All right. I am finally overwhelmed with shame at how long this page has been empty. Damn you, Moveable Type.
Have actually been writing rather steadily since my last, long ago post. None of it pro or publishable work, but having come to terms with the realization that I just don't have the ambition or drive to make a professional career out of writing, I'm just writing for the sheer joy telling stories. And surprisingly, my style has shifted drastically and I dare say my skills have improved quite a bit.
You could call it working smarter, not harder, but I think it's more of an issue that when I remembered why I loved writing, it wasn't so painful a process to focus on improving the craft as well as on the fun.
Also bought a house, and attended my first Worldcon (which also happened to be my first SF/F con) this year, with the Feral Writers. Much geeky joy and networking was had, and I came out of it with a renewed impression that I'm writing for the right reasons right now. I focused on the fannish panel tracks for this con, unleashing my inner fangirl for a weekend of unparalleled dorking around (well, okay, the least year I've spent immersed in media fandom probably has been much dorkier), and gleaned the good stuff from writer track perspectives from Mer and Eric. We won't make 2005, but we're planning to hit LA in 2006, and I think I'll take the writer route for that con.
We also had another feral writer's retreat , having expanded out number by one Lou, and Julie, an honorary feral writer for the weekend. One of the best retreats yet, and that had nothing to do with the Saturday night drunkeness. Really.
I haven't been ignoring pro work. Got a completely outside the group opinion on Little Green Gods, and a good swift kick form Mer on the decisions I need to make for the story to work. I've trunked all but two of the pieces I'd been working on last year. Most don't have any real room for improvement. Keeping "Little Green Gods," "12 Steps" and I'll be restaring "Drowning Atlantis" and "The Charlatan's Creed" more or less from scratch.
And I'm finally FINALLY making the last necessary efforts to finish my degree. It's become such an emotional and intellectual albatross hanging around my neck, and I've made it into this giant dramamtic psychological block about moving on with my life and my interests. Because I am a big moron that way.
All in all, I'm happy my writing, and have all sorts of places to go with it. Life is good.