->Arrow

wow, you must've had a couple novels' worth of words for 2007.

I hadn't thought of that, believe it or not, but you're right. If I get a few extra minutes this month I might get an end-of-year post completed, and I'll tally the numbers.

do you ever think of writing pro? or are you, already?

That's an essay question. :) I'll give you a short answer for now. (More later, if you want to chat about this stuff.) I am a professional writer and editor, but only in nonfiction so far, and I'd quit taking assignments ten years ago, just before I had my second child. I'd freelanced at both writing and editing for some years before that, and before that I'd worked full-time as an editor on an internationally published (and boringly technical) magazine and moonlighted as a freelance writer. Now I've taken you back to the mid-1980s, so I'll stop there. :) I do still write or edit occasionally in RL as a volunteer, but I'm lucky enough not to have to go back to work at this stage. For most of my life I have wanted to write fiction professionally, but didn't actually do it; now I'm not so sure I care, because I only want to do it if I get to write something that I love enough, and fandom is filling that need for me. Then again, I enjoyed writing "Tip, Slide, Tumble" so much that I started thinking about it again.

It's going to remain just a thought for some time to come, though, because I'm about to start art school (totally online!) in an accredited BFA program at the end of the month. Well, it'll be very part-time, because I have a family and RL responsibilities, but since it will be a second bachelor's, I only need to take about half the credits that an actual undergrad would take.

That really is the short answer. I have Deep Thoughts on why fandom is a much better place to publish than the so-called "real world" these days. :)

How about you: what are you doing with this professionally?

Oh, he's made of stern stuff, our Mountie. And he suffers so beautifully, and Ray is harsh and gorgeous and well worth the yearny.

Well, all of that is certainly true. I just meant, please don't permanently maim or kill him. Angst and pain in the service of getting Ray is certainly "worth the yearny." :)