It's been ages since I've been around, and this little space could really use a bit of an update. But first things first, what the heck happened to all the formatting on this site? It royally screwed up all my paragraphs, section breaks, italics, and centered stuff. Apologies if you're reading something of mine and got turned off by the incoherence caused by said issues. I've tried my best to fix what I could, but it's highly possible I missed a lot of areas. I left PotW and most other chaptered fics alone, because wading through those and editing everything would be a nightmare at this point. I'll get around to them eventually, hopefully sooner rather than later.

xxx

My writing/fics journal and archive can be found at http://inkcanvas.dreamwidth.org - which has quite a few stuff I don't upload here. That's also the place to go if you're curious about my fics' status or anything else related to my writing. I also love meeting other writers and readers, so pop by, say hello if you get the chance. :)

All fanart for Pictures on the Wall are here: http://inkcanvas.dreamwidth.org/3227.html (so so much love for them!)

I recently signed up at AO3 as well. I'm still working on uploading my fics there, but you can visit my page here: http://archiveofourown.org/users/graychalk

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On writing and reviews:

Perhaps anything of importance that can be said at all about me when it comes to writing is that my muse is really mean. He/she/it doesn't like me very much, so I'm often either left with huge writer's block or I'm bombarded with so many ideas at once that I can't even sort them out properly. That, of course, leaves me to wallow in major writer's angst half the time. It's ridiculously easy for me to get discouraged about my own writing, because I'm always feeling as though it's not good enough. And it most likely isn't, but I try. At the end of the day, though, I enjoy writing and I have fun doing it... and I hope some of you will enjoy reading them as well.

That said, I'm very grateful to all those who take the time to actually leave one of my stories a review. Since I've never had a beta for any of my stories, reviews are sometimes the only substitute I have for a swift kick in the arse or a pat in the head for going in the right/wrong direction. And just so we're clear - you'll never hear me threat readers about not updating until I get a certain amount of reviews. Like many other writers here, I probably have a slightly disturbing obsession with reviews, but holding updates hostage? That seriously leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

xxx

Fic status and notes:

The Feelings Within (Hana Yori Dango): Abandoned, likely indefinitely. It was one of my first stories, which means terrible writing abound anyway. The truth is, the fic took place during a frustrating part in HYD where I had then proceeded to vent it out on the fic. That amnesia arc and the horror that was Umi had been resolved long ago, and the manga had also finished since. In short, I just no longer have the proper motivation, inspiration, nor purpose to continue with it anymore.

Pictures on the Wall (Hana Yori Dango): NOT abandoned no matter how it may appear. I hold this story very close to my heart, and it's my goal to finish this monster before I die. As of now, I've been working on heavily editing the first half of the fic and rewriting some areas as well. I know this is something that most readers don't like to hear, but I honestly don't think I can move on unless I get the horror that is my writing in the beginning chapters fixed first. It was the first anything I had ever written, and it shows. Painfully. I cringe just thinking about it. Chapter 19 has been roughly 90 percent finished for a long time now, but it's on the back burner until at least a large part of my revision is done. I'm very sorry, and I hope you can bear with me for a bit.

Cycles of Destiny (Inuyasha): As of now, I'm not sure what to say about this fic. I lost my entire stack of notes, fic excerpts, and outline for this fic some time ago when we were renovating our place... and well, that doesn't bode well for this fic at all. I still remember how I had wanted the fic to go (at large), but there were a lot of details, many of which were already written, that's now gone. It totally killed my drive. However, I also know I had one heck of a story planned for this fic and I can't help feeling that it would be a terrible waste if I don't continue it, hence this limbo I've found myself in for CoD. It's an epic, with a lot of intricate stuff planned for the plot... some of which, I'm sad to say, I've forgotten. At this point, this fic is probably on hold until I can work out the kinks all over again and perhaps draw up another outline for it. It simply isn't the kind of fic where I can just wing it. It's much too complicated for that, unfortunately.

Defining Moments (Naruto): A Shikamaru/Temari project of sorts that's a bit random and somewhat experimental. It consists mostly of drabbles and one-shots dumped in one place rather than published as separate stories. I love the pairing but I honestly don't think I'm very good at writing them, so this was something like a trial for me. It's always marked as complete, because it's not an ongoing chaptered fic. I just simply write and add a new one if/when inspiration strikes.

The Paradigm of Understanding (Naruto): A highly experimental Kiba/Hanabi piece- more about the mood and emotion as opposed to the plot. Because of that, it's also meant to be short (both the chapters themselves and the story as a whole). Chapter 3 is about 90 percent done but I'm reevaluating how I want to continue the rest of the fic, so it's not finished as of yet.

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Activity status in a nutshell:

Most likely to be updated here next: The Paradigm of Understanding and a few fic dumps for some one-shots I never got around to uploading over here.

Currently working on: Rewriting earlier chapters of Pictures on the Wall, revising 3rd chapter of The Paradigm of Understanding, and some random short pieces I post on my fic journal.

xxx

Miscellaneous end notes:

Yes, my massive Sesshoumaru site does still exist, even though it sorely needs an update or two or three. The link is here: http://sesshoumaru.owarinai.net

Previously, before this site offered story alerts, I had created a Yahoo group for one of my fics, Pictures on the Wall (here), which was where I could notify readers whenever I update. It was also where readers could discuss the story, share their thoughts, put up polls, and post their fanart of the fic. I had FAQs, guides, etc. there too. It's no longer "active" though, because Yahoo was being such a pain with spam and membership. Instead, I reckon my writing journal (http://inkcanvas.dreamwidth.org) would probably be my replacement for the group. PotW fanart have been posted there too.