I'm Writing Again! *squee!!*
Evidently my Muse has finished whatever set of trans-oceanic cruises she's been indulging in, and I've managed to do more writing in the last 3 days than I have in the last 3 months. All of it LOTR fanfiction: a story that is a sequel of a sequel of a sequel of "In The House of Elrond" that has been percolating in the back of my mind for years - it pushed itself out in 3 days (at 4400+ words;) about 2000 words on the next (24th) chapter of IDD (I Dhaerlend Dadui) which is the main story in my head!canon of pre- and post-WotR Middle-earth/Valinor. I've also added about 400 words to yet another story in that "!verse" that comes post-IDD timeline-wise. I've also tinkered with (as in tweaked wording to a greater or lesser extent) on the latest story in the "In The Elvenking's Forest" series that included the "In The Dark" story set. And I've re-established my love affair with Thranduil - I do adore him. I love Elrond deeply, but it's Thranduil who really gets to me. And while I appreciated Lee Pace's portrayal (realizing that his interpretation was as much a victim of PJ's anti-Thranduil "mean Elvenking" take more than anything else) I don't see Lee Pace when my Muse is feeding me breadcrumbs.
At least, not yet.
What's better still, I'm starting to dream the stories again and hash through what comes next - which means my Muse means business and expects me to sit down and pay attention as of Right Now. I wish I had the same command of her as she seems to have of me. I'd have finished IDD long since, "Confession" would have been written years ago, "Out of Lorien" years ago, and maybe I would have come up with more ideas on Maglor's eventual story in Avathar (yes, I've even been working on a story that tells that tale.
(BTW, if any of my former Lizard Council droogs might be interested in serving as a beta for the stuff I'm coming out with, I'd be eternally grateful. I miss that place like crazy when I start to produce and then know that it won't get a good look-over before I have to decide to post or not... Best of all, most of you guys have read IDD and know enough that any "spoilers" wouldn't be spoilers.)
Now, if I could just finish that damnable The Pretender monster fic that has been hanging fire for more than 12 - count 'em, TWELVE - years...
And then I could finally, in good conscience, dedicate my time to Idago and my other o-fic projects.
Maybe this is all because my hubby, who has been in and out of hospital at least half a dozen times over the last 18 months, is starting to feel better. I'm VERY cautiously optimistic, because in the past every time I started to think he was getting better, he'd end up back in the hospital with yet another infection. So far, we still have home health care nurses coming multiple times per week - I'll probably start stressing again when that help runs out again.
That's the inspiration-killer right there: the stress of knowing he has MRSA and other infections as well, that the hospital now has a history of disregarding a negative reaction to an antibiotic to the point that he had an anaphylactic reaction requiring a "rapid response team" (meaning he damned near "coded" on them), and that I simply don't have the emotional reserves to deal with having things going to hell in a handcart at the drop of a hat anymore. He's fallen (he's a very large man, and a fall means a call to the ambulance because there's no way any of us in the house can help him back up again,) collapsed unconscious (again, necessitating an ambulance ride,) fights going into the ER with the beginnings of a fever - which means it's progressed by the time we talk him into getting help, refuses to use a laptop and so keep his feet elevated in his hospital bed (a vital necessity since he can't use compression stockings at the moment and the open weeping wounds on his leg are the infections' entry point,) and so many other things big and small that have quite simply beaten the fight right out of me. I love him dearly, but he has truly been hard on me these last few.
I'm hoping that my creativity coming back means that I'm healing psychologically - but I'm easily upset. The last time, it took my daughter pointing out I was "out of it" before I knew to take the medication that put me back on a slightly more even keel chemically until I could manage it otherwise. Thank the Universe for Súl and her feet firmly planted on the ground. I don't know what I'd do without her.
More good news... I'm finding energy to be creative in a number of other ways as well: I'm working on making my New Year's gifts for family (crocheted blankets & a bedspread) and/or some fancier papercuts to put in my holiday cards for those who aren't getting blankets (Yes, I may even do those for a change!) I need to find time & inclination to start practicing the piano again - but at least I'm finding the lack of urge troubling, which I choose to view as progress.
Okay. So that's what's going on with Aearwen lately. I know I've been quiet. That's why, and that's what I'm up to nowadays.
Have a good day, f-list folks!