November 2023 update · 7:53pm Nov 3rd, 2023
Well it's about darn time, wouldn't you agree? Feels good to be writing again.
So why haven't I been writing? A multitude of reasons, but I'll talk about the big ones.
First, I have ADD. I'm not officially diagnosed, but majored in psychology in college, so I do know the diagnostic criteria and they fit me. Since it's not official I can't (legally) get medication for it, but I have found ways to get around the executive dysfunction for a while. The biggest one lately has been to start a small project that's easily finishable, and then use the momentum from that to do something bigger. Not always effective, but when it comes to cleaning the house it works wonders. Until I take a break, that is.
But mental conditions are never the full story. A bigger part is that I run out of ideas or can't figure out how a plot point is supposed to work. Devils is like that: I couldn't figure out how to introduce the Mascubi without affecting the story's flow too much until I decided that the whole story will be limited to Hellfire's and Midnight's points of view. That also allows me to sprinkle in clues for lore and plot questions you may be asking without giving the answers away outright. I've got a ton of ideas I'm working towards but I need the connective tissue. Similarly, for Ragazze Equestri, I've got the whole story plus its twists and turns outlined. Would you believe that one of my earliest pony fic ideas was a grand mystery? Now, probably. Back then when I barely had any mystery writing experience? Not so much.
Then, of course, there are the ideas that don't have anything to do with writing. Cosplay is one of my favorite things to do in this fandom, and while I don't have the quantity that Crackle's Cousin or Rico Starlight have, I'd say I'm pretty good at it. I've been wearing the same Sunset Shimmer-inspired outfit for the Friday night gala since WCPC 2022, which I commissioned from Madame Euphoria Huffen-Bustle. If you're in there market for Victorian or steampunk gowns and have several hundred dollars to spare, check her out. She's worth every cent.
Another recent cosplay was for PVCF 2023: Fall Festival. I made a dress and leaf cape for the cosplay contest, and won first place in the intermediate category! That boosted my cosplay confidence, which got another boost when Crackle's Cousin decided to feature me (!) in a presentation on some of the fandom's best cosplayers at another con later that year, which is a huge honor. Personally I'm not sure if I truly belong side by side with more regular cosplayers, but hey, my attention to detail certainly pays off from time to time. It also inspired me to take a more professional approach to my cosplays. And oh yeah, it made me want to do more drag!
Back in April I was listening to the podcast Friendship is Content on Spotify (check them out, they're great) and something they said inspired me to make a cosplay fair PVCF 2023 of a character I never thought I would cosplay: Rarity. It's a complicated garment, however, so between my procrastinating (the leaf dress may have caused me to overestimate the efficiency of my ability to procrastinate) and the complexity, on Halloween night I had to put it on hold for a future convention so I could get it right. I knew that even if I'd spent every waking moment to finish it in time, the stress would've affected my attitude at the con. Spending $750 on a gala dress was a lot of money, but worth it. Starting my leaf dress two weeks before the convention and sewing the last stitch at 2am the day I was leaving was worth it even before I'd won my category. Putting that cosplay on hold allowed me to focus on participating in NaNoWriMo, which I had initially written off (hehe).
Speaking of NaNoWriMo, I'm not officially participating this year, but I do have some goals for the month regardless. 2021 was the first year since 2006 that I'd actually reached the 50k goal, which was a real relief. Ragazze Equestri is definitely my longest fic so far when you include the chapters I have to wait to publish until I write more that happens before those chapters. Instead, I decided to try writing each day on my many WIPs; that's actually why I finally uploaded chapter 4 of Devils after five years of nothing. I also plan on adding to Ragazze Equestri this month, as well as writing the backstory of a friend's OC that I started a long time ago, which may start to come out this month as well.
How do I even conclude a blog post like this?
Ah yes, cosplay and writing! Two things I’m frightfully out of practice with, myself. I’m trying to make a go of NaNo though. Best of fortune!
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I haven't been writing every day, so that goal's shot, but on the other hand I've finally finished the next chapter of Ragazze Equestri and am uploading as I speak. Yay progress!