they take up the same kind of emotional space in my life, too: I've fallen out of a fandom when I fell in love with someone, and then later on got over that person when I fell into a new fandom.

[regshoe]

\o/ Hooray for getting through the first stage of moving! I know some of the pain of 'aargh, so much stuff', although other people's dirty washing-up is certainly going a bit far. Best of luck for the rest of the move.

(wtf, why does Microsoft Word’s dictation censor the word shit and replace it with ***??)

How polite! That's not even the right number of letters.

I have managed to keep writing throughout most of this...

<3

[luzula]

Oh sorry, it is **** and not ***! I misspelled it. : )

In a way, I suppose we're both in a similar sort of in-between place right now, when it comes to our living situations. I am lucky to get along well with my parents. There's the occasional political quarrel/disagreement, but we have a solid enough relationship for that not to ruin things for us, for which I'm very glad.

[regshoe]

Yes, I suppose so—are you at your family summer place now until you move into the new house? And that's good! My parents and I avoid political quarrels by not talking about things—we're all pretty conflict-averse, I think—and while it's certainly not ideal it works well enough day to day.

[luzula]

My mom is the kind of person who flares up in irritation/anger over political issues and also over practical/daily life ones (which can be frustrating in the moment) but she's never "långsint" and it blows over like a shower of rain. That can sometimes be easier than tiptoeing around things, I think.

[regshoe]

Funnily, perhaps, I don't really feel like I have to 'tiptoe'—although I am probably too used to regarding certain topics as simply 'nope, can't talk/voice opinions about that'. I think I would find frequent small outbursts pretty stressful! Well, it's a good thing we each have a non-ideal situation that's easier for us to deal with, at least. :)

[luzula]

To be honest, I have struggled with my relationship with my mom in the past--she's the only person I ever quarrel with! But we're in a pretty good place now, and when I know we have a solid relationship at bottom, it's easier to let these small outbursts pass over. I'm also aware that she's growing old and that she won't be there forever, and I want to spend the time that we have together well. I know I'll miss her terribly when she's gone.

[regshoe]

That's good that you're in a good place now :) And yes, true—much of the reason I'd find small outbursts stressful would be because I'd be worrying that it might turn into more and affect our relationship more deeply.

[nnozomi]

Very late comment, but congratulations on getting (this stage of) the moving done with!

But as for smaller plot details, they usually bloom and embroider themselves in my head when I get to that part of the story, and it's such a delight!
This is, like, the BEST thing about writing. I'm so glad it's happening to you right now.

[luzula]

Thanks! : ) And also thanks for the lovely postcard, which reached me yesterday. Exemplary parent-readable content, thank you!