Write Every Day: Day 25

[the_siobhan]

I used to write stories when I was a kid - I once wrote a lengthy saga about a unicorn which I illustrated and bound together into a book using string to tie the pages together. I'm pretty sure my teachers thought I was hilarious. I progressed to zines and the occasional art class in college. Recently we unearthed a box full of all my old art supplies including my old sketchbooks and I've been tentatively starting to use them again. I'm toying with the idea of whether one of my stories might actually work better as a comic.

Another thing I want to re-learn is how to sew. I am an Olde and went to school when we actually had home ec classes and I was pretty good at sewing from a pattern. That was a very long time ago now, but since we recently got a table big enough to spread out and work on, I have promised the roommate that I will dig out the sewing machine and finally start practising on all those boxes of fabric I have saved up over the years.

What else do you all do that's creative? I have a friend who has taken up needlepoint to have something to do with her hands during zoom meetings, and another one who knits. badly_knitted has talked about her knitting progress on occasion, is there anybody else who works with textiles? Paints? Draws? Makes music? Builds sculptures with scrap metal and an arc welder?


Day 25 Tally:
china_shop, badly_knitted, shopfront, phrenk, luzula, sylvanwitch, shadaras, brainwane, firecat, nafs, cornerofmadness, sanguinity, alexseanchai, lferion, yasaman, phrenk, sakana17, silveradept, ysilme, auroracloud, iberiandoctor

Day 24:
china_shop, badly_knitted, luzula, , alexseanchai, sylvanwitch, shadaras, nafs, lferion, sakana17, cornerofmadness, yasaman, shopfront, silveradept, brainwane, sanguinity, ysilme, auroracloud, iberiandoctor

Day 23:
china_shop, shopfront, badly_knitted, luzula, anankastick, sylvanwitch, shadaras, alexseanchai, yasaman, nafs, cornerofmadness, lferion, sakana17, phrenk, ysilme, silveradept, sanguinity, auroracloud, iberiandoctor

Day 22:
alexseanchai, badly_knitted, sylvanwitch, shadaras, brainwane, sakana17, sanguinity, nafs, phrenk, cornerofmadness, lferion, yasaman, auroracloud, shopfront, luzula, silveradept, ysilme, iberiandoctor

Day 21:
china_shop, alexseanchai, badly_knitted, sylvanwitch, shadaras, silveradept, brainwane, lferion, sakana17, nafs, cornerofmadness, yasaman, phrenk, auroracloud, shopfront, firecat, sanguinity, luzula, iberiandoctor, ysilme

Day 20:
china_shop, sylvanwitch, badly_knitted, luzula, alexseanchai, shadaras, nafs, sakana17, cornerofmadness, yasaman, lferion, phrenk, shopfront, firecat, sanguinity, silveradept, auroracloud, iberiandoctor, ysilme

Day 19:
china_shop, ysilme, shopfront, luzula, badly_knitted, sylvanwitch, alexseanchai, brainwane, silveradept, cornerofmadness, nafs, sakana17, yasaman, lferion, sanguinity, alexseanchai, phrenk, shadaras, auroracloud, iberiandoctor

Day 18:
china_shop, alexseanchai, badly_knitted, luzula, sylvanwitch, shadaras, brainwane, marvelouscity, nafs, lferion, cornerofmadness, yasaman, sakana17, sanguinity, phrenk, firecat, ysilme, silveradept, auroracloud, iberiandoctor

Day 17:
china_shop, badly_knitted, luzula, sylvanwitch, shadaras, alexseanchai, sanguinity, brainwane, nafs, cornerofmadness, sakana17, yasaman, lferion, marvelouscity, silveradept, phrenk, iberiandoctor, firecat, ysilme, auroracloud

Day 16:
china_shop, badly_knitted, luzula, sylvanwitch, sanguinity, yasaman, brainwane, firecat, nafs, cornerofmadness, lferion, sakana17, phrenk, silveradept, iberiandoctor, shadaras, ysilme, auroracloud

Day 15:
china_shop, alexseanchai, sylvanwitch, badly_knitted, trobadora, luzula, yasaman, sanguinity, shadaras, brainwane, nafs, sakana17, cornerofmadness, phrenk, lferion, silveradept, firecat, iberiandoctor, ysilme, auroracloud

Day 14:
china_shop, ysilme, sylvanwitch, trobadora, badly_knitted, luzula, alexseanchai, shadaras, sanguinity, nafs, brainwane, cornerofmadness, yasaman, lferion, sakana17, phrenk, shopfront,silveradept, firecat, ysilme, auroracloud

Day 13:
china_shop, shopfront, badly_knitted, luzula, shadaras, alexseanchai, sylvanwitch, nafs, cornerofmadness, lferion, yasaman, phrenk, sakana17, silveradept, ysilme, iberiandoctor, trobadora, sanguinity, auroracloud

Day 12:
china_shop, sylvanwitch, shadaras, brainwane, silveradept, alexseanchai, thevetia, yasaman, zulu, sakana17, sanguinity, cornerofmadness, lferion, phrenk, badly_knitted, saki101, ysilme, iberiandoctor, trobadora, luzula, auroracloud

Day 11:
china_shop, firecat, badly_knitted, luzula, sylvanwitch, shadaras, thevetia, sakana17, brainwane, sanguinity, yasaman, cornerofmadness, china_shop, nafs, lferion, saki101, alexseanchai, phrenk, firecat, shopfront, silveradept, zulu, trobadora, ysilme, iberiandoctor, auroracloud

Day 10:
china_shop, badly_knitted, luzula, sylvanwitch, alexseanchai, shadaras, sanguinity, brainwane, nafs, firecat, yasaman, cornerofmadness, sakana17, saki101, lferion, phrenk, auroracloud, iberiandoctor, silveradept, thevetia, trobadora, ysilme

Day 9:
china_shop, shadaras, sylvanwitch, alexseanchai, sanguinity, saki101, nafs, yasaman, cornerofmadness, lferion, sakana17, phrenk, badly_knitted, ysilme, silveradept, solo, carenejeans, auroracloud, iberiandoctor, luzula, brainwane, trobadora

Day 8:
china_shop, sylvanwitch, badly_knitted, luzula, saki101, silveradept, sanguinity, shadaras, thevetia, brainwane, nafs, cornerofmadness, lferion, sakana17, yasaman, phrenk, alexseanchai, firecat, auroracloud, ysilme, solo, carenejeans, iberiandoctor, trobadora

Day 7:
china_shop, shopfront, falkner, badly_knitted, luzula, trobadora, sylvanwitch, shadaras, nafs, brainwane, sanguinity, lferion, yasaman, sakana17, phrenk, carenejeans, cornerofmadness, firecat, saki101, silveradept, auroracloud, ysilme, iberiandoctor

Day 6:
china_shop, ysilme, trobadora, luzula, badly_knitted, sylvanwitch, saki101, sanguinity, shadaras, brainwane, nafs, alexseanchai, cornerofmadness, yasaman, lferion, sakana17, phrenk, shopfront, silveradept, iberiandoctor, firecat, solo, carenejeans, auroracloud

Day 5:
china_shop, badly_knitted, luzula, shadaras, sylvanwitch, nafs, sakana17, sanguinity, cornerofmadness, lferion, brainwane, saki101, phrenk, firecat, ysilme, shopfront, yasaman, carenejeans, houseof9cats, thevetia, robadora, silveradept, auroracloud, trobadora

Day 4:
china_shop, shopfront, luzula. alexseanchai, shadaras, badly_knitted, sylvanwitch, ysilme, sanguinity, saki101, silveradept, nafs, yasaman, thevetia, sakana17, cornerofmadness, lferion, phrenk, solo, iberiandoctor, firecat, brainwane, carenejeans, yasaman, auroracloud, trobadora

Day 3:
china_shop, alexseanchai, alexcat, sylvanwitch, sakana17, thevetia, nafs, lferion, cornerofmadness, phrenk, solo, badly_knitted, luzula, shadaras, yasaman, brainwane, trobadora, ysilme, sanguinity, silveradept, iberiandoctor, firecat, carenejeans, auroracloud

Day 2:
china_shop, shadaras, falkner, luzula, badly_knitted, alexseanchai, trobadora, saki101, sylvanwitch, brainwane, thevetia, lferion, cornerofmadness, nafs, sakana17, yasaman, solo, phrenk, auroracloud, ysilme, sanguinity, silveradept, alexcat, iberiandoctor, firecat, carenejeans

Day 1:
china_shop, sylvanwitch, luzula, badly_knitted, trobadora, falkner, alexseanchai, silveradept, shadaras, sanguinity, thevetia, nafs, cornerofmadness, lferion, sakana17, alexcat, marvelouscity, saki101, yasaman, solo, auroracloud, phrenk, shopfront, brainwane, dreamwriteremmy, ysilme, , iberiandoctor, firecat, carenejeans

Let me know if I missed your name at any point. And participation is always open, so jump in with a comment any time.

Comments

[badly_knitted]

Yay for Johnny Cash icon!

I had sewing and cookery classes at school, but sewing machines and me don't mix, they break when I touch them. I knit, a you know, also do cross stitch, macrame, cardmaking, and some jewellery, nothing all that fancy. I'm off to knit in a minute because I still have no heat and no idea if and when I will have. Got to keep warrm somehow.

Nov 25th - 1039 words on a challenge fic.

[the_siobhan]

Yikes. I hope your heat gets fixed soon.

Well done on all your words!

[badly_knitted]

It's not looking too hopeful. I may need a new chimney liner and everywhere I've talked to can't fit me in until January sometime.

[the_siobhan]

Do you need advice on how to make a warm spot in the house? Cause the first couple of years in this house the rooms were stripped back to the brick and the first year every single window was broken. So I have some advice.

[badly_knitted]

Any advice would be welcome although I'm not sure whether or not it will be helpful with this old, damp house. Still, lay it on me, there might be something that will work, at this point I'll try just about anything.

[the_siobhan]

Well the first thing is to focus your efforts on the most important room. For some people it's the bedroom, personally I am ok with a cold room for sleeping as long as I can pile on the duvets so we did it in our office space. You won't be able to do much to keep a whole house warm, but one room you can probably do.

Since we didn't have walls we hung layers of plastic and tried to stagger them so that there were air pockets in between the layers. Then we got a lot of old blankets and curtains from the second-hand store and draped those on top, including stapling some layers to the ceiling. Then we could run an electric heater in the room and it stayed mostly warm. We did that in the room where the computers were, so the heat from those definitely helped.

[badly_knitted]

Sadly I don't think any of that is going to work here. We're in lockdown so getting things like blankets and old curtains is impossible, but thanks anyway. I continue to freeze and now my laptop is defunct and the only replacement I could get is a mini thing with the latest version of windows which makes everything more complicated, I can't download things, it messes up my formatting when I post, and MS office is an instrument of torture designed so I can't find any of the tools I need. How I can use it to write fanfic I don't know. Haven't written a word today.

[shopfront]

3.5k for me today so \o/ for an uptick. I'm literally only halfway to the Nano minimum goal though, so the next five days will be interesting *facepalm*

I've been knitting a lot this year, I'm trying to improve my handsewing/basic mending skills, and I've just got myself all stocked up to try embroidery and cross-stitch. It's not quite the same sort of thing, but I use cooking as a creative outlet too and I've been trying to be adventurous with some of the new ingredients available to me here. I also had grand plans to get back into machine sewing this year because there are sewing machines in the public libraries here (which I am forever amazed about) but obviously 2020 put a quick stop to that idea. I would really like to get back into sewing and try to work my way up to making proper clothes, I also did home ec and some very basic patterns in school, but I think it would probably require investing in a machine now so it's staying on hold for the moment.

[the_siobhan]

Yeah, we have a place right near my house called The Workroom where you can book time on their fancy expensive machines. I took one class there in the Before Times, but they're obviously closed down right now. I'm hoping they're still around once the dust settles, because they were a great resource.

Well done on your words and good luck with your Nano.

[satoyan]

Day 24: 150 nano words, only written to maintain streak and check in here. :D

[the_siobhan]

Well done and good for you for keeping it up. :-)

[luzula]

Wordcount for 25th of November: 400
Total wordcount on poly fic: 45,500

Besides writing, I also record podfic. I like singing, though I don't do it enough. I'm also planning to learn some basic bookbinding, so I can have my own longfic on my bookshelf. : )

[the_siobhan]

Oh that is very cool.

I would love to learn bookbinding, every example I've seen of it is just gorgeous.

Well done on your words!

[china_shop]

26th: A 652-word flashfic, and I finished and posted the porny thing from yesterday, too. :-)

[the_siobhan]

Wahoo for your porn! :-)

[anankastick]

I'm trying to get back into playing music. I have a guitar, which is not ideal, but I'm slowly learning to play it. I'm a bowed strings person, so I'm hoping to get my hands on a cello sometime soon. (I played viola for 28 years, but the strain on my terrible shoulders is just too much.) I've always wanted to learn a textile art. My mom can knit and sew, but she refused to teach me when I was a kid, claiming I was "too impatient." Attempts to teach myself have been very hit-or-miss. One day...

[the_siobhan]

I am super envious of anybody with any kind of musical ability. I have my partner's guitar (he died last year) and I've often thought of learning to play it but I never seem to be able to make the time.

Are you checking in for WED or just commenting? (just commenting is fine, I just want to know if I should add you to the tally)

[anankastick]

Sorry for the delay! (Holidays...) I was just commenting :) And it IS hard to make time for something new, even if you have plenty of time. I keep thinking I need more discipline, but something tells me that's not the key...

[sylvanwitch]

I garden as a creative thing, but I don't really do anything crafty. I used to play both the flute and the guitar, but it's been decades since I picked up either one. I'm notoriously bad at art. I actually failed eighth grade art class despite doing ALL of the work on time and to the best of my ability, so my teacher took pity on me and let me write an extra credit essay on the life and times of Michelangelo, which is the only thing that saved my art grade that year. I have trouble translating what I see to a physical form; I think my hands just can't make real what I see? I guess I take a decent photo, but I wouldn't call that a hobby, and certainly, I have no idea what I'm doing except pointing and shooting. ;-)

Anyway, the one creative thing I am good at is writing, and today I wrote 832 words.

[the_siobhan]

How does a teacher fail somebody at art? I'm sorry, but your teacher was an asshole.

*grinches loudly on your behalf*

Well done on your words!

[shadaras]

I also draw (not as well as I write, though), and I used to do a bunch of music stuff. I played flute for a decade, learned saxophone well enough to be tossed into the sax section of my community college wind ensemble when they needed more players, and was in a youth choir as a kid. I miss that kind of music community, but that's something to pursue in later years.

Today I wrote a good 800-some words.

[the_siobhan]

I have SO MANY hobbies I want to pursue when I don't have to spend 40+ hours a week on paying the mortgage.

Well done on your words!

[sanguinity]

Checking in for the 23rd through the 25th: words, all days.

[the_siobhan]

Well done on words!

[firecat]

I've tried lots of different crafts. The one that I took to the most was knitting. I'm also happy with some of the crochet, wirework, beading, knotting, polymer clay, and paper crafts / collage stuff I've done. I had a class in lampworking (glass beads and small sculptures) once and I loved it but I never managed to put together my own work area for that.

Day 23: 130 words
Day 24: 1600 words

[the_siobhan]

I really want to try more stuff in general but time is always a thing.

Well done on words!

[brainwane]

Wordcount today: 853, basically entirely copied from a talk I gave years back.

I do a weeeee bit of vidding, and I sketch a bit to pass the time when I'm listening to a lecture/meeting sometimes. And I do stand-up comedy.

[the_siobhan]

Stand up is definitely a super power. I have been on stage a couple of times in my life and I pretty much collapse into a black hole from the self-conscious.

Well done on your words!

[nafs]

I am one of those people who knows *how* to but does not regularly do any knitting or sewing. I am also old enough that I had home ec classes (and shop! I also can but rarely do use hand tools and power tools). My mother - who is a champion knitter, the can figure out where you went wrong 20 rows ago, *unknit* only *part* of it to get to the issue and fix it sort of knitter - wants me to get back into knitting. I use my sewing knowledge to reattach buttons and hems and, recently, fix a hole in a pocket.

On the other hand, I have somehow become a person who can, on a whim, decide that tonight is the night I am making brownies and not have to leave the house to get a single ingredient. Wee!nafio would be *very* pleased to hear about this. Covid has only exacerbated this situation it has not created it.

Day 25: I opened my notebook to write one (1) alibi sentence and somehow I came away with half a page.

[the_siobhan]

My interest in clothes is mostly around being able to tailor things to fit me. I have no idea how difficult it is to reach that skill level, but I have fantasies about being able to modify clothes so they don't pinch, gap, cling, or bunch. Also pockets.

I also really really like power tools.

Cooking and baking can definitely be creative endeavours. I'd love to learn to be a better cook, but that's lower down the list.

Well done on your half-page!

[cornerofmadness]

I am also an old who had home ec. I enjoyed sewing but my hand injury makes that hard. I make my own jewelry and occasionally do found art projects. I'd love to be able to draw.

Today sucked it but I managed to get 610 words on my dark fic

[the_siobhan]

I'd love to learn more about your art projects.

Well done on your words!

[cornerofmadness]

thanks, sadly I haven't done much lately with the art projects

[alexseanchai]

trying to decide if I want the side effects of this potion brewing mishap to be entertaining ( = humor/fluff) or painful ( = drama/angst)

[the_siobhan]

Good luck on your pondering. :-)

[lferion]

Day 25 - 204 words on a double drabble that I think will need significant re-work to be actually useable.

Other things I do creatively -- I sew, I costume (I am old-school, it is *costuming* not cosplay) I do beaded jewelry, both wirework and knotted silk, I make string (lucet, kumihimo, 7-strand braid, 4-strand sinnet, fingerloop, etc), I've done knitting and crochet & failed to master nalebinding. I do card-weaving. I've done calligraphy and a tiny bit of drawing/painting. I've dabbled in woodworking, done a bit of metalworking. I like making stuff, and the SCA is brilliant in providing opportunities to Make Cool Stuff.

[the_siobhan]

Oh yeah, the SCA is great if you want to learn how to do things. My first experience with archery was through a friend of a friend who is in the SCA. I also accidentally stumbled across a group of burners in my city just before lockdown and they're also amazing for supporting learning how to do big ridiculous wonderful art.

Well done on your words!

[yasaman]

Day 25: 374 words for me tonight!

[the_siobhan]

Well done on your words!

[satoyan]

Day 25: 636 nano words.

[the_siobhan]

Well done on your words!

[sakana17]

Day 25: Some edits.

[the_siobhan]

Well done on your progress!

[saki101]

Firstly, sorry for disappearing for two weeks, but nothing was happening writing-wise with me and I decided to just let it be for a while. However, I signed up to do a multi-fandom Advent Ficlet Challenge yesterday and that seems to have had a positive effect. I've never done an Advent challenge before as I'm usually travelling around that time, but not this year! The prompts are up and posting starts on 1 December if anyone else would like to do it, too, here is the link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/2020_Advent_Ficlet_Challenge.

Secondly, it's so cool that you are reviving former creative interests and thinking to re-work some of your writing with illustrations! Multi-media, yay!! Also, the sewing. That is wonderful and it's great that you kept your materials for these endeavours, contrary to popular advice to get rid of things one hasn't used for a year or two. Things sometimes come round decades later and it's great not to have to re-buy all the supplies.

I was never good at sewing machine sewing, and I really tried (I, too, had Home Ec!), but I liked handwork and did embroidery and some other projects like cushions and small upholstery projects. My last embroidery effort was about three years ago when a favourite bag (a Sherlock one from the London Museum, which had a big Sherlock Holmes exhibit several years ago) developed a hole, so I embroidered a bee over it. It tickles me every time I catch sight of it and I use the bag to carry groceries or other small purchases, so that's fairly often.

26 November check-in: 348 words on my ficlet involving the first two prompts of the series and a bit of a start on the second ficlet.

[the_siobhan]

I am a huge packrat and never throw anything away. Unfortunately I also share a small house with two other people so there has been some negotiation around storage space. I've promised I'll do something with all the fabric boxes this winter, so that puts a bit of a fire under me.

Well done on your words and on getting back into it!