2018 in writing
The fics
January 2018
The Princess and the Dragons of Many Hues Original/Fairy Tale. PG. Gen. 1,505 words.
Summary: In a world where there are dragons of many hues, it took this princess to approach them.
February 2018
The Way to a Witch’s Heart HP. Universal. Ginny/Neville. 169 words.
Summary: The way to a witch’s heart is not that different from the way to a man’s heart.
We Are Golden Sue Thomas, F. B. Eye. PG. Sue Thomas/Jack Hudson. 637 words.
Summary: The new ring on her finger keeps catching the light, drawing Sue’s eye.
April 2018
Not Quite a Gulp Sherlock. U. Molly Hooper (Molly Hooper/Sherlock Holmes). 125 words.
Written for the prompt ‘magpie’.
This is Not for You Little Women. PG. Josephine March, Professor Bhaer. Modern Day AU. 244 words. Summary: Jo March meets a critic at a literary festival.
Amaze The Mentalist. U. Teresa Lisbon/Patrick Jane. 398 words.
Summary: She never usually wears dresses, so when she does, the effect is amazing.
Atonement Teen. Gotham. Selina Kyle, Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne. 183 words.
Summary: The first time she goes to the Batcave.
This Is Why You Turn to Me Gotham. Teen. Selina, Bruce. Selina/Bruceish. 813 words.
Summary: Selina and Bruce have revelations, another favour is asked for and a promise is made.
Her Dream Job Harry Potter. PG. Gen. 711 words.
Summary: A Monday morning in the life of Ginny Weasley, Holyhead Harpy.
Tender Loving Care Harry Potter. U. Neville/Hannah. 379 words.
Summary: Neville does something on impulse, but isn’t sure how Hannah will react.
May 2018
Normalcy Gotham. PG. Bruce/Selina. 1,064 words.
Summary: This may be the closest they’ll get to being two normal teenagers at the cinema.
June 2018
Nowhere Else to Turn Gotham. PG. Selina Kyle, (Selina/Bruce). Double drabble.
Expanding on a moment in 4.10 ‘Things That Go Boom’.
Cherimoya Harry Potter. Teen. Neville + ?. 500 words.
Summary: Neville's trust is rewarded.
Jugular Gotham. Teen. Victor Zsasz, Selina Kyle, Sofia Falcone, Bruce Wayne. 250 words.
Summary: Of the neck or throat.
July 2018
A job for Kit The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. U, Juliet/Dawsey, Kit. 913 words.
Summary: Juliet and Dawsey are forced to have a certain conversation with Kit.
Natasha versus the Marketing Ploy Marvel Cinematic Universe. U, Natasha Romanoff, ensemble. 503 words.
Summary: Natasha is neither amused nor cuddly.
The Girls with Bright Futures Poldark. U. Julia Poldark, Caroline Enys, Dwight Enys, Sarah Enys. 415 words. Modern Day/Canon Divergence AU. Spoilers for 4.4.
August 2018
How Cliché Gotham. U. Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne. Drabble. Takes place at some point after 4.16.
Don’t Get Your Cloak in A Twist Marvel Cinematic Universe/The Incredibles. PG. 411 words.
Summary: Tony finds out something shocking about Stephen’s romantic past.
Alignment Gotham. Mature. Lee ‘Doc’ Thompkins/Edward Nygma (The Riddler). 1,099 words.
Summary: Their bodies align together. The question of who they are is less straightforward. (Post 4.17).
Resumption Gotham. PG. Bruce, Selina, Alfred. Bruce/Selina. 856 words. Coda to 4.18.
Audition Managed Harry Potter. Universal. Gen. 700 words. Non-magical AU.
Summary: Hermione approaches auditioning for a film role very differently to how Ron and Harry do.
September 2018
Just after the Rain Hits Gotham. PG. Catwoman (Selina Kyle), Batman (Bruce Wayne). Double drabble.
Summary: It’s almost as if the falling rain can wash away the stench that’s been building up in the city.
Making a Statement Sky High. Universal. Layla Williams/Warren Peace. 160 words.
Summary: Warren starts wearing a dark green bracelet.
The Enys Taxi Service Poldark. Universal. Caroline Enys, background canon pairings. 256 words. Modern day AU. Inspired by episode 4.8.
October 2018
To Life Gotham. Teen. OMC/OFC, Bruce, Ivy. 4,118 words.
Summary: Gotham’s elite are expected to attend each other’s fundraisers. Set during 4.14, with mild spoilers for 4.19.
November 2018
EXHIBIT: Sharp-suited Man Gotham. Teen. Jim, Lee, Ed, Jim Gordon/Lee Thompkins, Ed Nygma/Lee Thompkins. 2,622 words.
Summary: Jim is familiar with coming to tied to a chair. (Post 4.22.)
December 2018
If not the fire in thy veins Monarch of the Glen (TV). PG. Lexie McTavish/Archie MacDonald (one-sided). 931 words. Summary: Archie goes to the kitchen after a bad day.
The Valiant MacDonald Monarch of the Glen. PG. Archie MacDonald/Lexie McTavish. 930 words.
Summary: A mistake, an incident and a battle Archie can’t win.
Always within Reach Monarch of the Glen. PG. Lexie McTavish/Archie MacDonald. Triple drabble.
Summary: Lexie goes to find Archie and bring him back to his senses.
Of Breakneck Displays Gotham. U. Bruce/Selina, Alfred, Tabitha. 116 words. Written for the prompt ‘Regency AU’ at Three Sentence Ficathon 2018.
The numbers:
This year I wrote and posted: Five fics and 29 ficlets in 13 fandoms, one of which was a crossover. (I’m not counting MCU/Agents of SHIELD as a crossover. I class anything as 1,000 words or more as a fic.) I wrote thirteen Gotham fics, five Harry Potter ficlets, three Monarch of the Glen ficlets, two Poldark ficlets, an MCU ficlet and a half (it was a crossover) and one fic in all the other fandoms. This is about twice as much as I posted last year.
I also wrote some original micro fiction: Vox OMC/OFC, Alternate Universe(s), Unrequited Love, Original Male, 251 words and seven snippets either for comment-fic or the Three Sentence ficathon: a Peggy meets Simmons ficlet, two Dawson’s Creek ficlets in August 2018 and the recent three-sentence fics for various fandoms.
Total wordcount: AO3 gives 21,799, but it’s a little higher if you count the sub-100 fics and ‘Vox’. That’s a lot for me and way more than I could have predicted.
The (selected) questions:
Least favourite fic of the year:
I probably shouldn’t have posted ‘This Is Why You Turn to Me’ which is post-episode Selina/Bruce speculation from around season 2 of Gotham. What there is of it is fine, but I didn’t know how it ended when I first drafted it and I didn’t know either when I edited it and posted it as is.
Most popular fic of 2018:
‘A job for Kit’ by most metrics. When I posted it, there were no other Juliet/Dawsey fics on AO3 (there were two slash fics for The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society - I’ll be honest, I haven’t looked to see what’s been posted since. For some fandoms, like Sky High, I write way more than I read.) So, when people looked for fic, there ‘A job for Kit’ was; I think the film came out in the cinema in the UK before it appeared on Netflix in the States. It should satisfy people who liked the book and movie, and people who want feels about family.
Least popular fic of 2018
Too much competition!
Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion:
I get it, ‘The Princess and the Dragon of Many Hues’ was a gen original fic, ‘To Life’ focused on original characters, ‘Cherimoya’ was poorly advertised, and I wrote fic for far-from-current TV shows that I’d got into - Sue Thomas, F.B. Eye and Monarch of the Glen - but I’m proud of them.
Easiest story to write:
Apart from the ficlets, ‘The Princess and the Dragons of Many Hues’ came quite easily.
The longest completed fic you wrote in 2018:
‘To Life’, 4,118 words, which is long for me. It’s a two-parter, and everything else I wrote was a one-shot.
The shortest completed fic you wrote in 2018:
Two three-sentence fics were 60 words long.
Fandom you enjoyed writing for the most in 2018:
Gotham. The show has an exhilerating 'anything goes' approach.
Favourite character to write about in 2018:
Selina Kyle, I suppose.
Favourite writing song/artist/album in 2018:
I don’t write to music.
A fic you didn't expect to write:
So many!
What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in January?
Some of it is not so much the writing as the posting.
‘Don’t Get Your Cloak in a Twist was easily the crackiest thing I wrote. I’ve long toyed with writing The Incredibles/Sky High, but I wouldn’t have written this if I hadn’t been inspired by a comment-fic prompt. I didn’t expect to get to see Gotham season 4, and for a while, I was wary of Ed/Lee, plus so snarky about Jim Gordon; I don’t think I knew The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel adaptation was coming at the start of the year; and I didn’t expect to watch Monarch of the Glen as I’d skipped it when it first aired.
Something you learned in 2018:
It was a year of building on last year’s willingness to post and trusting that if I let a fic rest, I could polish it and post it later.
Number of fic(s) you completed in 2018:
Over two-thirds of the fics were started and begun in 2018 by a rough estimate. Huh.
Current number of WIPs:
Define 'in progress'. There’s a WIP meme I meant to post, but I’m afraid it’ll stop the flow if I post it. I usually get blocked if I post about WIPs.
Any new fics to start next year:
Regency AU Gotham could be a fun ‘verse, but I haven’t had any proper ideas since I thought that.
Most memorable comment/review:
I had an amazing comment on ‘Exhibit: Sharp-suited man’ - the long, detailed kind I never get - where the reader got the fic, I was extremely chuffed. It took me back to what I intended when I first drafted it, after spending a lot of time in editor mode. I’ve had at least one comment that ‘A job for Kit’ made a reader cry, I think, and I do get comments/reviews on older fic, which is lovely.
Most fun story to write:
‘Don’t Get Your Cloak in a Twist’, dahrlings! 'Natasha versus the marketing ploy'. I also distinctly remember grinning a lot over the first draft of ‘EXHIBIT: Sharp-suited man’, but any first draft that’s flowing and I know what the ending will be and have the time to write until I reach that point is always great.
Story with the sweetest moment:
I write so much fluff that it’s hard to pick.
Story with the single sexiest moment:
Given their content, it’s either ‘Cherimoya’ or ‘Alignment’ or ‘The Valiant MacDonaled’ if that’s your thing.
Saddest story: The reality of canon behind ‘The Girls with Bright Futures’ is sad. ‘Not Quite a Gulp’ and some of the Gotham ficlets are melancholy.
Most eye roll-worthy title:
‘If not the fire in thy veins’, but I’m very happy with a lot of the titles, which were sometimes a struggle, although not as much as summaries.
Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters:
Writing from Jim’s POV in Gotham forced me to try to empathise more with him.
Story that is most at odds with my perceptions of the characters:
‘This is not for you’.
Hardest story to write:
‘Normalcy’, ‘To Life’ and ‘Exhibit: Sharp-suited man’ because of their length and complexity. I’d have liked to have beta readers for the fics that passed 1,000 words.
Most Unintentionally Telling Story:
Either I know the answer to this and don’t want to say or I still haven’t figured that out :)
In conclusion: I kept the momentum from 2018. The number of fic I wrote exploded in April (around Easter and when I started gearing up for the return of Gotham and wee!BatCat) and I kept writing and posting throughout the year. I forgot I’d posted ‘Amaze’ this year, and kept being surprised when I got a notification about it. I keep reminding myself to look at what I posted objectively and not be surprised that it gets ignored (it’s a gen ficlet! It’s a TV show that’s over a decade old!). I would pick the shippy fic of 1,500-2,500 words over that too!
Fic-writing goals for 2019:
I feel as if I’m capable of posting at least one ficlet a month, after succeeding with last year’s goals to ‘finish more fic, finish longer fic and post throughout the year.’
This entry was originally posted at https://shallowness.dreamwidth.org/367068.html.
January 2018
The Princess and the Dragons of Many Hues Original/Fairy Tale. PG. Gen. 1,505 words.
Summary: In a world where there are dragons of many hues, it took this princess to approach them.
February 2018
The Way to a Witch’s Heart HP. Universal. Ginny/Neville. 169 words.
Summary: The way to a witch’s heart is not that different from the way to a man’s heart.
We Are Golden Sue Thomas, F. B. Eye. PG. Sue Thomas/Jack Hudson. 637 words.
Summary: The new ring on her finger keeps catching the light, drawing Sue’s eye.
April 2018
Not Quite a Gulp Sherlock. U. Molly Hooper (Molly Hooper/Sherlock Holmes). 125 words.
Written for the prompt ‘magpie’.
This is Not for You Little Women. PG. Josephine March, Professor Bhaer. Modern Day AU. 244 words. Summary: Jo March meets a critic at a literary festival.
Amaze The Mentalist. U. Teresa Lisbon/Patrick Jane. 398 words.
Summary: She never usually wears dresses, so when she does, the effect is amazing.
Atonement Teen. Gotham. Selina Kyle, Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne. 183 words.
Summary: The first time she goes to the Batcave.
This Is Why You Turn to Me Gotham. Teen. Selina, Bruce. Selina/Bruceish. 813 words.
Summary: Selina and Bruce have revelations, another favour is asked for and a promise is made.
Her Dream Job Harry Potter. PG. Gen. 711 words.
Summary: A Monday morning in the life of Ginny Weasley, Holyhead Harpy.
Tender Loving Care Harry Potter. U. Neville/Hannah. 379 words.
Summary: Neville does something on impulse, but isn’t sure how Hannah will react.
May 2018
Normalcy Gotham. PG. Bruce/Selina. 1,064 words.
Summary: This may be the closest they’ll get to being two normal teenagers at the cinema.
June 2018
Nowhere Else to Turn Gotham. PG. Selina Kyle, (Selina/Bruce). Double drabble.
Expanding on a moment in 4.10 ‘Things That Go Boom’.
Cherimoya Harry Potter. Teen. Neville + ?. 500 words.
Summary: Neville's trust is rewarded.
Jugular Gotham. Teen. Victor Zsasz, Selina Kyle, Sofia Falcone, Bruce Wayne. 250 words.
Summary: Of the neck or throat.
July 2018
A job for Kit The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. U, Juliet/Dawsey, Kit. 913 words.
Summary: Juliet and Dawsey are forced to have a certain conversation with Kit.
Natasha versus the Marketing Ploy Marvel Cinematic Universe. U, Natasha Romanoff, ensemble. 503 words.
Summary: Natasha is neither amused nor cuddly.
The Girls with Bright Futures Poldark. U. Julia Poldark, Caroline Enys, Dwight Enys, Sarah Enys. 415 words. Modern Day/Canon Divergence AU. Spoilers for 4.4.
August 2018
How Cliché Gotham. U. Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne. Drabble. Takes place at some point after 4.16.
Don’t Get Your Cloak in A Twist Marvel Cinematic Universe/The Incredibles. PG. 411 words.
Summary: Tony finds out something shocking about Stephen’s romantic past.
Alignment Gotham. Mature. Lee ‘Doc’ Thompkins/Edward Nygma (The Riddler). 1,099 words.
Summary: Their bodies align together. The question of who they are is less straightforward. (Post 4.17).
Resumption Gotham. PG. Bruce, Selina, Alfred. Bruce/Selina. 856 words. Coda to 4.18.
Audition Managed Harry Potter. Universal. Gen. 700 words. Non-magical AU.
Summary: Hermione approaches auditioning for a film role very differently to how Ron and Harry do.
September 2018
Just after the Rain Hits Gotham. PG. Catwoman (Selina Kyle), Batman (Bruce Wayne). Double drabble.
Summary: It’s almost as if the falling rain can wash away the stench that’s been building up in the city.
Making a Statement Sky High. Universal. Layla Williams/Warren Peace. 160 words.
Summary: Warren starts wearing a dark green bracelet.
The Enys Taxi Service Poldark. Universal. Caroline Enys, background canon pairings. 256 words. Modern day AU. Inspired by episode 4.8.
October 2018
To Life Gotham. Teen. OMC/OFC, Bruce, Ivy. 4,118 words.
Summary: Gotham’s elite are expected to attend each other’s fundraisers. Set during 4.14, with mild spoilers for 4.19.
November 2018
EXHIBIT: Sharp-suited Man Gotham. Teen. Jim, Lee, Ed, Jim Gordon/Lee Thompkins, Ed Nygma/Lee Thompkins. 2,622 words.
Summary: Jim is familiar with coming to tied to a chair. (Post 4.22.)
December 2018
If not the fire in thy veins Monarch of the Glen (TV). PG. Lexie McTavish/Archie MacDonald (one-sided). 931 words. Summary: Archie goes to the kitchen after a bad day.
The Valiant MacDonald Monarch of the Glen. PG. Archie MacDonald/Lexie McTavish. 930 words.
Summary: A mistake, an incident and a battle Archie can’t win.
Always within Reach Monarch of the Glen. PG. Lexie McTavish/Archie MacDonald. Triple drabble.
Summary: Lexie goes to find Archie and bring him back to his senses.
Of Breakneck Displays Gotham. U. Bruce/Selina, Alfred, Tabitha. 116 words. Written for the prompt ‘Regency AU’ at Three Sentence Ficathon 2018.
The numbers:
This year I wrote and posted: Five fics and 29 ficlets in 13 fandoms, one of which was a crossover. (I’m not counting MCU/Agents of SHIELD as a crossover. I class anything as 1,000 words or more as a fic.) I wrote thirteen Gotham fics, five Harry Potter ficlets, three Monarch of the Glen ficlets, two Poldark ficlets, an MCU ficlet and a half (it was a crossover) and one fic in all the other fandoms. This is about twice as much as I posted last year.
I also wrote some original micro fiction: Vox OMC/OFC, Alternate Universe(s), Unrequited Love, Original Male, 251 words and seven snippets either for comment-fic or the Three Sentence ficathon: a Peggy meets Simmons ficlet, two Dawson’s Creek ficlets in August 2018 and the recent three-sentence fics for various fandoms.
Total wordcount: AO3 gives 21,799, but it’s a little higher if you count the sub-100 fics and ‘Vox’. That’s a lot for me and way more than I could have predicted.
The (selected) questions:
Least favourite fic of the year:
I probably shouldn’t have posted ‘This Is Why You Turn to Me’ which is post-episode Selina/Bruce speculation from around season 2 of Gotham. What there is of it is fine, but I didn’t know how it ended when I first drafted it and I didn’t know either when I edited it and posted it as is.
Most popular fic of 2018:
‘A job for Kit’ by most metrics. When I posted it, there were no other Juliet/Dawsey fics on AO3 (there were two slash fics for The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society - I’ll be honest, I haven’t looked to see what’s been posted since. For some fandoms, like Sky High, I write way more than I read.) So, when people looked for fic, there ‘A job for Kit’ was; I think the film came out in the cinema in the UK before it appeared on Netflix in the States. It should satisfy people who liked the book and movie, and people who want feels about family.
Least popular fic of 2018
Too much competition!
Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion:
I get it, ‘The Princess and the Dragon of Many Hues’ was a gen original fic, ‘To Life’ focused on original characters, ‘Cherimoya’ was poorly advertised, and I wrote fic for far-from-current TV shows that I’d got into - Sue Thomas, F.B. Eye and Monarch of the Glen - but I’m proud of them.
Easiest story to write:
Apart from the ficlets, ‘The Princess and the Dragons of Many Hues’ came quite easily.
The longest completed fic you wrote in 2018:
‘To Life’, 4,118 words, which is long for me. It’s a two-parter, and everything else I wrote was a one-shot.
The shortest completed fic you wrote in 2018:
Two three-sentence fics were 60 words long.
Fandom you enjoyed writing for the most in 2018:
Gotham. The show has an exhilerating 'anything goes' approach.
Favourite character to write about in 2018:
Selina Kyle, I suppose.
Favourite writing song/artist/album in 2018:
I don’t write to music.
A fic you didn't expect to write:
So many!
What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in January?
Some of it is not so much the writing as the posting.
‘Don’t Get Your Cloak in a Twist was easily the crackiest thing I wrote. I’ve long toyed with writing The Incredibles/Sky High, but I wouldn’t have written this if I hadn’t been inspired by a comment-fic prompt. I didn’t expect to get to see Gotham season 4, and for a while, I was wary of Ed/Lee, plus so snarky about Jim Gordon; I don’t think I knew The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel adaptation was coming at the start of the year; and I didn’t expect to watch Monarch of the Glen as I’d skipped it when it first aired.
Something you learned in 2018:
It was a year of building on last year’s willingness to post and trusting that if I let a fic rest, I could polish it and post it later.
Number of fic(s) you completed in 2018:
Over two-thirds of the fics were started and begun in 2018 by a rough estimate. Huh.
Current number of WIPs:
Define 'in progress'. There’s a WIP meme I meant to post, but I’m afraid it’ll stop the flow if I post it. I usually get blocked if I post about WIPs.
Any new fics to start next year:
Regency AU Gotham could be a fun ‘verse, but I haven’t had any proper ideas since I thought that.
Most memorable comment/review:
I had an amazing comment on ‘Exhibit: Sharp-suited man’ - the long, detailed kind I never get - where the reader got the fic, I was extremely chuffed. It took me back to what I intended when I first drafted it, after spending a lot of time in editor mode. I’ve had at least one comment that ‘A job for Kit’ made a reader cry, I think, and I do get comments/reviews on older fic, which is lovely.
Most fun story to write:
‘Don’t Get Your Cloak in a Twist’, dahrlings! 'Natasha versus the marketing ploy'. I also distinctly remember grinning a lot over the first draft of ‘EXHIBIT: Sharp-suited man’, but any first draft that’s flowing and I know what the ending will be and have the time to write until I reach that point is always great.
Story with the sweetest moment:
I write so much fluff that it’s hard to pick.
Story with the single sexiest moment:
Given their content, it’s either ‘Cherimoya’ or ‘Alignment’ or ‘The Valiant MacDonaled’ if that’s your thing.
Saddest story: The reality of canon behind ‘The Girls with Bright Futures’ is sad. ‘Not Quite a Gulp’ and some of the Gotham ficlets are melancholy.
Most eye roll-worthy title:
‘If not the fire in thy veins’, but I’m very happy with a lot of the titles, which were sometimes a struggle, although not as much as summaries.
Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters:
Writing from Jim’s POV in Gotham forced me to try to empathise more with him.
Story that is most at odds with my perceptions of the characters:
‘This is not for you’.
Hardest story to write:
‘Normalcy’, ‘To Life’ and ‘Exhibit: Sharp-suited man’ because of their length and complexity. I’d have liked to have beta readers for the fics that passed 1,000 words.
Most Unintentionally Telling Story:
Either I know the answer to this and don’t want to say or I still haven’t figured that out :)
In conclusion: I kept the momentum from 2018. The number of fic I wrote exploded in April (around Easter and when I started gearing up for the return of Gotham and wee!BatCat) and I kept writing and posting throughout the year. I forgot I’d posted ‘Amaze’ this year, and kept being surprised when I got a notification about it. I keep reminding myself to look at what I posted objectively and not be surprised that it gets ignored (it’s a gen ficlet! It’s a TV show that’s over a decade old!). I would pick the shippy fic of 1,500-2,500 words over that too!
Fic-writing goals for 2019:
I feel as if I’m capable of posting at least one ficlet a month, after succeeding with last year’s goals to ‘finish more fic, finish longer fic and post throughout the year.’
This entry was originally posted at https://shallowness.dreamwidth.org/367068.html.