Hello, FFT! It’s certainly been a while.

I’ve been lurking on the forums for the last couple of weeks, wondering if I should post anything. It’s been SUCH a long time. I haven’t been on here since pre-pandemic, which somehow feels like fifty seconds ago and fifty years ago simultaneously. (Anyone else feel like time doesn’t make sense anymore?) 

For those who don’t remember me or haven’t met me, I’m Reilly! I was here a lot until about 5 years ago, usually hanging out in the former Ravenclaw Common Room. Though some things around here have changed, I was so happy to discover that this fantastic community is still alive and well! (Though I’m sad to hear the archives are misbehaving.) I never forgot about this place, but I truly didn't think I'd ever be back here, dipping my toes back into the world of fanfic. Five years ago when I stepped back from writing, it was due to lots of life changes - good ones, might I add, but changes nevertheless. Writing took a back seat, and after a while, it just felt like that chapter of my life was closed, that I “outgrew” it or something silly like that. It kind of felt too late to come back. 

But stories are pesky little things, aren’t they? They demand to be told and don’t leave you alone until you oblige. That’s what’s been going on with me with Slytherin Secrets. I wrote the outline and first chapter fourteen (!!!) years ago, and even after all this time, it won’t shut up. I’ll just be going about my day, or driving somewhere, or trying to sleep, and it just drops in uninvited, asking me when I’m going to finish it. It’s not as if the plot isn’t there, it says. You know what happens. You have every single chapter planned out. Now write me.

I’ve been really good at ignoring it until rather recently. A couple weeks ago I had a bit of free time and decided to open up the unfinished next chapter. I read through what I had written, and realized it was about two-thirds complete. Then I just… started typing. It was like I’d never stopped. And before I knew it, the chapter was nearly finished; now all it needs is a couple more paragraphs and some editing. Then, I was revisiting other old WIPs that I basically abandoned. Something Worth Waiting For only needs one more chapter. Another one, Stay, I never got around to posting on the FFT archives or AO3, but maybe it’s time to clean it up and upload it (and finish it). 

Now that I’ve been writing again, I want nothing more than to say it’ll be as consistently as I was once able to. But, I think holding myself to that expectation is part of what made me stop in the first place. It’s not fun to admit, but I definitely don’t have the leisure time I used to. Life happens. So, instead of trying to tether myself to an unrealistic standard of finishing one chapter per week or something, I’ll just simply make it a point to commit to writing when the inspiration strikes, and to finish Slytherin Secrets in this lifetime. (I don’t care if no one reads it and I don’t finish it until I’m 80. I’m seeing it through lol.)

Regardless of whether I’m on here more regularly again or it ends up being sporadic, it feels so, so good to be back. Writing fanfic was such a big part of my life for a really long time. Being at it again is so cozy and feels like home. And with everything going on in this crazy world of ours lately, I guess I needed that. 

Anyway, that was super ramble-y and I’m not sure how to end this. So I guess I’ll just go and finish up that chapter, then! See you all around.