Year in Review: 2009
Well, looks like we survived another year. Last night was fun, at queenspanky for the festivities. This morning I managed breakfast - and not a hangover in sight! - and DW then followed. Um, more on that later, once I haven't figured out WTF it was about...
So, the year in fic. First, the yuletide reveal -
Yuletide 2009 Fics:
Goma, La Belle for Scylla
[Sahara, Rated R, 26k, Gen]
After a routine mission goes awry, Al and Dirk have to race against time to stop a deadly diamond-smuggling ring -- that harbours even deadlier secrets...
This was my major writing project of the year, and grew out of me not being able to write for my actual assigned fandom. I thought, "well, I've seen the film - why not give it a go?" and then realised I could use all the source material from my recent Congo trip to fuel it. Hence the word count. I tried to make it reasonably accessible, even for people who haven't seen the film. I have to say, this was rather difficult to write, primarily because I didn't have much time to write it - work was being demanding at the same time, so I had very few evenings in which to get the bulk of it down. But I got it done on time, for which I am grateful.
*
do zla boga pinch-hit for Minnow
[Neil Gaiman - American Gods, Rated R, 2.3k, Gen]
Czernobog and the Zoryas arrive in the New World.
This was a last-minute pinch-hit. I only went for it because I'd recently read American Gods, and I had experienced hitherto unforeseen levels of frustration that we didn't get to see Czernobog's arrival story. Plus, I wanted to work something festive into it.
*
the old things fade Yuletide treat for jengrrl
[Låt den rätte komma in | Let the Right One In (2008), Rated PG, <1k, Gen]
Eli and Oskar, post-film.
Something that bugged me about the end of the film was, weirdly, the hopefulness of it all. My first thought was that those small moments of bliss wouldn't last, that change would slowly creep in and make the happiness fade away. And I saw this little treat as a chance to have a first go at that. I still think there's more to be said here, and reading the wiki info on the book and how it differs from the film was intriguing. Once I've had a chance to compare and contrast for myself, I think I might revisit this topic again, in more depth.
Non-Yuletide 2009:
March
- History, in parts: [B5] John and Delenn and editing.
- Winter: [Alias] Irina bides her time.
April
- the root of all things: [Carnivale] She's not a mother to him; it's never been as simple as that.
- Pay no attention to the masked man: [Transmetropolitan/Watchmen] Someone familiar shows up in the City.
- Ambition: [Deadwood] Silas and Dan have a little talk.
- Method Acting: [Alias RPF] Victor likes Ron just fine. Sloane's another matter entirely.
June
- Three Fates, Waiting: [ST:TOS/Blake's 7] When Jim Kirk is six years old, his parents make a deal on his behalf.
July
- Zero Sum: [Watchmen/The West Wing] darlas_mom requested Adrian Veidt (Watchmen) & Jed Bartlet (The West Wing). Some strange sort of fusion then occurred.
- the universal wolf: [Sweeney Todd RPF] Yuletide NYR. Maybe it's just him getting older. Maybe man wasn't meant to film musicals at this age.
August
- Delenn's 3 bits of sexual trivia [B5] meme response.
- G'Kar's 3 bits of sexual trivia [B5] meme response.
- Untitled snippet: [Harry Potter] Marauders-era genderswap crack.
You will notice that fic-producing dropped off dramatically after August (i.e. disappeared entirely until yuletide). This is partly due to the second half of 2009 being really quite shit. Nevertheless, I must also point out that the first half of 2009 was rather wonderful. So, instead of doing a balanced "what was good and what was bad" sort of post that will depress me, I'm going to list 10 things (in no particular order) that were really good about 2009:
1. My job was made permanent!
2. I travelled! To many places! One of which was on my list of 'places to go before I die'!
3. I saw friends I haven't seen in years and made new ones!
4. On a material note, I have a new mattress! (This results in me getting a good night's sleep!)
5. My brother has a job! OK, it's a stop-gap job until he's actually doing a job, but he's in employment!
6. I've joined a gym! And am still attending! This means I can run for the bus without having a heart attack!
7. My parents are healthy! And the bits that aren't are not too bad and scheduled for fixing!
8. I'm still studying Arabic! And some of it is finally sinking in!
9. I qualified! And joined the Institute! And have letters after my name!
10. It snowed on New Year's!!
So, what will 2010 look like? My 2009 NYR are here. I can say that I probably didn't leave work at work - it has a tendency to follow me home and I feed it and then it never leaves - but I did go out, and I did read, and I did have fun. Less so in the last few months, but more than 2008. So.
NYR 2010:
1. It has become an old stand-by: read 50 books.
2. Stand up for myself at work, and not let it eat up my life by having it take up every spare moment.
3. Make the most of travelling, and add in a little extra when I am out there.
4. Carry on with Arabic.
5. Go out more. Do more things. Don't let work take over. (I think it bears saying twice.)
So, the year in fic. First, the yuletide reveal -
Yuletide 2009 Fics:
Goma, La Belle for Scylla
[Sahara, Rated R, 26k, Gen]
After a routine mission goes awry, Al and Dirk have to race against time to stop a deadly diamond-smuggling ring -- that harbours even deadlier secrets...
This was my major writing project of the year, and grew out of me not being able to write for my actual assigned fandom. I thought, "well, I've seen the film - why not give it a go?" and then realised I could use all the source material from my recent Congo trip to fuel it. Hence the word count. I tried to make it reasonably accessible, even for people who haven't seen the film. I have to say, this was rather difficult to write, primarily because I didn't have much time to write it - work was being demanding at the same time, so I had very few evenings in which to get the bulk of it down. But I got it done on time, for which I am grateful.
*
do zla boga pinch-hit for Minnow
[Neil Gaiman - American Gods, Rated R, 2.3k, Gen]
Czernobog and the Zoryas arrive in the New World.
This was a last-minute pinch-hit. I only went for it because I'd recently read American Gods, and I had experienced hitherto unforeseen levels of frustration that we didn't get to see Czernobog's arrival story. Plus, I wanted to work something festive into it.
*
the old things fade Yuletide treat for jengrrl
[Låt den rätte komma in | Let the Right One In (2008), Rated PG, <1k, Gen]
Eli and Oskar, post-film.
Something that bugged me about the end of the film was, weirdly, the hopefulness of it all. My first thought was that those small moments of bliss wouldn't last, that change would slowly creep in and make the happiness fade away. And I saw this little treat as a chance to have a first go at that. I still think there's more to be said here, and reading the wiki info on the book and how it differs from the film was intriguing. Once I've had a chance to compare and contrast for myself, I think I might revisit this topic again, in more depth.
Non-Yuletide 2009:
March
- History, in parts: [B5] John and Delenn and editing.
- Winter: [Alias] Irina bides her time.
April
- the root of all things: [Carnivale] She's not a mother to him; it's never been as simple as that.
- Pay no attention to the masked man: [Transmetropolitan/Watchmen] Someone familiar shows up in the City.
- Ambition: [Deadwood] Silas and Dan have a little talk.
- Method Acting: [Alias RPF] Victor likes Ron just fine. Sloane's another matter entirely.
June
- Three Fates, Waiting: [ST:TOS/Blake's 7] When Jim Kirk is six years old, his parents make a deal on his behalf.
July
- Zero Sum: [Watchmen/The West Wing] darlas_mom requested Adrian Veidt (Watchmen) & Jed Bartlet (The West Wing). Some strange sort of fusion then occurred.
- the universal wolf: [Sweeney Todd RPF] Yuletide NYR. Maybe it's just him getting older. Maybe man wasn't meant to film musicals at this age.
August
- Delenn's 3 bits of sexual trivia [B5] meme response.
- G'Kar's 3 bits of sexual trivia [B5] meme response.
- Untitled snippet: [Harry Potter] Marauders-era genderswap crack.
You will notice that fic-producing dropped off dramatically after August (i.e. disappeared entirely until yuletide). This is partly due to the second half of 2009 being really quite shit. Nevertheless, I must also point out that the first half of 2009 was rather wonderful. So, instead of doing a balanced "what was good and what was bad" sort of post that will depress me, I'm going to list 10 things (in no particular order) that were really good about 2009:
1. My job was made permanent!
2. I travelled! To many places! One of which was on my list of 'places to go before I die'!
3. I saw friends I haven't seen in years and made new ones!
4. On a material note, I have a new mattress! (This results in me getting a good night's sleep!)
5. My brother has a job! OK, it's a stop-gap job until he's actually doing a job, but he's in employment!
6. I've joined a gym! And am still attending! This means I can run for the bus without having a heart attack!
7. My parents are healthy! And the bits that aren't are not too bad and scheduled for fixing!
8. I'm still studying Arabic! And some of it is finally sinking in!
9. I qualified! And joined the Institute! And have letters after my name!
10. It snowed on New Year's!!
So, what will 2010 look like? My 2009 NYR are here. I can say that I probably didn't leave work at work - it has a tendency to follow me home and I feed it and then it never leaves - but I did go out, and I did read, and I did have fun. Less so in the last few months, but more than 2008. So.
NYR 2010:
1. It has become an old stand-by: read 50 books.
2. Stand up for myself at work, and not let it eat up my life by having it take up every spare moment.
3. Make the most of travelling, and add in a little extra when I am out there.
4. Carry on with Arabic.
5. Go out more. Do more things. Don't let work take over. (I think it bears saying twice.)