Snowflake Challenge 15: How did it go?
Jan. 29th, 2026 04:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithSnowflake Challenge 15: How did it go?
How Did the Fandom Snowflake Challenge Go? Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it.
Did you get all you wanted to get from it? Are there things you're going to carry with you for as long as you can? Are you going to continue to challenge yourself? Continue to connect? We can't wait to hear.
( Read more... )
How Did the Fandom Snowflake Challenge Go? Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it.
Did you get all you wanted to get from it? Are there things you're going to carry with you for as long as you can? Are you going to continue to challenge yourself? Continue to connect? We can't wait to hear.
( Read more... )
Snowflake Challenge: day 14
Jan. 29th, 2026 08:59 pmshewhostaples
Create a promo and/or rec list for someone new to a fandom
Well, I was enthusing about The Count of Monte Cristo the other day, so I shall expand on that a bit. (Also see 2019 post here.
It's a French novel (original title: Le Comte de Monte Cristo) by Alexandre Dumas (père), first published in serial form from 1844-46 and then as a complete novel in 1846. (There were two Alexandre Dumas, father and son. The father is most famous for The Three Musketeers and the son is most famous for The Lady of the Camellias.)
The first part of the book stars too-good-to-be-true sailor Edmond Dantès, who is framed for a crime of which he is, obviously, innocent, and imprisoned in an island prison just outside Marseille. There he encounters the Abbé Faria, who knows where to find some hidden treasure on another island, tiny Monte Cristo, if only he could get free... Well, he can't, but Edmond is younger and stronger and has a much better chance.
The rest of the book follows the consequences - for Edmond (who has restyled himself as Count of Monte Cristo), and for the three men who stitched him up, and for their nearest and dearest. (Edmond has been in prison for a while, and they've all done rather well for themselves - implausibly so, in some cases.) They take a while to work themselves out, but they're very satisfying even as they're somewhat horrifying. It's revenge with an unlimited budget, and then having to come to terms with what that does to a person. (If absolute power corrupts absolutely, then unlimited revenge... erm. Anyway.)
I love the melodrama. I love the Gothic vibe. I love the canon lesbians (Eugénie, the daughter of one of the three villains and an impoverished friend who sings opera with her) who get a happy ending under their own author's nose. I love the background detail, Parisian society, the faint odour of decadence.
Warnings: the dodgy opinions you'd expect for 1846. Alexandre Dumas was in fact Black, but this doesn't stop him going unfortunately Orientalist in places.
Also note that it's very long - about 1200 pages in my edition. This is a plus for me: I read it in difficult times and by the time I get to the end something will have changed somewhere. It's worth being careful about the translation, as some of the older ones are also bowdlerisations and lose vital Eugénie bits. Which is a travesty.
Decent Day On The Phones Last Night...
Jan. 29th, 2026 02:15 pmchicatingso of course the new story for workshop seems...slow at first glance.
(Will really dig in tomorrow. Maybe just a bad beginning, though my own writerly struggle is always endings and I can start things all day. writing is the most fun for me before you have to, you know, live with what you decide and make the mosaic fit together.)
(Will really dig in tomorrow. Maybe just a bad beginning, though my own writerly struggle is always endings and I can start things all day. writing is the most fun for me before you have to, you know, live with what you decide and make the mosaic fit together.)
Write Every day 2026: January, Day 29
Jan. 29th, 2026 10:21 pmtrobadoraTurns out I do have a cold! But my next exchange deadline is on Saturday.
Today's writing
Writing! Wrangling! All of that. I'll get there ...
Tally
( Days 1-25 )
Day 26:badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilme
Day 27:badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilme
Day 28:badly_knitted, brithistorian, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, trobadora, ysilme
Day 29:trobadora
Let me know if I missed anyone! And remember you can drop in or out at any time. :)
Today's writing
Writing! Wrangling! All of that. I'll get there ...
Tally
( Days 1-25 )
Day 26:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilmeDay 27:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilmeDay 28:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, trobadora, ysilmeDay 29:
trobadoraLet me know if I missed anyone! And remember you can drop in or out at any time. :)
Birdfeeding
Jan. 29th, 2026 02:05 pmysabetwordsmithToday is partly sunny and cold.
I fed the birds. I've seen a large flock of sparrows plus a male and a female cardinal separately.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 1/29/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I refilled the hopper feeder. I've seen lots more birds, including two starlings at the suet cage.
EDIT 1/29/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I've seen a mourning dove up in the trees.
EDIT 1/29/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I've seen a pair of cardinals and a wren.
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a large flock of sparrows plus a male and a female cardinal separately.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 1/29/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I refilled the hopper feeder. I've seen lots more birds, including two starlings at the suet cage.
EDIT 1/29/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I've seen a mourning dove up in the trees.
EDIT 1/29/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I've seen a pair of cardinals and a wren.
I am done for the night.
Community Thursday
Jan. 29th, 2026 07:27 amvriddyCommunity Thursday challenge: every Thursday, try to make an effort to engage with a community on Dreamwidth, whether that's posting, commenting, promoting, etc.
Posted and commented on![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
bnha_fans.
Commented oncommon_nature.
Commented a fill onthreesentenceficathon. Omg it's so intimidating to do the first time, even when you were EXPLICITLY BAITED XD Though that probably does help a bit with the nerves :D Obviously, K-9 Made Me Do It.
Posted and commented ongetyourwordsout.
Promotedfanifesto, basically the squee community for canon etc promo :D
Posted and commented on
bnha_fans.Commented on
common_nature.Commented a fill on
threesentenceficathon. Omg it's so intimidating to do the first time, even when you were EXPLICITLY BAITED XD Though that probably does help a bit with the nerves :D Obviously, K-9 Made Me Do It.Posted and commented on
getyourwordsout.Promoted
fanifesto, basically the squee community for canon etc promo :DCommunity Thursdays
Jan. 29th, 2026 12:24 amysabetwordsmithThis year I'm doing Community Thursdays. Some of my activity will involve maintaining communities I run, and my favorites. Some will involve checking my list of subscriptions and posting in lower-traffic ones. Today I have interacted with the following communities...
* Posted "How to cope with broken resolutions and the mid-January slump" ingoals_on_dw.
* Posted "Finding Art in 2026" onart.
* Commented on the January 28 post inawesomeers.
* Posted "How to cope with broken resolutions and the mid-January slump" in
goals_on_dw.* Posted "Finding Art in 2026" on
art.* Commented on the January 28 post in
awesomeers.
Alien Romance
Jan. 29th, 2026 12:21 amysabetwordsmithgs_silva made a post pointing to the Patreon post in which he answers one of my questions about Maurice. It's just such a unique backstory for the character, and I love it. :D
(no subject)
Jan. 28th, 2026 08:53 pmdustbunny105Wip Wednesday! I got prompted "escalate" last week and it didn't get any usable hits--barely got any unusable hits, tbh-- so I had to cook up something fresh. My newest rule for this game, in case it got missed, is that I specifically have to add on to an existing wip when this happens, rather than using it as a jumping-off point for something new. Maybe this'll help me actually finish things instead of adding onto my already precarious pile of wips, lol.
Anywho, I added onto a draft from a couple years about that I forgot. Went ahead and included the previous parts, just for fun, so if something looks familiar, it's probably because it is:
( Read more... )
Anywho, I added onto a draft from a couple years about that I forgot. Went ahead and included the previous parts, just for fun, so if something looks familiar, it's probably because it is:
( Read more... )
Write Every day 2026: January, Day 28
Jan. 28th, 2026 10:43 pmtrobadora- Many thanks to sakana17 for offering to host WED in February! We'll continue next month over at sakanawords. :D
- This morning I had the plumber in to have my my gas boiler serviced and the flue replaced. "Oh no, you don't need to remove the stuff under it, it'll be fine," they said. - Never mind the stuff directly under the boiler, the entire room ended up covered in dirt.
- Mystery of the day: am I developing a cold, or did I just breathe in too much dust/soot? /o\
Today's writing
More exchange fic wrangling.
Tally
( Days 1-25 )
Day 26:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilmeDay 27:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilmeDay 28:
china_shop, trobadora, ysilmeLet me know if I missed anyone! And remember you can drop in or out at any time. :)
Early Humans
Jan. 28th, 2026 02:47 pmysabetwordsmith430,000-Year-Old Wooden Tools Are the Oldest Ever Found
The finding, along with the discovery of a 500,000-year-old hammer made of bone, indicates that our human ancestors were making tools even earlier than archaeologists thought.
( Read more... )
The finding, along with the discovery of a 500,000-year-old hammer made of bone, indicates that our human ancestors were making tools even earlier than archaeologists thought.
( Read more... )
Birdfeeding
Jan. 28th, 2026 02:32 pmysabetwordsmithToday is sunny and cold, but less frigid than yesterday.
I fed the birds. I refilled the suet feeder. I've seen a flock of sparrows, two starlings, a mourning dove, and a fox squirrel at the corncob.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 1/28/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 1/28/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I refilled the hopper feeder.
I've seen a male cardinal and a wren.
EDIT 1/28/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I refilled the suet feeder. I've seen a flock of sparrows, two starlings, a mourning dove, and a fox squirrel at the corncob.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 1/28/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 1/28/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I refilled the hopper feeder.
I've seen a male cardinal and a wren.
EDIT 1/28/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
Reading and laughing
Jan. 28th, 2026 08:27 amvriddyI went to bed at a reasonable time yesterday evening and started a new book with delighted anticipation. "Reading time! I'll get to fall asleep peacefully with my brain tummy full of stories <3" I thought. The way my tbr pile works is that I add recs to my library queue and most of the time by the time the book gets to me 1) I've completely forgotten what it was about and 2) there's a good chance I'll enjoy it because I did add it based on a rec that intrigued me to start with.
To set the scene further: in winter, the cat often climbs onto my stomach while I read because the blankets are thicker and fluffier.
ALAS! The book I started was Skye Falling by Mia McKenzie!!! I'm only about 70 pages in AND I LAUGHED SO HARD!! SO HARD!!!! Poor cat quickly abandoned me since it must have felt like a rodeo machine thing up there, but I was nearly crying and my non-existent abs were aching by the time I stopped reading.
Not the most restful way to fall asleep, I'll be honest. But oh my god. As much as I sometimes wince with some of her specific choices, Skye's internal voice is just. Just. Incredible. I'm not finished yet so no spoilers please :D But I'm fairly sure I picked up the rec from someone here so thank you to whoever mentioned it on their journal :D Wow. Like I laugh and cry and gasp often when reading, but I can't remember the last time I was non-stop guffawing like this from a book.
Edit: Finished the book and I stand by my rec! (The cat had to endure another round of stomach rodeo but I'm sure given time she will find it in her generous (?) heart to forgive me.) The book jacket says the story is about the complexities of family, queerness, race, and community. Definitely! It felt like a love letter to Philadelphia as well (I've never been). Impeccable narrator voice. Black queer woman protag. Many excellent relationships between women. And did I mention how much I laughed? I did. Though it doesn't mean the story isn't poignant or painful, sometimes even while laughing.
To set the scene further: in winter, the cat often climbs onto my stomach while I read because the blankets are thicker and fluffier.
ALAS! The book I started was Skye Falling by Mia McKenzie!!! I'm only about 70 pages in AND I LAUGHED SO HARD!! SO HARD!!!! Poor cat quickly abandoned me since it must have felt like a rodeo machine thing up there, but I was nearly crying and my non-existent abs were aching by the time I stopped reading.
Not the most restful way to fall asleep, I'll be honest. But oh my god. As much as I sometimes wince with some of her specific choices, Skye's internal voice is just. Just. Incredible. I'm not finished yet so no spoilers please :D But I'm fairly sure I picked up the rec from someone here so thank you to whoever mentioned it on their journal :D Wow. Like I laugh and cry and gasp often when reading, but I can't remember the last time I was non-stop guffawing like this from a book.
Edit: Finished the book and I stand by my rec! (The cat had to endure another round of stomach rodeo but I'm sure given time she will find it in her generous (?) heart to forgive me.) The book jacket says the story is about the complexities of family, queerness, race, and community. Definitely! It felt like a love letter to Philadelphia as well (I've never been). Impeccable narrator voice. Black queer woman protag. Many excellent relationships between women. And did I mention how much I laughed? I did. Though it doesn't mean the story isn't poignant or painful, sometimes even while laughing.
Hard Things
Jan. 28th, 2026 12:02 amysabetwordsmithLife is full of things which are hard or tedious or otherwise unpleasant that need doing anyhow. They help make the world go 'round, they improve skills, and they boost your sense of self-respect. But doing them still kinda sucks. It's all the more difficult to do those things when nobody appreciates it. Happily, blogging allows us to share our accomplishments and pat each other on the back.
What are some of the hard things you've done recently? What are some hard things you haven't gotten to yet, but need to do? Is there anything your online friends could do to make your hard things a little easier?
What are some of the hard things you've done recently? What are some hard things you haven't gotten to yet, but need to do? Is there anything your online friends could do to make your hard things a little easier?