One of these days, I will be able to write an update post once per week as I’ve intended to since starting this blog. This is not that day and has not been since October when I posted this initially.
Oh well, Happy belated 2020!
The last three months have been difficult ones between my personal health- physical and mental- taking a bit of a nosedive, losing a very much beloved role model and family member to old age, the process that comes with grief and loss overall, and getting sick with that two step flu or cold that was going around in late December/early January. Have not been that sick in a while and definitely did not miss it.
Developed a mysterious allergy to Tylenol though. That’s a new one and the first OTC that I’ve actually had a bad reaction to.
NaNoWriMo was, for the most part, a complete wash as a result of the above. Not an excuse for not writing, especially when writing is my go-to form of expression and a safe coping mechanism, but a series of reasons for why my writing was placed on the back burner. The last… we’ll call it 8 days or so of the month were when I was able to find a moment to breathe, to reconnect with myself, and to start writing again.
Instead of beating myself up over a lack of progress on anything I’d intended or planned to write up, I went and started writing on something completely self-indulgent; fanfiction.
I’m a big fan of fanfiction and started really focusing on my writing as a result of wanting to write original characters (or the canon cast) in different scenarios than what the source material showed me. It worked. Between fanfiction and playing a vast cast of varied personalities, moralities, and dynamics and the ever tried-and-true play-by-post roleplaying forums, my writing ability and characterization evolved rapidly. Not that I’m the next Big Name Author here or anything, far from it, but even watching how my writing evolves over the course of months compared to when I first started is astonishing.
I firmly believe in the power of roleplaying and fanfiction to help aspiring writers find their voices, practice a wide variety of writing skills, techniques, and develop characters and plot progression. If the day comes I ever become a Big Name Author like some household favorites (Stephen King, Mercedes Lackey, Brandon Sanderson, etc)? You all have my explicit permission and encouragement to write fanfiction of my original works. I will be flattered, honored, and delighted to hear that my work has inspired you to do as I once was inspired to do. And you know what? You’ll surpass me along the way, I know you will.
I can’t read any of it though, there’s some legal issues in that area from what I’ve seen, but I also can’t promise I won’t be there shitposting some fanfiction myself in a tongue-in-cheek manner myself!
This year, my goal is to fall in love with writing all over again and to write, at minimum, 3 new original stories. Short, Flash Fiction, Long Fiction. I don’t care; that’s the goal. My other goal is to actually complete some of my fanfiction I’ve been writing on for the last few months now too and to step outside my comfort zone in the writing genre as well.
I’m also shamelessly trying to read 100 new books this year. Rereads don’t count. You can find me on GoodReads and cheer me on along the way!
That’s about all I have for you folks at the moment. I’m slowly becoming more active on Twitter nowadays, even if most of what’s on there is reblogged art and the occasional shout into the void. Feel free to poke me on there, I like talking to people!
As always, take care of yourselves,
K.A. Crittenden
K.A. Crittenden | Fiction Author 