It's been a weird day

Dec. 29th, 2025 08:44 pm
cornerofmadness: (Default)
[personal profile] cornerofmadness
I went to bed at 2 AM. It was 64 degrees out (in the Pittsburgh area!) so I opened my windows (Dad likes this place to be an oven) when I wake up at 9 it's 34. By ten its 24 and the sustained winds were over 20 mph with gusts up to 30-40 mph. Mom and my plan to go to the Phipps conservatory was done. Too windy. It was meant to snow (that didn't happen until after 8 pm as it turned out)

But the good omens continue as my parents are both really pissed at prejudice woman and hateful husband. Turns out PW's aunt HAD to go to the doctor today (or get billed for that nursing home rehab stay) so rather than delay their trip home to NC a few hours they pushed taking her onto my 83 year old mom. They didn't even ask ME to do it. They just fucked off south expecting Mom to do it (she did. In that cold. In that wind. Both old ladies are okay) and they didn't even leave early because they were both drunk last night and hung over and only left 5 minutes after mom got to her bestie's house. They could have taken Aunt S2 to the doc. Dad is very protective of mom and he is furious as is mom.


It's also another round of do your damn job. CVS tells me that my insulin is ready but not my wellbutrin. FInally I get cranky and call them and say where is that. Oh, that is out of refills. OMFG
1. I called my doc about that 2 weeks ago so her nurse did NOT do her job
2. CVS did NOT call me once since friday when I called in my refills
3. CVS AI bullshit phone system said there WAS refills

But in doing your job right and going above and beyond goes to whatever Amazon driver showed up in the dead of night and put both of the lightweight envelopes I got (a usb hub in one, my dexcom pretty patches in the other) half under the planter on the front stoop so they wouldn't blow away (we gave them high praise) contrasted with the UPSP dipshit who delivered my Hazbin poster to the man door of dad's detached garage....


I'll be hosting the public domain bingo in January over in [community profile] allbingo if you want to come look at some cool creative prompts (but woo boy, this is taking me a lot of time to put together but it's fun though)

Still not getting my story done. Sigh. Power went out a few times today too (wind galloping).

But I did blow off the hill (almost literally) to the post office to get my holiday gift from JK, a super cute p.oed. handmade Husk plushie, some Husk pins and Hazbin stickers. Fun stuff.

Music Monday. This week's prompt is prompt #7 a song you like with no words

Music under here )

Just one thing: 29 December 2025

Dec. 29th, 2025 08:09 am
[personal profile] jazzyjj posting in [community profile] awesomeers
It's challenge time!

Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.

Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished!

Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!

Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.

Go!

(no subject)

Dec. 29th, 2025 08:53 pm
tropicsbear: Injured Shien from Saiyuki (Saiyuki: Injured Shien)
[personal profile] tropicsbear

Today was a very chill day. In no particular order, I:

  • Went to the gym while the parentals did some shopping.
  • Reorganized a few rows in one of my bookshelves.
  • Organized two keycap sets into keycap organizer boxes.
  • Watched an episode of People Magazine Investigates while eating Cheetos Puffs.
  • Finished writing up my 2025 Year in Fic. (It's pretty short since I only completed two fics this year.)

2025 Year in Fic

Dec. 29th, 2025 08:15 pm
tropicsbear: (Mobile Legends: Carmilla)
[personal profile] tropicsbear

Fics

  • Malleable (Sk8 the Infinity • Cherry/Joe • Mature)
  • Better late than never (Saiyuki • Hakkai & Sanzo & Gojyo & Goku • Teen And Up Audiences)

Stats

Yearly

Number of fics: 2
Total word count: 2,957
Number of fandoms: 2

Less than 2024's output, in terms of both fic count (3) and word count (6,998).

Overall

Number of completed fics: 187
Number of fandoms: 22

Rest of the review. )

Writerly Ways

Dec. 28th, 2025 10:29 pm
cornerofmadness: (writing king 2)
[personal profile] cornerofmadness
I was thinking about writing communities and how I feel like I'm missing one at this point. I don't like this feeling. Other than that twice a month zoom meet up I feel like I have no community (and even there I feel like an interloper but if not for me, there would be almost no one there) My friend and I tried to restart the local group on Nov. It was a miserable failure (other than us enjoying each other's company so it wasn't a complete waste of time)

So I was curious, do you feel like you have a good writing community? I'm not talking about the writing every day sort of thing. I shared plenty of them. I think the closest I come to on DW is [community profile] ushobwri and [community profile] getyourwordsout. Both are good communities.

And there is every chance the emptiness is in ME and nothing I put into it will fill that hole. And I'm not even sure I have words to articulate what I'd like to see in a group (and it could be that I'm looking for a street team of alpha/beta readers but I'm not even sure that's it either)

So do you have a good one? Is it open? I'm curious.



Open Calls

Gramarye: Now Seeking Submissions

Verify You’re Not Human The main character of the story must be therian (identify as a non-human animal) with a strong focus on what that means

Obsidian: The Dark Space Novelette Anthology Darker 9000-25000 word stories about exploration, isolation, and the harsh conditions of space

Sapphic Spec Fic Anthology of Identity and Purpose Stories that explore sapphic identity and purpose through the lens of fantasy and speculative fiction

Black Horror, Then & Next Stories that recognize the legacy of Black horror, its literary milestones, cultural roots, and innovative voices, while pushing the genre into new, daring territory. (for Black authors only)


Newsela Original Fiction For Elementary-High School 1,500–5,000 word genre works that are targeting Upper Elementary, Middle School, and High School readers

Sci-Fi Ireland Science Fiction where if the science/technology element was removed the plot would not function
Note: To submit, you must be living on, or were born on, the Island of Ireland

23 Publishers Accepting Memoir Submissions

The Knight Before Christmas Christmas romances


From Around the Web


Notes from the Editor’s Desk: December 2025

An Argument for Writing Short Stories

When We Believe

Five Common Motivation Issues and How to Address Them

160 Christmas Writing Prompts

My Open Letter To That Open Letter About AI In Writing And Publishing by Chuck Wendig (in case you missed it last week the Nebula awards decided to allow AI writing and Publisher Weekly wrote how to use Ai and the authors went nuts (as they should have)


15 Rules for Negotiating a Large Book Sale

How to Make an Author Website in 8 Steps


Rules for Capitalizing Titles and Chapters.

Amazon Metadata Mistakes Every Indie Author Must Avoid

Self-Publishing Your Book: Quick Guide (Updated 2025)

Why Selling Direct Beats KDP for Long-Term Author Profits

17 Exciting Fantasy Novel Ideas for Authors


From Betty

How to Avoid Melodrama in Your Writing

Avoiding the Planet of Hats

Five Common Ways Fights Get Contrived

How to Write Scenes With Lots of New People

The Value of Writing Shock and Avoiding Valueless Trauma

Is Your Novel Ready for a Film Adaption? How to Begin the Process of Adapting My Story for Film


The Complete Guide to Self-editing for Writers Part 2: Practical Tools and Techniques to Strengthen Your Manuscript Before Outside Feedback
vriddy: K-9 Volume 1 Cover (k-9)
[personal profile] vriddy
No birb here.


Making choices | K-9 | Fujimaru Jin/Hizuki Ren/Kagari Yukito/Oboro Yuushirou | 1.6k words | rated T

Summary: Had Kagari drawn his sword, it wouldn't have been so bad. But Fujimaru was taken down too early to say the word, and so Kagari didn't.

Read it on Dreamwidth on AO3.
florianschild: a flatlay image of a coffee cup on a white plate with sprig of green leaves (snowflake coffee)
[personal profile] florianschild posting in [community profile] snowflake_challenge
Happy Snowflake Season to all! As we prepare to kick off the 2026 challenge, please feel free to promo this event within your own circles. You are welcome to use any of these new banners and icons that I've created to include with your post. You can copy the code from the text box below the banner to use it where you like!

Icons:


1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8

Icon table generated by Chlor's Icon Table Generator



Banners!



Snowflake Challenge: A flatlay of a snowflake shaped shortbread cake, a mug with coffee, and a string of holiday lights on top of a rustic napkin.



More Banners Below the Cut )
squidgiepdx: (calendar gif for whenisitdue)
[personal profile] squidgiepdx posting in [community profile] whenisitdue
Here are items with dates between Sunday, December 28th and Saturday, January 3rd, as well as items added recently that started this past week. Remember, you can comment here on new items that need to be added to the list.


Items starting since the last update & this coming week


Open Date Close Date Community Type of Challenge Prompt/Information Link
12/29/2025 01/04/2026 frattweek (AO3) Fanworks Signup and participation period for Daredevil Frattweek 8. click here for details
12/30/2025 01/06/2026 [community profile] traumaticexperiences (DW) Tagset Noms Multifandom: Tagset nomination period for the multifandom traumatic experiences exchange click here for details
01/01/2026 01/31/2026 [community profile] allbingo (DW) Fanworks January's theme is Public Domain Day Bingo click here for details
01/01/2026 02/28/2026 [community profile] beagoldfish (DW) Fanworks Multifandom: A multimedia microbang with all types of media encouraged click here for details
01/01/2026 01/07/2026 [personal profile] candyheartsex (DW) Fanworks Multifandom: Signup period for Candy Hearts Exchange click here for details
01/01/2026 01/31/2026 janeuary-month (Tumblr) Fanworks JANEuary - A Jane Austen/Regency AU Fanwork event, has prompts for all of January click here for details
01/01/2026 04/01/2026 [community profile] moodthemeinayear (DW) Fanworks Medium Mood Theme Track 1 period click here for details
01/01/2026 02/11/2026 [community profile] moodthemeinayear (DW) Fanworks Minimual Mood Theme Track 1 period click here for details
01/01/2026 11/30/2026 [community profile] rewrite_a_fic (DW) Fanworks Multifandom: Rewrite an old fic of yours and give it a new look! click here for details
01/02/2026 01/08/2026 [community profile] purimgifts (DW) Fanworks Tagset nomination period and participant signup period for Multifandom: Purimgifts, a pan-fandom, fanfic and podfic exchange click here for details
01/02/2026 01/09/2026 [community profile] purimgifts (DW) Fanworks Multifandom: Signup period for Pan-Fandom Fanfic & Podfic Exchange for characters who are: Women, Jewish, or persecuted click here for details
01/02/2026 01/31/2026 thelongroadtodawnxv (Tumblr) Fanworks Artist signup period for Final Fantasy XV Big Bang - The Long Road to Dawn click here for details



Items ending this coming week

Open Date Close Date Community Type of Challenge Prompt/Information Link
11/30/2025 12/31/2025 [community profile] adventdrabbles (DW) Fanworks Participate in the final Multifandom AdventDrabble until end of the year (NOTE: No end date specified so please check when more posts are added!) click here for details
12/01/2025 12/31/2025 [community profile] allbingo (DW) Fanworks December is amnesty month - a chance to finish old bingo cards click here for details
11/10/2025 12/31/2025 [community profile] allbingo (DW) Fanworks Bingo period for A Bad Bingo Event click here for details
12/10/2025 12/31/2025 blackbrothersfest25_26 (AO3) Fanworks Signup and prompt claiming period for Harry Potter Black Brothers Fest click here for details
12/10/2025 12/31/2025 [community profile] dove_drabbles (DW) Fanworks Multifandom: December Prompt #146: Share something sweet this season click here for details
11/26/2025 12/31/2025 [personal profile] elasticella (DW) Fanworks A Sapphic Stocking Stuffer celebration click here for details
12/01/2025 12/31/2025 [community profile] emotion100 (DW) Fanworks Multifandom December Prompt #46: vulnerable click here for details
12/01/2025 12/31/2025 [community profile] fancake (DW) Recs Multifandom - Fancake Theme for December is Amnesty click here for details
03/01/2025 12/31/2025 [community profile] fandom50challenge (DW) Meta The Silly Little E! Exchange for the TV show from the 1970s click here for details
12/01/2025 12/31/2025 fandomwithbenefits (Tumblr) Fanworks Memory Lane (rewatch theme)Note: This challenge community has no true deadlines. click here for details
12/01/2025 12/31/2025 [community profile] fffc (DW) Fanworks December Challenge 233 - Winter Calendar click here for details
06/01/2025 12/31/2025 [community profile] fourormore (DW) Fanworks Signup period for the Four or More Bingo click here for details
01/01/2025 12/31/2025 GATEathon_Works_2025(AO3) Fanworks GATEathon Works 2025 celebrates all things Stargate with monthly prompts. Join in all year! click here for details
12/17/2025 12/31/2025 [community profile] goals_on_dw (DW) Fanworks/Meta Multifandom: Signup period for the 2026 Fannish 50 Blogging Challenge click here for details
12/18/2025 12/31/2025 [community profile] mgsx (DW) Fanworks Metal Gear Fandom: Signup period for Metal Gear Solid Exchange 4 click here for details
12/01/2025 12/31/2025 [community profile] rec_cember (DW) Recs Participate in Rec-Cember, reccing your favorite works click here for details
04/01/2025 12/31/2025 [personal profile] likealighthouse (DW) Fanart The Graphic & The Design: April Drift - A Graphic-Travaganza click here for details
12/02/2025 12/31/2025 [community profile] sweetandshort (DW) Fanworks December's 10 out of 20 challenge click here for details
12/09/2025 12/31/2025 [community profile] sweetandshort (DW) Fanworks Multifandom: December's This and That (Winter or Summer) challenge click here for details
12/01/2025 12/31/2025 thelongroadtodawnxv (Tumblr) Fanworks Writer signup period for Final Fantasy XV Big Bang - The Long Road to Dawn click here for details
12/01/2025 12/31/2025 [community profile] trope_of_the_month (DW) Fanworks December Multifandom Trope of the Month - Fix-Its click here for details
12/01/2025 12/31/2025 [community profile] vocab_drabbles (DW) Fanworks Multifandom Challenge #172: Avant-garde click here for details
12/20/2025 01/01/2026 [community profile] fan_flashworks (DW) Fanworks Multifandom: Challenge 501 - Amnesty click here for details
12/06/2025 01/03/2026 [community profile] sga_saturday (DW) Fanworks Stargate Atlantis: Weeks #523-526: Amnesty 2025 click here for details


NOTE: Here are a few challenge communities that (can) have challenges that (usually) aren't part of the list:

Writing Sprints December 29-January 2

Dec. 28th, 2025 08:37 am
treefrogie84: (wwm)
[personal profile] treefrogie84 posting in [community profile] weekendwritingmarathon
 

what’s a 1k1h?|| time zone converter || 1k1h Calendar

All sprints are run on Discord only. You can find our Discord server here.

 

Monday ( time zone converter)

5am PT/ 8am ET/ 1pm UTC Mrsimoshen 

8am PT/ 11am ET/ 4pm UTC Max

11am PT/ 2pm ET/ 7pm UTC        LittleMissTPK

1pm PT/ 4pm ET/ 9pm UTC LittleMissTPK

5pm PT/ 8pm ET/ 1am Tues UTC Treefrogie84

7pm PT/ 10pm ET/ 3am Tues UTC Joe

 

Tuesday ( time zone converter)

8am PT/ 11am ET/ 4pm UTC Alec

11am PT/ 2pm ET/ 7pm UTC PreciousAnon

7pm PT/ 10pm ET/ 3am Wed UTC Alec

9pm PT/ 12am Wed ET/ 5am Wed UTC NotTooLateForTheGame

 

Wednesday ( time zone converter)

5am PT/ 8am ET/ 1pm UTC Mrsimoshen 

8am PT/ 11am ET/ 4pm UTC Max

5pm PT/ 8pm ET/ 1am Thur UTC LittleMissTPK

7pm PT/ 10pm ET/ 3am Tues UTC Alec

 

Thursday ( time zone converter)

5am PT/ 8am ET/ 1pm UTC Mrsimoshen

8am PT/ 11am ET/ 4pm UTC Alec

11am PT/ 2pm ET/ 7pm UTC PreciousAnon 

1pm PT/ 4pm ET/ 9pm UTC Treefrogie

5pm PT/ 8pm ET/ 1am Fri UTC Treefrogie84

7pm PT/ 10pm ET/ 3am Fri UTC Alec

 

Friday ( time zone converter)

5am PT/ 8am ET/ 1pm UTC Mrsimoshen

8am PT/ 11am ET/ 4pm UTC Max

11am PT/ 2pm ET/ 7pm UTC LittleMissTPK

1pm PT/ 4pm ET/ 9pm UTC LittleMissTPK

5pm PT/ 8pm ET/ 1am Sat UTC Treefrogie84

7pm PT/ 10pm ET/ 3am Sat UTC Alec


Just one thing: 28 December 2025

Dec. 28th, 2025 07:48 am
[personal profile] jazzyjj posting in [community profile] awesomeers
It's challenge time!

Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.

Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished!

Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!

Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.

Go!

Birb!

Dec. 28th, 2025 05:08 am
vriddy: Cat looking out of the window beside a cup of tea and books (window cat)
[personal profile] vriddy
To PROVE that I am able to make a post without a single mention of K-9 (oh no I already failed), please enjoy pictures of the bird friends I made at the park yesterday :D


Chill bird walking on concrete   Chill bird foraging in a flower bed


I call them magpies because that's what the black and white and beautiful blue-tinted tail colouring makes me think of, but I don't actually know. They are birb. And they are friendly!

One of them came to hang out with us when we took a little break, just sitting there, all puffy and chirping whenever we stopped paying attention to it. Really, surprisingly chill and friendly! I guess people around there are not jerks to them too much.

Puffy bird perching on wall


I know the quality of my pictures is terrible, but that's to encourage everyone to use their Power Of Imagination! I'm actually providing a great public service 😌

Picture of a not a bird friend, at the same park )


Also I'm no longer the only person posting for K-9 out there :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D And they write a PoV I'm less comfortable with (FOR NOW) and that is just AWESOME. Happy times!!! 🥳🥳

I hope this augers well

Dec. 27th, 2025 11:26 pm
cornerofmadness: (Default)
[personal profile] cornerofmadness
I woke up feeling lightheaded, slightly headachy and hella tired (this is not the good augering part) This is when Mom tells me that the couple I don't like are coming up tonight. UGH. As I told [personal profile] evil_little_dog that I planned to 'go out with friends' when they came up but now I'm sick (and really I am) so mom says just stay upstairs then and don't bother with them.

But they blew my parents off. WOO HOO. Twice now this holiday. My parents might go to my aunt's house (where they're staying as she's actually prejudice woman's real aunt) in the morning. I'm a late riser so I get out of going (in theory) but even if I don't it'll be a short trip because the Steeler game is tomorrow and they want all visitors out (which should tell everyone what they need to know. You rate under football) And they leave monday so I am hoping this is a sign for the coming year where things that upset me are removed from my presence.


I got my official Hazbin merch today, the holiday poster and key chains (all sold out now) and the season 1 DVDs. I am happy to have that (luckily I'm too tired for my why you don't own downloads rant)

It's time for science saturday


One Protein Is a Better Predictor of Heart Disease Than Cholesterol

Powerful Anti-Cancer Drug Discovered Inside Japanese Tree Frog.

Garlic Mouthwash Could Be The New Gold Standard. Here's Why. I need to send this to my research student who is working with mouthwash


New Drug Stalls Alzheimer's Development in Breakthrough Trial

Cats meow more at men to get their attention, study suggests

A huge surprise': 1,500-year-old church found next to Zoroastrianism place of worship in Iraq

Tiny implant 'speaks' to the brain with LED light

See the 100,000th photo of Mars taken by NASA's groundbreaking Red Planet orbiter


Christmas pictures of the house )

Dragon Cave: Adopt one today!

Dragon Cave: Adopt one today!

Dragon Cave: Adopt one today!

Dragon Cave: Adopt one today!

You can click the eggs if you want.

Just One Thing (27 December 2025)

Dec. 27th, 2025 12:21 pm
nanila: me (Default)
[personal profile] nanila posting in [community profile] awesomeers
It's challenge time!

Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.

Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished! Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!

Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.

Go!
tropicsbear: Iida Tenya from BnHA pointing at a piece of paper (BnHA: Iida discussing rules)
[personal profile] tropicsbear

Personal rating 9/10

As always, my per-episode reactions are on [community profile] bnha_fans! I'll just blab about the season (and series) as a whole here.

The end of an era! I've been watching BnHA since 2017, after a screenshot of Iida from the then-current OP passed through my Twitter timeline. I thought he was a nice, square boi so I started watching the anime ... and ended up binge-watching the available seasons in spurts until I caught up.

Spoilers. )

As a whole, this season really drove home the point that most people—All for One not included lol—have the capacity for both good and bad, and things are never really black-and-white. While people are responsible for their own choices at the end of the day, society as a whole can still (and should be) improved to help everyone.

Random stuff:

  • I immediately wanted to read normal!AU fic of All for One and Yoichi, featuring AFO being a baka aniki, as soon as the backstory dropped 😂 I'm so predictable.
  • Y'all will never make me hate Iida's hair. He's my son, the goodest boi. The squarest son.
  • The art was consistently amazing throughout this season! Definitely went out with a bang on that front.

Fic title meme

Dec. 27th, 2025 02:14 pm
tropicsbear: Chibi Kamado Tanjiro from Kimetsu no Yaiba serving ebi tempura (KnY: Tanjiro cafe art)
[personal profile] tropicsbear

Doing that meme that I saw floating around on my Reading page a while back because I currently lack the motivation to do anything else. (This took me way too long to write.)

How many letters of the alphabet have you used for [starting] a fic title? One fic per line, 'A' and 'The' do not count for 'a' and 't'. Post your score out of 26 at the end, along with your total fic count.

Cut for length and some commentary! )