I am impressed

With the sheer number of women (and men) who turned out for the Women's March. I'm even more impressed that it wasn't just here in America, that women around the world stood up to the threat.

I briefly considered the march but as I was telling evil_little_dog, I'm burned out on protesting. I'm in a place where I can't see that it helps. It's never helped in anything I've actually protested physically. We protest and nothing happens.

Obviously this is not true. There are easy examples of it succeeding. But that's what depression does. It makes everything hopeless and I am just as obviously not any less depressed than I have been, more so than usual actually. Politics have always made me anxious and depressed (even ones I agree with) so this has been a hard six months. And there is no safe refuge from it unless I go offline entirely.

And I wish I thought that today's march made a difference. I doubt those in charge give two damns (I haven't seen if the orange jizztrumpet has been tweeting about it). But that doesn't change anything. The march happened, it NEEDED to happen. Women aren't going to be thrust back to 1940 without a fight and that was made clear today.

So for all of you who marched thank you.

Writerly Ways

Before I get into a short writerly ways, I wanted to share this link E.S. sent me because it might be helpful to a lot of us. A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR RESISTING THE TRUMP AGENDA: Former congressional staffers reveal best practices for making Congress listen. I haven't looked at it much yet as today I have the brain capacity of a turnip.

Let me share what I've learned this week: If you have a large thing to edit, try to do a little every day. When I originally handed it to evil_little_dog & kiramaru7 I did it a chapter at a time sometimes with many days, if not weeks, going by. Even now I paused for two months between Nano and the holidays. Don't. I am absolutely humiliated by some of the repetition and outright mistakes in this. No wonder they said no. But you wouldn't have caught them reading it piecemeal other than a vague 'huh, this feels familiar' sense. I'm pretty upset with myself.

I'm upset also because I keep hearing how no one is buying SF/F/UF/Paranormal LGBT fic from one publisher after another. It makes me really not want to continue with this. I will because one way or another Luc and Arrigo's story will be out there.

I'm also writing a contemporary (maybe paranormal depending on how you view the reality of ghosts). It would be nice to get a beta on board for it since it will be more romancey than I usually write. Also what would YOU like to see in a ghost hunting story (It's set here in the Hocking HIlls and if you've never googled them, do. It's beautiful. I live relatively nearby. I've taken evil_little_dog there once and wishes she'd come back so I can show her more.

And now the writing links from Betty.

Using a calendar to storyboard (she said she's had good luck with this, it seems too organized for my brain).

Pacing and momentum

description (because I need it)

ditch the pitch (there's some good here and some irritating. Yeah who wouldn't want to meet an agent in person but the price of writing conferences make it nearly impossible for far too many of us)

subversive surprise

maintaining belief in fantasy

description podcast I need to sit and listen!

Yearly Word Count -

1812 / 100000 words. 2% done!

Splinters of Silver - editing nothing

Blood Red - Edited up to ch 28

Steampunk Holiday - did jack

Behind Blue Eyes - back burnered

Haunted Hocking

1086 / 60000 words. 2% done!