End of Year Fic Overview 2020
Every year, just for fun, I go back and look over all the fic I wrote in the past twelve months like those fic meme things that used to go around. (I didn’t follow any specific template, but anyone is welcome to use this one if they want). So here are the results for 2020!
I posted a total of 20 complete fics and 1 in-progress fic in AO3, with a wordcount totaling 84,667 words. Ahh, I was so close to 85k! Still, that's an improvement over last year! (Man, just imagine how high the wordcount would be if I counted incomplete shiritori snippets too) And I can't believe I wrote everything on my phone this year LOL
The fics:
1.) Lunchtime Rush (1208 words) (for Tdbk AU Week)
2.) Bargain bins, discount deals (6037 words)
3.) First Impressions (5155 words) (for Todobaku Month)
4.) Let the words slip (2298 words) (for Todobaku Month)
5.) Unwrapped Gifts (2697 words) (for Todobaku Month)
6.) 5 times Nathan said "I love you" plus 1 time Shoma heard him (888 words)
7.) Two Heroes and a Toddler (3461 words) (for Todobaku Month)
8.) Strays (3469 words) (for Todobaku Month)
9.) Fill the Space (944 words) (for Todobaku Month)
10.) Zero Percent (12933 words) (for Todobaku Month)
11.) Brightest star in the sky (3116 words) (for Kacchako Week)
12.) Just Me and Boo (16072 words) (for tdbk big bang)
13.) The Coffee File (3347 words) (for Pod_Together) (a collaboration with ansa)
14.) Dry Spell (3742 words) (for Subzero Theme Challenge)
15.) Getting used to it (977 words) (for Subzero Theme Challenge)
16.) Brave (2695 words) (for BNHA Horror Week)
17.) A change in the wind (1717 words) (for Subzero Theme Challenge)
18.) Warmth amidst the cold (2003 words) (for Subzero Theme Challenge)
19.) When we're together (4298 words, ongoing)
20.) Christmas on the go (6037 words) (for 2Top Secret Santa exchange)
21.) Radiant (1573 words)
I have two fics with the same wordcount this year, which is cool to my pattern-oriented mind lol
What fandoms did you write for this year?
It was mostly My Hero Academia, but I also did a few short things for Voyager, ATLA, hsj, and figure skating. I didn't intend to write so much MHA, but it just sorta… happened. I've really fallen in love with the characters.
ATLA and figure skating were both fandoms I've never written for before, and so I'm always happy to try new ones!
What did you write this year that you wouldn’t have expected last year?
That figure skating fic for Emily! Will probably be my only figure skating fic ever, but it was cool to try it out.
I had no idea I would write SO MUCH tdbk this year, but they've just like consumed my whole soul. Their dynamic potential is just so fascinating to me. Bakugou has an interesting character arc and Todoroki has a compelling backstory. I've loved exploring different ways the two interact together, more so than any other characters.
What was the most challenging thing to write?
Anytime I write angst is really difficult, so I'd say Zero Percent was the most challenging this year. I still kinda feel bad I broke Bakugou… but I was very satisfied in the end with how the story turned out. I had to do a lot of research because I wanted to treat the subject carefully and not romanticize it. I wanted the story to be as realistic as I could make it, but still be entertaining and hopeful. It was hard to balance that, but the challenge was worth it.
Also, just in terms of time management, it was very challenging to write Just Me and Boo and The Coffee File at the same time as a bunch of important work deadlines while I was ALSO getting ready to move. I definitely burned myself out after that lol.
What was the most fun to write?
Hm… I liked so much of what I wrote this year, it's hard to choose the most fun. I did enjoy coming up with all the ghosts in Just Me and Boo. I enjoyed the silly chocolate stuff in Bargain bins, discount deals too.
But maybe my favorite was Lunchtime Rush. It was a simple idea and a simple fic, but I think it turned out pretty funny. Plus, I will always enjoy making references to My Boss, My Hero
Favorite opening lines?
Todoroki is quite sure he's never seen anyone say "thank you" with as much repressed anger as Bakugou is doing right now.
-Let the words slip
The apartment is too small for two coffee tables.
-Fill the Space
Bakugou is so annoyed he crushes the brochure into a crumpled ball, slams it to the ground, and then stomps on it like he's trying to murder the world's most resilient spider.
-Just Me and Boo
Favorite closing lines?
Bakugou might have accidentally unwrapped a feeling he has no idea what to do with.
-Unwrapped Gifts
Because there's a zero percent chance of him ever giving up.
-Zero Percent
Thing that made you laugh the most?
This bit from Just Me and Boo still cracks me up every time I think about it:
With the cabinet door finally open, Bakugou reaches in for the salt but then roars loudly when he only grasps a handful of tiny salt packets clearly stolen from several fast food restaurants.
"What is this?" he hollers. "Why don't you have a salt shaker like a regular person??"
"It's easier to just get those from restaurants. They don't notice if you take them!" Kaminari shouts back, increasingly more panicked than before without the control of his hands.
Thing that made you cry the most?
I could have picked several parts of Zero Percent but this part of the opening scene perhaps hurt the most:
The plastic fork splinters.
Bakugou splinters.
He heaves his entire plate of curry directly at Todoroki's head. The bastard encases it easily in a block of ice, saving the food from splattering everywhere in a satisfying mess.
"Okay," Todoroki says quietly, more to himself than Bakugou. "Okay, I understand." He melts the ice and dumps the remains in the trash along with his own plate. His face is a mask like always but his eyes look broken, like every bit of faux-confidence he had been running on just crumbled.
Character you like writing the most?
No surprise here. It's definitely Bakugou! I love writing him angry and chaotic, but also adding softer sides to him too when necessary. Idk, he just feels like a very multifaceted character, unlike a lot of the ones I've written in the past.
Also, a small shoutout to Mina, who I absolutely loved writing in Brave. Definitely going to write more of her in 2021!
Character you need to apologize to?
...Daiki… it'll never be your year. I'm so sorry. You're not even in any of my fics this year lmao
Favorite story of the year?
It's definitely Zero Percent. I had that idea rattling around in my brain for more than a year, and it felt good to finally get it out. And it was the first fic I've managed to write with more than 10k words since 2017. Idk, I felt like I unblocked something while writing it lol. I guess it was cathartic in more ways than one. Also, I've gotten some of the best comments I've ever received on this fic, and that's really helped keep me going when I don't feel like writing.
Most underappreciated story of the year?
Brave. Ochamina is a rare pair that needs more love!! They're so cute together. Y'all are missing out lol
Biggest surprise of the year?
Writing for so many events/challenges! MHA fandom is so BUSY lmao. I did not realize it until writing up this overview, but I really enjoy participating in fic weeks, bangs, and exchanges. NPT exchange didn't run this year and I really missed it. But thankfully MHA fandom filled the void lol.
Wordcount Breakdown
0-1k: 3 of 21 (14%)
1k-5k: 13 of 21 (62%)
5k-10k: 3 of 21 (14%)
10k-15k: 1 of 21 (5%)
15k-20k: 1 of 21 (5%)
20k+: 0 of 21 (0%)
I'm really pleased with the wordcount breakdown this year. A lot different than last year when it was 95% 1k-5k and nothing higher than that. It's always my goal to write longer fics, but I like being able to write shorter ones too. So this year ended up being closer to balanced than it has in a long time.
What did you learn from your writing this year?
I added this question this year because I wanted to reflect a little more. What I've learned in 2020, I think, is how to write different moments of a relationship. In the past, my romance centered fics have either focused on a confession or they were just simple established relationship fluff. But writing this year (especially tdbk) has been so fun to explore other moments too. Like, for example, what it looks like in that space when you're just realizing your feelings for the other person might be something more than friendship (Dry Spell, Getting used to it, Unwrapped Gifts, A change in the wind, Radiant). Or that moment in an established relationship when you realize you're going to be living together (Fill the Space, Warmth amidst the cold). I liked writing AU fics featuring first meetings as well (First Impressions, Brightest star in the sky, Brave).
I still wrote my share of confession fics and some sappy fluff, but I guess I learned to branch out more this time.
(I also learned that reading out loud is FANTASTIC for editing lol)
Goals for 2021?
I've got so many goals for 2021! I usually fall short of my goals every year but that won't stop me from trying!
There are a handful of sequel fics I really want to finish. I hate that I've dragged them out for so long. But they're at the top of my priority list!
I really want to continue writing longer fics (I say this every year lol) and I'd like to write a good multichapter fic. I have plenty of ideas. It's just a matter of forcing myself to stay focused…
As always, I want to branch out to write more fandoms. I've got a Stargate fic I need to finish, and a Yu-Gi-Oh one I've been writing for shiritori for way too long lol. And I'm sure I'll find others I want to try too.
I'd like to get back to writing genfic again. I've missed it, and I have ideas. Again, I'll just need to stay focused…
Lastly, the Mercenaries AU… I'm getting back to you one day, I swear!
Special thanks?
I've met some cool people this year through fic writing and I'm really happy about that! I've also received some really lovely comments and a lot of kudos, so that's really helped me through the year. I'm so grateful for all the readers who take the time to check out my work!
And, of course, a special thanks to the handful of people who took the time to beta read fics for me this year. That extra reassurance helps so much.
Lastly, a very, very special thanks to ansa for inviting me to do Pod_Together and indulging in my desire to write Voyager fic. I've never had someone do a podfic of my fic before and it was so cool!! I hope we can collab again in 2021!
Final thoughts?
Overall, it was a good writing year for me. Still challenging in many ways but much more rewarding than usual. It was the year without a laptop, but I've just FINALLY got a new laptop for Christmas so hopefully 2021 will be even better. I'll try my hardest, if nothing else!
Here's to more writing in 2021!
I posted a total of 20 complete fics and 1 in-progress fic in AO3, with a wordcount totaling 84,667 words. Ahh, I was so close to 85k! Still, that's an improvement over last year! (Man, just imagine how high the wordcount would be if I counted incomplete shiritori snippets too) And I can't believe I wrote everything on my phone this year LOL
The fics:
1.) Lunchtime Rush (1208 words) (for Tdbk AU Week)
2.) Bargain bins, discount deals (6037 words)
3.) First Impressions (5155 words) (for Todobaku Month)
4.) Let the words slip (2298 words) (for Todobaku Month)
5.) Unwrapped Gifts (2697 words) (for Todobaku Month)
6.) 5 times Nathan said "I love you" plus 1 time Shoma heard him (888 words)
7.) Two Heroes and a Toddler (3461 words) (for Todobaku Month)
8.) Strays (3469 words) (for Todobaku Month)
9.) Fill the Space (944 words) (for Todobaku Month)
10.) Zero Percent (12933 words) (for Todobaku Month)
11.) Brightest star in the sky (3116 words) (for Kacchako Week)
12.) Just Me and Boo (16072 words) (for tdbk big bang)
13.) The Coffee File (3347 words) (for Pod_Together) (a collaboration with ansa)
14.) Dry Spell (3742 words) (for Subzero Theme Challenge)
15.) Getting used to it (977 words) (for Subzero Theme Challenge)
16.) Brave (2695 words) (for BNHA Horror Week)
17.) A change in the wind (1717 words) (for Subzero Theme Challenge)
18.) Warmth amidst the cold (2003 words) (for Subzero Theme Challenge)
19.) When we're together (4298 words, ongoing)
20.) Christmas on the go (6037 words) (for 2Top Secret Santa exchange)
21.) Radiant (1573 words)
I have two fics with the same wordcount this year, which is cool to my pattern-oriented mind lol
What fandoms did you write for this year?
It was mostly My Hero Academia, but I also did a few short things for Voyager, ATLA, hsj, and figure skating. I didn't intend to write so much MHA, but it just sorta… happened. I've really fallen in love with the characters.
ATLA and figure skating were both fandoms I've never written for before, and so I'm always happy to try new ones!
What did you write this year that you wouldn’t have expected last year?
That figure skating fic for Emily! Will probably be my only figure skating fic ever, but it was cool to try it out.
I had no idea I would write SO MUCH tdbk this year, but they've just like consumed my whole soul. Their dynamic potential is just so fascinating to me. Bakugou has an interesting character arc and Todoroki has a compelling backstory. I've loved exploring different ways the two interact together, more so than any other characters.
What was the most challenging thing to write?
Anytime I write angst is really difficult, so I'd say Zero Percent was the most challenging this year. I still kinda feel bad I broke Bakugou… but I was very satisfied in the end with how the story turned out. I had to do a lot of research because I wanted to treat the subject carefully and not romanticize it. I wanted the story to be as realistic as I could make it, but still be entertaining and hopeful. It was hard to balance that, but the challenge was worth it.
Also, just in terms of time management, it was very challenging to write Just Me and Boo and The Coffee File at the same time as a bunch of important work deadlines while I was ALSO getting ready to move. I definitely burned myself out after that lol.
What was the most fun to write?
Hm… I liked so much of what I wrote this year, it's hard to choose the most fun. I did enjoy coming up with all the ghosts in Just Me and Boo. I enjoyed the silly chocolate stuff in Bargain bins, discount deals too.
But maybe my favorite was Lunchtime Rush. It was a simple idea and a simple fic, but I think it turned out pretty funny. Plus, I will always enjoy making references to My Boss, My Hero
Favorite opening lines?
Todoroki is quite sure he's never seen anyone say "thank you" with as much repressed anger as Bakugou is doing right now.
-Let the words slip
The apartment is too small for two coffee tables.
-Fill the Space
Bakugou is so annoyed he crushes the brochure into a crumpled ball, slams it to the ground, and then stomps on it like he's trying to murder the world's most resilient spider.
-Just Me and Boo
Favorite closing lines?
Bakugou might have accidentally unwrapped a feeling he has no idea what to do with.
-Unwrapped Gifts
Because there's a zero percent chance of him ever giving up.
-Zero Percent
Thing that made you laugh the most?
This bit from Just Me and Boo still cracks me up every time I think about it:
With the cabinet door finally open, Bakugou reaches in for the salt but then roars loudly when he only grasps a handful of tiny salt packets clearly stolen from several fast food restaurants.
"What is this?" he hollers. "Why don't you have a salt shaker like a regular person??"
"It's easier to just get those from restaurants. They don't notice if you take them!" Kaminari shouts back, increasingly more panicked than before without the control of his hands.
Thing that made you cry the most?
I could have picked several parts of Zero Percent but this part of the opening scene perhaps hurt the most:
The plastic fork splinters.
Bakugou splinters.
He heaves his entire plate of curry directly at Todoroki's head. The bastard encases it easily in a block of ice, saving the food from splattering everywhere in a satisfying mess.
"Okay," Todoroki says quietly, more to himself than Bakugou. "Okay, I understand." He melts the ice and dumps the remains in the trash along with his own plate. His face is a mask like always but his eyes look broken, like every bit of faux-confidence he had been running on just crumbled.
Character you like writing the most?
No surprise here. It's definitely Bakugou! I love writing him angry and chaotic, but also adding softer sides to him too when necessary. Idk, he just feels like a very multifaceted character, unlike a lot of the ones I've written in the past.
Also, a small shoutout to Mina, who I absolutely loved writing in Brave. Definitely going to write more of her in 2021!
Character you need to apologize to?
...Daiki… it'll never be your year. I'm so sorry. You're not even in any of my fics this year lmao
Favorite story of the year?
It's definitely Zero Percent. I had that idea rattling around in my brain for more than a year, and it felt good to finally get it out. And it was the first fic I've managed to write with more than 10k words since 2017. Idk, I felt like I unblocked something while writing it lol. I guess it was cathartic in more ways than one. Also, I've gotten some of the best comments I've ever received on this fic, and that's really helped keep me going when I don't feel like writing.
Most underappreciated story of the year?
Brave. Ochamina is a rare pair that needs more love!! They're so cute together. Y'all are missing out lol
Biggest surprise of the year?
Writing for so many events/challenges! MHA fandom is so BUSY lmao. I did not realize it until writing up this overview, but I really enjoy participating in fic weeks, bangs, and exchanges. NPT exchange didn't run this year and I really missed it. But thankfully MHA fandom filled the void lol.
Wordcount Breakdown
0-1k: 3 of 21 (14%)
1k-5k: 13 of 21 (62%)
5k-10k: 3 of 21 (14%)
10k-15k: 1 of 21 (5%)
15k-20k: 1 of 21 (5%)
20k+: 0 of 21 (0%)
I'm really pleased with the wordcount breakdown this year. A lot different than last year when it was 95% 1k-5k and nothing higher than that. It's always my goal to write longer fics, but I like being able to write shorter ones too. So this year ended up being closer to balanced than it has in a long time.
What did you learn from your writing this year?
I added this question this year because I wanted to reflect a little more. What I've learned in 2020, I think, is how to write different moments of a relationship. In the past, my romance centered fics have either focused on a confession or they were just simple established relationship fluff. But writing this year (especially tdbk) has been so fun to explore other moments too. Like, for example, what it looks like in that space when you're just realizing your feelings for the other person might be something more than friendship (Dry Spell, Getting used to it, Unwrapped Gifts, A change in the wind, Radiant). Or that moment in an established relationship when you realize you're going to be living together (Fill the Space, Warmth amidst the cold). I liked writing AU fics featuring first meetings as well (First Impressions, Brightest star in the sky, Brave).
I still wrote my share of confession fics and some sappy fluff, but I guess I learned to branch out more this time.
(I also learned that reading out loud is FANTASTIC for editing lol)
Goals for 2021?
I've got so many goals for 2021! I usually fall short of my goals every year but that won't stop me from trying!
There are a handful of sequel fics I really want to finish. I hate that I've dragged them out for so long. But they're at the top of my priority list!
I really want to continue writing longer fics (I say this every year lol) and I'd like to write a good multichapter fic. I have plenty of ideas. It's just a matter of forcing myself to stay focused…
As always, I want to branch out to write more fandoms. I've got a Stargate fic I need to finish, and a Yu-Gi-Oh one I've been writing for shiritori for way too long lol. And I'm sure I'll find others I want to try too.
I'd like to get back to writing genfic again. I've missed it, and I have ideas. Again, I'll just need to stay focused…
Lastly, the Mercenaries AU… I'm getting back to you one day, I swear!
Special thanks?
I've met some cool people this year through fic writing and I'm really happy about that! I've also received some really lovely comments and a lot of kudos, so that's really helped me through the year. I'm so grateful for all the readers who take the time to check out my work!
And, of course, a special thanks to the handful of people who took the time to beta read fics for me this year. That extra reassurance helps so much.
Lastly, a very, very special thanks to ansa for inviting me to do Pod_Together and indulging in my desire to write Voyager fic. I've never had someone do a podfic of my fic before and it was so cool!! I hope we can collab again in 2021!
Final thoughts?
Overall, it was a good writing year for me. Still challenging in many ways but much more rewarding than usual. It was the year without a laptop, but I've just FINALLY got a new laptop for Christmas so hopefully 2021 will be even better. I'll try my hardest, if nothing else!
Here's to more writing in 2021!