7-28-2015

I've spent a lot of time changing my standard practices. I came to a realization the other day about how much I've grown up. Even on this site, where we spend all of this time making stories for others like ourselves to read for the simple pleasure of not wanting to let go of beloved characters and story worlds. It's actually interesting to me to see my own changes. My writing hasn't changed much... but my attitude regarding my writing has.

I have two accounts here. I made the first back in... 2003? Maybe 2004... I don't remember. I was a teenager back then entering the world of fandom with wide eyes and a very simplistic, childish, writing style. My first story was Inu Yasha... and I don't remember what it was called. It was a shameless plug, and I admit that I was a terrible writer back then. My grammar was horrendous, my wording was simple and my attention span was a fraction of what it is now... I've hardly ever been "Flamed" in my time here... but I've seen how devastated people become after receiving them. I know that I cried at the one or two I received... sometimes telling myself not to ever write for an audience again. But the truth is?

I love writing. I love fanfiction. I may not review other's works as much as I feel I should, but I love reading different fandoms. And I don't always believe it, but I like to think that there are some readers who like reading my stuff as well. But it's taken a long time to really... come into myself. To get my "swing". I used to spend so much time fussing about my word count... and not enough time fussing about the flow or continuation of my stories. My Hiatus was because of a New Year's Resolution I made in 2013: I told myself to only post stories that I finished 100%. That snowballed into only working on the stories I'd already posted before posting another... The only exceptions were One-Shots. And now?

I'm back. I've been posting for Prisoner more and more often then I've ever done for a story in my time as a "writer". I'm proud of that. It may not be a "magnum opus", but it's something I can be proud of. I have an occasional flash of anxiety when a chapter I feel was done well doesn't receive a single review... but I'm not demanding a certain number of reviews before posting a new chapter (which I did in my younger years).

Basically... I want to say "Thank you" to everyone who does read my stories. Review or not, I know they'll be read at some point. Like em, hate em... that's your choice. I may not update so frequently as I have been, but I'm still thankful for the support or even just the... well, relaxing nature writing and posting has afforded me now that I've sat down and really let myself enjoy it.

Shimmershot