Thoughts and ruminations on the year that was (2021 edition)
I don't often say this, but I'll be extremely glad to see the end of 2021…
As I reread my Year-End post from 2020, I remember coming to the end of that year-difficult as it was-with a deep sense of satisfaction for all that I'd been able to accomplish on the writing front. This year? Not so much.
I've struggled for words more this year than I have in probably ten years. I couldn't figure out why everyone said that 2020 was so hard in terms of writing because my 2020 was pretty good. I was creatively engaged, and my output was consistent with past years. And then it happened… I started having trouble finding words. I had ideas for stories I wanted to write; I just couldn't get my brain to engage long enough to put words on paper.
For the first time since I started doing the Rough Trade challenges, I had to bail out midway through. My brain just wouldn't function, and the words weren't coming. I had a solid outline and a story I was excited to tell, but I couldn't seem to get any traction on the story. I learned a long time ago that it's okay to walk away from a story that's just not working, but I've never actually bailed out on a writing challenge mid-stream.
To top it off, I stalled out on my Quantum Bang story, too. I had to take a step back at that point and reevaluate what was going on. Was it stress? The wrong ideas? Was I overcommitted on the challenge front? Introspection is my bread and butter as a writer; in my own life, I've always used journaling as a way to work out what's going on in my head. But, when the words won't come, it becomes difficult to figure out what's really going on.
For me, the bottom line on my early struggles is easy and probably far more common than I realized: pandemic fatigue. I'd used writing as a solace, a way to hide from the general crappiness going on in the world. But when writing couldn't provide a distraction from said crappiness because IT JUST WOULDN'T END… well, it's not surprising that brain fatigue sets in and it becomes like pulling teeth to get words to flow.
Add in a super busy schedule at work, complete with a boss who volunteered to lead a strategy discussion that had the potential to remake the company, plus a parent whose memory is slowly fading, and my early 2021 was crazy. Focusing on anything but what was right in front of me was tough, needless to say.
I'm also reluctant to work with a beta after I had a less than stellar experience on a past project, so the idea of turning my work over to a beta reader was next to impossible for me. All the big bang projects-Quantum Bang included-either require or strongly recommend a beta reader, and I understand why, but when you're practically hyperventilating as your mouse hovers over the send button on a beta reader request, that's NOT GOOD. So, I've decided not to take another swing at the Quantum Bang, at least until I can get myself into a better headspace for accepting beta help.
And as if all of that weren't enough, I set actual goals for this year during the Fandom Snowflake, most of which I've failed to meet. It's probably just blind, stupid, do-da luck that it was this year that I set goals and then failed to reach them because I don't believe for a second that it was because I set goals that I had such a terrible year. Really, I don't believe that. Much. Okay, I totally do, but I'm trying to convince myself that's not why I struggled.
Goals are good, and I'm not just saying that. It's good to have goals to work toward. They give shape to your work and help you measure your success at the end of the year. Granted, my goals were quite ambitious, and I wonder if I put too much pressure on myself to succeed by setting such aggressive goals. So, next year I'll set some more reasonable goals and see what happens.
Fair warning: if I fail to achieve them again next year, I'm never setting another writing goal again. 'Nuff said.
Of the three Rough Trade projects I participated in this year, I finished one. As I said earlier, I bailed on the April project about halfway through. In truth, I should have chosen a different idea for April, but I didn't, so… live and learn.
I finished the July project-Like the Air Before a Storm, an MCU project featuring Bucky Barnes and Darcy Lewis-and have just finished final edits so it's now posted on AO3. I really enjoyed writing that one. It's a rare pair, which is my favorite kind.
For November, I decided on another Star Trek story, this one a time travel story for the Kelvin timeline. I didn't realize until the day before the challenge started that I had forgotten to write out my outline. I used to be able to pants with the best of them, but I've gotten so used to working with an outline that now I suck at just winging it. So, I pulled together an outline based on the summary I'd already written out (thankfully) and pushed on. I got about three-quarters of the way through that outline, though I only managed just under thirty thousand words out of a fifty-thousand-word goal. I knew when I signed up that fifty thousand would be a stretch, but I've done it before so I thought I could squeeze 50k out of the idea, no problem. Not so much. Ah well, live and learn (again). Plus, in the process of writing, I realized that I'd need to fill in some blanks with scenes from other POVs to make the story more cohesive (currently, it's all from Jim Kirk's POV). So, I'll finish the story at some point, though for right now it's in the metaphorical drawer with a couple of other unfinished projects.
I've written a bunch of shorter stories this year, which has been lots of fun. I still have a couple to post, but again, nowhere near the twelve I wanted to write. Which is okay. The point was to rebuild the short story muscle, so I consider any number a win at the end of the day. I'm going to keep at it because as I've said before, I quite enjoy writing shorter stories. They're quick to write, and the payoff is almost immediate.
The list of fandoms I've written in this year is more of the usual suspects. I did write for FBI this year, which is new. Plus, the July RT project was a crossover with WandaVision and Falcon and the Winter Soldier, so my entrenchment in the MCU continues to grow. That puts my total for fandoms I've written in up over 40, which is hard to wrap my brain around considering I started with just one all those many years ago.
All total, I wrote just over 125k words. Way far off the totals I'm used to putting up, but given my struggles, I'm actually impressed I got to that number. I'm trying not to be so hard on myself for such a small number because it's counterproductive and also not entirely fair. It shouldn't be about the number of words so much as whether or not I'm writing stories I'm proud of and willing to share. I'm just hoping that number doesn't haunt me next year and make me push myself to write more to make up for it.
As for goals for 2022… I just want to enjoy writing again. That's it. What form that takes, I can't say yet. I'm looking ahead to the challenge calendar for Rough Trade, trying to decide if I'll do all three again next year (or at least attempt to do all three, because we all know how that turned out this year). I saw Dune back in October, and almost as soon as the credits rolled, my brain was churning on ideas. No idea if I'll ever write any of them, but it was fun to be filled up with the joy of seeing possibilities. I haven't experienced that in a while.
I'm also giving some consideration to signing up as an artist, either for the Quantum Bang or another challenge. I'm a graphic designer by training, so doing art has always been fun for me. I've never done art for a bang-never even considered it before-but I do enjoy doing art for my own stories, so I'm thinking I'll give it a shot. That way I can still participate, but not have all the pressures of writing for the challenge.
All in all, I have nothing to complain about, really. I'm healthy, still gainfully employed, and my family is mostly healthy and happy. I know that's not the case for everyone, so I'm grateful for what I have. If you've struggled through this year, know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. I can't say I understand what you might be going through, but I want you to know you're not alone. Even if we're half a world apart, I'm standing beside you, offering support. May your holidays be full of peace and joy, and may 2022 hold more of the same.
So, the highlights from this year:
My Favorites:
Deeper Than the Deep Blue Sea
The Stars, Our Destiny
Chasing the White Rabbit
Best stories:
The Stars, Our Destiny
The Value of a Good Friend
Favorite Line:
"You'll have to forgive her mother-henning," T'Chaka said. "Our oldest is 23 and no longer needs mothering, and our youngest is thirteen and prefers to mother us."
~Exit Strategies
"Sometimes secrets are good," Tony said. "Little treasures we hold in our hearts."
~Deeper Than the Deep Blue Sea
"Frankly, a trained monkey could do this job, but unfortunately, the circus isn't in town, and you're not the right species. I'd rather not look at a horse's ass all day every day."
~Like the Air Before a Storm
Most underappreciated by the universe:
That Kind of Love (Star Trek AOS): Technically, this story was posted late in December, so it hasn't had the chance to build an audience yet. Even so, I expect it to get light traffic. It's told from T'Pau's point of view and takes place when Spock was a child. Also, it's gen, which is a little odd for me, though perhaps not as odd as it used to be considering how many gen stories I post every year. Anyway, I enjoyed writing it, so even if it doesn't get a whole lot of love, I can't complain too much.
Most reviewed:
A Slice of Happiness/Deeper Than the Deep Blue Sea (NCIS/FBI): This is a story told in two parts, featuring Tony DiNozzo and Maggie Bell in a crossover pairing. The first story (A Slice of Happiness) has as of this writing 19 comments and 98 kudos on AO3. Deeper Than the Deep Blue Sea has 24 comments and 114 kudos. I had no idea this pairing would elicit such a reaction. Typically, crossover pairings don't do well, but these fandoms probably have a lot of fans in common and I got nothing but love from everyone who commented.
Most fun to write:
The Sock Zone (Star Trek AOS): This is pure, unadulterated crack. Absurd in the extreme. Also, A whole ton of fun to write. Every time I read it, I hear that line from Major League: "Hats for bats." If you don't know what I'm talking about, go watch the movie. It's one of the best baseball movies around, and it's hilarious to boot. And if you want a good laugh, go read this story.
Sexiest story:
Exit Strategies (MCU): Oddly, this was the only story I published this year that had any sexy times in it at all. It's a Sentinel fusion, which normally does lend itself to sex because bonding tends to be intimate. The story starts with a bang-no pun intended-and then goes pretty much gen from there, though it's primarily a Steve/Maria story. It was written for a Rough Trade project from 2019. I'd originally written one long story but decided to break it up when I realized the parts weren't working as one, cohesive story. And considering this is the only part that contains any intimacy at all, it's probably better served on its own.
Hardest story to write:
Like the Air Before a Storm (MCU): This is my pick for most difficult to write for two reasons. One, it was written for Rough Trade in July, and since I'd just come off bailing out on both the April RT challenge and my Quantum Bang story, I was worried that I'd struggle to write this one. And two, as I mention below, I'd never written for either of these characters, so I had no idea if I'd be able to latch on to their voices. I did struggle to pull words out at first, but as the challenge wore on, I hit my stride and finished the story, on time and well above my word goal. Overall, I consider that a success. Just about the only one I had this year.
I'm the vanilla one, so where'd this come from?:
The Harbinger of Death (SEAL Team): Jason Hayes as the Harbinger of Death? Yeah, I went there. To be honest, I'm not sure I could see anyone else in that role, so what does that say about Jason Hayes (or my perception of the character)?
Biggest disappointment:
The Stars, Our Destiny (Star Trek AOS): Technically, this was written in 2020 and posted in 2021, but I'm totally counting it for this year. This was my Rough Trade project for November 2020. It wasn't the story I thought I was going to write, but in the end, it was the story I needed to write. It features a rare pair (Christopher Pike/Eleanor McCoy), plus a gender-swapped McCoy, so the audience for this was always going to be small. As of today, the story stands at 20 kudos on AO3, which isn't crickets, but I could wish it was read by more people.
Biggest surprise:
A Slice of Happiness/Deeper Than the Deep Blue Sea (NCIS/FBI): As I said above, these stories got a lot of love. Like, a lot. I had no idea when I posted them that they were going to turn out to be so popular. I wrote the first one based on a prompt at Writing and Junk, and after I'd finished it, I felt like there was still a little bit of Tony's and Maggie's story to tell, so I wrote the follow-up. I'm still quite pleased that both stories were so well received.
Story that shifted my perception of the characters:
Like the Air Before a Storm (MCU): I'd never written for Darcy Lewis before this year, nor had I written Bucky Barnes. I wrote two stories early in the year, one for each of them to sort of get my sea legs under me, as it were. I can write angst all day long, so I wasn't as worried about writing in Bucky's voice, but Darcy was another matter altogether. I always struggle with Tony Stark because of the snark, so I figured I'd struggle with Darcy for the same reason. To my delight, her voice was clear in my head throughout the entire story. But I also found depths to Darcy that I didn't expect to find. I was continually surprised by her compassion and vulnerability, but her fierceness is what will stay with me long after the project is posted.
Most telling fic:
The Sock Zone (Star Trek AOS): Normally, in this space, I talk about the story that was the most personal to me, or one that offered a life lesson I wanted to share with my audience. This year-which is probably par for the course-the most telling story I wrote shows the randomness that is my brain. Inspiration comes at me from just about anywhere, so I'm no longer surprised when I get a bolt from the blue. But rarely do I find an idea that's so absurd. I have dozens of ideas in a file on my computer, and none of them are this cracky. It was fun to write, and the reactions I got were pure joy for me. Sometimes, I guess we all need something that's not serious at all, that takes our minds off the crazy in our lives. Maybe we needed it this year more than most, so I'm glad I was able to deliver that to my readers.
Story I want remembered:
The Value of a Good Friend (MCU): I wrote this story as sort of a test run for writing Like the Air Before a Storm since I'd never written Bucky Barnes before. I'd been aiming for a friendship story between two very different people. What I got was a lesson on coping mechanisms and the value of someone in your life who can call you on your bullshit. It's a lesson I think we can all relate to, and one I hope people really take to heart.
And, of course, the master list of 2021 stories can be found here: Year End Master List. Enjoy!
As I reread my Year-End post from 2020, I remember coming to the end of that year-difficult as it was-with a deep sense of satisfaction for all that I'd been able to accomplish on the writing front. This year? Not so much.
I've struggled for words more this year than I have in probably ten years. I couldn't figure out why everyone said that 2020 was so hard in terms of writing because my 2020 was pretty good. I was creatively engaged, and my output was consistent with past years. And then it happened… I started having trouble finding words. I had ideas for stories I wanted to write; I just couldn't get my brain to engage long enough to put words on paper.
For the first time since I started doing the Rough Trade challenges, I had to bail out midway through. My brain just wouldn't function, and the words weren't coming. I had a solid outline and a story I was excited to tell, but I couldn't seem to get any traction on the story. I learned a long time ago that it's okay to walk away from a story that's just not working, but I've never actually bailed out on a writing challenge mid-stream.
To top it off, I stalled out on my Quantum Bang story, too. I had to take a step back at that point and reevaluate what was going on. Was it stress? The wrong ideas? Was I overcommitted on the challenge front? Introspection is my bread and butter as a writer; in my own life, I've always used journaling as a way to work out what's going on in my head. But, when the words won't come, it becomes difficult to figure out what's really going on.
For me, the bottom line on my early struggles is easy and probably far more common than I realized: pandemic fatigue. I'd used writing as a solace, a way to hide from the general crappiness going on in the world. But when writing couldn't provide a distraction from said crappiness because IT JUST WOULDN'T END… well, it's not surprising that brain fatigue sets in and it becomes like pulling teeth to get words to flow.
Add in a super busy schedule at work, complete with a boss who volunteered to lead a strategy discussion that had the potential to remake the company, plus a parent whose memory is slowly fading, and my early 2021 was crazy. Focusing on anything but what was right in front of me was tough, needless to say.
I'm also reluctant to work with a beta after I had a less than stellar experience on a past project, so the idea of turning my work over to a beta reader was next to impossible for me. All the big bang projects-Quantum Bang included-either require or strongly recommend a beta reader, and I understand why, but when you're practically hyperventilating as your mouse hovers over the send button on a beta reader request, that's NOT GOOD. So, I've decided not to take another swing at the Quantum Bang, at least until I can get myself into a better headspace for accepting beta help.
And as if all of that weren't enough, I set actual goals for this year during the Fandom Snowflake, most of which I've failed to meet. It's probably just blind, stupid, do-da luck that it was this year that I set goals and then failed to reach them because I don't believe for a second that it was because I set goals that I had such a terrible year. Really, I don't believe that. Much. Okay, I totally do, but I'm trying to convince myself that's not why I struggled.
Goals are good, and I'm not just saying that. It's good to have goals to work toward. They give shape to your work and help you measure your success at the end of the year. Granted, my goals were quite ambitious, and I wonder if I put too much pressure on myself to succeed by setting such aggressive goals. So, next year I'll set some more reasonable goals and see what happens.
Fair warning: if I fail to achieve them again next year, I'm never setting another writing goal again. 'Nuff said.
Of the three Rough Trade projects I participated in this year, I finished one. As I said earlier, I bailed on the April project about halfway through. In truth, I should have chosen a different idea for April, but I didn't, so… live and learn.
I finished the July project-Like the Air Before a Storm, an MCU project featuring Bucky Barnes and Darcy Lewis-and have just finished final edits so it's now posted on AO3. I really enjoyed writing that one. It's a rare pair, which is my favorite kind.
For November, I decided on another Star Trek story, this one a time travel story for the Kelvin timeline. I didn't realize until the day before the challenge started that I had forgotten to write out my outline. I used to be able to pants with the best of them, but I've gotten so used to working with an outline that now I suck at just winging it. So, I pulled together an outline based on the summary I'd already written out (thankfully) and pushed on. I got about three-quarters of the way through that outline, though I only managed just under thirty thousand words out of a fifty-thousand-word goal. I knew when I signed up that fifty thousand would be a stretch, but I've done it before so I thought I could squeeze 50k out of the idea, no problem. Not so much. Ah well, live and learn (again). Plus, in the process of writing, I realized that I'd need to fill in some blanks with scenes from other POVs to make the story more cohesive (currently, it's all from Jim Kirk's POV). So, I'll finish the story at some point, though for right now it's in the metaphorical drawer with a couple of other unfinished projects.
I've written a bunch of shorter stories this year, which has been lots of fun. I still have a couple to post, but again, nowhere near the twelve I wanted to write. Which is okay. The point was to rebuild the short story muscle, so I consider any number a win at the end of the day. I'm going to keep at it because as I've said before, I quite enjoy writing shorter stories. They're quick to write, and the payoff is almost immediate.
The list of fandoms I've written in this year is more of the usual suspects. I did write for FBI this year, which is new. Plus, the July RT project was a crossover with WandaVision and Falcon and the Winter Soldier, so my entrenchment in the MCU continues to grow. That puts my total for fandoms I've written in up over 40, which is hard to wrap my brain around considering I started with just one all those many years ago.
All total, I wrote just over 125k words. Way far off the totals I'm used to putting up, but given my struggles, I'm actually impressed I got to that number. I'm trying not to be so hard on myself for such a small number because it's counterproductive and also not entirely fair. It shouldn't be about the number of words so much as whether or not I'm writing stories I'm proud of and willing to share. I'm just hoping that number doesn't haunt me next year and make me push myself to write more to make up for it.
As for goals for 2022… I just want to enjoy writing again. That's it. What form that takes, I can't say yet. I'm looking ahead to the challenge calendar for Rough Trade, trying to decide if I'll do all three again next year (or at least attempt to do all three, because we all know how that turned out this year). I saw Dune back in October, and almost as soon as the credits rolled, my brain was churning on ideas. No idea if I'll ever write any of them, but it was fun to be filled up with the joy of seeing possibilities. I haven't experienced that in a while.
I'm also giving some consideration to signing up as an artist, either for the Quantum Bang or another challenge. I'm a graphic designer by training, so doing art has always been fun for me. I've never done art for a bang-never even considered it before-but I do enjoy doing art for my own stories, so I'm thinking I'll give it a shot. That way I can still participate, but not have all the pressures of writing for the challenge.
All in all, I have nothing to complain about, really. I'm healthy, still gainfully employed, and my family is mostly healthy and happy. I know that's not the case for everyone, so I'm grateful for what I have. If you've struggled through this year, know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. I can't say I understand what you might be going through, but I want you to know you're not alone. Even if we're half a world apart, I'm standing beside you, offering support. May your holidays be full of peace and joy, and may 2022 hold more of the same.
So, the highlights from this year:
My Favorites:
Deeper Than the Deep Blue Sea
The Stars, Our Destiny
Chasing the White Rabbit
Best stories:
The Stars, Our Destiny
The Value of a Good Friend
Favorite Line:
"You'll have to forgive her mother-henning," T'Chaka said. "Our oldest is 23 and no longer needs mothering, and our youngest is thirteen and prefers to mother us."
~Exit Strategies
"Sometimes secrets are good," Tony said. "Little treasures we hold in our hearts."
~Deeper Than the Deep Blue Sea
"Frankly, a trained monkey could do this job, but unfortunately, the circus isn't in town, and you're not the right species. I'd rather not look at a horse's ass all day every day."
~Like the Air Before a Storm
Most underappreciated by the universe:
That Kind of Love (Star Trek AOS): Technically, this story was posted late in December, so it hasn't had the chance to build an audience yet. Even so, I expect it to get light traffic. It's told from T'Pau's point of view and takes place when Spock was a child. Also, it's gen, which is a little odd for me, though perhaps not as odd as it used to be considering how many gen stories I post every year. Anyway, I enjoyed writing it, so even if it doesn't get a whole lot of love, I can't complain too much.
Most reviewed:
A Slice of Happiness/Deeper Than the Deep Blue Sea (NCIS/FBI): This is a story told in two parts, featuring Tony DiNozzo and Maggie Bell in a crossover pairing. The first story (A Slice of Happiness) has as of this writing 19 comments and 98 kudos on AO3. Deeper Than the Deep Blue Sea has 24 comments and 114 kudos. I had no idea this pairing would elicit such a reaction. Typically, crossover pairings don't do well, but these fandoms probably have a lot of fans in common and I got nothing but love from everyone who commented.
Most fun to write:
The Sock Zone (Star Trek AOS): This is pure, unadulterated crack. Absurd in the extreme. Also, A whole ton of fun to write. Every time I read it, I hear that line from Major League: "Hats for bats." If you don't know what I'm talking about, go watch the movie. It's one of the best baseball movies around, and it's hilarious to boot. And if you want a good laugh, go read this story.
Sexiest story:
Exit Strategies (MCU): Oddly, this was the only story I published this year that had any sexy times in it at all. It's a Sentinel fusion, which normally does lend itself to sex because bonding tends to be intimate. The story starts with a bang-no pun intended-and then goes pretty much gen from there, though it's primarily a Steve/Maria story. It was written for a Rough Trade project from 2019. I'd originally written one long story but decided to break it up when I realized the parts weren't working as one, cohesive story. And considering this is the only part that contains any intimacy at all, it's probably better served on its own.
Hardest story to write:
Like the Air Before a Storm (MCU): This is my pick for most difficult to write for two reasons. One, it was written for Rough Trade in July, and since I'd just come off bailing out on both the April RT challenge and my Quantum Bang story, I was worried that I'd struggle to write this one. And two, as I mention below, I'd never written for either of these characters, so I had no idea if I'd be able to latch on to their voices. I did struggle to pull words out at first, but as the challenge wore on, I hit my stride and finished the story, on time and well above my word goal. Overall, I consider that a success. Just about the only one I had this year.
I'm the vanilla one, so where'd this come from?:
The Harbinger of Death (SEAL Team): Jason Hayes as the Harbinger of Death? Yeah, I went there. To be honest, I'm not sure I could see anyone else in that role, so what does that say about Jason Hayes (or my perception of the character)?
Biggest disappointment:
The Stars, Our Destiny (Star Trek AOS): Technically, this was written in 2020 and posted in 2021, but I'm totally counting it for this year. This was my Rough Trade project for November 2020. It wasn't the story I thought I was going to write, but in the end, it was the story I needed to write. It features a rare pair (Christopher Pike/Eleanor McCoy), plus a gender-swapped McCoy, so the audience for this was always going to be small. As of today, the story stands at 20 kudos on AO3, which isn't crickets, but I could wish it was read by more people.
Biggest surprise:
A Slice of Happiness/Deeper Than the Deep Blue Sea (NCIS/FBI): As I said above, these stories got a lot of love. Like, a lot. I had no idea when I posted them that they were going to turn out to be so popular. I wrote the first one based on a prompt at Writing and Junk, and after I'd finished it, I felt like there was still a little bit of Tony's and Maggie's story to tell, so I wrote the follow-up. I'm still quite pleased that both stories were so well received.
Story that shifted my perception of the characters:
Like the Air Before a Storm (MCU): I'd never written for Darcy Lewis before this year, nor had I written Bucky Barnes. I wrote two stories early in the year, one for each of them to sort of get my sea legs under me, as it were. I can write angst all day long, so I wasn't as worried about writing in Bucky's voice, but Darcy was another matter altogether. I always struggle with Tony Stark because of the snark, so I figured I'd struggle with Darcy for the same reason. To my delight, her voice was clear in my head throughout the entire story. But I also found depths to Darcy that I didn't expect to find. I was continually surprised by her compassion and vulnerability, but her fierceness is what will stay with me long after the project is posted.
Most telling fic:
The Sock Zone (Star Trek AOS): Normally, in this space, I talk about the story that was the most personal to me, or one that offered a life lesson I wanted to share with my audience. This year-which is probably par for the course-the most telling story I wrote shows the randomness that is my brain. Inspiration comes at me from just about anywhere, so I'm no longer surprised when I get a bolt from the blue. But rarely do I find an idea that's so absurd. I have dozens of ideas in a file on my computer, and none of them are this cracky. It was fun to write, and the reactions I got were pure joy for me. Sometimes, I guess we all need something that's not serious at all, that takes our minds off the crazy in our lives. Maybe we needed it this year more than most, so I'm glad I was able to deliver that to my readers.
Story I want remembered:
The Value of a Good Friend (MCU): I wrote this story as sort of a test run for writing Like the Air Before a Storm since I'd never written Bucky Barnes before. I'd been aiming for a friendship story between two very different people. What I got was a lesson on coping mechanisms and the value of someone in your life who can call you on your bullshit. It's a lesson I think we can all relate to, and one I hope people really take to heart.
And, of course, the master list of 2021 stories can be found here: Year End Master List. Enjoy!