Storytime with Rachel F Hundred

Two steps forward and one step back

It has been a frustrating two weeks.

My health continues to challenge me in ways that are not new necessarily but are disheartening to continue to experience. In many ways I am not surprised because I’m recovering from a kidney issue, there was an area for concern on my last blood test which means another change up in diet (which has to be done without creating a whole new imbalance elsewhere), and I managed to get a cold and a scratchy throat from apparently nowhere. Not to mention that I’m at a stage of life where hormones are volatile at the best of times.

My body is fatigued with the fight for its health, and so I’m fatigued mentally as well as physically.

It means that my work is very slow paced.

The idea that I could spend every day writing 3000 words as I did in November feels as undoable to me today as the idea of climbing Everest. Of course, the reality is that I could do both if my health was better and I planned things as well as I did back then.

I am planning. I’m just failing to stick to the plan. And I don’t necessarily think my lack of progress is a lack of desire to achieve what I want to achieve. It is a failure of estimating just how much work my body can tolerate right now.

I need to consciously be kind to myself and not berate myself for not hitting a deadline again, because I also need to consciously recognise that I am achieving quite a bit for all I’m physically struggling.

I have continued to prioritise my business to get it up and running and properly earning money. As much as I would love to simply write fiction every day, I need an income to support my writing and thus, this has had to be the priority for the start of the year.

On the business side, I’m being proactive in my social media, putting myself forward for contract work, and chasing down opportunities. I’ve continued mentoring and coaching people; I’ve had positive feedback that the tools I’ve shared have been useful. I’m discussing doing a great podcast series with a former colleague and friend which will be an exciting collaboration.  

I’m within touching distance of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) on the website. I’ve achieved scripting, recording and editing an introductory video for it (and learning how to do the video did take so much more time than I estimated – while I’m proud of the skills development, I cannot wait until I can afford a video editor).  I’m an article and a half away from getting the whole website live.

The end of this coming week is a realistic target given I am exploring trustee work for a local charity Monday-Tuesday, and networking Tuesday-Wednesday. Yes, it’s two weeks later than I’d planned at the start of January, but it is within touching distance.

On the writing side, fanfiction-wise, I’ve completed the first chapter of Another Dimension, the third story in my Harry Potter, A Step to the Right series.  I also posted up a short Dumbledore POV interlude, A Promise of Plotting, which follows The Promise which I posted last year. I have another two interludes drafted.

I’ve started writing the next TAG in my Stargate SG1 Aftershocks series which follows after the episode Sacrifices, and I have planned out the rest of the TAGs for Season 8. Completing season 8 of Aftershocks in one of my primary fanfiction goals this year as I’ve been trying to accomplish it since 2022.

I know what I’d like to get done for Evil Author’s Day and International Fandom day (February 15th). Whether I get everything completed or not…I’m not putting myself under any pressure to achieve anything else. I’ve got that first chapter of Another Dimension done which was my main project for it.

Outside of the fanfiction, I’ve finished up the reviews for Skeleton Crew (a great little series – really enjoyed it) and I’m not planning to review anything else until Captain America: Brave New World, although if I can find a way to watch Star Trek’s Section 31 I might be inspired or not with that. I’ve been writing some poetry and planning out more fiction stories. Most importantly, I have started editing the novel and making good progress on that.  

Every day I achieve more than I think I do.

I just need to continue to be kind to myself, not get disheartened at missed deadlines which just are not physically achievable right now, and keep focused on my dream.

I am writing. I am a writer. And that’s the most important thing.  

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