I’ve been sticking to Saturday updates for the past few months, but as it’s finally the last day of 2020, I thought I’d update early this week to commemorate the occasion. Brace yourselves, because Chapter 14 of The Road to Bethlehem is up!
As “Nick” once said in Curtain Call, “I guess everyone gets a little reflective on New Year’s Eve.” I’m definitely feeling that way today. New Year’s is not normally one of my favorite holidays, but this year, I’m right there with everyone else who’s looking forward to celebrating a fresh start – safely, of course. There’s no denying that 2020 has sucked. And yet, when I look back on this year through my fanfic writer’s lens, it hasn’t been a bad one at all.
Dreamer’s Sanctuary celebrated its 20th anniversary in April. I had fun “looking back on the things I’ve done,” rereading some of my old stories, and blogging about them at the beginning of the year. Then COVID came, school closed, and I was given the greatest gift a writer could ask for: the gift of time. Although I was still working from home, I found myself with more time on my hands, less stress, and fewer obligations. I wish I could say I learned a new language or taught myself to play another instrument (I almost ordered a ukulele from Amazon so I could be like Cary LOL), but I did finish two stories and started another, which is already close to being finished. I also started posting my stories on Archive of Our Own, something I’d been meaning to do for years and never gotten around to. I even revamped this site, which was long overdue. While I wish it hadn’t been because of a global pandemic, I’m grateful for the bonus time I’ve been given to dedicate to a hobby I’m still passionate about, two decades later.
Thank you to everyone who has visited the site and read my writing this year. I appreciate your continued support. Your reactions are a huge part of what makes writing fanfic so rewarding for me. I hope my stories have helped to entertain you, relieve your quarantine boredom, or take your mind off real life problems this year. I also hope 2021 will be a whole lot better for all of us!
Happy New Year!