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thetragicallynerdy · 2 years ago

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end of year writing wrap-up - 2022

Earlier this year I started doing monthly writing goals, along with monthly writing wrap-ups. I fell off in the fall, mainly due to feeling too busy, but I really wanted to do an end of year wrap-up nonetheless! And start again, now that it's the new year - it was a good way for me to remember what I'm working on, and to feel a bit accomplished and note progress even when I felt like I hadn't made any. This list is really entirely for myself, as a record keeping type thing.

On a fun note, this year I got really caught up in OFMD, and wrote a ton for it! Some with pals, some by myself. It's been a really fun new fandom to write for! I haven't written as much for UnDeadwood, which I'm hoping to change a bit this year (but aren't pushing myself on. Where my brain goes it goes).

So, without further ado - all the fics I've worked on this year, including word counts for each (only word counts written this year, based on best estimate, unless otherwise noted):

Completed fics:

but don't you shake alone (Leverage) - Chapters 7, 8, and epilogue posted in 2022. Word count: 15,800

full of flowers and heart-shaped boxes (OFMD). Word count: 10,200

we both go down together (OFDM). Word count: 8,900

and if the pomegranates are in bloom (OFMD). Word count: 5,200

falling for you, you are in love, put your records on (OFMD, same series). Word count: 4,900

the ghost baby (UnDeadwood). Word count: 9,500 (mostly written in 2022, can't remember how much wasn't.)

on this winter's night with you (UnDeadwood). Word count: 9,600.

Works in Progress

Our Flag Means Death

flotsam and jetsam - Word count: 3,000.

i like to call myself wound - Word count: 37,000 (posted: 29, 500.)

and we will build a home from the wreckage - Word count: 17,000 (posted: 8,000.)

ask me anything SMAU (co-written) - Prose word count: 28,000 (posted: 17,000) Written by me: ~14,000

long sad Jim/Ed (co-written) - 94,500 words. Written by me: ~ 48,000.

uposted poly au (to build a home) - Word count: ~7,000

modern Jim/Ed flowershop au - Word count 38,800

sex worker Oluwande - Word count: 12, 300

other WIPs (de-aged Jim, Olu/Jim werewolf smut, hanahaki times, selkie au, etc) - Word count 6,800. UnDeadwood

every bit as feral - Word count total: 73,200. Word count this year: 21,500.

the jaws that bite - Word count total: ~ 35,000. This year: ~ 4,000.

witch clayton au - Word count total: 50,800. This year: ~ 19,000.

the nemesis - Total: 91,500. This year: 7,000 (maybe more, but that for sure).

firefly au - Word count total: 7,000. This year: ~ 3,500 (?)

Other tiny WIPs (olympics, hallowe'en, PS I love you au) - Huge guestimate, but maybe another 5,000 words.

So, to sum up

OFMD: 213,100 words

UnDeadwood: 79,100 words

Leverage: 15,800 words

Total 2022 word count: 308,000 words

Jesus fucking christ??? That's so many words?? I've felt a lot less productive writing-wise this year, but that might be because my 'published ao3' word count for this year is only around 135K - meanwhile I've written around 175K more words that haven't been published yet. Huh.

(This also goes to show that I really, really have a problem with writing sprawling works that I have difficulty actually finishing enough to publish lmao. Glad to see that hasn't changed XD)

Anyway, thanks to everyone who stuck around for the ride - hopefully a few of the massive unpublished works will go up in 2023!!

#writing #monthly goals #end of year #2022 wrap-up #writing goals #2022 writing wrap-up #as a note on co-written stuff - i am just splitting it in half because i have no idea how much we each wrote #and it's a good way to estimate my own input into it #because it feels like an even split!#please note that i am also so bad at math because my average tends to be 25-30k per month #and yet i am surprised that i wrote over 300k words

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i-can-even-burn-salad · 4 months ago

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Writerly Question Tag

Stealing this one from @leahnardo-da-veggie but leaving it under a cut because it's really long :D

I'm tagging @starlit-hopes-and-dreams @pleasestaywithmedarling @writingphoenix and @sarandipitywrites if you feel like doing it (there's a lot of questions :D) and also an open tag.

About You

When did you start writing?

I probably "wrote" before, but I remember wanting to write some huge fantasy epic when I was around 12-14. Spoiler: I did not, in fact, write a huge fantasy epic.

Are the genres/themes you enjoy reading different from the ones you write?

I read more things than I like to write. I only write romance-adjacent darkish fantasy (is it slice of life if the char gets sliced), but I love reading murder mysteries, some more mainstream romance, and lots of YA and fantasy that are heavier on the plot than what I do.

Is there an author (or just a fellow writer!) you want to emulate, or one to whom you’re often compared?

I don't actively try to emulate anyone, but I sure keep picking up things left and right. But even when I read something great and think "wow, I wish I could write like this" it often would not fit "my" style, whatever that may be. The one time I actively tried to soak up things was from my dearest @alittlewhump <3

Can you tell me a little about your writing space(s)?

There really is just once space, which is my desk, because I do not have a laptop and I will not write on my phone. Also, I never leave the house, so. (It's a mess, and with the exception of several character prints on the loft bed in front of the desk, the decoration is gaming oriented.)

What’s your most effective way to muster up some muse?

Hahahahhaaha. *sobs* Sometimes ridiculous deadlines and pressure work.

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and places you write about?

Absolutely. For example, I have never had real contact to anyone in my family outside parents/siblings/grandparents (and the latter are long dead), so I tend to forget that families can be bigger and most of my chars have exactly one sibling XD Also sorry y'all (nonspecific) are fed up with the generic western european fantasy world with deciduous forests, snowy winters, and castles, but *looks around* yeah.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing, and if so, do they surprise you at all?

Loneliness. Looking for a place to belong. Never being enough. Trying to figure out wtf love is. Haha. I am super surprised.

Your Characters

Would you please tell me about your current favorite character? (Current WIP, past WIP, never used, etc.)

We all know it's Damien, don't we? 😔 I can't just write like 300k words about a guy going through hell and back without loving him. He's perfect. Traumatic backstory. Lowkey morally gray even though he has such a good heart. He gets the pain, and the asexuality, and the self-hate, and the cool sparkly magic. For my active projects, there's Riordan, my aro-allo, ridiculously positive mercenary guy who has no manners - I really, really want to make him despair and cry for once. And there are Ross and Irina, and it's impossible to have one without the other, but I can't even say much about them yet, because they're still developing (we gotta get them out of the torture dungeon so they can have a personality.)

Which of your characters would you be friends with in real life?

Probably Merridy. I wish I could show her video games. It's a fantasy story and you can play it yourself? Sign her up. It would be hard not to be friends with Riordan, though.

Which characters would you dislike the most if you met them?

Except for all the bad guys, I think Lily would be too exhausting for me. Not so much dislike, just please get your early bird extroverted energy over there while I remain over here.

Tell me about the process of coming up with your characters?

I have a vibe, and that vibe grows arms and legs. Sometimes even a regular amount. By the time I put the char on (digital) paper for the first time, I know very little about them other than a few bullet points. They develop together with the story.

Do you notice any reoccurring themes/traits in your characters?

Asexuality. I have to force myself to write an allo char, and even then ... XD I also probably need a guide on how to write neurotypical chars, sometimes I look at one and am like... "oh no, not you, too." And almost all of them like books :D

How do you picture your characters?

I do not. (Aphantasia gang rise up.) I create portraits for them in the game I play, which works ok-ish. It doesn't have great options, but I'm stuck with it, because I have most of them as characters I play.

Your Writing

What’s your reason for writing?

I have to. There's things in my head. They need to leave.

Is there a specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating coming from your readers?

To be frank, I write about things that will alienate a lot of "normal" readers, be it the violence, the queerness, or disabilities. It means a lot to me if something like that resonates with someone, because if I don't reach that audience the only one that's left is the one that asks "but why would you include X, ew :/"

How do you want to be thought of by those who read your work?

While I wish my work to be perceived, I do not wish to be perceived myself.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

I uh. Write. By which I mean, I don't need anything to start. No outline, no moodboard, nothing but 3 vibes in a trenchcoat and some random thought I had a few months ago. Sometimes I get stuck and lose interest, but I have a couple of finished works, so I'll keep going like that for now.

What have you been frequently told your greatest writing strength is by others?

I have no idea, but it's not prepositions.

How do you feel about your own writing?

It's good enough. (Except for the prepositions.)

If you were the last person on earth and knew your writing would never be read by another human, would you still write?

Probably. I mean, I hate writing by hand, so depends on how long electricity is running without any other humans around, but that's not the question, is it. I'm not sure it would take the same shape as it does now, if I never publish, I don't need to stress myself with the deadline of edits, but I would still have to put it all down, because I HATE when I forget my daydreams 😭

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely what you enjoy?

I mostly write what I want to read myself, but I would be lying if I didn't admit that I have added things multiple times in the past thinking "oh, I know who would like that". To be clear, that's not talking about an "audience", that's my dearest friends who could go for a little impalement or medieval execution :) Sometimes it's also "you know what we need more of?" posts, but let's be honest, none of those people will ever read it. I just happen to agree with them. On the other hand, I have censored myself in the past because I was afraid what others will say. It's great sitting on every single fucking squick list out there. Lastly, there's also that issue where sometimes, I want to write something, but the story develops in a way that it doesn't end up fitting, and while I am sad, I will bow to the will of the story.

#salad-tag #salad-find #that was a fun one #to be fair I ALSO could go for a little impalement or medieval execution but knowing at least one other person will enjoy it is encouraging #honestly the whump community was motivating in the first few months #there's others out here!#but now it's stifling more than anything

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intelligencehavingfun · 3 years ago

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fic writer meme

Surprise, surprise, @cinderellasfella tagged me in a thing! :) But it’s a thing I love talking about, so here we go! (I’m Realmer06 on AO3, btw)

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

486,584. I’m really glad AO3 tells you that, because I didn’t want to go do the math. This is not the full scope of my fanfiction, btw. I have another . . . 300k about? On ff.net that I haven’t transferred for a variety of reasons, usually because it’s very bad and no one should read it.

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Not if I Kiss You First, a Simon and Blue missing moment from Simon Vs.

PS Sorry ‘Bout All That, my Dudley redemption fic

Five Times a Conversation Between Minerva McGonagall and Remus Lupin Ended in Thanks and One Time It Didn’t Have To, which is exactly what it says on the tin

From the Desk of Minerva McGonagall, an epistolary fic of McGonagall’s letters to Molly over the course of Fred and George’s years at school

All the Muggle Things, exploring a friendship over eight years between Hermione and Justin Finch-Fletchley, bonding over being Muggles in a magical world

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I don’t usually, unless it’s a really involved comment or unless I get a specific question.

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

From Valley Broad and Fen, which is a doomed romance between Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin, so...

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Say It With Dandelions, a Lizzie Bennet Diaries bit of fluff, is pretty saccharine.

7. Do you write crossovers? If so, what’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Just one. Widgets and Whatnots. A crossover for approximately four people, between The Night Circus and Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium. It is not finished. Someday it may be,

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Mostly I get people who are unhappy with how I choose to portray post-series Draco Malfoy.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

As an asexual, the idea of writing smut feels uncomfortable, and quite out of my wheelhouse. So no, to this point in time, I have not.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

A few! It’s pretty cool!

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I tend to leave my cowriting to real life.

13. What’s your all time favourite ship?

Oh Lord. That I’ve written for? Probably Lizzie and Darcy from Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish, but don’t think you ever will?

I mentioned Widgets and Whatnots, right?

15. What are your writing strengths?

I’m very good at getting in characters’ heads and making readers think about things that they hadn’t before.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

Action scenes of any kind.

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I’ve only done a tiny bit, a little bit of French in some Harry Potter fics. I don’t have anything against it, but I personally am monolingual, so I am not confident in my ability to pull it off well.

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter.

19. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet, but want to?

Ooo... I’ve dabbled in most of the fandoms that interest me. Eventually, I should finish and post my Into the Woods fanfic.

20. What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

Yeah, right. I love most everything I’ve written. But probably the fic I’ve poured most of my heart and soul into is Pieces, my HP next gen story cycle where I try to fix everything I feel JKR has gotten wrong about her world.

I’m tagging @creativityobsessed and @unacaritafeliz, and anyone else who feels like it :)

#my writing #fic writer meme #it's been forever since i actively wrote any fanfic #but here we are

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fonulyn · 3 years ago

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Fic Writer Wrapped-2021 Edition

got tagged by @phoenixkaizen 💖

How many stories did you complete?

75 on ao3, but there’s also a bunch of tumblr ficlets from the first half of the year that haven’t made it to ao3 yet so. idk? 90-ish?

What is your total word count for the year?

~350k. of posted fic.

What fandoms did you write in this year?

Resident Evil and The Old Guard, but ToG was only in the first half of the year, the recent months have been only RE tbh.

Did you write more, less, or roughly about what you expected?

ehhh well I am always positively surprised I get stuff done so more, I’d say. I did write 300k+ last year too so this isn’t a huge shock but I still remember 2014-2018 when I wrote like literally nothing so writing anything at all always feels like an accomplishment.

What’s your favorite story of the year?

ughhhh i don’t knooooowwww. i am one of those (apparently rare??) people who actually like their own fics :’D bc like, i write what i'd want to read. so even if it sounds super selfish, i have a lot of favorites. but hm. so I confide in you (for nothing compares to you) or the guess who’s back, Krauser’s back -series, probably.

What is your most underappreciated story of the year?

the super self-indulgent snowy nivannedy vacay? :’D lmao it’s the one that got by far the least ...anything so let’s go with that.

Biggest fanfic-related disappointment of 2021?

that nivannedy still isn’t the fandom’s biggest ship, smh. such wasted potential. :’D lmao but nah i ...don’t know. the fact that my to-write-list just keeps on growing and i can’t write fast enough to cross things off it at the same rate i keep adding new stuff? but that’s just how it is i’ve made my peace with it lol.

Biggest fanfic-related surprise of 2021?

that i got my whole grand fic challenge finished. i am great at starting stuff like that, less great at finishing. so it felt like a huge accomplishment! still does. and i wanna do something similar again but idk exactly what. suggestions welcome :’D although I should just stick to my to-fic-list gdi and not stray away from it again.

Something you look forward to working on in 2022?

the nivannedy re4 au! it is my immediate priority. i’m also super pumped to finally finish the nivannedy childhood friends re2 au lol i wrote it already once but realized it didn’t make sense and had to start over. i’m also very excited for the one tumblr request i got asking for them to have a baby so although i haven’t figured out the specifics of that yet i am looking forward to it. Tir also put an idea in my brain about the ot3 having to take in a kid that’s somehow infected (like Sherry) and can’t be placed in any ‘normal’ family, so it’s either that or the kid being put in a lab and ofc the ot3 can’t have that so they’ll take the kid lol.

i’ve also wanted to do a soulmate au for the longest time so maybe in 2022 i’ll finally have the chance to do that. and I have this lifeguard au i’ve wanted to do since june (with nivannedy and chris/oc) and i really would want to get started on that at some point too.

but like. i have 26 things on my to-fic-list at the moment :’D 27 if you count that one vague addition in the end. so. i have so so so many plans. let’s see if i’ll get even a fraction of those done ansdfgjkjkn

i also would love to actually finish posting all the tumblr ficlets on ao3 sometime this year. would be amazing to have all the fic in one place.

i am rambly, i apologize.

i am also not gonna tag anyone :’D or i will tag everyone! if you wanna do this, do it!! and say i tagged you. i mean it!

#me and my fics #meme thingy

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unsettledink · 4 years ago

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Back in the days of LJ, I used to try and do a post at the end of each year, looking back primarily at fandom and fic. I fell out of the habit when everything moved to tumblr, and then it seemed like I didn’t have anything to say since I wasn’t writing or really participating any.

But I always liked the idea of it, because I love to be overly reflective on stuff. And talk about my fic. Any excuse! I shuffled around some of the topics I used back then and added a few I’ve seen around that I liked. It got… long, because I TALK, so I split into two sections.

Your main fandom of the year?

Marvel (MCU) for sure. Primarily with characters from Spider-Man and Iron Man movies.

Your favorite film watched this year?

The Old Guard - I saw a couple trailers and everything about it looked like catnip. ‘It’s probably going to be so dumb, but I don’t even care,’ I thought. And then it was so good. It was so much fun and so much smarter than I expected and I loved each and every character and it just made me happy in so many ways.

Your favorite book read this year?

Red, White, and Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston - I read it twice this year actually. It’s so… cute isn’t the right world. Sweet and hopeful and soft and comforting and intense. I liked every single character which is pretty rare. I cried during the sad parts and then again at the happy ending, like straight up sobbed - both times. I already want to read it again.

Your favorite tv show watched this year?

Schitt’s Creek - I started it on a whim and because a lot of people had said it was good. The episodes were short so it wasn’t a huge time investment. The first season was a little rough, but there were enough funny moments that I hung on, and then… I kept getting fonder and fonder of these idiots as they grew. And THEN… it kept not disappointing me?

You grow to expect certain scripts, twists, jokes, especially in queer story lines. To wait for the bad thing to happen, because it always does. Instead, Schitt’s Creek kept going, ‘hey, here’s the set up for that! Guess what? We’re not doing it. Here’s the happy version instead.’ The relief of having that happen again and again - the last season I’ve watched (I’m sort of saving 6) I cried a bunch but it was always because I was happy.

Your favorite album or song to listen to this year?

1896 - I’ve been waiting for the new Steam Powered Giraffe album so eagerly for aaaaaages. Finally getting recordings of Zero’s songs! Lying Awake remains my favorite off the album, with Eat Your Heart and Bad Days on the Horizon high up there as well. I’m loving what Zero brings to the band.

Your best new fandom discovery of the year?

I don’t know if I really did discover that much? I stuck pretty closely to old fandoms and the ones I picked up in 2019. Maybe Zodiac? It was definitely inspiring, and I want to write and read more in it.

Maybe the couple discords I joined? I still really dislike discord and am not on there much, and mostly lurk when I am, but having somewhere vaguely like the comms I remember makes me feel a little less isolated. It’s the potential, that maybe if I said something I might make a friend, or someone might actually want to hear what I say.

Your biggest fandom disappointment of the year?

The Watch - I mean, I knew it was going to be a disaster with every word said during pre production. I wasn’t ever going to be happy with it. And then it came out and was even worse and uglier and … disrespectful not just of the source material but of actual people connected to Terry. I’m beyond disappointed that this is what we got, and it’s probably going to be a long time before we get anything else.

Devil All the Time was terrible, but I didn’t have especially high hopes. It still didn’t manage to meet them. Yikes.

The most missed of your old fandoms?

Maybe MASH? Someone I follow started talking about it and I was reminded all over again of the wonderful fics in that fandom. I went looking and a lot are gone (still on my computer, lol, but not online), but rereading was such a trip. A slightly depressing trip, but still.

The fandom you haven't tried yet, but want to?

Hmm. I’ve kind of not had the energy to invest in other fandoms at the moment? When The Witcher was having it’s big moment back in January, I had a feeling I might enjoy it enough to fall headfirst into the fandom, so I avoided watching it. Ikr? I don’t have the time or the energy to actively seek anything out.

Your biggest fan anticipations for the New Year?

SO EXCITED about Winter’s Orbit. I mean, the third Spider-Man movie for sure, with worry. The second Venom movie, ugh yes. I have tentative hopes for Jungle Cruise? Jumanji was stellar and I always enjoy Dwayne. I have both hope and dread for the new Suicide Squad - I did love Birds of Prey, so if it’s along those lines, yay. The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard because it should be some fun garbage, my favorite kind. I don’t know how I feel about Dune, but, uh, I’m anticipating it. It seems highly unlikely it will actually happen, but The Wheel of Time TV series.

I want to be excited about Black Widow but it’s hard. It’s not the story I’ve been wanting to see, and I’m angry about Natasha not getting a movie until she’s dead.

You know. If any of it is released for real.

The Good:

I moved to a better place. I got a better paying, better benefits, better environment job that lets me work from home. The house acquired 3-7 more cats depending on the month. I was able to get some serious problems on my car fixed. I have insurance and was able to start on some health stuff. No one I know got sick or died. I wrote a LOT.

The Bad:

Aside from the obvious? Depression hitting extra hard during the winter. Having to put two kittens to sleep. Have my car be hit three times in our parking lot. Being driven INSANE by one of the cats for months while the vets were all closed. Kidney stone. Dealing with several health problems. Stalling for months on Gotcha.

The Indifferent:

Not leaving the house often or easily. Enjoying a new fandom but not doing great at making connections (still real awkward, bud). Raising kittens and saying goodbye. Need new tires. Reading a lot of fic but not a lot of books. Having more pay but more expenses as well (wth insurance??).

2020 fic stats

Number of stories: 39

Number of fandoms: 6? Or 2, if you cluster the others under mcu

Total number of words: 152049

Average word count per story: 4kish

Longest fic: Causality (18k, P/Q)

Shortest fic: Can’t, Won’t (1k, P/Q)

Most comments received: Sieche (49, T/P)

Fandom you wrote the most of: MCU Spider-Man - I only wrote TWO fics that didn’t feature that fandom, wow. And one of those was still MCU.

Fandom you wrote the least of: Zodiac (1!)

Events you participated in: Marvel Trumps Hate, Kinktober, IornspidersGeorg Exchange, Starker Festivals Exchange, MCU Secret Santa, Spiderio Big Bang

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you'd predicted?

SO MUCH MORE OMG. I mean, even just counting posted stuff! (I probably wrote a solid 300k of Gotcha this year.) I did not expect or plan on doing Kinktober, so that’s a whole 31 fics right there. I also wasn’t planning on doing any exchanges - I have a History - but then I did three? And beyond that, I did not expect for everything to get so LONG.

Topic you wrote that you would never have predicted in January:

Tony/Quentin. Goddammit @the-me09 They were like hey, they could be interesting! And while I agreed, I had no ideas for them. THEN they had to go and write Just Bodies That Collide and next thing I know, I’ve got ten fics featuring them and two-six series focused on them or Peter/Quentin/Tony. What the fuck.

Leitmotif of the year:

Vulnerability, I think. I had a bunch of things typed up and they all circle back to vulnerability in the end; sex, being seen, being wanted, sharing trauma, asking for help, trying something new. Offering a soft spot in the hopes it won’t be hurt.

Favorite character to write about:

Tony Stark, for sure. There are just a bunch of slightly different takes, and a lot of canon to work with (kind of frustrating too though). And I’m a sucker for emotionally damaged snarky traumatized characters that are viewed poorly both in universe and out.

Favorite kind of fic to write:

This year? Fluff and smut combined. Maybe that’s not the right term really. I keep looking for and writing, even in the angstiest fics, for those soft moments. Sure, maybe it’s a super smutty kink scene, but I want the affection to be obvious. Maybe everyone is consumed by guilt, but I want it to be based in caring too much. Maybe there’s no real love, just sex and even that’s messed up, but I want to find that tiny bit of fondness.

And I want happy endings. Or endings that look like they’re going to be happy, at least, even if there’s all the angst first. I don’t think I’ve killed anyone this year? Who AM I?

Biggest disappointment:

Not finishing the rough draft of Gotcha. I was making such good progress in 2019, from August to December. Even after the move, I basically finished part 6 in January. I fumbled around and fussed with 1 a lot, but that had already been given one draft, really, and I got through half of 4 before I slowed to a stop. I’ve barely gotten anything accomplished on it since June. Bits and pieces here and there, but nothing significant, not like I was doing. I can excuse October, due to 80k invested in Kinktober (yikes!), but aside from that… I’m sad. I’ll finish it eventually, but I really thought I could have the first draft done in a year. I’m sitting at about 480k out of what I’m almost certain will be 700k.

Biggest surprise:

Kinktober! It was kind of spur of the moment, decided just a week in advance. I’ve tried month long or even like, 20-25 day long challenges and I don’t think I’ve ever completed one. I thought there was a good chance I’d do so again, so I gave myself a little help and made my own list of prompts, things I knew I liked and hadn’t done much of yet. And it worked? I actually completed it, what the hell? Despite spending five days travelling near the end! Despite falling behind in getting ahead and writing a bunch of stories the day they were to be posted! Despite apparently forgetting how to do short form!

I, uh, could have done without the spawning of eleven series or sequels or continuations jfc WHY SELF.

Something you learned this year:

Ideas breed ideas. I swear to god, the second I sit down to think through a current idea, I wake up the next morning with three more.

Words need to be restocked. I need to consume new - not rereads, not fic - content every so often to refresh my word bank. It is astonishing how quickly writing goes again after I’ve done so.

I can write so much more than I thought I could. I can do so much more than I thought I could. Yes, I can complete challenges without dropping out early. Yes, I can do exchanges and not regret it. Yes, I can write more than 100k, more than 200k, more and more - and I can write 10k+ easily too. Though I wouldn’t mind if I could once again write less than 10k without feeling like I’ve cut off in the middle.

My time is shrinking, and if I want to write as much, I’m going to have to make the time. I can’t rely on three days off a week, on seven hours of uninterrupted overnight shifts, on hyper focused writing binges that leave everything else around me on fire.

Most memorable comment:

So, so many! I can’t pick one. I’ve been really lucky to get a bunch of really detailed, enthusiastic, analyzing comments across all different fics. One of the types that always sticks with me are the ones like ‘I didn’t think/know I liked this ship/kink/twist, but fuck, apparently I do? You made me, what the hell?’.

What, if anything, are you going to try to do differently in your writing in the new year?

So with writing Gotcha but not posting until it’s done, my view of what I’ve written vs anyone else’s is extremely skewed. I’m sitting here thinking, hey I’m 400k in and got another 10k done today, so much writing! While anyone looking at my AO3 account (for most of the year) is like, you’re averaging three months between fics :(

All that to say I want to try and get something posted more frequently while I’m working on Gotcha.

Also, writing for kinktober was really interesting - pushing myself to write every single day, often for that day’s post, forced me to get back into shorter form fic. Which used to be all I did? But it was surprisingly hard to just stop and not write more. So I’d like to challenge myself to write more fics under 10k at least. Maybe even under 5k though that might be asking a lot lol. I might get there with the many continuations of those fics I’d like to do. Does that count?

Goals:

I want to hit 365 fics. :) I’m only 32 away!

Aside from writing -

I’ve really enjoyed the reading record sideblog I started this year. I’ve let it lapse a little the past month or so, but I’d like to keep it going strong.

I’d like to leave a lot more comments. I want to get better about allowing imperfection - I want to write The Best Comment, but in the end? Probably 90% of fic writers are going to be happier with a comment expressing enjoyment in any way over no comment at all.

And not just on fics, but on general posts as well. It’s hard not to feel… weird and stupid and invasive and rude leaving any sort of comment on someone’s post if I don’t know them at least a little. I have godawful rejection sensitive dysphoria and a lot of interactions that ended poorly; I’m really not good at people. But as dumb as it feels to say those things, I know I am thrilled and warmed and happier when there’s a reblog with tags or a note or a comment or an ask or just, any small interaction that shows someone out there notices and cares, at least a little. There’s no reason I can’t at least try to offer that to other people.

I’d like to make/run a couple challenges of my own, later in the year. I’m still figuring out what I want to do and what I could do. I’m really interested in doing something that’s not focused on creators, but the readers; some sort of comment or rec challenge maybe.

I want to find a cheerleader for Gotcha. I’m struggling to keep up my motivation to write it when it’s already in my head, where I can ‘read’ it any time. There’s a line between depending too much on external validation and trying to generate all your validation yourself, and I’m getting to a point where I think I need to ask for help (gasp! The hardest thing EVER).

(Part Two: Pick Some Fics)

#end of year #unsettled rambles

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fourteenacross · 8 years ago

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2016 in writing

2016 in fic! This looks SO empty compared to past years, even if it's roughly the same amount of words! Hamilton: i saw the whole story unwind (132,888) Opening Break (3,531) Remote Capture (3,483) Not Your Average Bear! (1,835) Ghost Included (we hope) (2,941) but i won't go far away (12,577) the constellations aligned (10,004) the air grows cold around me and you (27,268) a way to hang the sun up in the sky (9,510) we'll have to muddle through somehow (8,513) Ficlets: Lazy Day (924) Cryptids (1,904) John's Instagram (1,443) Skeptic Refuted Fan Speculation (???)* Apocrypha (aka shit I wrote that takes place after the stuff in the main stories that may be disregarded/discarded as the next three stories develop): For Hire: Ghost Hunter (551) Three Wishes (2,446) Ouija Boards are NOT ALLOWED (1,139) Reality Show (1,538) Star Wars (2,441) X-Men Alternate Timeline Movies: Who Needs Sleep? (2,535) Fifty Dollars and First Impressions (3,574) Ficlets: Alex/Darwin Bookstore AU (343) Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries: Phryne/Jack Fake Married (588) Grand Total Fandoms: 3 Grand Total Stories: 23 Grand Total Word Count: 231,976* * I haven't written the transcription of this ficlet yet and I'm too lazy to do it right now, so it's not included in the total. Overall Thoughts: Well, this is a very different list than it's been for the past five years or so. The fandom switch aside, I didn't post any full stories until September, just a handful of tumblr ficlets. I also posted two things chapter-by-chapter, one as a WiP, which--wow, reminder that I NEVER WANT TO DO THAT AGAIN, it's far too stressful! The bulk of the words are all in the same verse, and I'm not even counting the words that I wrote and haven't posted yet, jeez. This stupid universe. I simultaneously hate and love it. Writing an epic WiP in a new fandom was really rough. I'm ultimately thrilled with the finished product--waiting until it was all finished made me redraft over and over again until things fit together the way I wanted. It left me space to go back and seed things that I wanted to develop as I went...I really think the finished product is way better than it would have been if I'd rushed and posted it before it was done. That all being said, gosh, it was lonely. It was so, so lonely, when writing epics usually involves a lot of bouncing ideas off of people and letting them read and suggest as I draft and really digging into the process, etc. There were a couple of people who popped in and out, but life and other interests got in the way (which makes sense considering this went on for NINE MONTHS), and, man, I missed being able to text and IM people will story ideas at all hours and feel confident that they'd be interested in what I had to say. (For all the texting I do, I am actually super shy about it? I'm super nervous about initiating unless I'm 100% positive I won't be bothering the other person, which limits my texting confidence to like, my back-up bunnies and Erica.) Anyway, that's all to say that this year was a very different experience, fandom writing-wise, but I think I learned a lot in the process so...hooray?

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you'd predicted? This year I think my main goal was "FINISH PART ONE OF THE GHOSTHUNTERS" without a specific word count attached, so I succeeded in that part? Knowing me, I probably wanted to crack 300k at least, and while I'm sure I WROTE over 300k this year, what I actually published is about on par with the last couple years, so. NUMBER wise, I think I imagined I'd have a greater output vis-a-vis completed stories, but a lot of the shit I wrote was on the longer side, so. What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in January? Hm. Well, there's a lot more porn in the ghosthunters than is in most of the fic I've written, traditionally, but nothing really shocking. Most of it was ghosthunters words, so...yeah. I guess the Angel/Raven was sliiiightly a surprise because I figured if I had to step in and write some SM pinch-hits it would be all Charles/Erik stuff, but I really liked that story and I have shipped that pairing for many years so....not super a surprise. What's your own favorite story of the year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest? I loved a lot of the stories I wrote this year, because I'm super obsessed with myself. [[< -- I think I've kept that sentence in for the past few years because it remains true]] I really love most of the ghosthunters shit, but if I had to pick a favorite....idk, I'm torn between i saw the whole story unwind because it's so epic and took so long and I put so much into it and the constellations aligned, because it came so easily and I'm a total sap and it's a totally sappy story. Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them? Sitting on the ghosthunters until the first part was complete was new. Like I said above, that kind of patience and planning was difficult, but I think the end product was much better for it. So what I learned is probably "sit on a story for a couple days after you finish." I've always tried to employ at least cursory beta readers and done read-throughs after finishing, but the slower approach does actually lead to a better product. IMAGINE THAT. My best story of this year: Best? Hm. It's hard to compare i saw the whole story unwind to anything else, given it's length and the breadth of subjects it covers, so I'd say probably that or but i won't go far away, which deals with a lot of intricate emotions and explanations. My most popular story of this year: Okay, see, I wrote two chaptered stories this year and chaptered stories totally throw off your stats. Hit counts, kudos count, comment count...all of that is inflated by repeatedly pushing those fics to the top of the tags and having people come back for each chapter and all of that. Still, I'm p sure that i saw the whole story unwind was the most popular story? And I think a lot of that can be attributed to the above facts and also to the fact that it's the oldest and the longest and the first in the series, but...I'm gonna go with it anyway. Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion: I don't know that any of them are! Again, probably because most of them are in the same series, but...yeah, I'm pretty happy with the response to everything. I remember thinking at the time that there was something weird going on with the hit count for but i won't go far away because the hits-to-kudos ratio was WAY off. There were way too many hits accumulating in the first couple days it was up, like, way more than usual, even though kudos were accumulating at the correct rate? It was strange. And I did feel like that one got slightly less attention than some of the others, but that might be a mind trick based on that weirdly inflated hit count. Most fun story to write: Hm, I got a kick out of doing the twitter ficlet, and I wrote the constellations aligned in basically one sitting, so. Story with the single sexiest moment: This is one of the few years I have a lot to choose from. I think John's slow, intoxicated seduction in the constellations aligned probably wins that award. Definitely sexier than the sweet and kind of goofy sex scene in i saw the whole story unwind or the contemplative one in but i won't go far away. Story with the single sweetest moment: Hmmmmmmmm. "Sweet" is kind of my whole deal, and I like to think there's a lot of sweetness in my stories overall. I'm going to choose i saw the whole story unwind for this one and pin the sweetest moment in question as either Alex and John driving up to Peekskill or the two of them talking after Alex's nightmare. Most "Holy crap, that's wrong, even for you" story: Nothing really. Nothing cracky for me this year. Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters: I mean, this whole series has been a lesson in picking apart these characters and seeing how they tick. So. Hardest story to write: i saw the whole story unwind, for sure. Jesus, it took me forever to finish and I was entirely despairing during parts of it. Biggest Disappointment: Just that I didn't finish more, I think. Biggest Surprise: People actually getting so into the ghosthunters. I honestly didn't expect anyone to read any of these stories and to have a tiny group of people who seem to eagerly await each new part...it really warms my heart and makes me so happy. I can't overstate who wonderfully surprising that has been. Most Unintentionally Telling Story: I think there are a lot of places where I project pretty hard on John, or maybe it's that I use a lot of my own experiences to color some of his? We don't actually have much in common besides being gay and being depressed, and I'm older and (I hope) wiser, but, you know, mental illness is a deep well to mine for content. I'd also say I mine a lot of my Jersey shit for Herc and that Molly is the closest thing this series has to a Mary Sue. I'm not into science or math, but I am a cheerfully sarcastic fat brunette lesbian who spends a lot of time whining "why don't girls like me?" and as Opinions about pizza. Plans for the next year: I'm gonna say 300k published words next year. I'd like to post at least the next three ghosthunters anchor stories, maybe venture outside ghosthunters for Hamilton related shit? Pick up my MG novel again. Set a writing schedule and try to stick to it. Leave more comments. Try to put some more good in the world, because it's gonna be a shitty, shitty year.

#2016 #stuff about me #writing is hard

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ateamymm · 5 years ago

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Are Fort McMurray Property Prices Starting to Stabilize?

After what we’ve been through, few questions matter more to Fort McMurray residents.

When we were evacuated, we posted this to our Facebook page:

Already, at that time, the forest was starting to recover:

But we knew the economic recovery would take a lot longer. Both from the fire, mortgage rule changes, and the sudden shift in the global oil market.

The period 2014-2016 was shocking for our community, both emotionally and economically. During that time, several exogenous shocks occurred and home buyers’ reactions were to turn away from purchasing homes, to delay, and to reduce budgets/goals.

Are Prices Stabilizing?

If you’ve followed our blog for a while, you’ll recall we wrote an article asking a similar question this time last year and the answer we came up with (after some analysis) was basically “no”, or “not yet”.

Encouragingly, today we’ll have a different answer for you.

Let’s start by identifying the initial effects of these shocks, before moving on to see what has happened since...

Economic Shock (2014-2016)

Written in 2017, this article gives a full explanation of the forces that shook us around during the shock.

Now that we have the benefit of hindsight, let’s take a deeper look at the immediate effect that shock had on home buyers in our marketplace. Let’s start with Econ 101[note]Learn more here: https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/041415/whats-difference-between-income-effect-and-substitution-effect.asp[/note]

In theory, we are taught that shocks to families’ finances can play out in two ways:

1.) Income Effect 2.) Substitution Effect

The Income Effect: Essentially, if our budget is lower, we will buy fewer of something. For example, families may choose to purchase fewer Mars chocolate bars. In terms of housing, maybe we buy fewer homes (in other words, fewer families choose to purchase). Instead, we may remain tenants as mortgage rules prevent us from getting what we want, or decreased job security prevents us from wanting to make financial commitments.

Chart 1[note]The interpretations of any MLS® data used are my own and don’t reflect the opinions of the Fort McMurray Real Estate Board or its members. There is plenty of my opinion here, but the data we are using is super accurate. I am not permitted to predict the future and this article does not attempt to do that[/note] shows the income effect in action[note]In all of the charts and tables in this post, the source data covers only the following areas: Abasand, Beacon Hill, Dickinsfield, Downtown, Eagle Ridge, Grayling Terrace, Gregoire Park, Parsons North, Prairie Creek, Stonecreek, Thickwood, Timberlea, Waterways, and Wood Buffalo[/note]:

[caption id="attachment_31154" align="aligncenter" width="847"] Chart 1: Residential Sales in Fort McMurray 2009-2019 (YTD)[/caption]

We can see that the shock to demand was immediate and large (about 50%), and that since the time of the shock, there has been only a modest recovery in demand. As noted in recent articles, this is likely due to prices being lower (which, as opposed to the initial shock, actually increases purchasing power).

The Substitution Effect: If we have tighter income constraint, sometimes we choose to substitute away from luxury goods, and into basic goods. For example, from Mars chocolate bars to bread. Or from luxury homes to ones that satisfy just our needs, not our needs and our wants.

Chart 2 shows the substitution and income effect on our local housing market during the time period:

[caption id="attachment_31151" align="aligncenter" width="872"] Chart 2: Histogram of Residential Sales in Fort McMurray 2014-2016 (YTD)[/caption]

The histogram shows the rapidly changing volume of transactions in the different price brackets. The main area of lost transactions over the period occurred in the higher price ranges (the section that we have redded out). To boot, the loss of confidence didn’t really take effect until 2016 - most of the change occurred 2014 to 2015, presumably as a result of the oil bust. We think this is an important insight. Yes, other things have impacted our market, but the sudden cessation of oil sands development seems to have had the most significant impact on local housing demand. This might be important when we think about drivers for recovery.

We haven’t marked it on the chart, but there are also some bars between $300k and $500k that reduced greatly during this period. This reflects reduced transactions for properties with condo fees that had really nice features. The substitution away from higher-end properties occurred both in the market for homes with and without condo fees. Both are shown on the above chart.

Above all, the most important mental note to take from these two charts is that the oil shock of late 2014 appears to be the main driver. It destroyed demand rapidly, and mainly in the higher priced parts of markets of all property types. As people’s incomes, employment and expectations changed almost overnight, so did their budgets and goals.

The rest of this article looks at what has happened since...

Adjustment Period (2017-2019)

It is strange to say it, but since the time of the shock, the pattern of demand really hasn’t changed significantly: Peoples’ budgets today are very similar to what they were at the end of 2016:

Check out chart 3 to see what I mean[note]Importantly, these two histogram quantities should not be compared with each other, since chart 2 shows full years’ sales, whereas chart 3 shows year-to-date (YTD) information only, and it is July 8th at the time of writing[/note]:

[caption id="attachment_31152" align="aligncenter" width="864"] Chart 3: Histogram of Residential Sales in Fort McMurray 2017 (YTD)-2019 (YTD)[/caption]

To start, please ignore the red arrow.

The thing that surprised me the most when I pulled up this chart, was that nothing huge changed between 2016 and 2019 regarding the shape of demand[note]Yes, even fewer people are purchasing over $800,000, but that market was already extremely stressed in 2016[/note]. The most common purchase price range in 2016 was $550,000 to $600,000, and guess what? That’s still the case today!

In summary: Since the period of shocks, most peoples’ budgets haven’t changed.

Back to the red arrow….

One significant change is that during the period since the fire, there has been an increase in demand for low price properties. The reason being, presumably, is that before late 2016, there was almost nothing available for sale below $300,000. As condo prices changed rapidly, and vacant lots became available for the first time at competitive prices, it was almost like a new market opened up. The missing demand in the very high price ranges is slowly appearing in the very low price ranges as time goes on.

Another is that the demand for high-end homes has indeed continued to dwindle during the adjustment period. Homeowners of those homes are now facing the biggest losses vis-a-vis the boom.

Hope?

Is this a story of hope for today’s homeowners? I think it is.

It’s been a terrible time for Fort McMurray homeowners in all price ranges: In our blog “How Much Have Fort McMurray Home Values Fallen?” we lay it all out (for those who can stomach it), and basically we find that values have fallen not so much in percentage terms as in dollar terms. Properties that have lost less value are ones that are more simple (less luxurious). Properties that offer the highest standards of living (whether with or without condo fees) have fared less well.

What has been happening over the adjustment period is that values have been falling to match the new demand picture that formed over the shock period. There is evidence to show those falls are at, or close to, an end for different property types. For example, this panel of charts shows the median selling prices of some different property types. Note that average selling prices appear to be leveling out for many property types:

Chart 4: Panel of Charts Showing Median Selling Prices of Different Property Types Over 2009-2019

Some of this is playing out anecdotally, too. For example, when you look at values of studio apartments in The Peaks/Summits of Eagle Ridge, they are selling in a tight range $130,000 to $145,000 and they have been over the last 12 months.

Cautionary Notes

Firstly, we have to be careful before drawing the really serious conclusion that prices are no longer falling. For example, this years’ sales includes different housing stock from last years, especially with respect to the rebuild: Sales of new properties can’t be compared to sales of older ones (apples to oranges). And, we do know that some of the townhome, apartment and mobile sales are rebuilds.

Secondly, the market for homes without condo fees is a large market, and it’s really two markets in one. If you watch our monthly VLOGs, you’ll know that we still don’t have demand in the higher price ranges, and sellers in those price ranges are still aggressively cutting prices which cascades down into the lower price ranges. There is lots of demand up to $600,000, but prices are probably still eroding slightly due to this effect.

Thirdly, if prices are stabilizing, how come when we go to price people’s homes now compared to 6 months ago, we are coming out with lower prices for most property types and price ranges? The anecdotal evidence doesn’t quite match the charts.

Finally (and related), similar numbers of properties are changing hands in the various price ranges as before, but that does not mean values of individual properties are not falling. For example, in 2016 the $550,000 to $600,000 price range was similarly busy as it is today, but that budget today affords a buyer a lot more house than it did at that time. Even when the median selling price of different property types is stable, benchmark prices may still be falling, and we have no way of systematically tracking those - just anecdotal evidence.

Conclusion

The shock here was all about oil. Demand reduced quickly and substituted into non-luxury property purchases. Since that time, there has been a modest recovery in demand, and a remarkably consistent shape of demand (people haven’t continued to shy further away, or come back to the table with big budgets).

As home values have fallen, the scope for them to fall further has lessened.

I was surprised this weekend when I went shopping in the $500,000 to $650,000 price range. The range of goods available went from entry level (needing work) to genuinely exciting properties - large, fully developed homes, with huge lots, great locations, triple garages, etc.

Adjustment in the higher price ranges is still ongoing, and as it adjusts, the incentive to “move up” amongst our clients is growing.

As the adjustment process at the top continues, the incentive for buyers to push the boat out and get something really special is greater than it once was. Consequently (?), in June, there were a whole bunch of transactions in the $700,000’s for once. Could it be? Could it be…

The return of confidence?

If you are thinking of moving up, down, away or into your first home, and you value our data-driven approach and free information, please feel free to reach out so we can help you: Our specialists listing and buyer’s agents are ready to get you information specific to your situation.

Thank you for reading and supporting!

Are Fort McMurray Property Prices Starting to Stabilize? See more on: The A-Team Fort McMurray Blog

#Real estate #Realtors #Talented Realtors

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flauntpage · 7 years ago

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Thanks, Doc

When people die, we all hurry to share our thoughts, to impart our experiences with them.

On one hand, it feels callous to turn someone else’s misfortune into a personal story. On the other, there’s probably no better way to honor a person than to share how they impacted your life in some small way, or maybe even a big way.

When that person is a professional athlete, those stories are in endless supply. Some are told by friends and family, but most come from mere admirers who likely never met the person or at most had fleeting, memorable encounters with them.

Athletes, celebrities and other public figures have outsized impact on those who view their work. Their performances can mark time for total strangers. I remember where I was. Those things aren’t just part of sports fandom– often they’re part of people’s lives.

There’s been no shortage of those stories since news of Roy Halladay’s death broke yesterday. We all remember when the Phillies traded for him, where we were during his perfect game (which he threw during Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals), and for his postseason no-hitter. We remember his love of Chooch. We remember “funner.” We remember him running the steps of Citizens Bank Park. We remember the time he saved a naked man from an Anaconda. Teammates remember clubhouse antics, personal exchanges, his work ethic, and being in the presence of greatness. They remember the person and the teammate.

But for all of those fond memories, today there is a family in mourning.

For better or worse, Halladay’s Twitter feed serves as a stark reminder that while he was a baseball hero to many, he was a loving husband and father to a few. These Tweets… they rip your heart out and smash it on the ground:

I love the Players & Parents of our Florida Burn! They keep proving why they’re the best team on the field but more important the classiest! http://pic.twitter.com/4agAeCO4wY

— Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) November 6, 2017

Yes here are the HS kids and me with my son! Proud dad, Proud coach, Proud member of a coaching staff! #family http://pic.twitter.com/3WgoW0kwC6

— Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) May 28, 2017

My son in the middle of the dog pile after closing out the semi-final game!! So proud!!#family http://pic.twitter.com/LmRmqi6toZ

— Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) May 28, 2017

First official day of summer break for my son! What a day! Icon A5 we spent 5hrs 3.2 flying, 1.8 chill'n, 100% buds! http://pic.twitter.com/DCclvMMvhs

— Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) May 19, 2017

Flew a Dog Rescue trip to Alabama for two 5m old puppies who's ears were cut off w/ scissors to prep them as practice for dog fighting!! SAD http://pic.twitter.com/A6EYYFGoT5

— Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) September 26, 2016

Come on.

Virtually every other Tweet from the last two years was about his love of his new plane, Chooch, or saving puppies.

None of us can speak for what his family is going through and what they’ll continue to deal with for a long time. In an instant, everything Halladay had worked for, earned, and enjoyed was rendered meaningless due to an unfortunate accident.

If there’s any good to come out of this, it’s that we’re hearing some stories about Roy, the person, that we never knew. This one from ESPN reporter and local guy John Barr may be my favorite:

1/ I have a story about Roy Halladay that sums up the player and the man. It was after he threw his 2010 post-season no-hitter v the Reds