...

We have a program here on Australian television called Border Security: Australia's Front Line. Rageworthy enough that it exists, focused on catering to white middle-class fear of shifty people of colour sneaking in to 'our' country for nefarious purposes, with a strong focus on 'gotcha' moments of heroically catching people out... and that the format was successfully sold to the United States. Oh, and that this is framed as the front line in some kind of war.

But the reason for posting here is the most recent advertisement I saw for it, suggesting there has been uncovered an ID irregularity in the documentation of a person entering the country. The question is asked in the ad "Is this Martha really an Arthur?" So apparently, apart from any other awkwardness, trans people travelling to or from Australia have to worry about being mocked and humiliated on national television for the entertainment of the pro-white segment of Australian society. I raged about this last time it happened too, so apparently it really is show policy to do this.

Victory step

Finally have finished the story I started at the end of December, a big relief. Composition was done in January, been editing since. Very slow and frustrating when I wanted to be done with it; the second half of the document was actually done in a single night a couple of days ago. I felt then as if I must have been not trying hard enough if it took so long to do the first half when the second came much easier... but maybe it is instead a sign I did not do as well with the second half and maybe it just means this is how it went and that is all.

And there were still some errors to clean up after making it available, but very much I am relieved - happy - to have finished this story at last. Which means we get to start on the next one.

When I was younger, a child and into my early teens, I thought mostly of doing novels and series in original settings. It amuses me then that what I am doing most of at present is erotic stories and fanfiction, but I can't say I look down on that or find it an underuse of my potential. Mostly they just have different utilities. Different presentations, different possibilities. If I am frustrated by this for any reason, it is because there are so many stories I want to write and working on any of them means not working on the others.

I suppose what that means is, in the parlance of the internet: write moar.

The main curse I have to overcome is the pressure I feel on myself that I need to meet some sufficiently literary standard. I want to cast that off because what I want to do is write and have fun with it, to please myself.