![[sticky entry]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/entry/sticky_entry.png){kind=small}
On me:
- Gone by a lot of names, call me by what you know me as, any variation of my usernames, or really anything that you think I'll respond to.
-- If you need a name Vale/Vee, or Mags/Magpie are always welcome.
- 30s, queer (in sexuality and gender - they/them pronouns), disabled (blind), neurodivergent (ADHD), mentally ill (schizo-affective disorder, PTSD, other forms of anxiety)
- Currently living in Florida, but aiming for Seattle when I can.
- Writer of various things, both fannish and original, Pagan-adjacent, likes playing with art and graphics, loves anything spooky/horror, podcasts, and will collect anything that catches my interest.
Fascinations and interests:
Telling stories // learning about the ways others learn and retain information // picking up random bits of interesting facts // podcasts and audiodramas // horror media // creepypasta and urban legends // playing with traditional and digital art // reading novellas and short stories // divination // the ways in which people go about their spiritual practices // video games (single player, PC mostly), // all kinds of music, especially if I've not heard it before
Other notes: I'm actually someone who does the telling stories thing and gets paid for it! I write short fiction and have had things in a few places. If you're interested in writing, looking for a cheerleader on your work, or anything else like that, definitely feel free to stop by and let me know.
On friending and commenting:
Happy to add anyone who adds me. I'm trying to get back into DW properly, so I am going to try and be better at commenting on other people's things and replying to comments people leave me. Comments of all kinds are welcome, by the way. This includes one word comments, emojis, or other short things, as well as long and rambling comments.
Transformative Works Policy: If it's fannish: Go for it! Feel free to remix, podfic, fanmixes, graphics, fanart, or really anything you feel interested in doing. All I ask is that you let me know you did the thing so I can glee.
If it's original: Ask me first. I'll let you know if it's alright but there may be times I have to say no for one reason or another. I promise it's not you, or that I wouldn't want you doing something cool with a thing, but I might just flat out not be able to agree to it for one reason or another.
(no subject)
Oct. 12th, 2024 07:16 pmToday is my birthday and I'm spending it in a hotel room, sitting on a chair that's missing one wheel. I still have no power in my house and my mother is refusing to leave it now that we're not in direct danger from the hurricane. Which, fine, it's her choice, but I needed to go because it was getting too hot for me to be able to stay. We're probably going back there tomorrow but some of the reports are saying we may not get power back until Thursday, so who knows what's going to happen.
I really just want to be in my room, with my cat right now. I'm trying not to be upset or sad about any of this, but I'm not really doing great at it.
I really just want to be in my room, with my cat right now. I'm trying not to be upset or sad about any of this, but I'm not really doing great at it.
(no subject)
Oct. 11th, 2024 07:37 pmJust letting everyone know I am okay. We have no power but we took no damage so that's definitely a good thing.
We're hoping that'll get fixed soon. I'll be sure to let folks know for sure when it does though.
We're hoping that'll get fixed soon. I'll be sure to let folks know for sure when it does though.
Still hanging in there.
Sep. 7th, 2024 08:30 pmI've had a lot going on medically over the last several months and it's not going well. The short version is that insurance isn't allowing me to get procedures done that are medically needed for me to continue to keep my eyesight. It sucks, I'm tired, but we're still fighting it in a number of ways.
I started volunteering with a local nonprofit which is going really well. They're great people who want to work with me and help me find things I can do, even as the rest of my life and ability to do things is in flux. They're kind and very open to hearing ideas and giving them a try. They're pretty great.
I've found my way back to divination again. This is partially art store/nonprofit related but also just kind of something I've meant to do in general. I'm going back to the tarot post that I made earlier this year and doing those responses, just in case someone might need a late card reading.
I'm generally just operating on very low spoons but trying to keep my head up and find the good things where I can. It's going...as well as it can, I suppose, which is all I can ask for.
How're you holding up?
I started volunteering with a local nonprofit which is going really well. They're great people who want to work with me and help me find things I can do, even as the rest of my life and ability to do things is in flux. They're kind and very open to hearing ideas and giving them a try. They're pretty great.
I've found my way back to divination again. This is partially art store/nonprofit related but also just kind of something I've meant to do in general. I'm going back to the tarot post that I made earlier this year and doing those responses, just in case someone might need a late card reading.
I'm generally just operating on very low spoons but trying to keep my head up and find the good things where I can. It's going...as well as it can, I suppose, which is all I can ask for.
How're you holding up?
(no subject)
May. 6th, 2024 04:20 pmHey look, here I am again!
So, because it's![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
3weeks4dreamwidth time, I thought I'd do something fun and that I've really missed doing. Plus, it's one more reason to get me back in the swing of replying to comments and checking my reading list.
- Leave a comment and I'll pull you at least one tarot card and one oracle card.
- My two oracle decks right now are The Wild Unknown Archetypes and The Embroidered Graveyard. Let me know which you'd prefer.
- Along with your choice, go ahead and tell me something cool you've seen on DW lately. It can be a comm, a post, a comment thread. Alternately, you can tell us something you'd like to see more of!
- Everyone should look through the comments for some interesting things, or cool ideas to start putting up around here.
With your reading, I'm also oferring to give you a little piece of micro/flash fiction inspired either by the cards I pull, the thing you share, or some combination of the two!
So yeah, I thought this could be fun! Comm look through the comments and see if you can find something cool to explore, or maybe some inspiration on new things to do.
Also, on the off chance you'd like to leave me a tip, my kofi is here.
So, because it's
3weeks4dreamwidth time, I thought I'd do something fun and that I've really missed doing. Plus, it's one more reason to get me back in the swing of replying to comments and checking my reading list.- Leave a comment and I'll pull you at least one tarot card and one oracle card.
- My two oracle decks right now are The Wild Unknown Archetypes and The Embroidered Graveyard. Let me know which you'd prefer.
- Along with your choice, go ahead and tell me something cool you've seen on DW lately. It can be a comm, a post, a comment thread. Alternately, you can tell us something you'd like to see more of!
- Everyone should look through the comments for some interesting things, or cool ideas to start putting up around here.
With your reading, I'm also oferring to give you a little piece of micro/flash fiction inspired either by the cards I pull, the thing you share, or some combination of the two!
So yeah, I thought this could be fun! Comm look through the comments and see if you can find something cool to explore, or maybe some inspiration on new things to do.
Also, on the off chance you'd like to leave me a tip, my kofi is here.
(no subject)
May. 2nd, 2024 05:25 pmSince I'm doing what I can to get back into DW, I've stripped down to the basics of trying to check my reading list each day again, even if I don't post. I've managed for 3 days now, which is good! And I'm doing this post now, which is also good!
I'm still in Seattle until the middle of May, then I'm going back to FL for eye care stuff. We'll see how things go from there.
Still seem to be reading regularly, which is great. Not doing much writing at all though, which is something I need to work on.
I'm possibly gonna do something for Three Weeks for Dreamwidth, but I'm not sure yet, we shall see.
Hoping all of you are doing well. <3
I'm still in Seattle until the middle of May, then I'm going back to FL for eye care stuff. We'll see how things go from there.
Still seem to be reading regularly, which is great. Not doing much writing at all though, which is something I need to work on.
I'm possibly gonna do something for Three Weeks for Dreamwidth, but I'm not sure yet, we shall see.
Hoping all of you are doing well. <3
(no subject)
Mar. 22nd, 2024 07:10 pmHaven't updated in a while, but not as long as it could have been, so I'm calling it a win.
It's been a rough time, mostly due to vision/accepting disability stuff, and not having all of my meds for a while. I've not been doing much of anything, though I have really managed to get back into reading, and that's been pretty great.
Here are three good things:
- So many books! Not all of them have been hits, and I've DNFed one, but I've really fallen back intto the habit of reading things besides shor sories and tha's been nice. If anyone would like a list of what I've gone hrough, le me knoww.
- Last week, a friend took me and another of her friends to an AirBNB by the river where we all just hung out for a couple of days. It was really grereat, and I'm so grateful for her while I'm still in Florida..
- I'm heading to Seattle this next Wednesday for...a time. I'm not sure when I'm coming back, as I'll be waiting for a phone call for my corneal stuff, so when I know that, I'll be purchasing my ticket back.
I've also got a couple of tarot decks I'm trying to get to know, so if you want a reading of some kind, feel free to let me know. I can easily do one card readings, but have nothing against doing longer ones too, just let me know.
It's been a rough time, mostly due to vision/accepting disability stuff, and not having all of my meds for a while. I've not been doing much of anything, though I have really managed to get back into reading, and that's been pretty great.
Here are three good things:
- So many books! Not all of them have been hits, and I've DNFed one, but I've really fallen back intto the habit of reading things besides shor sories and tha's been nice. If anyone would like a list of what I've gone hrough, le me knoww.
- Last week, a friend took me and another of her friends to an AirBNB by the river where we all just hung out for a couple of days. It was really grereat, and I'm so grateful for her while I'm still in Florida..
- I'm heading to Seattle this next Wednesday for...a time. I'm not sure when I'm coming back, as I'll be waiting for a phone call for my corneal stuff, so when I know that, I'll be purchasing my ticket back.
I've also got a couple of tarot decks I'm trying to get to know, so if you want a reading of some kind, feel free to let me know. I can easily do one card readings, but have nothing against doing longer ones too, just let me know.
So, last week I asked about linking to the short fiction I was reading that was available online, and everyone was super supportive about it, which was just lovely.
Which means that on this Reading Wednesday (actually on Wednesday!) I present to you some of the short fiction I've been reading.
Things of note:
- A lot of these stories have some kind of queer element to them, if that's something you're actively seeking out.
- Some mention content warnings before the story itself, which I want to mention since I haven't listed any here.
- I grouped them as well as I could, but all of these are relative. I just thought I'd try and break them up a little bit, since I know not everyone leans into the more horror/heavier stuff.
Horror, horror adjacent:
- Your Own Undoing - PH Lee
- If Someone You Love Has Become a Vurdalak - Sam J. Miller
- The Skin We're In - Shelley Lavigne.
Fantasy, or fantasy adjacent:
- Hundreds - Mari Ness
- The Song Of The Woods - Shelley Lavivne
- Flower, Daughter, Soil, Seed - Eugenia Triantafyllou
Which means that on this Reading Wednesday (actually on Wednesday!) I present to you some of the short fiction I've been reading.
Things of note:
- A lot of these stories have some kind of queer element to them, if that's something you're actively seeking out.
- Some mention content warnings before the story itself, which I want to mention since I haven't listed any here.
- I grouped them as well as I could, but all of these are relative. I just thought I'd try and break them up a little bit, since I know not everyone leans into the more horror/heavier stuff.
Horror, horror adjacent:
- Your Own Undoing - PH Lee
- If Someone You Love Has Become a Vurdalak - Sam J. Miller
- The Skin We're In - Shelley Lavigne.
Fantasy, or fantasy adjacent:
- Hundreds - Mari Ness
- The Song Of The Woods - Shelley Lavivne
- Flower, Daughter, Soil, Seed - Eugenia Triantafyllou
I did things!
Feb. 13th, 2024 07:19 pmA couple of weekends ago I went to a pair of art classes with a friend of mine. The first was a portrait class (that, funny enough, was intended for romantic couples, but we didn't actually know or care) and the second was a class on doing pendants with epoxy clay.
The place holding them was wonderful, and the portrait class was very understanding and willing to work with my sight issues ( wound up doing mine with a whiteboard instead of a traditional pencil and paper so I could see the lines better). They didn't question my being there but also didn't patronize me or anything, which are both things I've had come up when I've expressed my interest in visual art. The pendant class was also fun, but the instructor seemed a little sad that we were the only people who arrived. Still, I liked what came out of both classes and kept meaning to show y'all.
( Pictures! )
The place holding them was wonderful, and the portrait class was very understanding and willing to work with my sight issues ( wound up doing mine with a whiteboard instead of a traditional pencil and paper so I could see the lines better). They didn't question my being there but also didn't patronize me or anything, which are both things I've had come up when I've expressed my interest in visual art. The pendant class was also fun, but the instructor seemed a little sad that we were the only people who arrived. Still, I liked what came out of both classes and kept meaning to show y'all.
( Pictures! )
A quick reading update
Feb. 8th, 2024 04:13 pmI read two more stories in Never Whistle At Night, The Salt Grows Heavy (Cassandra Khaw), dipped into Small Horrors: A Collection of Fifty Creepy Stories (Darcy Coates), and read The Skin We're In and The Song Of The Woods, two short pieces by Shelley Lavigne that you can find online.
I've started to make it a point to drink my tea when I listen to short fiction, which is really helping me get through my TBR and is also going to make me actually drink my tea stash!
Also, if I read anything that I can link to online, would anyone want me to? I don't mind doing so, I just don't know if anyone would want them or not. Especially because I'm more using my reading posts as a log, rather than a place to review things, though I can try and make commentary on the things too, I suppose? My main thoughts with that though are that I feel like I should try and warn for things, but am never sure what to warn for besides like, the big AO3 warnings? I read a lot of dark fiction, so things and topics will come up, and I want to make sure I can let people be informed on the media they consume if they'd like to have that information.
I've started to make it a point to drink my tea when I listen to short fiction, which is really helping me get through my TBR and is also going to make me actually drink my tea stash!
Also, if I read anything that I can link to online, would anyone want me to? I don't mind doing so, I just don't know if anyone would want them or not. Especially because I'm more using my reading posts as a log, rather than a place to review things, though I can try and make commentary on the things too, I suppose? My main thoughts with that though are that I feel like I should try and warn for things, but am never sure what to warn for besides like, the big AO3 warnings? I read a lot of dark fiction, so things and topics will come up, and I want to make sure I can let people be informed on the media they consume if they'd like to have that information.
Reading Wednesday on a Thursday!
Jan. 31st, 2024 05:07 pmLookit me, I'm actually doing a reading post! I'm so pleased by this.
Read:
So, I read Our Wives Under The Sea (Julia Armfield) earlier this month and I loved it so much. It's one of those books that hit just the right buttons and left me being very happy it was my first book of the year.
Currently reading:
Two collections I'm in the middle of are Never Whistle At Night and The Dangers Of Smoking In Bed (Mariana Enriquez). The latter is one I'm really enjoying, though I have to renew my loan on it so I can finish the collection. Something I'm trying to do is explore more Latin American fiction. I've always been personally weird about doing so because half my family is from Argentina and it's...Complicated. But I'm trying to stop putting distance between things I'm interested in because it has ties to my family. It's a silly thing to do.
Never Whistle At Night is also good, but it's a harder one to get through. I'm only a few stories in and they're all excellent at being the kind of horror I respond to but I'm definitely taking it slower than other collections I've read in the past. I'm going to take it one or two stories at a time.
Up next:
Finish those two collections (assuming Never Smoking comes in again) and find a longer thing to start reading. I'm considering digging into![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
jenett books but I think I need to get my brain out of both a horror brainspace, and a short story one. I also need to sort out how to get an audio sorted out for them, so we'll see.
Read:
So, I read Our Wives Under The Sea (Julia Armfield) earlier this month and I loved it so much. It's one of those books that hit just the right buttons and left me being very happy it was my first book of the year.
Currently reading:
Two collections I'm in the middle of are Never Whistle At Night and The Dangers Of Smoking In Bed (Mariana Enriquez). The latter is one I'm really enjoying, though I have to renew my loan on it so I can finish the collection. Something I'm trying to do is explore more Latin American fiction. I've always been personally weird about doing so because half my family is from Argentina and it's...Complicated. But I'm trying to stop putting distance between things I'm interested in because it has ties to my family. It's a silly thing to do.
Never Whistle At Night is also good, but it's a harder one to get through. I'm only a few stories in and they're all excellent at being the kind of horror I respond to but I'm definitely taking it slower than other collections I've read in the past. I'm going to take it one or two stories at a time.
Up next:
Finish those two collections (assuming Never Smoking comes in again) and find a longer thing to start reading. I'm considering digging into
jenett books but I think I need to get my brain out of both a horror brainspace, and a short story one. I also need to sort out how to get an audio sorted out for them, so we'll see.Have some random 3SF fills
Jan. 30th, 2024 06:27 pmI've had so much fun doing these little things. It's felt like I've finally cracked through my brain's stubborn and anxious writing paralysis.
So yeah, here are some fills. All of them are actually three sentences (somehow) and all original piecesl
All of these feel like they go together:
1
2
3
4
And these two:
5
6
And these two are just one-offs:
7
8
So yeah, here are some fills. All of them are actually three sentences (somehow) and all original piecesl
All of these feel like they go together:
1
2
3
4
And these two:
5
6
And these two are just one-offs:
7
8
(no subject)
Jan. 29th, 2024 01:26 pmI really do think that getting in the habit of both looking at my reading list, and doing my best to leave comments on things, is helping me think about posting here again. I've been making an effort to try and do the commenting thing because it's what I like about platforms like this. I absolutely understand and respect lurkers and would never discourage someone from doing so if that's what they're comfortable with, but part of this for me is stretching my social interaction muscles and engaging with people when I have the brain for it.
I've started reading a few stories out of The Dangers Of Smoking In Bed and I've enjoyed what I've read so far. I'm also working through a backlog of short fiction I've had piled up, as well as a bunch of articles I've had saved. Text-to-speech has been such a big help in getting through some of this. I forget how daunting physically reading is for me, even in small amounts, and doing so through audio feels like a game changer for me and my poorly made eyes.
Speaking of eyes, I saw my Orientation and Mobility instructor today. She thinks I should be pretty much good to go to start applying to guide dog schools. This fact is both fucking terrifying but also kind of exciting. With how my sight has been getting even worse over the last year, I think it's going to help give me confidence in going out on my own and eventually living by myself, which is something I've lost a lot of confidence in.
So, while I'm not sure how long it will take, y'all might be getting guide dog updates at some point soon! Also, I'll do my best to include many pictures of all the good, good dogs.
I've started reading a few stories out of The Dangers Of Smoking In Bed and I've enjoyed what I've read so far. I'm also working through a backlog of short fiction I've had piled up, as well as a bunch of articles I've had saved. Text-to-speech has been such a big help in getting through some of this. I forget how daunting physically reading is for me, even in small amounts, and doing so through audio feels like a game changer for me and my poorly made eyes.
Speaking of eyes, I saw my Orientation and Mobility instructor today. She thinks I should be pretty much good to go to start applying to guide dog schools. This fact is both fucking terrifying but also kind of exciting. With how my sight has been getting even worse over the last year, I think it's going to help give me confidence in going out on my own and eventually living by myself, which is something I've lost a lot of confidence in.
So, while I'm not sure how long it will take, y'all might be getting guide dog updates at some point soon! Also, I'll do my best to include many pictures of all the good, good dogs.
Look! A second post!
Jan. 27th, 2024 05:46 pmI mentioned listing my goals for the year, so here they are! I had a version of this written out already, so it was easy to poke this into something I want to use as a way to help guide my year.
I'm not holding fast to most of this, honestly. I'm using them as things I can touch base with through my year when I'm not sure what I'm doing. Even the things that have numbers to them are more arbitrary than anything. I just want to have a list of things and habits I'd like to move toward in the year.
* Watch 1 movie a month
* Read 25 novels/novellas
* Read 36 short stories
* Keep up with current audiodramas
* Watch 1 movie a month
* Read something at least 5 times a week
* Write 75k worth of words
* Draft and/or edit 12 original short stories
* Draft 1 novella
* Draft a season of the project withmadgastronomer
* Submit to venues at least 20 times
* Assist in a friend's anthology project
* Redo my website
* Sort out social media and a newsletter
* Make an actual plan about what I want to do with my career? If I can even call it that. This writing for money thing I do.
* Investigate voice acting
* Investigate sewing
* Play with drawing again
* Get back to drumming again
* Play with at least two other potential hobbies.
* Get through my corneal transplant.
* Start using text to speech options regularly
* Start guide dog training
* Start looking into other accessibility options for my phone
* Start making a list of more accessible options for when I move out.
* Continue to do what I can toward moving out of Florida
* Get the cat into the vet for her shots and general check-up
* Pick up some kind of journaling practice again.
* Bring more movement into my life
We'll see how any of this goes, but I'm hoping approaching my goals as things to move toward, instead of hard and fast obligations, will help me actually make progress on some of these.
I'm not holding fast to most of this, honestly. I'm using them as things I can touch base with through my year when I'm not sure what I'm doing. Even the things that have numbers to them are more arbitrary than anything. I just want to have a list of things and habits I'd like to move toward in the year.
Media goals
* Watch 1 movie a month
* Read 25 novels/novellas
* Read 36 short stories
* Keep up with current audiodramas
* Watch 1 movie a month
* Read something at least 5 times a week
Writing/author goals
* Write 75k worth of words
* Draft and/or edit 12 original short stories
* Draft 1 novella
* Draft a season of the project with
madgastronomer* Submit to venues at least 20 times
* Assist in a friend's anthology project
* Redo my website
* Sort out social media and a newsletter
* Make an actual plan about what I want to do with my career? If I can even call it that. This writing for money thing I do.
Other creative goals:**
* Investigate voice acting
* Investigate sewing
* Play with drawing again
* Get back to drumming again
* Play with at least two other potential hobbies.
Disability:
* Get through my corneal transplant.
* Start using text to speech options regularly
* Start guide dog training
* Start looking into other accessibility options for my phone
* Start making a list of more accessible options for when I move out.
Misc:
* Continue to do what I can toward moving out of Florida
* Get the cat into the vet for her shots and general check-up
* Pick up some kind of journaling practice again.
* Bring more movement into my life
We'll see how any of this goes, but I'm hoping approaching my goals as things to move toward, instead of hard and fast obligations, will help me actually make progress on some of these.
I've been trying to get back into DW, which is something I tend to want to try and do every year, and then fail at. This time I've taken a different tack. I've been checking my DW reading page every day for a couple of weeks now, which is getting me back in the habit of thinking about and wanting to post. I didn't try doing things this way before, I just attempted to jump right back in, and then feeling bad when I didn't manage it.
This though? I think this might help. Maybe it doesn't work all the time, but I feel like if I can make checking my DW a habit again, posting can be built on that.
I also kept thinking that I should do a catch up of some kind for everything that's happened, and it just makes me feel overwhelmed and avoid posting. So I think, while I'll catch everyone up on something when it comes up, I'm not going to do a giant post of what I've been up to.
I have a set of goals for this year, but I'm going to save that for tomorrow. That I know I have something to say and can that second post written sooner rather than later.
This though? I think this might help. Maybe it doesn't work all the time, but I feel like if I can make checking my DW a habit again, posting can be built on that.
I also kept thinking that I should do a catch up of some kind for everything that's happened, and it just makes me feel overwhelmed and avoid posting. So I think, while I'll catch everyone up on something when it comes up, I'm not going to do a giant post of what I've been up to.
I have a set of goals for this year, but I'm going to save that for tomorrow. That I know I have something to say and can that second post written sooner rather than later.
you let in sunlight
Jan. 1st, 2023 11:19 pmSo, I got through last year.
It wasn't a fun year at all, even from the start. I had spent New Years sick as hell and I feel like it was kind of a prediction of the entire year.
I spent the last day of the year in a much better state, however. I wrote a little in the early morning, then slept for a good while and did a deep clean of my space in the evening.
But for better or worse, the new year is here and while I'm not making many real goals, I'm going to be open to whatever comes. Plus doing more of the things I want to do and less of what may not be as useful or fulfilling.
With that in mind, I spent my first day of the year mostly sleeping but I also got a shower in, and spent some time with Good People. Now it is almost midnight and I'm not tired exactly but also not quite sure what I want to do with myself.
It wasn't a fun year at all, even from the start. I had spent New Years sick as hell and I feel like it was kind of a prediction of the entire year.
I spent the last day of the year in a much better state, however. I wrote a little in the early morning, then slept for a good while and did a deep clean of my space in the evening.
But for better or worse, the new year is here and while I'm not making many real goals, I'm going to be open to whatever comes. Plus doing more of the things I want to do and less of what may not be as useful or fulfilling.
With that in mind, I spent my first day of the year mostly sleeping but I also got a shower in, and spent some time with Good People. Now it is almost midnight and I'm not tired exactly but also not quite sure what I want to do with myself.
