I've written pages upon pages

Wow . . . all right, that was a learning experience.

I handed in my yuletide story right under the wire. (I was one of the ones caught waiting through the temporary downtime, yes; that was nerve-wracking.) I've never, ever cut it that close before. I won't again (I hope).

I like to use this challenge to stretch myself, and I certainly did this year. Picked a fandom that I knew--though I may not have thought it through completely--but yeah, I knew it would require me to write a totally different kind of story than I ordinarily do. It was a big challenge. Very big. I hope I rose to it; it's hard to tell, I won't really be capable of any sort of objectivity for awhile. Well, I really hope my recipient likes it, in particular. She is really sort of awesome. (And if you're reading this later, I promise I'm not buttering you up.)

The experience has been rewarding, though. To be honest, my biggest problem this year was probably the fact that I kept on researching my source, cutting into time when I should have been writing instead. The fandom is one that I've loved a long time, but I have a newfound and vaguely academic passion for it now. If I were still in school, I might honestly re-consider thesising.

Sorry, I'm babbling. I'll stop now, lest I start giving too many details; I doubt anyone could figure it out from the above. Hopefully nobody minds my rambling. It's a sure sign that it's way past my bedtime. I have to go to work tomorrow . . . and do holiday cards.