My Greatest Hits
Hello LJers! I am still feeling comfortable and relieved in my fanfic retirement. Lately I have been having a nostalgia trip; rereading some of my old stories and remembering how I felt when I wrote them. It has made me realise how this little hobby has strengthened me as a writer and how reader feedback has really helped me gain new confidence. I would like to share some of these reflections in more detail by listing my Top 10 fanfic memories - or if you like, my Greatest Hits!
My Top Ten Fanfic Memories (in chronological order)
1) One of our Own. This was the first of my stories that I felt truly satisfied with. I think there were many fans who wanted a deeper insight into Charlie’s attack on Sun, so it felt good to be delving into that shadowy story. Mostly I wanted to write it for the Sayid and Charlie interrogation scene (which was really intense!) but I was also compelled to write objectively for characters I didn't really care for (Sawyer, Jack, etc), which was a good challenge for me.
2) Boo. One of my shortest little ficlets! This moment just sprang into my brain fully formed and was written in about an hour. Everyone really seemed to enjoy it (including the Skaters!) It reminds me of a time when Charlie’s S3 storyline was still fun and exciting for his fans (before it all turned to pain...)
3) The Trials of Fate. My longest fanfic and still my personal favourite. I’m just so pleased that I made it to the end and that the ending was satisfying when I got there! The reader response was a wonderfully encouraging (thanks for getting me through it, guys!) I think the dream sequence in Chapter 5 remains my favourite Chesmond moment of my own creation. It also felt great to relaunch this story with the beautiful trailer and artwork made by cylune - one of the best gifts I have ever recieved!
4) The Sacrifice. I wrote this fanfic not long after hearing spoiler confirmation that Charlie was indeed “gonna die” by the end of S3. I didn’t know exactly how it was going to happen at this time, but I could just tell that the writers were going to make it into a heroic sacrifice, so the viewers could feel warm and fuzzy about Charlie going to his fated death. With this fic I wanted to write something real to express how horrible and wrenching I felt this death would be. All I remember of the reader response was my poor sapphire_child crying her eyes out!
5) Only the Good Die Young. Originally I had just planned to explore Rose’s motherly relationship with Charlie in more depth. It ended up being Charlie’s eulogy, reflecting on his journey over three seasons. I found Rose’s narrative offered a compassionate view of Charlie's character (which was so often lacking).
6) The Spirit of Friendship. I feel like the title of this story has two meanings. In one sense it is a tribute to Charlie and Hurley, the best buddies of Lost, and on another level it reminds me of my online friendship with pacejunkie (my fanfic mentor). This is the first story we wrote together and we were both really pleased with how it turned out. So I think of two great friendships when I remember this story!
7) He is Risen. This is another fic that I’m rather proud of because I really sank my teeth into the mythology and attempted to offer some ‘answers’ of my own. Plus between this story and 'Good Vibrations' I really drank my fill of Desmond angst! This fic was a big challenge for me because I had to adapt it for my readers who wanted a more climatic ending. It has to be said the readers were right!
8) Beware of the Fangirl. In the past I have never been confident that I could write good humour, but this story (along with 'Unstuck in Time') gave me the assurance that I really could make readers laugh. That has been a huge strength for me.
9) The Belly of a Whale. I have always been a fan of slash - especially dark, angsty, violent slash. There is something very intoxicating about it. I never thought that I could pull it off myself, but this was my stab at it. Getting the thumbs up from toestastegood (the Queen of Charlie slash) made it all worthwhile!
10) Sharing the Night. This really felt like a good story to finish with. I had other ideas for my final fanfic (which pacey saw fragments of), but in the end it felt right to close with a Chesmond story. A story which was sad, but tender and reflective. It really echoed my own emotions at the time.
I would also like to challenge other fanfic writers to make a Greatest Hits list of their own favourite fanfic memories. Stories you felt especially proud of or emotional over. Consider it a Meme of sorts!
My Top Ten Fanfic Memories (in chronological order)
1) One of our Own. This was the first of my stories that I felt truly satisfied with. I think there were many fans who wanted a deeper insight into Charlie’s attack on Sun, so it felt good to be delving into that shadowy story. Mostly I wanted to write it for the Sayid and Charlie interrogation scene (which was really intense!) but I was also compelled to write objectively for characters I didn't really care for (Sawyer, Jack, etc), which was a good challenge for me.
2) Boo. One of my shortest little ficlets! This moment just sprang into my brain fully formed and was written in about an hour. Everyone really seemed to enjoy it (including the Skaters!) It reminds me of a time when Charlie’s S3 storyline was still fun and exciting for his fans (before it all turned to pain...)
3) The Trials of Fate. My longest fanfic and still my personal favourite. I’m just so pleased that I made it to the end and that the ending was satisfying when I got there! The reader response was a wonderfully encouraging (thanks for getting me through it, guys!) I think the dream sequence in Chapter 5 remains my favourite Chesmond moment of my own creation. It also felt great to relaunch this story with the beautiful trailer and artwork made by cylune - one of the best gifts I have ever recieved!
4) The Sacrifice. I wrote this fanfic not long after hearing spoiler confirmation that Charlie was indeed “gonna die” by the end of S3. I didn’t know exactly how it was going to happen at this time, but I could just tell that the writers were going to make it into a heroic sacrifice, so the viewers could feel warm and fuzzy about Charlie going to his fated death. With this fic I wanted to write something real to express how horrible and wrenching I felt this death would be. All I remember of the reader response was my poor sapphire_child crying her eyes out!
5) Only the Good Die Young. Originally I had just planned to explore Rose’s motherly relationship with Charlie in more depth. It ended up being Charlie’s eulogy, reflecting on his journey over three seasons. I found Rose’s narrative offered a compassionate view of Charlie's character (which was so often lacking).
6) The Spirit of Friendship. I feel like the title of this story has two meanings. In one sense it is a tribute to Charlie and Hurley, the best buddies of Lost, and on another level it reminds me of my online friendship with pacejunkie (my fanfic mentor). This is the first story we wrote together and we were both really pleased with how it turned out. So I think of two great friendships when I remember this story!
7) He is Risen. This is another fic that I’m rather proud of because I really sank my teeth into the mythology and attempted to offer some ‘answers’ of my own. Plus between this story and 'Good Vibrations' I really drank my fill of Desmond angst! This fic was a big challenge for me because I had to adapt it for my readers who wanted a more climatic ending. It has to be said the readers were right!
8) Beware of the Fangirl. In the past I have never been confident that I could write good humour, but this story (along with 'Unstuck in Time') gave me the assurance that I really could make readers laugh. That has been a huge strength for me.
9) The Belly of a Whale. I have always been a fan of slash - especially dark, angsty, violent slash. There is something very intoxicating about it. I never thought that I could pull it off myself, but this was my stab at it. Getting the thumbs up from toestastegood (the Queen of Charlie slash) made it all worthwhile!
10) Sharing the Night. This really felt like a good story to finish with. I had other ideas for my final fanfic (which pacey saw fragments of), but in the end it felt right to close with a Chesmond story. A story which was sad, but tender and reflective. It really echoed my own emotions at the time.
I would also like to challenge other fanfic writers to make a Greatest Hits list of their own favourite fanfic memories. Stories you felt especially proud of or emotional over. Consider it a Meme of sorts!