2018 writing roundup and analysis
2017 version
2016 version
2015 version
2014 version
2013 version
2012 version
2011 version
2010 version
2009 version
2005 version
---------------------------------------------
A Year in Writing: 2018
---------------------------------------------
JANUARY
Fanfiction:
Theory and Practice -- Enchanted Forest Chronicles, 1,350 words. In which Morwen mediates a small disagreement over magical experiment design, and translates for Telemain in the opposite direction from normal.
genprompt_bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
wistfulmemory]
Three Sentence Ficathon:
thus do we covenant -- Chronicles of Narnia, 275 words. A discussion of religion on Narnia's second day.
church and state -- Homestuck, 125 words. Cardhenge and its implications for Can Town.
waiting for the dragon -- Homestuck, 150 words. No regrets at the end of the world.
feeling blue -- Homestuck, 150 words. Technically speaking, Rose is a Sagittarius.
by her own petard -- Homestuck, 175 words. In the first year on the meteor, Rose alchemized a pair of friendship rings.
utility plus beauty -- Charlotte's Web, 100 words. "Why do spiders spin webs?" Wilbur asked.
the sun, the moon, and the truth -- Chronicles of Narnia, 100 words. "I wanted to kill Rabadash," Susan said; "What kind of person does that make me?"
the mournful kingdom of sand -- Chronicles of Narnia, 125 words. A hundred years of summer and never a drop of rain.
Fanfiction: 2,550
Original Fiction:
Risk Analysis -- Utilitarian Virtue, 150 words. Laura took the assassin to the supermarket.
Ghost Moon Rising -- Solace in Darkness, 150 words. Contrary to aphorism, what people don't know can hurt them.
Original Fiction: 300
January Total: 2,850
---------------------------------------------
FEBRUARY
Fanfiction:
Till It Is Lost in Fleeces -- Homestuck, 2,200 words. Snowy days are for curling up on the sofa with hot cocoa and making out under the afghans. Jade/Rose, part of the Leaf and Letter AU.
cottoncandy_bingo fill.
Like a Knife All Blade -- Daredevil, 1,500 words. When they were twelve, Elektra and Matthew escaped from the Hand. Twenty years later, they've built lives in the corrupt port city of Hell's Kitchen -- Elektra as a cartel assassin, Matthew as a medium and exorcist. But the Hand is about to find them, and they'll have to reclaim all the pieces of their past if they want to survive and save their adopted home.
daredevilbingo fill.
Fanfiction: 3,700
Original Fiction: none
February Total: 3,700
---------------------------------------------
MARCH
Fanfiction:
The Way the World Ends -- Chronicles of Narnia, 275 words. Jadis takes a deep breath and sets her feet and shoulders before she begins to speak the Deplorable Word. That moment is her undoing.
genprompt_bingo fill.
The Consolation of Philosophy -- Chronicles of Narnia/Harry Potter, 300 words. Edmund and Ginny have a chat with a magician. (Part of Edmund and Ginny Go to Harfang)
genprompt_bingo fill.
Fanfiction: 575
Original Fiction: none
March Total: 575
---------------------------------------------
APRIL
Fanfiction:
Wedding Date -- Homestuck, 2,000 words. Terezi and Dave get reacquainted at Rose and Kanaya's wedding. Written for
raininshadows in Hetswap 2018.
Kitchen Science -- Homestuck, 175 words. "You're the queen of bakers," Dirk said, "dread mistress of all things battered and glazed. I bet you could even bake a mathematically perfect cake."
genprompt_bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
longroadstonowhere]
Than It Is To Receive -- Naruto, 425 words. Naruto discovers the joy of birthday parties. Part of the Apartment Manager AU.
genprompt_bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
alexseanchai]
All Work and No Play -- Naruto, 425 words. Election campaigns are exhausting, but they don't last forever. Part of the Summer Camp & Politics AU.
genprompt_bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
silverblade219]
Grandmother Dragon -- Enchanted Forest Chronicles, 575 words. In which Kazul looks after Daystar and Telemain while Cimorene and Morwen take a day off. (The baby is much easier to handle.)
genprompt_bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
wistfulmemory]
Fanfiction: 3,600
Original Fiction: none
April Total: 3,600
---------------------------------------------
MAY
Fanfiction:
To Sail Beyond the Sunrise -- Narnia, 850 words. Sketch of an unwritten story in which a young woman sails east to hold Aslan to account after the Telmarine Conquest. Fragment.
Fanfiction: 850
Original Fiction:
Equivalent Exchange -- Utilitarian Virtue, 650 words. Yurikaw explains the background of the struggle against the Keeper, and reveals some of Aujae's nastier secrets.
genprompt_bingo fill. [prompt!fic for cherokee1]
Original Fiction: 650
May Total: 1,500
---------------------------------------------
JUNE
Fanfiction: none
Original Fiction: none
June Total: 0
---------------------------------------------
JULY
Fanfiction: none
Original Fiction: none
July Total: 0
---------------------------------------------
AUGUST
Fanfiction:
Take a Break -- Homestuck, 600 words. Rose has a bad day. Jade has a solution. Jade/Rose, part of the Leaf and Letter AU.
genprompt_bingo fill.
Missed Connections -- Chronicles of Narnia, 575 words. Shezan and Susan meet in Tashbaan.
genprompt_bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
sheliak]
Fanfiction: 1,175
Original Fiction: none
August Total: 1,175
---------------------------------------------
SEPTEMBER
Fanfiction:
Makes You Stronger -- Girl Genius, 800 words. A nebulous future-fic about psychic freeloaders and ways to remove them.
genprompt_bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
sheliak]
SPNstuck (And Sit Them Down for Thanksgiving Dinner) -- Homestuck, 2,125 words. You still aren't entirely sure how your family got designated as hosts for the great angel/demon peace summit of 2018. The demons are obviously in it for the chaos, flames and shouting that might as well be your family's trademark. The angels make much less sense. Like, seriously, what kind of celestial morons think you and your siblings are any kind of diplomatic? And why pick Thanksgiving dinner when none of them need to eat in the first place? It's completely absurd and will only end in tears. (Oddly, the day winds up being the most successful infernal/celestial summit anyone can ever remember.) Written for
maypop in Remix Revival 2018.
The Court of Conscience -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,775 words. With Peter and Edmund away at the wars, Susan is left to preside over Narnian justice. It's a responsibility she takes very seriously, and would give anything not to have on her shoulders. Written for
snitchnipped in Narnia Fic Exchange 2018.
Fanfiction: 4,700
Original Fiction: none
September Total: 4,700
---------------------------------------------
OCTOBER
Fanfiction:
Between the Light and Darkness -- Chronicles of Narnia, 800 words. "Every world is a bubble," Susan says, "a fragile bubble we build despite the darkness, and tend with mercy, patience, and faith. If everyone who heard the call chased it to the ends of the earth, who would be left to keep the sunlight kindled?"
ladiesbingo fill. [prompt!fic for
alexseanchai]
Fanfiction: 800
Original Fiction: none
October Total: 800
---------------------------------------------
NOVEMBER
Fanfiction:
Find Me a Find -- Enchanted Forest Chronicles, 725 words. Three days after Princess Phernalia of Paras negotiated a one-month trial contract with the dragon Razik, extensions pending satisfaction from both parties, three of her companions in dire captivity paid her an unannounced visit. The resulting conversation did not go where she expected.
ladiesbingo fill. [prompt!fic for
wistfulmemory]
Fanfiction: 725
Original Fiction: none
November Total: 725
---------------------------------------------
DECEMBER
Fanfiction:
Opening Bid -- Vorkosigan Saga, 1,050 words. Laisa invites Ekaterin to tea.
ladiesbingo fill. [prompt!fic for
joyeuce01]
The Stolen Colors of Oz -- Oz, 5,275 words. The chief difficulty with having lost his Magic Umbrella, Button-Bright reflected a few days after his arrival in the Emerald City with Trot and Cap'n Bill, was that it was harder to get to far-away places without it. On the other hand, having to travel through all the in-between places on his way from here to there did mean he got to see a lot of interesting things he might otherwise have missed. Written for
moon_custafer in Yuletide 2018.
Three Sentence Ficathon:
Work-to-Rule -- Star Wars, 100 words. Star Wars, any droid, misheard voice commands.
If at first you don't succeed... -- Harry Potter, 150 words. Harry Potter; Herpo the Foul; experiments in hatching a basilisk.
Barter System -- Defenders (MCU), 100 words. Netflix Defenders, Jessica + any, owing favors.
With Catlike Tread -- Chronicles of Narnia/The Queen's Thief, 150 words. Queen's Thief/Narnia, Eugenides & Edmund, sneaking.
Analog Problems -- Defenders (MCU), 125 words. Netflix Defenders, any characters, all tied up.
Skin Hunger -- Homestuck, 100 words. Homestuck; Dirk; loneliness.
The Practical Uses of Poltergeists -- Homestuck, 150 words. Homestuck, Sollux & or / Aradia, hauntings.
Swarm -- Chronicles of Narnia, 100 words. Any fandom, any, Bees?
Mine and Yours -- Girl Genius, 200 words. Girl Genius, Agatha Heterodyne/Gilgamesh Wulfenbach/Tarvek Sturmvoraus, Castle Heterodyne has opinions about heirs.
Second Time Around -- Naruto, 75 words. Naruto, Haruno Sakura, trying again.
Non, je ne regrette rien -- Darkangel Trilogy, 100 words. Any fandom, any character, the deepest cuts.
Theogony -- Homestuck, 100 words. Homestuck, Aradia/Vriska, the only gods.
Bright the hawk's flight on the empty sky -- Chronicles of Narnia, 150 words. any, any, roadtrip.
There's a lake I know -- Damar, 200 words. The Hero and the Crown, Tor/Aerin/Luthe, court gossip.
Taxonomy -- Enchanted Forest Chronicles, 100 words. Any fandom, any character, cold blooded.
Protocol -- Star Wars, 175 words. Star Wars, C-3PO, why exactly was he programmed not to impersonate a deity?
Adverse Working Conditions -- Homestuck, 100 words. Any fandom, any characters, dry heat.
Mutually Assured Destruction -- Homestuck, 400 words. Any fandom, any characters, mood lighting.
That we can feel pain and know sadness -- Daredevil (MCU), 175 words. Any, any, a place beyond tears.
And This Is Her Valley -- Black Jewels, 75 words. Any, Any, trying to not jump at the shadows when in polite company.
Notes in the Song of Creation -- Pern, 100 words. Dragons of Pern; Menolly and fire-lizards; joyful chorus.
As Iron Sharpens Iron -- Daredevil (MCU), 100 words. MCU, any, werewolf AU.
Minimum Wage Woes -- Dragonball Z, 150 words. DBZ, Vegeta, call center.
Stiletto -- Inception, 50 words. Inception, Arthur, expediency.
Cold and Light -- Chronicles of Narnia, 125 words. Narnia, girl!Edmund, crafted from ice.
White Lies -- Chronicles of Narnia, 75 words. Narnia, any, "Nothing, my lord, but that the world's grown honest." "Then is Doomsday near."
Truth Rising From His Armchair To Shame Some Hatefriends -- Homestuck, 125 words. Homestuck, any, I pity anyone who has never been in cahoots.
ARTs and Crafts -- Murderbot Diaries, 425 words. Murderbot, any, postcards from Asshole Research Transit.
Mad Science Recruitment Pitch -- Homestuck, 175 words. any, any, science! in adventure with reality.
A Long Time Ago on My Grave -- Chronicles of Narnia, 125 words. Any, any, over roots, bloody knees, and bent-over trees.
Fanfiction: 10,600
Original Fiction: none
December Total: 10,600
---------------------------------------------
2018 Fanfiction: 29,275
2018 Original: 950
2018 Total: 30,225
---------------------------------------------
ANALYSIS
As always, I count words by posting date rather than writing date, which can give somewhat misleading results if you are trying to track my periods of greatest productivity.
As you can see, I wrote next to nothing this year -- I only made 30,000 words by the skin of my teeth, thanks to inspiration from the Three Sentence Ficathon in December. In fact, December is the only month where I wrote more than 5,000 words.
I cut back my commitments by signing up for only three fic challenges/exchanges this year: Remix Revival, Narnia Fic Exchange, and Yuletide. I completed all three. I also grabbed a pinch-hit for Hetswap in April, because the recipient's prompts were so entirely up my alley I couldn't resist. I think this was a wise choice, because...
The overwhelming theme of this year was LACK OF TIME. Or, in other words, one might think that getting back on anti-depressants and regaining a store of mental and emotional spoons might lead to renewed creative productivity... and that might even have been true, except that I promptly turned around and spent all those spoons on finally finishing a college degree. Surprising us all, it turns out that working full-time and attending two classes a semester does not leave much left over for writing. (This gets even more pronounced when one ends up working overtime for two months, rather than merely full-time.)
But I have my degree in hand and am absolutely not going back to do a more directed program for at least a year, so here's hoping 2019 will be different, now that I have both spoons and TIME.
I wrote barely any original fiction, but I did bang together a functional outline for "Utilitarian Virtue" (a sort of dimension-hopping space opera action/adventure lesbian romance that's extremely heavy on ethical dilemmas), and also put together a functional outline for a tetralogy of lesbian urban fantasy with Lovecraftian overtones. Who knows if anything will ever come of those projects, but at least I now know what shape they should be.
Did you write more than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you'd predicted?
---I knew going in that my productivity was going to take a hit, but I did not anticipate how massive that hit ended up being! Oh well, you live, you learn.
What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted last year?
---Yuletide fandoms don't count, because I almost never anticipate writing anything in them. Ditto some of the one-off Three Sentence Ficathon fills. Therefore, my answer is Ekaterin and Laisa from the Vorkosigan Saga, because I am intimidated by the ficcers in that fandom and also don't generally feel like I have much to add to the discussion.
Did you take any writing risks this year?
---Picking up a pinch hit and signing up for exchanges at all, considering my general lack of time? But in terms of actual stories on the page, nah, not really.
Do you have any fanfic or original fic goals for the coming year?
---WRITE MORE.
Favorite story -- not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest
---"Like a Knife All Blade," "Equivalent Exchange," or "To Sail Beyond the Sunrise." Which are all unfinished in various ways, annoyingly! "Like a Knife All Blade" and "Equivalent Exchange" can technically stand on their own, but the first is really the opening chapter of a novel or novella, and the second is a random scene from the middle of a novel. And "To Sail Beyond the Sunrise" is an outline more than an actual story, but it's not a story I've ever seen anyone write and dammit, it NEEDS to exist in the world. I am glad I put it out there even in such wobbly, badly-sketched form.
Best story
---Hard to say. Probably "Between the Light and Darkness" or "Till It Is Lost in Fleeces" of the moderate-length ficlets, though "Work-to-Rule" and "the sun, the moon, and the truth" are pretty good for strict-form drabbles.
Most underappreciated by the universe
---"To Sail Beyond the Sunrise," though I'm not remotely surprised since it's not properly a story.
Most "Holy crap, that's wrong, even for you" story
---Oddly enough, none, so far as I can tell.
Sexiest story
---Again, none. Porn does not come easily to me, and this was not a year where I felt like pushing that.
Hardest story to write
---Oh, my Yuletide fill, probably. Which may be why it ended up containing giant spiders. *wry*
Easiest story to write
---"Between the Light and Darkness" just flowed straight out of my fingers like I was taking dictation from a dream... which, to be honest, I kind of was. (And/or trying to verbally describe an image and a jumble of emotions.)
Most fun to write
---I dunno, really. I never actually dislike writing (even when I complain extravagantly), but it was less of a joyful release this year and more of a necessary brain-clearing -- not a chore, precisely, more something that I needed to do in order to retain my sense of equilibrium but which had become unexpectedly difficult.
Most disappointing
---All the WIPs I didn't finish! *headdesk*
Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters
---I can't think of any offhand.
Story with the single sweetest moment
---Either "Till It Is Lost in Fleeces" or "Take a Break," which, considering they're part of a series that I've taken to writing around a list of fluffy domestic AU prompts, is not remotely surprising. *wry*
Biggest surprise
---That I made it to 30,000 words in the end? That I had two months in a row without a single posted word of fiction and didn't spontaneously combust over the blow to my self-image? This wasn't a year for surprises and exploration, really. It was a year for getting through other things and letting ideas compost and sprout in the back of my mind.
Most revealing story
---Probably "Between the Light and Darkness," which is an argument I've been having with myself and the world at large this year. Alternately, "The Court of Conscience," which is another ethical argument I've been trying to work out for years, and which ends inconclusively because I haven't yet found a fully satisfactory answer. (Susan Pevensie is particularly good for that kind of story, which I sometimes feel is unfair to her because it means I overuse her for those fics and underuse her in, say, adventures. I am going to fix that one of these days. *resolve face*)
---------------------------------------------
And that is that for the year! On to 2019. :)
If you want to comment on this post, you can do so over here on Dreamwidth, where there are currently (
comments)
2016 version
2015 version
2014 version
2013 version
2012 version
2011 version
2010 version
2009 version
2005 version
---------------------------------------------
A Year in Writing: 2018
---------------------------------------------
JANUARY
Fanfiction:
Theory and Practice -- Enchanted Forest Chronicles, 1,350 words. In which Morwen mediates a small disagreement over magical experiment design, and translates for Telemain in the opposite direction from normal.
genprompt_bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
wistfulmemory]
Three Sentence Ficathon:
thus do we covenant -- Chronicles of Narnia, 275 words. A discussion of religion on Narnia's second day.
church and state -- Homestuck, 125 words. Cardhenge and its implications for Can Town.
waiting for the dragon -- Homestuck, 150 words. No regrets at the end of the world.
feeling blue -- Homestuck, 150 words. Technically speaking, Rose is a Sagittarius.
by her own petard -- Homestuck, 175 words. In the first year on the meteor, Rose alchemized a pair of friendship rings.
utility plus beauty -- Charlotte's Web, 100 words. "Why do spiders spin webs?" Wilbur asked.
the sun, the moon, and the truth -- Chronicles of Narnia, 100 words. "I wanted to kill Rabadash," Susan said; "What kind of person does that make me?"
the mournful kingdom of sand -- Chronicles of Narnia, 125 words. A hundred years of summer and never a drop of rain.
Fanfiction: 2,550
Original Fiction:
Risk Analysis -- Utilitarian Virtue, 150 words. Laura took the assassin to the supermarket.
Ghost Moon Rising -- Solace in Darkness, 150 words. Contrary to aphorism, what people don't know can hurt them.
Original Fiction: 300
January Total: 2,850
---------------------------------------------
FEBRUARY
Fanfiction:
Till It Is Lost in Fleeces -- Homestuck, 2,200 words. Snowy days are for curling up on the sofa with hot cocoa and making out under the afghans. Jade/Rose, part of the Leaf and Letter AU.
cottoncandy_bingo fill.
Like a Knife All Blade -- Daredevil, 1,500 words. When they were twelve, Elektra and Matthew escaped from the Hand. Twenty years later, they've built lives in the corrupt port city of Hell's Kitchen -- Elektra as a cartel assassin, Matthew as a medium and exorcist. But the Hand is about to find them, and they'll have to reclaim all the pieces of their past if they want to survive and save their adopted home.
daredevilbingo fill.
Fanfiction: 3,700
Original Fiction: none
February Total: 3,700
---------------------------------------------
MARCH
Fanfiction:
The Way the World Ends -- Chronicles of Narnia, 275 words. Jadis takes a deep breath and sets her feet and shoulders before she begins to speak the Deplorable Word. That moment is her undoing.
genprompt_bingo fill.
The Consolation of Philosophy -- Chronicles of Narnia/Harry Potter, 300 words. Edmund and Ginny have a chat with a magician. (Part of Edmund and Ginny Go to Harfang)
genprompt_bingo fill.
Fanfiction: 575
Original Fiction: none
March Total: 575
---------------------------------------------
APRIL
Fanfiction:
Wedding Date -- Homestuck, 2,000 words. Terezi and Dave get reacquainted at Rose and Kanaya's wedding. Written for
raininshadows in Hetswap 2018.
Kitchen Science -- Homestuck, 175 words. "You're the queen of bakers," Dirk said, "dread mistress of all things battered and glazed. I bet you could even bake a mathematically perfect cake."
genprompt_bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
longroadstonowhere]
Than It Is To Receive -- Naruto, 425 words. Naruto discovers the joy of birthday parties. Part of the Apartment Manager AU.
genprompt_bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
alexseanchai]
All Work and No Play -- Naruto, 425 words. Election campaigns are exhausting, but they don't last forever. Part of the Summer Camp & Politics AU.
genprompt_bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
silverblade219]
Grandmother Dragon -- Enchanted Forest Chronicles, 575 words. In which Kazul looks after Daystar and Telemain while Cimorene and Morwen take a day off. (The baby is much easier to handle.)
genprompt_bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
wistfulmemory]
Fanfiction: 3,600
Original Fiction: none
April Total: 3,600
---------------------------------------------
MAY
Fanfiction:
To Sail Beyond the Sunrise -- Narnia, 850 words. Sketch of an unwritten story in which a young woman sails east to hold Aslan to account after the Telmarine Conquest. Fragment.
Fanfiction: 850
Original Fiction:
Equivalent Exchange -- Utilitarian Virtue, 650 words. Yurikaw explains the background of the struggle against the Keeper, and reveals some of Aujae's nastier secrets.
genprompt_bingo fill. [prompt!fic for cherokee1]
Original Fiction: 650
May Total: 1,500
---------------------------------------------
JUNE
Fanfiction: none
Original Fiction: none
June Total: 0
---------------------------------------------
JULY
Fanfiction: none
Original Fiction: none
July Total: 0
---------------------------------------------
AUGUST
Fanfiction:
Take a Break -- Homestuck, 600 words. Rose has a bad day. Jade has a solution. Jade/Rose, part of the Leaf and Letter AU.
genprompt_bingo fill.
Missed Connections -- Chronicles of Narnia, 575 words. Shezan and Susan meet in Tashbaan.
genprompt_bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
sheliak]
Fanfiction: 1,175
Original Fiction: none
August Total: 1,175
---------------------------------------------
SEPTEMBER
Fanfiction:
Makes You Stronger -- Girl Genius, 800 words. A nebulous future-fic about psychic freeloaders and ways to remove them.
genprompt_bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
sheliak]
SPNstuck (And Sit Them Down for Thanksgiving Dinner) -- Homestuck, 2,125 words. You still aren't entirely sure how your family got designated as hosts for the great angel/demon peace summit of 2018. The demons are obviously in it for the chaos, flames and shouting that might as well be your family's trademark. The angels make much less sense. Like, seriously, what kind of celestial morons think you and your siblings are any kind of diplomatic? And why pick Thanksgiving dinner when none of them need to eat in the first place? It's completely absurd and will only end in tears. (Oddly, the day winds up being the most successful infernal/celestial summit anyone can ever remember.) Written for
maypop in Remix Revival 2018.
The Court of Conscience -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,775 words. With Peter and Edmund away at the wars, Susan is left to preside over Narnian justice. It's a responsibility she takes very seriously, and would give anything not to have on her shoulders. Written for
snitchnipped in Narnia Fic Exchange 2018.
Fanfiction: 4,700
Original Fiction: none
September Total: 4,700
---------------------------------------------
OCTOBER
Fanfiction:
Between the Light and Darkness -- Chronicles of Narnia, 800 words. "Every world is a bubble," Susan says, "a fragile bubble we build despite the darkness, and tend with mercy, patience, and faith. If everyone who heard the call chased it to the ends of the earth, who would be left to keep the sunlight kindled?"
ladiesbingo fill. [prompt!fic for
alexseanchai]
Fanfiction: 800
Original Fiction: none
October Total: 800
---------------------------------------------
NOVEMBER
Fanfiction:
Find Me a Find -- Enchanted Forest Chronicles, 725 words. Three days after Princess Phernalia of Paras negotiated a one-month trial contract with the dragon Razik, extensions pending satisfaction from both parties, three of her companions in dire captivity paid her an unannounced visit. The resulting conversation did not go where she expected.
ladiesbingo fill. [prompt!fic for
wistfulmemory]
Fanfiction: 725
Original Fiction: none
November Total: 725
---------------------------------------------
DECEMBER
Fanfiction:
Opening Bid -- Vorkosigan Saga, 1,050 words. Laisa invites Ekaterin to tea.
ladiesbingo fill. [prompt!fic for
joyeuce01]
The Stolen Colors of Oz -- Oz, 5,275 words. The chief difficulty with having lost his Magic Umbrella, Button-Bright reflected a few days after his arrival in the Emerald City with Trot and Cap'n Bill, was that it was harder to get to far-away places without it. On the other hand, having to travel through all the in-between places on his way from here to there did mean he got to see a lot of interesting things he might otherwise have missed. Written for
moon_custafer in Yuletide 2018.
Three Sentence Ficathon:
Work-to-Rule -- Star Wars, 100 words. Star Wars, any droid, misheard voice commands.
If at first you don't succeed... -- Harry Potter, 150 words. Harry Potter; Herpo the Foul; experiments in hatching a basilisk.
Barter System -- Defenders (MCU), 100 words. Netflix Defenders, Jessica + any, owing favors.
With Catlike Tread -- Chronicles of Narnia/The Queen's Thief, 150 words. Queen's Thief/Narnia, Eugenides & Edmund, sneaking.
Analog Problems -- Defenders (MCU), 125 words. Netflix Defenders, any characters, all tied up.
Skin Hunger -- Homestuck, 100 words. Homestuck; Dirk; loneliness.
The Practical Uses of Poltergeists -- Homestuck, 150 words. Homestuck, Sollux & or / Aradia, hauntings.
Swarm -- Chronicles of Narnia, 100 words. Any fandom, any, Bees?
Mine and Yours -- Girl Genius, 200 words. Girl Genius, Agatha Heterodyne/Gilgamesh Wulfenbach/Tarvek Sturmvoraus, Castle Heterodyne has opinions about heirs.
Second Time Around -- Naruto, 75 words. Naruto, Haruno Sakura, trying again.
Non, je ne regrette rien -- Darkangel Trilogy, 100 words. Any fandom, any character, the deepest cuts.
Theogony -- Homestuck, 100 words. Homestuck, Aradia/Vriska, the only gods.
Bright the hawk's flight on the empty sky -- Chronicles of Narnia, 150 words. any, any, roadtrip.
There's a lake I know -- Damar, 200 words. The Hero and the Crown, Tor/Aerin/Luthe, court gossip.
Taxonomy -- Enchanted Forest Chronicles, 100 words. Any fandom, any character, cold blooded.
Protocol -- Star Wars, 175 words. Star Wars, C-3PO, why exactly was he programmed not to impersonate a deity?
Adverse Working Conditions -- Homestuck, 100 words. Any fandom, any characters, dry heat.
Mutually Assured Destruction -- Homestuck, 400 words. Any fandom, any characters, mood lighting.
That we can feel pain and know sadness -- Daredevil (MCU), 175 words. Any, any, a place beyond tears.
And This Is Her Valley -- Black Jewels, 75 words. Any, Any, trying to not jump at the shadows when in polite company.
Notes in the Song of Creation -- Pern, 100 words. Dragons of Pern; Menolly and fire-lizards; joyful chorus.
As Iron Sharpens Iron -- Daredevil (MCU), 100 words. MCU, any, werewolf AU.
Minimum Wage Woes -- Dragonball Z, 150 words. DBZ, Vegeta, call center.
Stiletto -- Inception, 50 words. Inception, Arthur, expediency.
Cold and Light -- Chronicles of Narnia, 125 words. Narnia, girl!Edmund, crafted from ice.
White Lies -- Chronicles of Narnia, 75 words. Narnia, any, "Nothing, my lord, but that the world's grown honest." "Then is Doomsday near."
Truth Rising From His Armchair To Shame Some Hatefriends -- Homestuck, 125 words. Homestuck, any, I pity anyone who has never been in cahoots.
ARTs and Crafts -- Murderbot Diaries, 425 words. Murderbot, any, postcards from Asshole Research Transit.
Mad Science Recruitment Pitch -- Homestuck, 175 words. any, any, science! in adventure with reality.
A Long Time Ago on My Grave -- Chronicles of Narnia, 125 words. Any, any, over roots, bloody knees, and bent-over trees.
Fanfiction: 10,600
Original Fiction: none
December Total: 10,600
---------------------------------------------
2018 Fanfiction: 29,275
2018 Original: 950
2018 Total: 30,225
---------------------------------------------
ANALYSIS
As always, I count words by posting date rather than writing date, which can give somewhat misleading results if you are trying to track my periods of greatest productivity.
As you can see, I wrote next to nothing this year -- I only made 30,000 words by the skin of my teeth, thanks to inspiration from the Three Sentence Ficathon in December. In fact, December is the only month where I wrote more than 5,000 words.
I cut back my commitments by signing up for only three fic challenges/exchanges this year: Remix Revival, Narnia Fic Exchange, and Yuletide. I completed all three. I also grabbed a pinch-hit for Hetswap in April, because the recipient's prompts were so entirely up my alley I couldn't resist. I think this was a wise choice, because...
The overwhelming theme of this year was LACK OF TIME. Or, in other words, one might think that getting back on anti-depressants and regaining a store of mental and emotional spoons might lead to renewed creative productivity... and that might even have been true, except that I promptly turned around and spent all those spoons on finally finishing a college degree. Surprising us all, it turns out that working full-time and attending two classes a semester does not leave much left over for writing. (This gets even more pronounced when one ends up working overtime for two months, rather than merely full-time.)
But I have my degree in hand and am absolutely not going back to do a more directed program for at least a year, so here's hoping 2019 will be different, now that I have both spoons and TIME.
I wrote barely any original fiction, but I did bang together a functional outline for "Utilitarian Virtue" (a sort of dimension-hopping space opera action/adventure lesbian romance that's extremely heavy on ethical dilemmas), and also put together a functional outline for a tetralogy of lesbian urban fantasy with Lovecraftian overtones. Who knows if anything will ever come of those projects, but at least I now know what shape they should be.
Did you write more than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you'd predicted?
---I knew going in that my productivity was going to take a hit, but I did not anticipate how massive that hit ended up being! Oh well, you live, you learn.
What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted last year?
---Yuletide fandoms don't count, because I almost never anticipate writing anything in them. Ditto some of the one-off Three Sentence Ficathon fills. Therefore, my answer is Ekaterin and Laisa from the Vorkosigan Saga, because I am intimidated by the ficcers in that fandom and also don't generally feel like I have much to add to the discussion.
Did you take any writing risks this year?
---Picking up a pinch hit and signing up for exchanges at all, considering my general lack of time? But in terms of actual stories on the page, nah, not really.
Do you have any fanfic or original fic goals for the coming year?
---WRITE MORE.
Favorite story -- not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest
---"Like a Knife All Blade," "Equivalent Exchange," or "To Sail Beyond the Sunrise." Which are all unfinished in various ways, annoyingly! "Like a Knife All Blade" and "Equivalent Exchange" can technically stand on their own, but the first is really the opening chapter of a novel or novella, and the second is a random scene from the middle of a novel. And "To Sail Beyond the Sunrise" is an outline more than an actual story, but it's not a story I've ever seen anyone write and dammit, it NEEDS to exist in the world. I am glad I put it out there even in such wobbly, badly-sketched form.
Best story
---Hard to say. Probably "Between the Light and Darkness" or "Till It Is Lost in Fleeces" of the moderate-length ficlets, though "Work-to-Rule" and "the sun, the moon, and the truth" are pretty good for strict-form drabbles.
Most underappreciated by the universe
---"To Sail Beyond the Sunrise," though I'm not remotely surprised since it's not properly a story.
Most "Holy crap, that's wrong, even for you" story
---Oddly enough, none, so far as I can tell.
Sexiest story
---Again, none. Porn does not come easily to me, and this was not a year where I felt like pushing that.
Hardest story to write
---Oh, my Yuletide fill, probably. Which may be why it ended up containing giant spiders. *wry*
Easiest story to write
---"Between the Light and Darkness" just flowed straight out of my fingers like I was taking dictation from a dream... which, to be honest, I kind of was. (And/or trying to verbally describe an image and a jumble of emotions.)
Most fun to write
---I dunno, really. I never actually dislike writing (even when I complain extravagantly), but it was less of a joyful release this year and more of a necessary brain-clearing -- not a chore, precisely, more something that I needed to do in order to retain my sense of equilibrium but which had become unexpectedly difficult.
Most disappointing
---All the WIPs I didn't finish! *headdesk*
Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters
---I can't think of any offhand.
Story with the single sweetest moment
---Either "Till It Is Lost in Fleeces" or "Take a Break," which, considering they're part of a series that I've taken to writing around a list of fluffy domestic AU prompts, is not remotely surprising. *wry*
Biggest surprise
---That I made it to 30,000 words in the end? That I had two months in a row without a single posted word of fiction and didn't spontaneously combust over the blow to my self-image? This wasn't a year for surprises and exploration, really. It was a year for getting through other things and letting ideas compost and sprout in the back of my mind.
Most revealing story
---Probably "Between the Light and Darkness," which is an argument I've been having with myself and the world at large this year. Alternately, "The Court of Conscience," which is another ethical argument I've been trying to work out for years, and which ends inconclusively because I haven't yet found a fully satisfactory answer. (Susan Pevensie is particularly good for that kind of story, which I sometimes feel is unfair to her because it means I overuse her for those fics and underuse her in, say, adventures. I am going to fix that one of these days. *resolve face*)
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And that is that for the year! On to 2019. :)
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