I was cruising Kotaku this evening -- as I am wont to do, given my job -- when I came across an outside link to a very nice article.

I'm sure that nearly everyone here is familiar with the uncomfortable feeling of having to put up with your gender presentation and physical sex not matching exactly at one point or another. For me, it's a problem I used to have a lot.

Then I got fat again.

MORE WRITING IS GETTING DONE! HUZZAH!

However, that brings up an interesting question, and I need reader/author input on what is to be done. Those who don't want spoilers on the next PFH, DO NOT READ.

It's here, it's here!

You know that next part of Princess For Hire: The Second Semester that I promised, like, months ago?

It's finally written!

I've just sent it off to my official reviewer to read over before I post it, so expect it sometime late today/early tomorrow I guess, depending on how it is received by she.

No, it's not up to my old quality. Yes, it will get better. Heck, to be honest, I'm just glad I managed to sit down and churn out about five and a half pages in one sitting!

I am not what you would call a calm sleeper. I tend to toss and turn throughout the night, waking up, and falling back to sleep over and over again. Sometimes I come closer to consciousness than true sleep, and during these times, when I'm almost in control of what I'm thinking, I tend to have my clearest -- and often, strangest -- dreams.

Last night, this happened to me, and the result is something that, while nil on actual TG content, I still felt compelled to share.

Alright, so. As anybody who's talked to me recently knows, I've been planning, and hoping, and planning on a gaming PC build for several months now. I've gone through about fifty redesigns, ranging from under 300 dollars up into the low thousands. I've debated between producers of this and that, what features I needed, even what to name the damn thing.

Well, last week I finally got the money together to purchase the parts.

My little sister is not what you would call the most computer literate person in the world.

Nevertheless, when she said she had a "really good" computer that a friend had given her, I let my hopes get a bit up that it was something I could use, since I'm trying to build a gaming machine at the mo'.

The only downside, even if it didn't work out, seemed to be that attached to the offer was a whole slew of other computer parts and fiddly bits she didn't want to have to mess with, that I would have to take off her hands.

Melanie's Rules For Writing That Doesn't Suck

(Or: Why I Stop Reading Stuff)

Ain't it just like me to start another new story and not post on it when I promised new parts soon?

I REALLY need to work on my reliability as an author.

Whoo, boy!

Well, in the last month or so things have been cah-RAY-zee for me.

About 25 days ago I turned in my two week's notice at my job at the hotel. I'd just, well, I'd had enough of everything, and of being stuck where I was, and so I decided to push the issue and set myself a date to move back home -- Monday, the fifth of September.

Thinking ahead, I decided to go ahead and fill out an application or two online ahead of time so I'd already have some prospects brewing before the end of my time at the hotel.

This is where things got weird.

First of all, I want to do something I only see authors rarely do -- thank all my readers for their comments.

When I first started here, I felt lucky to get three or four comments on any story or story part I posted. And you know what? I still do. Seeing that people like my work enough to responds -- and often into the double-digits of comments, no less -- always makes me feel amazing. To know that my work has affected someone enough that they feel the need to let me know about it -- it's a powerful thing, and one I hope I never stop appreciating, because every comment is special.

So. Switcheroo and related characters.

I know some people have been less than happy with how little description I've actually given most of them in the story. First of all, I apologize for that.

However, to help with things, I have a little bonus for you!

Here are a handful of pictures of the Switcheroo cast I've drawn over the last few days. I'll add more posts like this as I get more characters done.

Keep in mind I'm not what you'd call the greatest artist, so bear with me on these:

In the last twenty-four hours I have managed two pages of "Princess For Hire" and three pages of "Switcheroo," giving me a total of... three pages of "Princess for Hire" and three pages of "Switcheroo" ready for the next postings! Almost there!

Seriously, though. I'll try to have the next part of each story out by the middle of next week. In the words of the great Ellen Hayes, I am finally entering a period of not-suck that means my writing is progressing again.

Who'da thunk rereading your own stuff would help?

Anyhow, I'm off to write!

Melanie E.

If one good thing has come from my Year O' Challenges, so far it seems to be Henry Harrelson's Custom Fit Boots.

I've been following the comments on all the stories, and I've seen that a number of people seem quite interested in seeing more stories in this particular universe.