Two End-of-Year Memes
Quick update: Christmas was great! I’m writing some, but I have school work I need to do! Two memes!
End of the year fannish meme, gakked from daybreak777.
your main fandom of the year?
Even though it’s not on anymore, it’s still BSG for me. I’d say writing two big bangs for a fandom qualifies it as being my main fandom of the year, yes? Weirdly, I haven’t watched much BSG this year, though. Time for a selective re-watch, maybe?
your favorite film watched this year?
I watched Up this year on DVD and adored it. As far as things I went to the theatre to see, maybe it makes me horribly mainstream, but I really liked both Inception and HP7. An Education is probably the best film I saw in a theatre this year, but since it was up for an Oscar last year, it feels more like it belongs in my memories of last year than this year.
your favorite book read this year?
Easy. Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow. The sole survivor of a disastrous first contact mission to another planet with intelligent life is found by the follow-up mission under…strange circumstances. The most visible strangeness is that his hands have been very carefully mutilated, his palm severed so that his “fingers” start at his wrists. The survivor also happens to be a Jesuit priest, and his faith isn’t in much better shape than his hands are. The other mission sends the survivor home to explain what went so horribly wrong after the first mission lost contact with Earth. The worldbuilding is great, both on a slightly-in-the-future Earth (I thought all the stuff about orphanages and “vultures” was fascinating, not too far out, and a really interesting parallel to the Jesuits) and on Rakhat. Russell was a biological anthropologist before she started writing novels, and it shows.
My other rec isn’t a book, though it fits here. The New Yorker Fiction Podcast is awesome and awesomely free. Each month, the New Yorker invites a notable author to select one of their favorite stories (written by someone else) from the New Yorker archives, and then the author reads the story and has a short discussion with the New Yorker’s fiction editor about what they love about it and what makes it so special to them. Even though they only put out one episode per month, I’m way behind, but I’m enjoying it.
your favorite album or song to listen to this year?
As far as albums, I’m really enjoying Janelle Monae’s “ArchAndroid.” I like almost all the songs and love a few of them, but I’m most impressed with the fact that the album is also kind of a sci-fi novella as well? It’s daring and inventive.
As for individual songs, I’ve been playing a couple Regina Spektor tracks over and over again. “Samson” makes me teary, “The Call” gives me a warm n’ fuzzy feeling, and “The Consequence of Sound” makes me tilt my head and say “whaa?” but in a good way. I love The Wailin’ Jennys’ “Starlight,” “The Parting Glass,” and in whimsical moods, “Pants.” Starting to get into Imogen Heap and Florence + the Machine. (Wow, my musical tastes leaned heavily female this year. Interesting.) For holiday music, I’ve been playing Glee’s boy-boy version of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” a lot.
your favorite TV show of the year?
New to me, or new to the world? I’ve really enjoyed watching Glee live this year. I’ve only seen about one season of Doctor Who, but I thoroughly enjoyed that as well and want to get back to it. Reise is intriguing, but it’s not a TV show.
your favorite LJ community of the year?
gaeta_squee is still by far one of the friendliest places on the Internet. :)
your best new fandom discovery of the year?
Oh my, I discovered that fandom exists and is mostly scary outside BSG! I’ve poked around Torchwood and Glee a bit. Both have a handful of real fic gems, but it takes some digging to find them. Both have some really thoughtful folks, but I learned the true meaning of wank and trolling and ship wars by peeking in there, too. ::shivers and cuddles BSG/Gaeta fandom::
your biggest fandom disappointment of the year?
I hate to say it, but Caprica. It’s really hard to get into it, knowing that it’s essentially already over. More than that, I’m just not enjoying it that much. I’ve watched about six episodes, I think, and I’ll probably still watch the rest because I’m always looking for worldbuilding nuggets. But it’s a bad sign when I have a Netflix disc of episodes waiting to be watched and haven’t gotten around to it for weeks. I’m just really not interested in anyone but the teenage characters and Sam (I count Philemon with the teenage characters, even though he must be in his twenties). And Sergei. (It’s also a bad sign when you find the robot butler more compelling than the four top-billed characters.)
your TV boyfriend of the year?
I was going to say Darren Criss for his Teenage Mutant Ninja Spiderman of La Mancha Starts a Glee Club on Mars “spoiler” riff, but upon further reflection, the award goes to Jon Stewart for his Rally to Restore Sanity.
your TV girlfriend of the year?
I’ll go with Jane Lynch. I don’t know if I totally understand the TV girlfriend/boyfriend thing, but she’s awesome, so this can’t be a bad choice.
your biggest squee moment of the year?
Finishing my big bangs? No, that was my biggest “whew!” moment. Hmm, “squee.” I think seeing Kurt beaming during “Teenage Dream” on Glee might’ve been. ::secures her “I ship Kurt/Happiness pin on her lapel::
the most missed of your old fandoms?
I don’t have any old fandoms, I guess. I did get a little nostalgic for the glee that comes with getting a new Harry Potter book, though. I’m very, very happy with where it ended and don’t want any more, but the movie did remind me of that.
the fandom you haven't tried yet, but want to?
I want to try watching Mad Men, though I don’t particularly think I want to be fannish about it. My fear is that, from what I’ve read, I’m going to have the same problem I have with almost every show, only worse. I’m used to loving secondary characters more than main characters. However, I have this sneaking suspicion that I’m going to love Peggy and Joan and Ken and Sal, and love to hate Pete and Roger, but flat-out despise the Drapers-and not in a good way. ::shrugs:: I’ll probably have to just jump in and hope for the best.
your biggest fan anticipations for the New Year?
I’m such a girl. I really want to see Kurt get a first kiss from a boy he likes who’s not sexually assaulting him. He’s had a rough couple years. It’d be nice to see something good happen for him for a change.
(I’m scared of being in too much anticipation for this, because you know how my favorite characters have a habit of ending up dead? And often very soon after they develop or rekindle love lives? Not that Glee is the kind of show that kills people off, but I’m especially twitchy after the ends Bennett and November met. And Gaeta and Dee. And Tosh and Ianto. Honestly, I think the only reason Neville and Luna survived my favoritism is because they didn’t have a significant other, or the prospects thereof, in canon.)
After holding off for a while, I decided to do the fic one, too. I’m afraid it’s going to be boring, because most of the answers are going to be one of my two big bangs. Oh well. Gakking lls_mutant’s version…
Fics I Wrote This Year
(Too much of a pain to put in the urls for all of these, so here’s my master list, if you’re interested: here. It’s fairly up to date, but I think I’m still missing links to about four ficlets. I’ll get on that soon.)
I’m Dreaming of a #FFFFFF Christmas
Companion Pieces: Gazing Skyward
Companion Pieces: Dreams for a New World
The Awful(ly Strange) Truth: A (Sort Of) Love Story in Three Acts
Flying High
Six-Word Fics
Typecasting (Dancing With Myself Remix)
Monster
Decrescendo (The Dead Letter Box Remix)
25-Word Fics (2 rounds of BSG; 2 rounds of multi-fandom)
Get the Picture
Massacring Valentine’s Day
The Thrill of Victory, the Agony of Defeat
Teach Your Children Well
Artemis
No Matter What the Future Brings
Confession is Good for the Soul
All’s Fair in Lust and Politics
Gnothi Seauton
Picture Perfect
Sanctuary
Science Fiction Double Feature
Gaeta Bingo ficlets:
Five Minutes to Midnight
Enemy Within
Look at Me Now
The Better Part of Valor
contact is inevitable, leading to information bleed
The Foresaken Ones
Fathers
Mothers
Poker Face
Alphabet Meme ficlets:
Because You’re Worth It
Not Where the Story Ends
Adventures in Babysitting
Baby, It’s Cold Outside
White Picket Fences
Idealist
The Miracle of Birth
Politics Makes Strange Bedfellows
Not Quite What You Expected
Confessions
The Fly
Another Hour Later
And I haven’t mentioned this one on my journal, but my first foray into Glee fic was this little Season 2 Burt-POV fic, The Best Day. (Yes, I stole a title from a Taylor Swift song…)
Graphics and Fannish Stuff:
A Night at Joe’s Fanmix
Bedtime on Earth (And They Lived Happily Ever After Mix)
Six Degrees of Separation Episode Mix
7 BSG icons (3 cast, 4 retro quotes)
4 BSG motivational posters
2 “This is Just to Say” Poems (Gaeta to Baltar, Lee to Dee)
“Hera, quit drawing on the walls!” photo manip
Brain Twin Picspam: Top 10 Favorite Musical Moments of BSG
Leitmotif of the year:
I don’t know how to reconcile the crack and farce with the dark stuff. I think guilt was a major theme in the serious fics, and maybe laughing at your own mistakes for the funny ones? Best I can do.
Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you'd predicted?
Probably more, since I always think, “eh, once I get these bunnies finished, all I’ll have left for ideas are a few ficlets that’ll pop up from time to time.” And then I develop big bang-sized bunnies. Giant Energizer Bunnies: they just keep going, and going, and going...
What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in January 2010?
Pairing: Um, “Sanctuary”? I’d written a little Gaeta/Zarek before, but Gaeta/Tigh, Gaeta/Kara, and Gaeta/Lee were all pairings that made my eyes cross. Ooh, and Gaeta/Doral in “The Awful(ly) Strange Truth.” And Billy/Tory in “All’s Fair in Lust and Politics”-gotta love pornbattle for the odd bunnies. (Is there another one coming up soon? Seems like it’s about time for one.)
Genre: Um, “Sanctuary”? Is prostitute!fic a genre? It seems like it might be a subgenre, at least. (Apropos of nothing: I think I got a comment at one point from a reader saying they liked how I didn’t follow the normal tropes for prostitute!fic, or something like that. My secret: I’m not sure I’ve ever read a prostitute!fic. Possibly this helped?) I never thought I’d write a crossover, either, but “Typecasting” was a lot of fun.
Fandom: The answer actually isn’t “Sanctuary”! ;) Never thought I’d write Glee fic, but here I am with one posted and another longish one in the works. (I’m a bit miffed at the timing of my bunnies. It’s going to be 15K-20K, meaning it could qualify as a big bang. All the Glee or Kurt big bangs I’ve found are currently in progress, so I can’t sign up for them and get art unless I want to wait a ridiculous time to post, which I don’t. Grr.) I also never thought I’d write in any of the fandoms that I crossed BSG with in “Typecasting,” either.
What's your favorite story of the year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest?
“Picture Perfect,” most definitely. I love the ‘verse, I loved getting to write Hoshi’s planet-side back-story, I’m really proud of how it turned out in terms of the quality of the writing, and I adore the artwork lls_mutant made for me. ;)
I feel bad that I don’t love “Sanctuary” as much as I do “Picture Perfect,” because it feels like they’re fraternal twins and that I’m giving one an inferiority complex from loving the other more. (Also, I adore the artwork and fanmix nicole_anell made for this fic as well. My bsg_bigbang experience was a wonderful embarrassment of riches.) I think it may just come down to “Picture Perfect” being the kind of story that I like to read more than “Sanctuary” is, though I am pleased with the result in both cases. Also, to carry that fraternal twin metaphor into TMI territory, “Sanctuary” was a hell of a lot harder to give birth to than “Picture Perfect.”
Story of mine most underappreciated by the universe, in my opinion:
I’m not disappointed with the response, but I did think “Gnothi Seauton” might get more readers with it being Lee-centric but also kind of ensemble as well. Maybe the religious theme is a turn-off to lots of readers? Maybe I didn’t have Lee down as well as I thought? Maybe not having Lee shirtless or having sex takes away too much of Lee’s appeal?
Most fun story to write:
I love writing humor. I write a lot of it. Writing in the Culture Shock ‘verse is always a treat. “The Awful(ly Strange) Truth” was a fun little departure from the norm, too, as was “All’s Fair in Lust and Politics” and “Get the Picture.”
Story with the single sexiest moment:
Um, “Sanctuary”? A lot of the sex wasn’t all that sexy, nor was it designed to be. But the Gaeta/Zarek stuff was, I think, despite my efforts to throw cold water on those two. My other porny stories are all funny rather than sexy, because I like writing funny more and I feel like I’m better at it.
Most "Holy crap, that's wrong, even for you" story:
Um, “Sanctuary”? Prostitute!Felix. Frakking his former co-workers. Need I say more?
Hardest story to write:
Um, “Sanctuary”? Holy Lords of Kobol, Felix would not get it on with Lee. And Hoshi sat in the corner and cried throughout most of the writing of that fic. He’s never gotten jealous of me writing Felix with Hotdog or Narcho or even Baltar, really, but man, he was a sobbing, whiny mess in the back of my mind during “Sanctuary.”
Easiest story to write:
This is a weird one, but “Monster.” The idea came all in a rush once geekbynight gave me the prompt, and it pretty much wrote itself. It’s one of the harder stories for me to reread (or expand on, I’ll admit) because it’s so dark.
Best story of the year:
“Picture Perfect.” I was in love with the concept, and I’m really pleased with how it turned out.
Truest story of the year:
Probably “Picture Perfect” and “Confession is Good for the Soul.” “Picture Perfect” because I put a lot of myself into that fic, even though Louis and I are nothing alike in terms of demographics or life experiences. “Confession is Good for the Soul” because, I don’t know how I found it, but I do believe that’s exactly what would’ve happened if Zarek and Cavil met, and that it would be one of the few things that could legitimately haunt Zarek when he found out who Cavil really was.
Biggest disappointment:
“Flying High,” because I failed the original idea. I had all sorts of ideas for how Gaeta/Narcho would develop from the point where I ended, but I never came up with the connective tissue to join that beginning to all those future moments. It doesn’t feel like a full fic to me, and I know it could’ve been.
Biggest surprise:
Um, “Sanctuary”? I, Miss Prude (by Internet standards), wrote over 30K words about Felix being a prostitute. And I at least think it didn’t suck. The prudishness may have even paid off a little bit, because I wasn’t tempted to write in-depth sex scenes that could’ve mucked up the pacing, and I focused on the character stuff which I hope drew people in. Or maybe it would’ve gotten loads more attention if I’d written it as a collection of hardcore PWP, what do I know?
Favorite Title:
I don’t do much for fancy titles, so “The Awful(ly Strange) Truth: A (Sort Of) Love Story in Three Acts” probably wins by default simply because it’s interesting. Although, I do like “Decrescendo (The Dead Letter Box Remix),” but mostly because of how it works with the remixed fic’s title.
(I’m really bad at these line ones. I just don’t have the memory for it.)
Favorite opening line(s):
I don’t have any favorites! I struggle with opening and closing lines, and I usually end up more satisfied with closing lines.
Favorite closing line(s):
Maybe, someday, it would turn out to be a love story after all.-Decrescendo
Felix’s voice cracked when he spoke again. “Just because nobody ever called me ‘Daddy’ doesn’t mean we didn’t have kids.” He gestured at the kitchen table, covered with ‘Happy Retirement’ cards and letters from former students.
“We have hundreds.”-Teach Your Children Well
Favorite line(s) from anywhere:
“I’m not sure a chick would get the logic of that. That’s gotta be a really nice thing about being gay: not having to understand chick logic in order to get sex.”-I’m Dreaming of an #FFFFFF Christmas
“My gods, that’s Marlie May, Nymph of the Year for ’64,” Billy breathed.
“Did you have her taped to the ceiling in your childhood bedroom, Billy?” Gaeta smirked, pausing the slideshow for him.
“Kept her under my pillow until Mom went on an unannounced laundry spree,” Billy murmured. “There’s something extremely comforting, knowing this image still exists. It’s like finding out the Venus di Antioch is safe in a crate on one of the storage container ships.”-Get the Picture
“Broke the son of a bitch’s kneecap with a good kick,” Laramie said, voice warming a bit with anger. “Spat on him. Line was too long for her.”-Monster
The shutter clicks, and the moment is both frozen in time and gone in an instant.-Picture Perfect
He couldn’t possibly know what it felt like for Louis to hold Felix in his arms after they’d made love and see Felix looking at him in the way Louis had waited his whole life to be seen. -Picture Perfect
“But I will tell them about yours,” Felix said. So that’s what a heart breaking looks like, Felix thought detachedly, as if he were looking down at the two of them in bed from high above. “I don’t think you’re evil, or that you deserve to be shoved out an airlock for what you’ve done, but it doesn’t change the fact that you did it. And while others may forgive you,” he gave in to sentimentality for a moment, stroking Louis’s cheek, “you can’t forgive yourself. I’m glad that you get it, because now you understand why I want you all to leave me alone.”-Sanctuary
Five Favorite Scenes
5. Baltar’s sermon in “Gnothi Seauton,” tied with Felix and Gaius’s “ascension” in “Sanctuary”
4. Sheldon-Hoshi 25-Word Multifandom Death Fic
3. Confession is Good for the Soul
2. The confrontation with Susannah over Jude in “Picture Perfect”
1. Bringing the girls home in “Picture Perfect”
Story I haven't yet written, but intend to: Oh, frak. There are so many. So, so many, and they just keep spawning and growing. Has anybody outside of a Monty Python film ever been killed by bunnies? Maybe by fluffy suffocation?
Goals for next year: Finish all these damn bunnies and WIPs! My biggies are to finish Culture Shock, write the Saving the World with Math epic, and finish off all my ongoing memes and gift fics. And also do the sequels to my two big bangs. I’d like to get most of this done in the next six months as well, because I know that real life in the latter half of the year will be scarily busy. I’d also like to read a lot of fic that I’ve fallen behind on.
Top Five Stories From 2010
5. Tie between Mothers and Confessions
4. Gnothi Seauton
3. I’m Dreaming of a #FFFFFF Christmas
2. Confession is Good for the Soul
1. Picture Perfect
End of the year fannish meme, gakked from daybreak777.
your main fandom of the year?
Even though it’s not on anymore, it’s still BSG for me. I’d say writing two big bangs for a fandom qualifies it as being my main fandom of the year, yes? Weirdly, I haven’t watched much BSG this year, though. Time for a selective re-watch, maybe?
your favorite film watched this year?
I watched Up this year on DVD and adored it. As far as things I went to the theatre to see, maybe it makes me horribly mainstream, but I really liked both Inception and HP7. An Education is probably the best film I saw in a theatre this year, but since it was up for an Oscar last year, it feels more like it belongs in my memories of last year than this year.
your favorite book read this year?
Easy. Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow. The sole survivor of a disastrous first contact mission to another planet with intelligent life is found by the follow-up mission under…strange circumstances. The most visible strangeness is that his hands have been very carefully mutilated, his palm severed so that his “fingers” start at his wrists. The survivor also happens to be a Jesuit priest, and his faith isn’t in much better shape than his hands are. The other mission sends the survivor home to explain what went so horribly wrong after the first mission lost contact with Earth. The worldbuilding is great, both on a slightly-in-the-future Earth (I thought all the stuff about orphanages and “vultures” was fascinating, not too far out, and a really interesting parallel to the Jesuits) and on Rakhat. Russell was a biological anthropologist before she started writing novels, and it shows.
My other rec isn’t a book, though it fits here. The New Yorker Fiction Podcast is awesome and awesomely free. Each month, the New Yorker invites a notable author to select one of their favorite stories (written by someone else) from the New Yorker archives, and then the author reads the story and has a short discussion with the New Yorker’s fiction editor about what they love about it and what makes it so special to them. Even though they only put out one episode per month, I’m way behind, but I’m enjoying it.
your favorite album or song to listen to this year?
As far as albums, I’m really enjoying Janelle Monae’s “ArchAndroid.” I like almost all the songs and love a few of them, but I’m most impressed with the fact that the album is also kind of a sci-fi novella as well? It’s daring and inventive.
As for individual songs, I’ve been playing a couple Regina Spektor tracks over and over again. “Samson” makes me teary, “The Call” gives me a warm n’ fuzzy feeling, and “The Consequence of Sound” makes me tilt my head and say “whaa?” but in a good way. I love The Wailin’ Jennys’ “Starlight,” “The Parting Glass,” and in whimsical moods, “Pants.” Starting to get into Imogen Heap and Florence + the Machine. (Wow, my musical tastes leaned heavily female this year. Interesting.) For holiday music, I’ve been playing Glee’s boy-boy version of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” a lot.
your favorite TV show of the year?
New to me, or new to the world? I’ve really enjoyed watching Glee live this year. I’ve only seen about one season of Doctor Who, but I thoroughly enjoyed that as well and want to get back to it. Reise is intriguing, but it’s not a TV show.
your favorite LJ community of the year?
gaeta_squee is still by far one of the friendliest places on the Internet. :)
your best new fandom discovery of the year?
Oh my, I discovered that fandom exists and is mostly scary outside BSG! I’ve poked around Torchwood and Glee a bit. Both have a handful of real fic gems, but it takes some digging to find them. Both have some really thoughtful folks, but I learned the true meaning of wank and trolling and ship wars by peeking in there, too. ::shivers and cuddles BSG/Gaeta fandom::
your biggest fandom disappointment of the year?
I hate to say it, but Caprica. It’s really hard to get into it, knowing that it’s essentially already over. More than that, I’m just not enjoying it that much. I’ve watched about six episodes, I think, and I’ll probably still watch the rest because I’m always looking for worldbuilding nuggets. But it’s a bad sign when I have a Netflix disc of episodes waiting to be watched and haven’t gotten around to it for weeks. I’m just really not interested in anyone but the teenage characters and Sam (I count Philemon with the teenage characters, even though he must be in his twenties). And Sergei. (It’s also a bad sign when you find the robot butler more compelling than the four top-billed characters.)
your TV boyfriend of the year?
I was going to say Darren Criss for his Teenage Mutant Ninja Spiderman of La Mancha Starts a Glee Club on Mars “spoiler” riff, but upon further reflection, the award goes to Jon Stewart for his Rally to Restore Sanity.
your TV girlfriend of the year?
I’ll go with Jane Lynch. I don’t know if I totally understand the TV girlfriend/boyfriend thing, but she’s awesome, so this can’t be a bad choice.
your biggest squee moment of the year?
Finishing my big bangs? No, that was my biggest “whew!” moment. Hmm, “squee.” I think seeing Kurt beaming during “Teenage Dream” on Glee might’ve been. ::secures her “I ship Kurt/Happiness pin on her lapel::
the most missed of your old fandoms?
I don’t have any old fandoms, I guess. I did get a little nostalgic for the glee that comes with getting a new Harry Potter book, though. I’m very, very happy with where it ended and don’t want any more, but the movie did remind me of that.
the fandom you haven't tried yet, but want to?
I want to try watching Mad Men, though I don’t particularly think I want to be fannish about it. My fear is that, from what I’ve read, I’m going to have the same problem I have with almost every show, only worse. I’m used to loving secondary characters more than main characters. However, I have this sneaking suspicion that I’m going to love Peggy and Joan and Ken and Sal, and love to hate Pete and Roger, but flat-out despise the Drapers-and not in a good way. ::shrugs:: I’ll probably have to just jump in and hope for the best.
your biggest fan anticipations for the New Year?
I’m such a girl. I really want to see Kurt get a first kiss from a boy he likes who’s not sexually assaulting him. He’s had a rough couple years. It’d be nice to see something good happen for him for a change.
(I’m scared of being in too much anticipation for this, because you know how my favorite characters have a habit of ending up dead? And often very soon after they develop or rekindle love lives? Not that Glee is the kind of show that kills people off, but I’m especially twitchy after the ends Bennett and November met. And Gaeta and Dee. And Tosh and Ianto. Honestly, I think the only reason Neville and Luna survived my favoritism is because they didn’t have a significant other, or the prospects thereof, in canon.)
After holding off for a while, I decided to do the fic one, too. I’m afraid it’s going to be boring, because most of the answers are going to be one of my two big bangs. Oh well. Gakking lls_mutant’s version…
Fics I Wrote This Year
(Too much of a pain to put in the urls for all of these, so here’s my master list, if you’re interested: here. It’s fairly up to date, but I think I’m still missing links to about four ficlets. I’ll get on that soon.)
I’m Dreaming of a #FFFFFF Christmas
Companion Pieces: Gazing Skyward
Companion Pieces: Dreams for a New World
The Awful(ly Strange) Truth: A (Sort Of) Love Story in Three Acts
Flying High
Six-Word Fics
Typecasting (Dancing With Myself Remix)
Monster
Decrescendo (The Dead Letter Box Remix)
25-Word Fics (2 rounds of BSG; 2 rounds of multi-fandom)
Get the Picture
Massacring Valentine’s Day
The Thrill of Victory, the Agony of Defeat
Teach Your Children Well
Artemis
No Matter What the Future Brings
Confession is Good for the Soul
All’s Fair in Lust and Politics
Gnothi Seauton
Picture Perfect
Sanctuary
Science Fiction Double Feature
Gaeta Bingo ficlets:
Five Minutes to Midnight
Enemy Within
Look at Me Now
The Better Part of Valor
contact is inevitable, leading to information bleed
The Foresaken Ones
Fathers
Mothers
Poker Face
Alphabet Meme ficlets:
Because You’re Worth It
Not Where the Story Ends
Adventures in Babysitting
Baby, It’s Cold Outside
White Picket Fences
Idealist
The Miracle of Birth
Politics Makes Strange Bedfellows
Not Quite What You Expected
Confessions
The Fly
Another Hour Later
And I haven’t mentioned this one on my journal, but my first foray into Glee fic was this little Season 2 Burt-POV fic, The Best Day. (Yes, I stole a title from a Taylor Swift song…)
Graphics and Fannish Stuff:
A Night at Joe’s Fanmix
Bedtime on Earth (And They Lived Happily Ever After Mix)
Six Degrees of Separation Episode Mix
7 BSG icons (3 cast, 4 retro quotes)
4 BSG motivational posters
2 “This is Just to Say” Poems (Gaeta to Baltar, Lee to Dee)
“Hera, quit drawing on the walls!” photo manip
Brain Twin Picspam: Top 10 Favorite Musical Moments of BSG
Leitmotif of the year:
I don’t know how to reconcile the crack and farce with the dark stuff. I think guilt was a major theme in the serious fics, and maybe laughing at your own mistakes for the funny ones? Best I can do.
Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you'd predicted?
Probably more, since I always think, “eh, once I get these bunnies finished, all I’ll have left for ideas are a few ficlets that’ll pop up from time to time.” And then I develop big bang-sized bunnies. Giant Energizer Bunnies: they just keep going, and going, and going...
What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in January 2010?
Pairing: Um, “Sanctuary”? I’d written a little Gaeta/Zarek before, but Gaeta/Tigh, Gaeta/Kara, and Gaeta/Lee were all pairings that made my eyes cross. Ooh, and Gaeta/Doral in “The Awful(ly) Strange Truth.” And Billy/Tory in “All’s Fair in Lust and Politics”-gotta love pornbattle for the odd bunnies. (Is there another one coming up soon? Seems like it’s about time for one.)
Genre: Um, “Sanctuary”? Is prostitute!fic a genre? It seems like it might be a subgenre, at least. (Apropos of nothing: I think I got a comment at one point from a reader saying they liked how I didn’t follow the normal tropes for prostitute!fic, or something like that. My secret: I’m not sure I’ve ever read a prostitute!fic. Possibly this helped?) I never thought I’d write a crossover, either, but “Typecasting” was a lot of fun.
Fandom: The answer actually isn’t “Sanctuary”! ;) Never thought I’d write Glee fic, but here I am with one posted and another longish one in the works. (I’m a bit miffed at the timing of my bunnies. It’s going to be 15K-20K, meaning it could qualify as a big bang. All the Glee or Kurt big bangs I’ve found are currently in progress, so I can’t sign up for them and get art unless I want to wait a ridiculous time to post, which I don’t. Grr.) I also never thought I’d write in any of the fandoms that I crossed BSG with in “Typecasting,” either.
What's your favorite story of the year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest?
“Picture Perfect,” most definitely. I love the ‘verse, I loved getting to write Hoshi’s planet-side back-story, I’m really proud of how it turned out in terms of the quality of the writing, and I adore the artwork lls_mutant made for me. ;)
I feel bad that I don’t love “Sanctuary” as much as I do “Picture Perfect,” because it feels like they’re fraternal twins and that I’m giving one an inferiority complex from loving the other more. (Also, I adore the artwork and fanmix nicole_anell made for this fic as well. My bsg_bigbang experience was a wonderful embarrassment of riches.) I think it may just come down to “Picture Perfect” being the kind of story that I like to read more than “Sanctuary” is, though I am pleased with the result in both cases. Also, to carry that fraternal twin metaphor into TMI territory, “Sanctuary” was a hell of a lot harder to give birth to than “Picture Perfect.”
Story of mine most underappreciated by the universe, in my opinion:
I’m not disappointed with the response, but I did think “Gnothi Seauton” might get more readers with it being Lee-centric but also kind of ensemble as well. Maybe the religious theme is a turn-off to lots of readers? Maybe I didn’t have Lee down as well as I thought? Maybe not having Lee shirtless or having sex takes away too much of Lee’s appeal?
Most fun story to write:
I love writing humor. I write a lot of it. Writing in the Culture Shock ‘verse is always a treat. “The Awful(ly Strange) Truth” was a fun little departure from the norm, too, as was “All’s Fair in Lust and Politics” and “Get the Picture.”
Story with the single sexiest moment:
Um, “Sanctuary”? A lot of the sex wasn’t all that sexy, nor was it designed to be. But the Gaeta/Zarek stuff was, I think, despite my efforts to throw cold water on those two. My other porny stories are all funny rather than sexy, because I like writing funny more and I feel like I’m better at it.
Most "Holy crap, that's wrong, even for you" story:
Um, “Sanctuary”? Prostitute!Felix. Frakking his former co-workers. Need I say more?
Hardest story to write:
Um, “Sanctuary”? Holy Lords of Kobol, Felix would not get it on with Lee. And Hoshi sat in the corner and cried throughout most of the writing of that fic. He’s never gotten jealous of me writing Felix with Hotdog or Narcho or even Baltar, really, but man, he was a sobbing, whiny mess in the back of my mind during “Sanctuary.”
Easiest story to write:
This is a weird one, but “Monster.” The idea came all in a rush once geekbynight gave me the prompt, and it pretty much wrote itself. It’s one of the harder stories for me to reread (or expand on, I’ll admit) because it’s so dark.
Best story of the year:
“Picture Perfect.” I was in love with the concept, and I’m really pleased with how it turned out.
Truest story of the year:
Probably “Picture Perfect” and “Confession is Good for the Soul.” “Picture Perfect” because I put a lot of myself into that fic, even though Louis and I are nothing alike in terms of demographics or life experiences. “Confession is Good for the Soul” because, I don’t know how I found it, but I do believe that’s exactly what would’ve happened if Zarek and Cavil met, and that it would be one of the few things that could legitimately haunt Zarek when he found out who Cavil really was.
Biggest disappointment:
“Flying High,” because I failed the original idea. I had all sorts of ideas for how Gaeta/Narcho would develop from the point where I ended, but I never came up with the connective tissue to join that beginning to all those future moments. It doesn’t feel like a full fic to me, and I know it could’ve been.
Biggest surprise:
Um, “Sanctuary”? I, Miss Prude (by Internet standards), wrote over 30K words about Felix being a prostitute. And I at least think it didn’t suck. The prudishness may have even paid off a little bit, because I wasn’t tempted to write in-depth sex scenes that could’ve mucked up the pacing, and I focused on the character stuff which I hope drew people in. Or maybe it would’ve gotten loads more attention if I’d written it as a collection of hardcore PWP, what do I know?
Favorite Title:
I don’t do much for fancy titles, so “The Awful(ly Strange) Truth: A (Sort Of) Love Story in Three Acts” probably wins by default simply because it’s interesting. Although, I do like “Decrescendo (The Dead Letter Box Remix),” but mostly because of how it works with the remixed fic’s title.
(I’m really bad at these line ones. I just don’t have the memory for it.)
Favorite opening line(s):
I don’t have any favorites! I struggle with opening and closing lines, and I usually end up more satisfied with closing lines.
Favorite closing line(s):
Maybe, someday, it would turn out to be a love story after all.-Decrescendo
Felix’s voice cracked when he spoke again. “Just because nobody ever called me ‘Daddy’ doesn’t mean we didn’t have kids.” He gestured at the kitchen table, covered with ‘Happy Retirement’ cards and letters from former students.
“We have hundreds.”-Teach Your Children Well
Favorite line(s) from anywhere:
“I’m not sure a chick would get the logic of that. That’s gotta be a really nice thing about being gay: not having to understand chick logic in order to get sex.”-I’m Dreaming of an #FFFFFF Christmas
“My gods, that’s Marlie May, Nymph of the Year for ’64,” Billy breathed.
“Did you have her taped to the ceiling in your childhood bedroom, Billy?” Gaeta smirked, pausing the slideshow for him.
“Kept her under my pillow until Mom went on an unannounced laundry spree,” Billy murmured. “There’s something extremely comforting, knowing this image still exists. It’s like finding out the Venus di Antioch is safe in a crate on one of the storage container ships.”-Get the Picture
“Broke the son of a bitch’s kneecap with a good kick,” Laramie said, voice warming a bit with anger. “Spat on him. Line was too long for her.”-Monster
The shutter clicks, and the moment is both frozen in time and gone in an instant.-Picture Perfect
He couldn’t possibly know what it felt like for Louis to hold Felix in his arms after they’d made love and see Felix looking at him in the way Louis had waited his whole life to be seen. -Picture Perfect
“But I will tell them about yours,” Felix said. So that’s what a heart breaking looks like, Felix thought detachedly, as if he were looking down at the two of them in bed from high above. “I don’t think you’re evil, or that you deserve to be shoved out an airlock for what you’ve done, but it doesn’t change the fact that you did it. And while others may forgive you,” he gave in to sentimentality for a moment, stroking Louis’s cheek, “you can’t forgive yourself. I’m glad that you get it, because now you understand why I want you all to leave me alone.”-Sanctuary
Five Favorite Scenes
5. Baltar’s sermon in “Gnothi Seauton,” tied with Felix and Gaius’s “ascension” in “Sanctuary”
4. Sheldon-Hoshi 25-Word Multifandom Death Fic
3. Confession is Good for the Soul
2. The confrontation with Susannah over Jude in “Picture Perfect”
1. Bringing the girls home in “Picture Perfect”
Story I haven't yet written, but intend to: Oh, frak. There are so many. So, so many, and they just keep spawning and growing. Has anybody outside of a Monty Python film ever been killed by bunnies? Maybe by fluffy suffocation?
Goals for next year: Finish all these damn bunnies and WIPs! My biggies are to finish Culture Shock, write the Saving the World with Math epic, and finish off all my ongoing memes and gift fics. And also do the sequels to my two big bangs. I’d like to get most of this done in the next six months as well, because I know that real life in the latter half of the year will be scarily busy. I’d also like to read a lot of fic that I’ve fallen behind on.
Top Five Stories From 2010
5. Tie between Mothers and Confessions
4. Gnothi Seauton
3. I’m Dreaming of a #FFFFFF Christmas
2. Confession is Good for the Soul
1. Picture Perfect