Hi Evan,

Thanks! It’s all in the theme. This one’s called Parabola, and it’s free if you’re a WP.org user. I love it so far – everything is customizable and it’s super easy to use (nice since I barely know any code).

On the WIP: there’s a lot of wisdom in what you say. There is a lot of value in shelving something for awhile to get a new perspective (it’s one of the things I recommend in one of my editing posts). That said, this one has spent time on a shelf – part of the reason I’ve been working on it so long is that for years I’ve only been working on it once a week (if that), and it has gone months without attention. Now, between writing and studying for this blog and as a copywriter, I’ve finally come to look at the WIP in a new light – to the point of completely uprooting the structure of the story. Time and effort, rather than perspective, have been my chief problems of late. Now, I’m excited by what’s happening and my momentum is good. I am ready to put my nose to the grindstone on this baby. There may come another day when I set it down to wait for fresh eyes, but it is not this day.

On writing more fiction for the blog: Challenge accepted. XD

I’ve been thrilled to have you around in 2013 and am glad to have you along for 2014, too. Thanks for being a part of all of this!

First off, I love the new layout. The blog has always looked admirably crisp and clean, but now I feel like you’ve reached a whole new level.

Second, in terms of the Old WIP. I completely understand wanting to keep with a story that’s near and dear to your heart. But at the same time, I can’t help but agree with Ruth, at least in part. Make sure you’re in complete agreement with yourself that finishing the Old WIP is in no way an obligation. I know the feeling of being attached to your ideas and wanting to do them justice. However, we aren’t writers because we have to be. We’re writers because we want to be. In terms of what I can advise you to do in practice, take a productive hiatus from the Old WIP and write another first draft. Not of the same project, but the OTHER piece you’ve always wanted to write. Let it go, let it flow, because a) that story will probably be VERY good, and b) after having written a completely different story, you’ll be able to view the Old WIP not as a Writer Of Old WIPs, but as a Writer Of Great And Fascinating Stories Of A Wide Variety. I know it might feel like a sense of betrayal to put this Old WIP aside for a bit, but it’s done for both of you.

Now, I’ll try not to take too much more of your time, but in terms of how you can help us, I would like to see what YOU write. Give us your own InMon, show us how the woman behind the curtain does what she does. Or even if it’s not InMon, show us what you write and how you write it. Just a thought 😉

Thank you SO much for making 2013 that much better for us all. Here’s to a bright future.

May you remain existential,

Evan

I like that idea 🙂

I’m trying! Haha. Although I do have this fear that I’ll finally finish it, publish it, and you all will read it and go “THIS is what she spent 15 years (or however long?) working on?” It’ll be like when the Star Wars prequels came out, but with no good versions to compare it to.

But of course we all have that fear, and we put ourselves out there anyway. Thanks for being so excited about it. : )

Maybe 13 really is an unlucky number? Which would make 2014 the year of Bilbo the Burglar?