After several weeks of high summer temperatures, the weather turned a bit cooler this past week. I'm very appreciative of the drop in temperatures as I prefer autumn and winter over summer. But the change has also put me in a mood to work on other projects, some old and others new. During the past few months, my focus has been on the work required to launch the first novel in my fantasy series which is geared towards a young adult/new adult audience. I have always been a fan of fantasy stories, particularly high fantasy adventures which introduce readers to new worlds and cultures and lore. But I have also been equally a fan of supernatural and horror-based stories and folklore, and I have several projects which lean more towards these darker themes which I want to spend time on this fall.
Supernatural
Fandom Family
Over the past four days, I had a hectically wonderful weekend in Washington D.C. attending another Supernatural convention, and for the first time I felt like a true veteran of this fandom. If you've read my early blog posts, you'll know I was a late-comer to the show, but I've been attending conventions for three years now. My previous SPN cons with this company had all been solo excursions, but this time around was different. This time I had friends whom I had met online and from a previous convention. This time I had my own SPN Family.
Another Weekend, Another Convention
I've just come back from another convention weekend, and once again, the timing of this event fell into the perfect place to help me handle life's stresses. But one thing about this con which makes it better than previous ones is the friends I've made. Some of those friends I knew prior to the con, but others I met there. And coming back home, we all are riding the energy of the three-day party and continuing the fun.
What can Replace a 15 Season Giant?
Friday afternoon I learned that Season 15 will be the last of Supernatural. Many in the fandom seem to already be mourning the loss of the show even though we have yet to finish Season 14. Friday night and part of Saturday I felt a little lost myself - the show and fam-dom helped restore my sense of self after a rough 2016 - but then my thoughts turned to the question of what will end up replacing it on the CW? The other shows holding similar timeslots the rest of the week on the network have failed to hold my attention, and as a fan of fantasy, sci-fi, and horror, I fear that once Supernatural is gone, there will be no new fandom to take its place during my weekly TV perusal.
Another Convention, Another Dose of Strength and Self-Worth
I spent most of last week feeling pretty lousy. Between humid nights, stressful days, and a stomach bug that left me unable to finish my meals, I had a hard time sleeping at night. Work kicked my butt in ways I didn't even notice; I started training a new employee, making my office hours fly by, and I clearly was not drinking enough to stay properly hydrated. Then on Thursday evening, I drove to Cleveland straight from work. I had spent most of the day feeling half-sick, but once I got to my hotel room, I finally started to relax and unwind. I knew it would be a great weekend, because I was attending my third Supernatural convention.
Being Family, Being Support, Being Supported
Over the weekend, I attended another Supernatural Convention. The SPNFamily is incredible in their inclusiveness and their caring. All weekend we heard the messages encouraging us to support one another and to not fear asking for help when we need it, that it's okay to not be okay.
The Journey to Here
I mentioned in one of my earlier posts that 2016 was not a good year for me. I didn't get into details in Why I’m Not (Insert Goal Here) Yet… because I felt they would distract from the point of that post. But I think now is as good a time as any to go over what happened in my life that year... Please click on the title to read more...
Why I’m Not (Insert Goal Here) Yet…
I have always wanted to be a writer. I've had many dreams over the years, from wanting to be a marine biologist to a youth pastor to a sound engineer and many other things in between. But wanting to be the author behind some inspiring sci-fi or fantasy novel is one dream that has been with me since I was a child... Please click the title to read more...
HLHumbert 