Happy (Belated) New Year!

[flighty_dreams]

It's been rather busy around Chez Flighty lately, so sorry for my delayed well wishings. I hope everyone had a good holiday, and is looking forward to the fresh possibilities of the New Year.

I'm not really a Resolutions kind of girl, but I do have plans, if anyone would be interested to hear them. Either way, I can look back on this post a year from now and either cry or pat myself on the back. :P

I certainly plan to continue my WIPs (including the long neglected Echoes!). At my current pace I don't think I'll finish Spliced by the end of this year (unless I really step it up), but it should be done next year. As for Scotch--I should finish the Early Days stuff this year but not the full story. We'll see. And Echoes... I'll make no promises as far as a timeline lol.

But I DO plan to finish all of them, for anyone worrying about being left hanging. I usually am writing something, whether tapping it out on the keyboard or in my head, but unfortunately my muse is rather ADD.

For the near future though, I've got Scotch 12 and Early Days #3 at the editing stage. And I also have a Spliced AU story I finished a while back that just needs some editing too, if anyone is interested in reading that. (Finishing Spliced Part 4 is my higher priority of course, but I had fun with the AU back in Oct/Nov.) And Spliced 4.14 needs lots of editing still.

I'll make no promises on exact posting dates, but as far as a progress report goes, that's where I'm at.

All right. That's all I got. Best wishes to you all for a safe and happy 2010!

Comments

[1more-sickpuppy.livejournal.com]

Hey, Happy New!
I never used to make Resolutions either because I knew I'd never keep them. Am considering a few things though, to be a more effective, less roundabout person, angsting less over unnecessary things etc.

I guess the trick is to promise some things that you know you'll do, and then you can feel heartened when you cross them off the list, lol.

I haven't read Spliced in quite some time, but it's not forgotten. So when the time comes, I'll have soooo many chapters all at once! :D

May your year be prolific and enjoyable!

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

More power to you if you make the Resolutions and keep them. I personally have a terminally bad lack of discipline (Hah, something that I should make a resolution for!), so I don't bother because failure is assumed. And that came out a lot sadder than it really feels. I don't lose sleep over it, honest.

And yes, exactly. If some of them are things you plan to do anyway, it can give you the boost of self-esteem you need to accomplish the others. ;-)

No worries, Spliced will still be there, and as you said you'll have plenty to read. :D

Thanks, same to you. :-)

[lab-jazz.livejournal.com]

Happy writing...I'm comforted that I'm still going to get over a years worth of "Spliced"

I love your writing and I'm glad that you don't just churn it out...that all your chapters have had a lot of thought and effort put into them.

Keep up the good work I say :)

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean. As glad as I'll be when I've finally finished 'Spliced', I'll also be sad, because I love the boys. It won't really be goodbye though; I know I'll write some side stories, interludes, etc. even after the main story is done. :-)

Thanks so much. I do go over it a lot before posting (I'm almost OCD about it, sigh), so it's nice to hear that the extra effort shows in some way.

I'll certainly try!!

[spike7451.livejournal.com]

Looks like lots of wonderful reading to look forward to.

Happy New Year, hope your 2010 is a year filled with good times. :)

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I hope so! :-)

Same to you, Lyn. <3

[lunasblues.livejournal.com]

That sounds like a great plan. And having a plan is better than no plan, for sure!

Also, as long as the plan includes more Brett and Jenna, all is well with the world:)

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

Yes, it definitely is! Writing has taught me that much. *cough* Outlines are helpful things. XD

Yes, I agree! And the world needs more Brett and Jenna. I'll have to work on that. ;-)

*pats Brett, who basks in the attention*

[sa-tsl.livejournal.com]

good luck ! * crosses fingers , wishes on a star and so on *

and why safe and happy ?! i want an adventure , adventure ! okay , kidding ( i mean i know what you meant . but i still want an adventure )

hey , i know WIP means something to do with your stories , but what does it mean exactly ? * muttering * how come im the only one who DOESN'T know this stuff ?

i dont get the Early Days thing . is that the early days of scotch or something ?

* go updates ! go updates ! jia you ! * the last one is in chinese ... XD and to you too ... Best wishes ...

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

Oh I'll take some adventure too, as long as it goes well. Everyone should return from the adventure safe!

WIP = work in progress. My stories aren't finished so far, so they are WIPs. And it's okay, some of us have been on LJ for years. There was a time when each of us didn't know what this stuff meant.

Yep, I'm referring to the Scotch Early Days stories.

Aha, cheering me on in Chinese. I took a couple years of Mandarin, but it's been a few years now so I've forgotten most of it. Sigh. Jintian wo de zhongwen shi bu tai hao! :(

[sa-tsl.livejournal.com]

zhongwen ? bu shi hua wen ma ?

and you took a couple of years in mandarin ? weird ! i mean , its my worst subject ! ever ! if i'd a choice , i wouldnt have chosen it . no offence . XD

thanks for the WIP thing ! and is there a link to the early days or are they all on the scotch index ? i'll be checking that out now , so no worries ! XD

'Everyone should return from the adventure safe!'
what ? i thought it was everyone should return from the adventure rich ! lolzXD

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

zhongwen = what they called Mandarin in my classes

haha, its a long story, but it wasn't my first choice either. and I was pretty terrible lol. I liked Japanese better.

hmm you read the first one already (I see a comment) but I dont know if you read the 2nd Early Days (Brett flashback) story. here it is:
http://flighty-dreams.livejournal.com/33314.html#cutid1

lol if the adventure is treasure hunting, then yes they should return rich. :P

[ilovetobefree.livejournal.com]

At my current pace I don't think I'll finish Spliced by the end of this year (unless I really step it up), but it should be done next year.
I'm not sure if I understand this sentence well. Does it mean Spliced could be finished in 2011? WOW! Anyway, I love this story and I'm looking forward to every update of it. :)
I wish you good luck with writing and happy 2010! :)

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

Yep, I'm about 90% sure that I won't finish Spliced in 2010. But I'm pretty certain I'll be done in 2011. Crazy no?

Thanks I'm glad to hear it! Good luck to you too and a happy 2010. :-)

[triptyx.livejournal.com]

Happy New Year! I hope you had a good beginning of this new year! :)

I am all happy about your plans in respect of your stories! Strangely, after nagging you to write more, I dont really want them to end, so I am happy we have still a lot of Splice coming our way! But what makes irrationally gleeful is more Scotch Early Days and chapter!!! :) :) :)
Gahhh oh no, Spliced AU, is it what I dread it is? Will my life again be in danger from Aurila's rage? >;D
Echoes! Echoes! >:) Poor Kurth is left knowing that he is now owned by the Queen, that he needs proper training and we still dont know what exactly that entails? ;)

Glad to hear from you again! I hope you are having a good year!

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

Thanks, same to you. :-)

Lol, another one of those contradictions. "Please, please write more, update, but don't finish the story!" Oh but I do understand. I will be sad to finish the boys' story (as well as impressed I really did it).

And I know, double doses of Brett, who can complain about that right? :P Dread my AU? There is nothing to dread! *whistles innocently*

Oh Kurth, the poor man. You are gleefully rubbing your hands together imagining the terrible things he will have to endure! I can see you from here! :P

Good so far, especially writing wise as I've been particularly productive this week. Good news, no? :D

[triptyx.livejournal.com]

Double doses of Brett are a PRIORITY!!! :)

Yes I dread the AU, maybe not the story itself but the fear that its that idea from another thread of doom and then I remember the risk my life could be in! ;)

But its not that I want terrible things happening to him, its only that I know how much work the Queen will have with him and the sooner she starts, and we get to watch, the better for everybody involved, so that terrible phase of his life is behind him! >:)

Very good news, I am so looking forward to the posting of that productivity!!! >:)

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

Oh Brett is always a priority, don't worry. :D

LOL. If it is the AU you fear, you have only yourself to blame! >:D

Pfft, nice try at making it seem as if you are trying to be supportive to Kurth during such a difficult time for him. I know you will enjoy his suffering far too much!! :P

We shall see! XD

[fran-fic.livejournal.com]

For the near future though, I've got Scotch 12 and Early Days #3 at the editing stage. And I also have a Spliced AU story I finished a while back that just needs some editing too, if anyone is interested in reading that. (Finishing Spliced Part 4 is my higher priority of course, but I had fun with the AU back in Oct/Nov.) And Spliced 4.14 needs lots of editing still.

*makes happy dance :-)*

I just got back from my trip yesterday, and going through my f-list now... this all sounds very good to me!! :-)

I read what you replied to Lab_Jazz, and I know the feeling. It feels fantastically good to finish a story, but when you have lived with the characters for so long... There's quite a lot of separation anxiety in it all as well. Mixed feelings for sure...

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

Ooh, hope you had fun on your trip. :-) Hehe, I didn't exactly expect that you'd be complaining about more slavefic. :D

Yeah, I've finished two novels now, but only during Nanowrimo. It's a far different feeling then lol. You are overwhelmingly happy to be done and to have your life back! And I wasn't anywhere near as attached to those characters as I am to these. Finishing Spliced will be a tough day for me. :( Definite separation anxiety, I can already sense it.

[fran-fic.livejournal.com]

Yes, thanks, it was nice :-) *LOL* In a way I am... There are many stories out there that I haven't checked out yet, and that I feel I can't get into or I'd get too distracted. So, yeah, in a way there are too much slavefic *LOL* But it's totally different with the few I am already following! With those you won't hear me complain that there are more :-)

I can imagine that writing in such a stressful manner as with nanowrimo you are just happy to have survived :-) But, yeah, when you take more time and write for years, you really get to know the characters and it's not easy to let go of them. I guess some writers don't... But I don't want to get caught in writing endlessly, a la soap opera, or making several sequels. I know my ideas would not be enough to fill all that up. Better end it while it still makes sense and has a point to it, I write long enough as it is. I guess my "method" is instead to write it so badly the first time around that I have to re-write the whole thing, and so I don't have to let go of them *LOL*

But yeah, I can see how Spliced is special for you (it sure is for many readers) and the characters are so real too, it will really be like your baby growing up and leaving home :-(

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I suppose that's true. There seem to be more stories all the time, and there just aren't enough hours in the day to read them all! XD Or even to start them and see if they hold my interest. Sigh.

Exactly, it's far different with a story you've spent years on. In that amount of time some of the characters truly do become like old friends you don't want to let go of. But yeah, you have to be careful of extending things for the wrong reasons. There are series out there where the author clearly didn't want to let go, and I look at it and think, "Was (for example) sixteen books and counting really necessary??"

LOL. That method is a good one. That is a good point. I will still have plenty of editing left to do later, so it definitely won't be a permanent farewell to the boys. ;-)

Yeah, or like moving away and knowing that even though you might keep in touch and see each other sometimes, that friend that was so close to you (emotionally and geographically), it won't be the same anymore once you've separated. Sad.

Of course, I could always just keep the boys chained up in my home. They wouldn't be able to go far then! :P

[fran-fic.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I remember we talked about that a while back, how the sub-genre of original slavefic has sort of had a small explosion since I, at least, started to post on-line way back when. And it's great, but sometimes it's a bit overwhelming too :-) It feels impossible to juggle both actively reading/commenting and writing, not to mention getting real life demands, seeing people and all other interests one has into the mix. And even so I work from home and have usually a lot of time. I have no idea how people working normal jobs do it :-)

Yeah, sometimes I wonder if I'm nuts the way I talk of the characters as if they were real :-)) and sometimes it almost feels like it, even if it's all just for fun of course.

Yes, I think it would be easy to extend things for the wrong reasons, as in not being able to let go of your 'babies', or you get a bit addicted to the attention. Professional writers sure have these problems too, yes, and for them I guess it's a money issue as well. A book series gets popular and sells well, and they try to milk it for all its worth, and keep churning out more parts. You can see how they have lost the passion for it, how all points were made long ago, and so on... but they still go on. I don't want to get caught in that trap, no, for whatever bad reason.

In fact, even if I do start new stories and come up with new characters, instead of hanging on too long with a few, I guess that my whole writership risks falling in that trap in the end. I mean, there are just so many variations on the same basic themes. I think I have between 10 or 15 stories (started or planned) that I could write without too much repetition (even if they sure will remind a lot of each other and have the same themes) and then I really don't think I will have much more to give in this particular genre without it getting pathetic :-)) I hope I'll stop then :-) With my "speed", it will still last me quite a few years, so I can't complain of disappearing too fast anyway :-)

Not that that "method" was in any way intentional :-)) Yes, it doesn't have to be a permanent farewell just yet! :-)

Yes, exactly like that. It will never be quite the same again, and that is sad. Writing like this, too, is a bit special. There are so much things going on around the writing, comments and discussions and social interaction and so on... you'll miss all the fun stuff, too, that wasn't really actual writing but still closely connected with the story and the characters.

*LOL* Good idea!! We have to stock up with chains and cages for all the characters we want to keep close :-))