I’m back, more or less.

As you probably know my blogging has been kind of spotty lately. Mostly this is because of huge swathes of childhood abuse related scarring having become a serious issue in the past few months, and finally coming to a head in the past few weeks. I’m not through the woods yet, not nearly, but I’ve at least gathered together all the forms of help I need to get through this. So that being the case I decided that for my first blog in two weeks I’d like to make a list of my various projects, explain them a little, and if I can prioritize them. Yup, it’s a sorta list post.

1: My Random Ruminations. This blog, well it was always going to be my first priority because, as was pointed out to me last night, I do get a lot from doing it. I would like to perhaps become a little more focused in what I blog about, continue my Old Games series, maybe start a little series about my experience transitioning, keep going with the “Ten reasons it’s awesome to be…” series. You know, continue with the things which have brought both my readers, and myself pleasure in the past. Though I am going to stick with my two days a week format.

2: Fictional written projects. My second novel has kind of found itself neglected of late. With my own emotions all over the place I simply haven’t been able to figure out what fictional characters are feeling. But I do have a nice chunk of it first drafted from before I went cuckoo, as well as parts of several short stories. So as I finally start to climb back out of this hole I’m in I intend to reconnect with those, as I feel able, and get back to creating new worlds.

3 or 4: Acidgirl. Poor Acidgirl. She got 5 strips and 2 filler pages before I had to put her to one side. I LOVE drawing her, Shotgun, and Knower, and I have wonderful plans for them in the future. But for now my webcomic has to take a back seat, it’s far too time consuming, and emotionally draining for me to have it be a focus. That said I am still working on it in dribs and drabs as I feel able. Mostly 1 page 4/5 panel short stories, full page poster type pages, and even a couple of genuine cover pages are starting to take shape. I’m also very regularly practicing my drawing skills so when i does come back the quality will be markedly improved. But I’m afraid it’s going to be a while before anyone finds out more about the last member of the 13th.

4 or 3: Foodish Video Blog. A while back I had an idea for a food, well actually drinks, based video blog. It’s a very simple idea, and would be pretty quick to make episodes of, so it’s probably how I’ll get back to video blogging. But there is a VERY big but here. My broadband is pathetic. It took over 90 minutes to upload my Transphobia video blog last year, and that’s just not workable for regular vlogging. So I’m hoping in the next few weeks to have a much better connection installed which will be a good first step. This project is a little interchangeable with Acidgirl in how important it is to me, and because it would be far less intense to work on it may well come first…we’ll see.

5: My Random Ruminations the video edition. I loved making video blogs. I truly enjoy planning, shooting, and editing them. But when you’re emotionally in a bad place it’s very hard to put yourself out there. It’s even harder when you know what you’ve done before is not what you wanted to do in the first place. But as much as I would love to get back to this, I know it would be a mistake right now. So instead I’m learning new editing skills, learning about lighting, and sound. Generally picking up the skills I need to really come back to this the way that will make me happiest. I’m not sure when I’ll get back, but it will be in the next year or so.

6: A review show. I have a good idea for a review show. It’ll be different to, I think, all the other ones out there in the interwebs, it certainly is to all the ones I’m aware of. And I’ve made a modest start on it by starting to gather materials to review. But getting back to basic vlogging is the first step before I can launch this idea on an unsuspecting world. But for now let me just say that it is very much a project that will have all my friends rolling their eyes. It’s a very Amanda Harper idea.

7: Graphic Novel. Yes, I am nuts. But I have a wonderful idea for a series of graphic novels. I can’t say a lot about this right now because it’s very much the barely sprouted seedling of an idea. But it will happen, and of course being a graphic novel Acidgirl coming back online is a key stage to getting to my jump off point.

8: My Slasher Pic. Yup, I want to shoot a slasher film. I have a weird idea for one, that’s been banging around in my head for months now. But it’s a very distant dream. For now it’s a VERY low priority, coming somewhere behind wiping out the Irish political system and having myself installed as Empress. That said, don’t be surprised if some day you hear about an Amanda Harper short being shown at a Horror convention…ah dreams.

There are of course other side projects. I’m always building something, or designing something. But for now this will give a good idea of what I would like to throw your way in the foreseeable future. However, these (just like my love-life, finding a slavegirlfriend, and ever having a night out again) are all reliant on my emotional health getting a lot better. I believe I will get there, after all as much as what I’m going through right now hurts me it is all a healing experience, it just doesn’t feel much like one right now. But for now, well, getting back on top of my blogging is as good a start as any. Right?

Things that will be happening in the next several weeks.

Well, with the long weekend I’m not really in much of a writing mood. But since I’m a good puppy, (yes I am!) I decided perhaps a round-up of  the various bits I hope to get out there into the world in the next while might be in order. You see at long last, after months of work in some cases, a few different projects are finally coming to fruition.

To start with after weeks of studying up a few different bits, and pieces I’m almost ready to launch a video aspect to this blog. Yes, that’s right! You get to see what I look like, and hear my voice, as I spout more randomness. Right this minute I’m just waiting on delivery of a new webcam to get cracking.

Shortly after that I intend to launch upon the world my long-delayed webcomic. Named “Acidgurl”, it follows the adventures of Lucretia Acidgurl, as she searches for a safe haven for her Empress, and Her subjects from the heat death of her universe.  No seriously, that’s what it’s about. Many of the characters are going to be based on close friends, and everything is set in a parallel reality, so I’m there too! I bet you can’t guess which character’s based on me…

Well anyway my comic host is organised, and I’ve got a good handle on the preliminary art, so very soon I’ll be inviting you all to her world.

Finally, for now at least I soon hope to be launching my own Etsy.com page, stocking hand painted, modded, and affordable (so sick of seeing people gouged price wise by modders with an overblown opinion of what their work is worth!) steam and diesel punk Nerf guns and other handmade accessories. This one is sort of dependant on my schedule becoming more stable after weeks of chaos, but it is something I’m very excited about, and I have tonnes of sketches, and ideas ready to go.

And for now that’s about it. There are one or two other things which I hope will be getting off of the ground before Christmas, but more about them as they get closer to launching. So Thursday back to normal, with a quick review of a series of books I recently stumbled upon. you’re probably going to love it.

I want a nice new shed.

Ah a nice shed. A workshop. A refuge from the world. A place to work on those messy little projects only a madman would want to do indoors. Or even just a place to sneak away to, and read for a while.  The breeding place of half-empty paint cans. Natural environment of random screws, bolts without matching nuts, nuts without matching bolts, and of course broken hacksaw or fret saw blades.

Nothing quite beats a well set out workspace, in a shed or not, to trigger that “Everything’s right with my world.” sigh. Of course what the workspace is for varies from person to person. For some it’s a place to experiment in woodworking, for others a place to set up their sewing machine, for still others a place to put all their arts materials and paint. But the point is that every variety of creative person at some stage or another has imagined their dream workspace, and it was probably based inside their dream shed.

For me that shed is not too large, cosy. It’s well-lit, both by natural light through two large windows as well as good quality strip lighting. Insulation? Yup, it has that too, sound and thermal, and some decent heating in the form of infrared lamps. It has plenty of easily organised storage. A good flat work surface, that has both my wood and metalworking vices mounted on it. A chop saw in the corner. There’s even a thicknesser in the opposite corner. And of course it will have to have a decent sound system, one that can be heard over power tools.

Of course not everyone is going to have that space, so you find yourself jamming your projects into a small a space as you possibly can. Usually in some otherwise unusable corner of the spare room. Which is fine until your mother is visiting. You see you can ignore it when it’s friends coming to stay. They know you do that particular hobby, they’re used to looking at semi-constructed paddles, floggers and canes. They know you make musical instruments, they’ve had to sit through your testing out a new one often enough. They’re more than aware that you have a steampunk night to attend and so are sewing your own costume, unlike all those lightweights with their store-bought costumes, pathetic *snorts*. But your mother…hmmmm.

You see she arrives tomorrow, and you know that the spare room has to be immaculate, pristine, or even vaguely tidy. And apparently 2 inches of wood shavings, or large drifts of fabric offcuts do not constitute tidy.

Hence the dream of that shed. Clean up the swarf, and shavings whenever you start to lose sight of the workbench. Put away your projects when they’re finished, or you’re bored with them.

Good news! I move in a few weeks, and while there’s no shed in my new soon to be home there is a really nice box-room. Guess who’s going to have a workspace?

P.S. I would like to wish my former slavegirl, and always great friend Karina a happy birthday. *hugs* Miss you Kitten, and have a great day.