A roundup of exchange things

[sholio]

Nominations for hurtcomfortex close on the 24th: countdown here. Signups open on March 1. I am very much looking forward to doing this one, but I don't regret taking the last couple of months off; I really needed a break from exchanges. It was great. Now I miss having deadlines again.

The only other exchange I'm planning on doing this spring is Heart Attack, because it's ridiculously fun and very much in my writing wheelhouse (10K in 2 weeks - like a mini Big Bang for people with no common sense). I've had a great time every time; that was the exchange for which I wrote 35K of Maria & Yon-Rogg that one year, which is still some of the most fun I've ever had in an exchange (but very much lived up to its name; I remember a lot of the writing process was just OH GOD OH GOD WHEN WILL THIS END).

Otherwise, on my "maybe" slate of exchanges for this year, there's Just Married and AU-Ex (both of those probably depend on who else signs up). I've generally really enjoyed the horror exchanges in past years - MH/SoH and Jump Scare - but might just pinch hit/treat for those this year; I'll see how I feel. I'd like to do Trick or Treat this year, which I had to skip last year for health reasons, but that's so far out that WHO KNOWS what'll be going on by then; we could be into a full-fledged alien invasion by then.

At this point I plan to take a year off from SSRC, but it might run this summer like it did last year; I'll see how I feel later this spring, once I get back into the swing of exchanges again.

Which of those are you all planning on doing, if any?

--

Candy Hearts came and went! I didn't sign up, but I did write a pinch hit:

Thicker than Blood (Ben January books, Rose & Shaw, gen, 1800 wds)
Death and Hard Cider tag. In Ben's absence, Rose manages a little quiet time with a houseguest.

I had been honestly really wanting to write *something* with those two for this book, as they're two of my very favorites and they spend a lot of time together in that book but it's all off-page because the plot is following Ben - I mean, validly, he's the protagonist, but there's also just so much room for missing scenes. So I saw this request and jumped on it. Feat. Abishag Shaw, babysitter. Obviously very spoilery for the book, at least for that aspect of it.

--

In RL stuff, my 20-years-younger self would have been shocked and horrified that there's an actual Real Live Comic Convention in Fairbanks this weekend that I not only don't have a table at, but have no plans to go to ... but I have no regrets; I'm just completely out of fuel this week. I assume it's probably recovering from whatever virus Orion and I had, on top of the lingering post-surgical convalescence, on top of Winter in general. But whatever the combination of factors ... no juice, absolutely none. I did get some Zoe words written this week, but at this point I think it's time to go into a recharge cycle, read and tend the crops and not worry about getting much else done. Maybe some fanfic?

One thing I did in December and January was that I posted to DW almost every day. I really liked that! It was fun. I'd like to do it again in March. I have a bunch of books and things to post about, and I need to get back to writing the aviation posts I was going to make before my brain fell out of my skull, as well as answering comments and so forth. Social interaction! It's good for you!

Comments

[sovay]

but that's so far out that WHO KNOWS what'll be going on by then; we could be into a full-fledged alien invasion by then.

Eh, I wouldn't put it past October.

Which of those are you all planning on doing, if any?

None, which is usual for me, but this year I feel unusually wistful about it, but also flattened.

I hope you recharge comfortably.

*hugs*

[sholio]

Eh, I wouldn't put it past October.

Aliens is definitely a square on my '20s bingo card at this point.

None, which is usual for me, but this year I feel unusually wistful about it, but also this month has been flattening.

Awwww! You'll get to enjoy everything that comes out of it, though. I hope the next few months will be much less flattening. <333

*hugs*

[sovay]

Awwww! You'll get to enjoy everything that comes out of it, though. I hope the next few months will be much less flattening.

Thank you! And that is a consoling thought.

*hugs*

[sheron]

I definitely plan to do H/C Ex and FIAB this year.

I am strongly considering HA if the right signups appear. I'd like to do it if at all possible but it's certainly a commitment! "like a mini Big Bang for people with no common sense" sounds right up my alley XD

I might do AU Ex depending on timing and signups.

[sholio]

HA: a mini Big Bang for people signing up with Biggles. 🥺

I'll have to decide about FIAB when I get there. It is tremendous fun, though!

[muccamukk]

I'm pretty much just doing Heart Attack, plus some HBO-War specific stuff. I'm glad HA is running again though. Legit so fun!

[sholio]

HA is terrific; I love it. It's even more reliant than most exchanges on getting matched to something you like, though!

[muccamukk]

Yeah, I was unmatchable year one, aggressively gamed last year, then did a five minute fandom pinch hit. I think I'll take my chances this year, and almost certainly write Top Gun, lol.

[rachelmanija]

You should definitely just relax and recharge until you're relaxed and recharged. I really enjoy your posts, so if that would be relaxing for you, I'd enjoy it.

I'm going to do H/C Ex IF I've finished Defender Chimera by then. We'll see.

[sholio]

Go go go Defender Chimera!

[philomytha]

Resting and recharging sounds like a good idea, with or without fanfic.

As far as exchanges go, I'm definitely doing H/Cex. I hadn't considered Heart Attack, but if it's going to turn into another mini-Biggles exchange I will be tempted, it'll depend on which two weeks it is. Completely agree that the rest of the year is so far into Alien Invasion??? territory that there's no sense making plans. Except Yuletide, I'll do Yuletide even if there is an alien invasion :-D

[sholio]

Yesssss another HA victim join usssssss.

Here's the Heart Attack schedule for 2023:

https://heartattackexchange.dreamwidth.org/16326.html

... so basically it's assignments on April 22, due May 6 - and I've just realized that I recently made plans to be gone for most of that second week, so hahahaha oh god what if it was a ONE WEEK exchange, oh no. I'll probably do it anyway.

[philomytha]

That's not during the school holidays, so... possible! In reality, I do most of my exchange assignments in the last two weeks no matter how long the writing period is, so perhaps this will just cut out the bit where I dither :-)

[sheron]

Same! I hope you sign up. A mini-Biggles exchange sounds lovely :3

[sholio]

A mini-Biggles exchange at 10K length. *__*

[sevenall]

Wishing you all the rest and recovery time you need! Also good health and lots of energy.


This year has been so uncertain that I don't know about writing to a deadline. I might do some Yuletide pinch-hitting if I have something already half-baked and I might try to find my legs for some nore Biggles fic outside Yuletide. Fandom Trumps Hate is unfortunately beyond me this year.

[sholio]

Yeah, the past few months I just kind of chucked deadlines out the window. Pinch hitting is a nice compromise between not doing it at all vs. being tied to a very specific date, though!

(I'm not allowing myself to offer for any more charity auctions ever since belly-flopping spectacularly on one a few years ago ...)

[leesa_perrie]

Hope you feel more energetic soon *hugs* I know that feeling of running out of juice very well!

[sholio]

Thank you!! <3333 I know you do, and it's rough.

[snickfic]

I would be delighted to see you posting every day again. :)) I feel like DW activity in general has suddenly fallen off a cliff in the past month or so, and I miss folks! But reading and tending crops and not worrying also sound like very good activities. <3

My plans are maybe sign up for Summer of Horror, maaaaaaybe sign up for Stork swap. I might run another round of my kink flash exchange here soon. Otherwise that's it for signups until I start angsting about whether to do FIAB again. 😂 I reserve the right to write treats and pinch hits as the whim takes me, though.

[sholio]

I really loved having posts up almost every day for a while! It was oddly satisfying and I'd like to do it again. And I STILL haven't done anything explicitly for Fandom 50!

[sheron]

Would definitely read :D

[silverflight8]

Feel better soon!

[sholio]

Thank you! :)

[slippery_fish]

we could be into a full-fledged alien invasion by then.

Don't jinx us!

I think I might do one of the Gen Exchanges. Maybe Relationshipping if it runs, maybe RMSE. I really decreased the number of exchanges I take part in the last few years and that's probably for the best.

[sholio]

Yeah, I maxed out my ability to do exchanges for a couple of years and I'm still recovering. I'm going to try to start scheduling in regular breaks from now on; taking a couple of months off was really necessary and now I'm excited to get back to it.

[slippery_fish]

I used exchanges to keep myself writing but I think they ate too much time and not writing my own ideas kinda tired me out. I'm trying to set myself goals for writing now, like betting against myself, to keep me writing. It seems to be working for now and feels way more chill and freeing than doing one exchange after the other. Can only recommend it. :D

[schneefink]

I've never done hurtcomfortex before because the huge amount of freeform tags is intimidating... but maybe I'll give it a try this year! Most years the only exchange I do is Yuletide but atm I think some prompts and a deadline would be nice.

[sholio]

Yessss, join us!! It's usually a big enough exchange that matching on something you want to write is pretty easy.

If it helps any, my way of wading through the vast number of tags in an exchange like this is usually some combination of picking them mostly from the ones that are showing on the top-level preview, and/or typing a word for something I like into the signup box (like "hug" or "undercover") and then choosing from the ones that appear.

[aelfgyfu_mead]

I hope you feel fully yourself again soon! It has just been one thing after another.

I love when you post and would be happy to see you post daily, even though I do very little posting these days. I find it much easier to reply than make a post of my own!