Fic Year in Review 2013
For the first time, I made all my writing goals for the year!! This was ridiculously exciting to me.
My goals were:
-- Write 150,000 words. CHECK. This year, my word count total was 155,706 words!
-- Post 85% of what I write. CHECK. Result was exactly 85%!
-- Write 13 days per month (156 days/year). Result: Wrote 166 days. Woot!
-- Join deadline-based challenges. Result: All but two of my stories were written for challenges and/or prompts.
All of these goals are set up with the ultimate result of "don't be grumpy" - and I think I succeeded with that this year as well. Writing makes me happy, and then I don't get all bent out of shape about other things in my life. WHEEE!
And I wrote 112 stories this year. One Hundred and Twelve. That is INSANE.
January
01. Alive
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "vibrant"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Carol, 572 words
Summary: "This is the most space we've had since we left the farm," she shouts, once the walkers have gone down, once the field belongs to them.
02. What Could Happen?
Written for tvrealm, for the prompt "love child"
Fandom: The Walking Dead/Supernatural/V: The Series, Dean/Juliet, 293 words
Summary: There's no reason why Amy can't go off and have herself an adventure.
03. Target Practice">
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "double down"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Rick - Carol - Ensemble, 903 words
Summary: "I'm sure as hell gettin' tired of ringin' the dinner bell for these sons of bitches."
04. Head Games
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "head games"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl - Merle, 2316 words
Summary: "Think I ain't known about you since you was still hidin' behind mama's skirts when you got in shit? You been payin' more attention to dick than tits since you was twelve, little brother."
05. Stalker
Written for smallfandomfest, for the prompt "stalker"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 3110 words
Summary: John has a stalker.
06. Aftermath
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "kiln"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl, 513 words
Summary: Daryl deals with the aftermath of finding Sophia in the barn.
February
07. Fleeing the Sinking Ship
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "mouse"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl, 1011 words
Summary: There was speculation, he remembers, of some designer drug gone viral. It had hit all the major cities, Anderson Cooper had said.
08. Unseen
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "foodist"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Carol, 592 words
Summary: There is more to Carol than what they see.
09. Gone
Written for tvrealm, for a comment-fic meme (prompt: Merle, gone)
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Merle, 500 words
Summary: Merle is near-delirious when they find him, perched on the crumbling rooftop of a run-down convenience store near the interstate, a dozen walkers stumbling below and scratching at the bricks.
10. Greeting Card
Written for tvrealm, for a comment-fic meme (prompt: greeting card)
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Carol, 500 words
Summary: He doesn't think. He slips the card in his pocket.
11. Stay
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "incorporeal"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn, 614 words
Summary: He don't need them. He don't need Glenn, with his stupid grin and his stupid hat.
12. Valentine's Day
Written for tvrealm, for a comment-fic meme (prompt: valentine's day)
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn - Merle, 774 words
Summary: He finds the first one on the seat of the bike. A pale purple sugar heart, emblazoned with the words Cool Cat.
13. Choices
Written for tvrealm, for a comment-fic meme (prompt: fake relationship becomes real)
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl//Glenn, 736 words
Summary: "Beth's watching you again," Glenn says.
14. Fracture
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "murder"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl, 1811 words
Summary: What he did to that deputy is not murder.
15. Western Ficlet
Written for tvrealm, for the prompt "down the rabbit hole"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl, 228 words
Summary: TWD as a western.
March
16. Just Another Night Out on the Town
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "avulsion"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 1185 words
Summary: He's leaning on the counter in the bathroom, staring at himself in the mirror and repeating positive affirmations like some kind of small, dark, slightly less effeminate Stuart Smalley when the bomb goes off.
17. SwelterFest 2007
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "non-sequitur"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 596 words
Summary: The super's been promising to stop by ever since Day Two of SwelterFest, and they're currently on Day Seven. Of New York's most intense heat wave since, oh, ever.
18 to 27. Ten Walking Dead Ficlets
Written for tvrealm, for the prompt "don't stop believing"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Various, 100 to 550 words (2051 words total)
Summary: Ficlets based on song titles
28. Copper Bluff
Written for tvrealm, for the prompt "my realm" (TWD as a western)
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl - Merle - Hershel, 1198 words
Summary: "It's a bad wound," Hershel replies slowly, and Daryl drags his eyes away from Merle to focus on the old man. "I'm just a veterinarian, Daryl. You bring me a horse with a bum leg, a dog that’s havin' troubles divesting herself of her pups? I can help you. This?" The old man shakes his head.
29. Broken Promise
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "sister"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Andrea - Amy, 901 words
Summary: Stay away from the city. Stay away from the people stalled in a traffic jam with no end, sitting there like… like a smorgasbord for those things, those walkers. Back roads. That was the way to stay safe.
30. Following in his Footsteps
Written for tvrealm, for the prompt "headcanon accepted"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl - Merle, 605 words
Summary: He hates their new house. He hates the dismantled cars in the weedy lot, and he hates the green paint peeling off the walls in his room.
31. Health Benefits
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "papaya"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 807 words
Summary: "I just don't think the kitchen is the place to be talking about dicks, all right?"
32. That Spy Stuff
Written for sexy_right, for the prompt "Jack"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt - Jack - Lucy, 330 words
Summary: "Do you ever talk into your watch?"
33. Point of No Return
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "radius"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Maggie - Carol, 566 words
Summary: "I killed a man." She doesn't mean to say it like that, so bluntly. Doesn't mean to say it at all.
April
34. Cop Shop
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "sarcasm"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt - Joe - Connie, 1544 words
Summary: "The thing is, John, I kind of… don't like cops."
"Newsflash, braintrust," John drawls. "You're livin' with one."
35. You'll Never See the End of the Road (While You're Traveling With Me) - Part One / Part Two
Written for smallfandombang
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn, 15526 words
Summary: Daryl and Glenn are trying to find their places in this new world, both riddled with doubt as to how they fit in. A survivalist's camp in the hills may provide some safety, but safety is relative in the apocalypse. Post Season Two.
36. Make Believe
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "parched"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Carol, 687 words
Summary: ...she wouldn't look away, wouldn't ever take her eyes away from Ed's face, from his shocked, scared, awful hateful face.
37. Alleviating the Boredom
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "shameless"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 679 words
Summary: When John shudders, Matt fights to hide a smile. This is much more interesting than whatever the speaker is babbling on about.
38. House Call
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "in flagrante delicto"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn, 1580 words
Summary: "Never liked all this sneakin' around anyhow."
May
39. Room Enough for Two
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "mummy"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn, 1146 words
Summary: Daryl stops short, eyes traveling the length of the narrow bunk. Although there's only one bare foot and a tuft of ink-black hair protruding from the blankets, he ain't exactly gotta be the Amazing Kreskin to figure this one out.
40. Taking Matters into his Own Hands
Written for love_bingo for the prompt "proposal"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 1060 words
Summary: The sweat is still cooling on his body when Matt rolls onto his side and slaps at John's chest with the back of his hand. "So," he says, "you wanna get married?"
41. Dust to Dust
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "dust you are and to dust you shall return"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 2019 words
Summary: The plan was to reach the CDC in Atlanta. In the early days Matt had pointed out that if anyone was working on a cure or an antidote, they would be there. He'd pictured men in white suits hunched over Bunsen burners, analyzing slides of the deader's diseased cells under high-powered microscopes. That was when the reanimated were mostly restricted to the cities with the largest populations, when there was still some slim chance of regaining control.
Back when he still believed that if anyone could reach Georgia, breach the CDC and save the world, it was John McClane.
42. The Baby Whisperer
Written for love_bingo for the prompt "song for you"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Maggie - Daryl - Glenn, 988 words
Summary: Maggie cocks her head, creeps carefully toward the turn in the hall. Once she reaches the bend, she can hear it.
Daryl is singing.
43. Friendship
Written for persnickett for her birthday
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, Matt - Lucy, 300 words
Summary: Considering all her bluster and bravado during the fire sale, Lucy is way more of a girly-girl than Matt ever imagined.
44. This Could Be the Start of a Beautiful Friendship
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "drusy quartz"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Andrea - Michonne, 550 words
Summary: The stress of life on the run and the worry about her lost friends were taking its toll on her body and her spirit. She just wanted to stop. Just for a moment.
45. Murphy's Law
Written for love_bingo for the prompt "civil union"
Fandom: Queer as Folk, Brian/Justin - ensemble, 1465 words
Summary: After all, this is his wedding day. He's been waiting for this day since he was seventeen. He's not going to let anything get him down.
46. The Final Straw
Written for smallfandomfest for the prompt "John really needs to stop…giving him things"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 1704 words
Summary: You know how long it's been since I've had someone to buy shit for?" John asks. "A long fucking time, kid. Indulge me."
47. Strange Bedfellows
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "Leonardo da Vinci"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Beth - Daryl, 1863 words
Summary: Daryl and Beth come to an understanding.
48. Trial by Fire
Written for smallfandomfest for the prompt "There's no one else. So we're doing it."
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt - Jack, 1707 words
Summary: To be honest, he hadn't really thought about Jack at all. Jack, who will be in attendance today. Jack, back from some super-secret spy mission in Russia that almost got his father killed.
Yeah. He might have issues with Jack.
49. Of Computers and Suicide Ribs
Written for smallfandomfest for the prompt "John thinks Matt needs to get out more."
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 2218 words
Summary: "Whoa!" Matt pinwheels his arms, tries to get some kind of traction on the slippery hardwood as John hauls him across the room. "We've talked about this, McClane! No manhandling of the boyfriend unless sex is somehow… wait, is sex somehow involved here?"
June
50. Change is Gonna Come
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "cartography"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl - Glenn, 1046 words
Summary: "Okay, on this little expedition? You were the brawn. I was the brains." He pulls the wrinkled paper out of his pocket and shakes it. "I'm the one making the damn map!"
51. Romance in the Apocalypse
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "relationships"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Beth - Maggie - Daryl - Glenn, 1277 words
Summary: "The way you turned your nose up when Glenn kissed me." Maggie cocks her head, leans her hip on the table. "You have a problem with me and Glenn?"
52. Mine
Written for love_bingo for the prompt "the boy is mine"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn - Rick, 1652 words
Summary: Everything gets fucked up as soon as they hit the camp. There's less of the outlaws than they figured - only seven of 'em, ranged round the fire and gorging on the food that it took Daryl and Glenn weeks of supply runs to find, food that properly rationed would have lasted their little camp a month - but the odds tip radically out of their favour when they realize the outlaws have a machine gun.
53. Road Trip
Written for smallfandomfest for the prompt "vacation"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 1497 words
Summary: John has been saying things grumpily for the better part of an hour. In fact, "grumpy" could probably be the watch-word for this entire ill-conceived endeavor. What on earth was he thinking when he agreed to this madness?
54. Stuck in the Middle with You
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "labyrinth"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 1487 words
Summary: "All I wanted to do was return a library book. For you, I might add. That's it. Hand in the book, leave. That was my plan for the day. Instead I'm stuck in some disgustingly smelly version of Beauty and the Beast."
55. Definitely Not Cursed
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "father"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 1232 words
Summary: "Seriously John, I'm good, I'm all sweaty from running here from the station and I don't even know how to… whoa, okay, so you're just going to… oh holy fuck I'm holding the baby."
56. Nightmares
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "malleable"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl - Judith, 724 words
Summary: He takes a shuddering breath… and realizes he's not alone.
57. Mix It Up
Written for tv_universe for the prompt "holy team-ups, batman"
Fandom: The Walking Dead (Oz, Buffy), 2046 words
Summary: The premise was to team up two "good guys" from different TV shows, then two "bad guys". Then put them all together for the final entry.
July
58. Driver Picks the Music
Written for tv_universe for the prompt "driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl - Glenn, 1360 words
Summary: He's never really talked to God, but Glenn sends up a little note of thanks to the Big Guy that it wasn't Merle who volunteered to accompany him on this little road trip.
59. I'm Probably Fine, But I Also Might Be Dead
Written for tv_universe for the prompt "I'm probably fine, but I also might be dead"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn, 1142 words
Summary: It turns out that Shane knows how to make homemade explosives. Glenn's not at all surprised.
60. Broken Dreams
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "Great Barrier Reef"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Carol, 622 words
Summary: This isn't the way she imagined her life would turn out.
61. Nice
Written for tv_universe for the prompt "I'm not good at nice"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl - Merle, 512 words
Summary: There is goodness in Merle, and Daryl doesn't believe that it's buried so deep that it can't be found again.
62. Sense of Smell
Written for tv_universe for the prompt "Did you just smell me?"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn, 401 words
Summary: He's become an expert at these little maneuvers, getting close to Glenn without making it obvious that he's getting close.
63. How It Ends
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "dystopia"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl, 516 words
Summary: Now he walks, across cracked concrete littered with rusting heaps of metal next to fields overgrown with wildflowers. The earth is coming back to what it used to be, before man got their hands on it.
64. How It Begins
Written for tv_universe for the prompt "Okay. That's close enough."
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl - Merle, 2055 words
Summary: He glances over his shoulder at Ray, imagines a city full of undead things converging on some hastily constructed refugee camp. It will be idiotic to go there, it will probably get him killed… but he can't leave his brother. He can't.
65. Under the Influence
Written for smallfandomfest for the prompt "don't move"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 3172 words
Summary: It's not until the taxi's tail-lights are fading in the distance and he's standing alone in front of McClane's place that he realizes he forgot his damn key.
66. Lessons Learned
Written for smallfandomfest for the prompt "recovering"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 1041 words
Summary: "Things have changed a lot. It really has gotten better. But there's always gonna be homophobic assholes, John."
August
67. Sausages and Sage Advice
Written for sexy_right's Notable Quotables challenge, for the prompt "Four, Nan. Four"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 3193 words
Summary: Fridays are for slow kisses during the post-game show that lead to questing hands, clothes strewn on the floor on the way to the bedroom, rediscovering Matt's body with his hands and his lips.
Fridays are not for Matt standing awkwardly in the middle of the room in too many clothes, refusing to meet his eyes as he tugs on his gloves.
68. In the Dark
Written for love_bingo for the prompt "in your eyes"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn, 823 words
Summary: But Daryl has him. Even if Daryl isn't always one hundred percent sure of that, yet.
69. Indecent Proposal
Written for love_bingo for the prompt "indecent proposal"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn, 1826 words
Summary: "Wanna fuck?"
70. A Fresh Start
Written for love_bingo for a photo prompt of a wedding topper
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl & Carol (unrequited Daryl/Glenn), 1978 words
Summary: Daryl's never told a soul how he feels. But it's best not to underestimate Carol.
September
71. 19th Nervous Breakdown
Written for sexy_right's Notable Quotables challenge, for the photo "Maybe I'll just sit here and bleed at you."
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 1163 words
Summary: He's been in a high speed chase, nearly creamed by a flying car, held hostage, and shot in the goddamn knee. So Matt's not sure why simply standing in the vestibule of a generic, oh-so-carefully non-denominational chapel is the most terrifying thing he's ever experienced.
72. Monsters
Written for tv_universe for the prompt "monsters"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl and others
Summary: Five ficlets based on the "monsters" theme (five literal or metaphorical monsters that a character has faced in his life) using Daryl from The Walking Dead, at various points in his life.
October
73. Dragon's Den
Written for spook_me for the prompt "dragon"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 2679 words
Summary: Matt frowns and leans forward in the chair, props his elbows on his knees and darts a wary glance toward the guard at the door. "The dragon," he hisses.
November
74. Villains
Written for tv_universe for the challenge "spock's goatee"
Fandoms: Beauty and the Beast (original) (200 words) and Law and Order: SVU (250 words)
Summary: Recasting heroes as villains. I used Vincent (BatB) and Elliot (SVU)
75. Heat
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "hiding an injury/illness"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Glenn/Maggie, 1171 words
Summary: He'll always be grateful that somehow she saw beyond the geeky, awkward nerd in the baseball cap.
76. Positive Thinking
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "forced to face fear"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Beth, 927 words
Summary: She's rotating her neck to ease out the kinks when she sees the walker lurch from behind the parked car.
77. Just Like a Heatwave
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "heat stroke"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 1744 words
Summary: "You passed out. That old bastard probably saved your life," Matt says. He leans forward, swipes a hand through his hair. "Jesus, McClane. What were you thinking?"
78. Parting Words
Written for tv_universe for the prompt "Promise me you'll always remember: you're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." (A.A. Milne)
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Rick & Carl, 695 words
Summary: Far-future-fic
79. Flower Power
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "sex pollen"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn, 1764 words
Summary: Of all the things he expected, for Daryl to looks up at him and grin lazily, slowly, seductively… yeah, that was way at the bottom of the list.
80. Wanderer
Written for tv_universe for the prompt "Not all those who wander are lost." (JRR Tolkien)
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn - Rick - Shane, 1480 words
Summary: Alternate ending for Episode 201
81. Live Wire
Written for tv_universe for the prompt "The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me." (Ayn Rand)
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Michonne, 415 words
Summary: Post Season Three.
82. Love and Hate
Written for tv_universe for the prompt "I'd rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I'm not." (Kurt Cobain)
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl & Merle, 802 words
Summary: Pre-Series.
83. Heart
Written for tv_universe for the prompt "Home is where the heart is." (Pliny the Elder)
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl & Michonne, 820 words
Summary: Post Season Three
84. The Quiet
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "ostracized from society"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Bob, 547 words
Summary: He just wanted to warm himself up a little bit that night. Just a little nip, to take the chill off.
85. Invisible
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "invisibility"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Carol - Daryl - Beth, 1036 words
Summary: As always, she wonders how different their lives would be now if they'd only met a little sooner, before they were cracked and broken.
86. Pain Management
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "post traumatic stress disorder"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl - Hershel - Bob, 1031 words
Summary: The war never stops. The walkers are always at the gate.
87. Break in the Routine
Written for smallfandomfest for the prompt "John has a thing for Matt in glasses"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 2629 words
Summary: By Sunday night, John's aware that his fascination with the glasses just may have become a full-blown fetish.
88. Plans
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "loss of limb/limb function"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Merle, 578 words
Summary: Hurts like a son of a bitch, but he can take it. He can take a lot of things.
89. Words of Love
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "bullet wounds"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 601 words
Summary: He tries to make it a tough-sounding whimper, like a grunting through the pain kind of thing that McClane would do, but despite his best efforts it comes out sounding a bit like a puppy who's been left outside in the rain.
90. Crossroads
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "undeserved reputation"
Fandom: Dark Harbor, David/Young Man, 1080 words
Summary: David cruises by the corner every few weeks, his palms sweaty on the steering wheel.
91. Shock Treatment
Written for smallfandomfest for the prompt "haze of pain"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt - Holly, 1369 words
Summary: The hair is tinged with grey now, and slightly less poofy than in the ragged family photo that John keeps in his wallet, but she's still a beautiful woman. Matt kind of wants to hate her on sight.
92. Happy…What, Exactly?
Written for smallfandomfest for the prompt "anniversary"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 2824 words
Summary: "You brought me… flowers. Wow. You brought me flowers?"
93. Caught
Written for smallfandomfest for the prompt "first meeting"
Fandom: Dark Harbor, David/Young Man, 2407 words
Summary: When the dark haired boy smiles and steps forward, it is all David can do not to roll his eyes. His day just gets better and better.
December
94. Committed
Written for smallfandomfest for the prompt "committed"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 1547 words
Summary: Apparently corralling wild cops is one of his life skills, Matt thinks as he hurries down the hall. Who knew?
95. Outbreak
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "death"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl & Merle, 1269 words
Summary: He had to keep reminding himself that it wasn't cranky old Mrs. Chambers anymore, banging on his wall and yelling at him to turn down his damn music. It wasn't Dave from 1B, sprawled on the staircase out of his head on the meth. Mrs. Chambers was dead. Dave was dead. They were all dead, rotting things who wanted to take a bite out of him and he had to put them down like rabid dogs.
96. Home
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "homesickness"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Carl - Rick - Maggie - Hershel -Beth, 1340 words
Summary: Whenever he looks at his hands - at the dirt under his nails and worn into the creases of his palms - he's reminded that they're safe now. The prison is secure.
97. Escape
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "loss of home/shelter"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Beth & Daryl, 512 words
Summary: She's not the child she was two years ago, hiding beneath her covers and letting her father sing her a nonsense song from when she was a baby.
98. QaF Drabbles 01 to 05
Written for drabylon for various photo prompts
Fandom: Queer as Folk, Brian/Justin, 100 words each
Summary: Five Brian/Justin-centric drabbles
99. QaF Drabbles 06 to 10
Written for drabylon for various photo prompts
Fandom: Queer as Folk, Brian/Justin, 100 words each
Summary: Five Brian/Justin-centric drabbles
100. Countdown to Armageddon
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "pandemics and epidemics"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt - Warlock, 2942 words
Summary: Matt's seen plenty of dead bodies in beds and stretchers over the past week, though it's not really something he's gotten used to. But this particular dead man is sprawled face-down on the floor, halfway between the elevator and the nurse's station.
101. Dinner
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "food poisoning"
Fandom: Dark Harbor, David/Young Man, 528 words
Summary: He sees the boy watching him over the edge of his book when they sit quietly in the evening. The boy smiles when he notices, and David knows his own returned smile is weak, wary.
102. QaF Drabbles 11 to 15
Written for drabylon for various photo prompts
Fandom: Queer as Folk, Brian/Justin, 100 words each
Summary: Five Brian/Justin-centric drabbles
103. Scars
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "scars"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 836 words
Summary: "Holly wouldn't even look at it," John says softly.
104. Patient
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "hospital stay"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 1337 words
Summary: John sighs. Matt might be hurting physically, but there's still nothing wrong with the kid's mouth.
105. Captured
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "sensory deprivation"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl, 504 words
Summary: He's got a high tolerance for pain, forged through years of living with his old man. They can do whatever they want to him. He ain't telling them shit.
106. Solitude
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "moving"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Beth - Daryl, 578 words
Summary: They eat the cold supper together at the window. Watch the sun go down.
107. Fault
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "lacerations/knife wounds"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl - Glenn, 854 words
Summary: Too close for the guns, so he'd drawn his knife and jumped into the fray, swung and fought and listened to the screams, to the children's cries, to Beth shrieking Judith's name over and over.
108. Bodyguard
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "bodyguards"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Beth, 1027 words
Summary: He watched as Beth's hand went instinctively to the knife on her belt. "You taught me that," she said. She smiled up at him. "But I like having you here regardless. I like it when you guard my body."
109. Premonition
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "nightmares"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn, 807 words
Summary: "Okay," Daryl said after a long moment. "You know that's crazy, right? Dead people walkin' around?"
110. Strong
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "self-harm"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Beth - Daryl, 620 words
Summary: In the weeks after they lose the farm, Beth finds herself staring at the scar on her wrist.
111. Weak
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "torture"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Merle, 552 words
Summary: "It ain't right, what they did," Merle mumbles.
112. Not Exactly a SuperVillain
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "secret identity discovered"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John - Matt - Lucy - Warlock, 570 words
Summary: His gun is still lying on the floor where it slipped from his hand when she ran to him, and the bad guy that was hiding somewhere in the back still has her in a death-grip, a gun to her head. Again.
I always enjoy reading other people's thoughts on their stories, and the Fic Year in Review is something I've tried to do the past few years. Might only be of interest to me (and okay, Snick) but hey. Here goes.
Favourite Story:
Fracture
It's super hard to pic a favourite, because Favourite what, exactly? I wrote so many different types of stories in several different fandoms. I basically just picked the first story that came to mind. I always like delving into Daryl's backstory, and this one felt particularly real to me.
Best Story:
Crossroads
Dark Harbor fic. I felt like I accomplished a very tight POV while still maintaining accurate character voice. What is interesting to me about this fic (and Dark Harbor in general) is that we as readers (or viewers) really don't know what's true. We get David's perception of his marriage and his perception of the boy; we get the boy's denials of his nature. But we don't really know if David is right, or if the boy is telling the truth. I like that dark edge, and I think it comes through in this little story.
Most Underappreciated by the Universe:
Strong
This is a Beth story. There are others that probably fit the bill more - "The Quiet" which was all about Bob comes to mind - but I think that generally any story that isn't pairing-centric and which features supporting characters is always going to get less love than slash or even het pairing fic. I chose this one because I quite frankly love the way it turned out. It feels visual to me.
Most Fun:
Road Trip
Because John and Matt and Matt's paranoia and John's stubbornness and a car and a vacation to see a giant ball of twine. This was just fun to write.
Most Sexy:
Gah, did I write anything sexy this year? *ponders* Bluh. I guess maybe this:
Scars
It's the only one, I think, that takes place entirely in bed, and the whole point is Matt mapping out John's body (and being stupidly romantic.)
"Holy Crap, That's Wrong Even for You" Story:
A Fresh Start
Probably not what is usually expected from this question, but this story involves me setting up Daryl with another guy, and it's practically unheard of for this to happen. It actually still feels wrong. So yeah, this was wrong for me as, like, somebody who usually fights to the freakin' death for her OTP. LOL
Single Sexiest Moment:
House Call
I'm not sure if this is what most people would call 'sexy', but I kind of love Glenn coming up behind Daryl and propping his head on Daryl's shoulder, and Daryl staring at them in the mirror. It just… makes me happy. As does Daryl, I think, staying in character - I actually love his dialogue when Carl bursts in on them. This was one of my fave stories this year as well.
Most Unintentionally Telling Story:
I don't think there was a particular story, but looking back there seems to be more angst than I remember writing. I guess that's what happens when one of your main fandoms takes place in the apocalypse.
Fic That Shifted Your Perception of the Characters:
Don't think there was one particular fic, but as TWD aired I grew to love Beth and I think that showed in my stories toward the latter half of the year. I'm happily anticipating the rest of the season.
Biggest Disappointment:
An easy one: You'll Never See the End of the Road (While You're Traveling With Me) - Part One / Part Two
I wrote the first half of this, then couldn't get back to it for close to two months. I think it feels - and reads - like two separate stories. The tones are just different in a way that I was never able to fix, and the story itself felt like it needed to be longer and needed more room to breathe. I could never seem to get a handle on this one, and the more I tried to wrangle it into submission the worse it became. It was frustrating.
Biggest Surprise:
Shock Treatment
In terms of writing, this story was a surprise. In my head all I knew was that Matt would wake up and find Holly there (and for anyone that knows me, Holly is not my favourite person.) I expected it to be sort of angsty, but then Matt was all adorable and Holly was actually pretty cool and amusing and supportive, and it turned out to be a cute little fic.
Hardest Story to Write:
Sausages and Sage Advice
This one started out strong, but the middle part always felt clunky and overwritten. It also has the worst title known to mankind.
Easiest Story to Write:
Parting Words
Rick and Carl, in the future. I could see that little cabin and the blood on the snow so clearly. The goal was to keep a tight POV and to keep it simple, and I feel like I succeeded. This one flowed out so nicely.
This Years Theme and the Story that demonstrates it:
I don't see a theme. There is too.much.fic to see a theme.
Amount of Fic that sits, unposted, on your hard drive…and why:
Mostly I post things as I finish them, and anything half-written or abandoned gets deleted pretty quickly. I label all half-written fic "random such and such". Let's see what I've got:
01. random beth gets gunky and random beth gets gunky take 2 - apparently I really, really wanted to write a fic where Beth gets gunky. This was Beth, Daryl, and Carol, but I could never nail down a point of view, and then S4 happened and Carol supremely pissed me off. I'm going to keep these, though, and see if they can be reworked. Because if there's two drafts of gunkiness, it must be pretty important to me. LOL
02. random daryl carol it's raining - I'm pretty sure "it's raining" was a prompt I had from somewhere. I tried, but this was completely out of character. Plus Carol, bluh. *deletes right now*
03. random daryl glenn au - An "the apocalypse never happened" fic in which Daryl meets Glenn's parents. Started for the prompt "I'm not good at nice", but abandoned because I had no idea where I was going with this. I think I kept it because there's a flashback story to Daryl's dad throwing peas at one of Merle's girlfriends. Hah.
04. random matt pussies out - "Matt pussies out and goes back to Camden" was a prompt from Snick from, like, two years ago and this was probably on my hard drive when I did this meme last year. I should probably admit that this is never going to get written. Yeah.
05. random qaf false start - I think this was one of the many many many false starts I had to Lisa's QaF fic. It's basically just Brian/Justin dialogue, which I guess I figured I could maybe rework into something else. Yeah, that's not gonna happen. *deletes*
06. random secret identity 1 and random secret identity 2 - Yup, two drafts of something again. Various starts for the 'secret identity revealed' prompt, and one of them has a couple thousand words. I really like the idea for this story - it's like a pre-Daryl/Beth - but it's got a rambly, boring beginning that's all about an original character who just doesn't matter that much and again the issue where I couldn't nail down a POV when it came to the meat of the story. This one has so much potential, though.
Well, that was fun. And made me think that I should probably make notes on my own fic as I write it or something, because whoa time-consuming. (But then I guess sometimes you can't really see what's 'best' or a 'fave' or whatever until you've done all the product, so. Hmmm..)
Anyway, my writing goals for this year are the same as last year's… with the exception that I've upped my Word Count Goal to 200,000 words. EEEEK.
... I should probably start writing.
.
My goals were:
-- Write 150,000 words. CHECK. This year, my word count total was 155,706 words!
-- Post 85% of what I write. CHECK. Result was exactly 85%!
-- Write 13 days per month (156 days/year). Result: Wrote 166 days. Woot!
-- Join deadline-based challenges. Result: All but two of my stories were written for challenges and/or prompts.
All of these goals are set up with the ultimate result of "don't be grumpy" - and I think I succeeded with that this year as well. Writing makes me happy, and then I don't get all bent out of shape about other things in my life. WHEEE!
And I wrote 112 stories this year. One Hundred and Twelve. That is INSANE.
January
01. Alive
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "vibrant"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Carol, 572 words
Summary: "This is the most space we've had since we left the farm," she shouts, once the walkers have gone down, once the field belongs to them.
02. What Could Happen?
Written for tvrealm, for the prompt "love child"
Fandom: The Walking Dead/Supernatural/V: The Series, Dean/Juliet, 293 words
Summary: There's no reason why Amy can't go off and have herself an adventure.
03. Target Practice">
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "double down"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Rick - Carol - Ensemble, 903 words
Summary: "I'm sure as hell gettin' tired of ringin' the dinner bell for these sons of bitches."
04. Head Games
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "head games"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl - Merle, 2316 words
Summary: "Think I ain't known about you since you was still hidin' behind mama's skirts when you got in shit? You been payin' more attention to dick than tits since you was twelve, little brother."
05. Stalker
Written for smallfandomfest, for the prompt "stalker"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 3110 words
Summary: John has a stalker.
06. Aftermath
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "kiln"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl, 513 words
Summary: Daryl deals with the aftermath of finding Sophia in the barn.
February
07. Fleeing the Sinking Ship
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "mouse"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl, 1011 words
Summary: There was speculation, he remembers, of some designer drug gone viral. It had hit all the major cities, Anderson Cooper had said.
08. Unseen
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "foodist"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Carol, 592 words
Summary: There is more to Carol than what they see.
09. Gone
Written for tvrealm, for a comment-fic meme (prompt: Merle, gone)
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Merle, 500 words
Summary: Merle is near-delirious when they find him, perched on the crumbling rooftop of a run-down convenience store near the interstate, a dozen walkers stumbling below and scratching at the bricks.
10. Greeting Card
Written for tvrealm, for a comment-fic meme (prompt: greeting card)
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Carol, 500 words
Summary: He doesn't think. He slips the card in his pocket.
11. Stay
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "incorporeal"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn, 614 words
Summary: He don't need them. He don't need Glenn, with his stupid grin and his stupid hat.
12. Valentine's Day
Written for tvrealm, for a comment-fic meme (prompt: valentine's day)
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn - Merle, 774 words
Summary: He finds the first one on the seat of the bike. A pale purple sugar heart, emblazoned with the words Cool Cat.
13. Choices
Written for tvrealm, for a comment-fic meme (prompt: fake relationship becomes real)
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl//Glenn, 736 words
Summary: "Beth's watching you again," Glenn says.
14. Fracture
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "murder"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl, 1811 words
Summary: What he did to that deputy is not murder.
15. Western Ficlet
Written for tvrealm, for the prompt "down the rabbit hole"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl, 228 words
Summary: TWD as a western.
March
16. Just Another Night Out on the Town
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "avulsion"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 1185 words
Summary: He's leaning on the counter in the bathroom, staring at himself in the mirror and repeating positive affirmations like some kind of small, dark, slightly less effeminate Stuart Smalley when the bomb goes off.
17. SwelterFest 2007
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "non-sequitur"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 596 words
Summary: The super's been promising to stop by ever since Day Two of SwelterFest, and they're currently on Day Seven. Of New York's most intense heat wave since, oh, ever.
18 to 27. Ten Walking Dead Ficlets
Written for tvrealm, for the prompt "don't stop believing"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Various, 100 to 550 words (2051 words total)
Summary: Ficlets based on song titles
28. Copper Bluff
Written for tvrealm, for the prompt "my realm" (TWD as a western)
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl - Merle - Hershel, 1198 words
Summary: "It's a bad wound," Hershel replies slowly, and Daryl drags his eyes away from Merle to focus on the old man. "I'm just a veterinarian, Daryl. You bring me a horse with a bum leg, a dog that’s havin' troubles divesting herself of her pups? I can help you. This?" The old man shakes his head.
29. Broken Promise
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "sister"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Andrea - Amy, 901 words
Summary: Stay away from the city. Stay away from the people stalled in a traffic jam with no end, sitting there like… like a smorgasbord for those things, those walkers. Back roads. That was the way to stay safe.
30. Following in his Footsteps
Written for tvrealm, for the prompt "headcanon accepted"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl - Merle, 605 words
Summary: He hates their new house. He hates the dismantled cars in the weedy lot, and he hates the green paint peeling off the walls in his room.
31. Health Benefits
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "papaya"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 807 words
Summary: "I just don't think the kitchen is the place to be talking about dicks, all right?"
32. That Spy Stuff
Written for sexy_right, for the prompt "Jack"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt - Jack - Lucy, 330 words
Summary: "Do you ever talk into your watch?"
33. Point of No Return
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "radius"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Maggie - Carol, 566 words
Summary: "I killed a man." She doesn't mean to say it like that, so bluntly. Doesn't mean to say it at all.
April
34. Cop Shop
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "sarcasm"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt - Joe - Connie, 1544 words
Summary: "The thing is, John, I kind of… don't like cops."
"Newsflash, braintrust," John drawls. "You're livin' with one."
35. You'll Never See the End of the Road (While You're Traveling With Me) - Part One / Part Two
Written for smallfandombang
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn, 15526 words
Summary: Daryl and Glenn are trying to find their places in this new world, both riddled with doubt as to how they fit in. A survivalist's camp in the hills may provide some safety, but safety is relative in the apocalypse. Post Season Two.
36. Make Believe
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "parched"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Carol, 687 words
Summary: ...she wouldn't look away, wouldn't ever take her eyes away from Ed's face, from his shocked, scared, awful hateful face.
37. Alleviating the Boredom
Written for tamingthemuse, for the prompt "shameless"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 679 words
Summary: When John shudders, Matt fights to hide a smile. This is much more interesting than whatever the speaker is babbling on about.
38. House Call
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "in flagrante delicto"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn, 1580 words
Summary: "Never liked all this sneakin' around anyhow."
May
39. Room Enough for Two
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "mummy"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn, 1146 words
Summary: Daryl stops short, eyes traveling the length of the narrow bunk. Although there's only one bare foot and a tuft of ink-black hair protruding from the blankets, he ain't exactly gotta be the Amazing Kreskin to figure this one out.
40. Taking Matters into his Own Hands
Written for love_bingo for the prompt "proposal"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 1060 words
Summary: The sweat is still cooling on his body when Matt rolls onto his side and slaps at John's chest with the back of his hand. "So," he says, "you wanna get married?"
41. Dust to Dust
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "dust you are and to dust you shall return"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 2019 words
Summary: The plan was to reach the CDC in Atlanta. In the early days Matt had pointed out that if anyone was working on a cure or an antidote, they would be there. He'd pictured men in white suits hunched over Bunsen burners, analyzing slides of the deader's diseased cells under high-powered microscopes. That was when the reanimated were mostly restricted to the cities with the largest populations, when there was still some slim chance of regaining control.
Back when he still believed that if anyone could reach Georgia, breach the CDC and save the world, it was John McClane.
42. The Baby Whisperer
Written for love_bingo for the prompt "song for you"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Maggie - Daryl - Glenn, 988 words
Summary: Maggie cocks her head, creeps carefully toward the turn in the hall. Once she reaches the bend, she can hear it.
Daryl is singing.
43. Friendship
Written for persnickett for her birthday
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, Matt - Lucy, 300 words
Summary: Considering all her bluster and bravado during the fire sale, Lucy is way more of a girly-girl than Matt ever imagined.
44. This Could Be the Start of a Beautiful Friendship
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "drusy quartz"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Andrea - Michonne, 550 words
Summary: The stress of life on the run and the worry about her lost friends were taking its toll on her body and her spirit. She just wanted to stop. Just for a moment.
45. Murphy's Law
Written for love_bingo for the prompt "civil union"
Fandom: Queer as Folk, Brian/Justin - ensemble, 1465 words
Summary: After all, this is his wedding day. He's been waiting for this day since he was seventeen. He's not going to let anything get him down.
46. The Final Straw
Written for smallfandomfest for the prompt "John really needs to stop…giving him things"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 1704 words
Summary: You know how long it's been since I've had someone to buy shit for?" John asks. "A long fucking time, kid. Indulge me."
47. Strange Bedfellows
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "Leonardo da Vinci"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Beth - Daryl, 1863 words
Summary: Daryl and Beth come to an understanding.
48. Trial by Fire
Written for smallfandomfest for the prompt "There's no one else. So we're doing it."
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt - Jack, 1707 words
Summary: To be honest, he hadn't really thought about Jack at all. Jack, who will be in attendance today. Jack, back from some super-secret spy mission in Russia that almost got his father killed.
Yeah. He might have issues with Jack.
49. Of Computers and Suicide Ribs
Written for smallfandomfest for the prompt "John thinks Matt needs to get out more."
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 2218 words
Summary: "Whoa!" Matt pinwheels his arms, tries to get some kind of traction on the slippery hardwood as John hauls him across the room. "We've talked about this, McClane! No manhandling of the boyfriend unless sex is somehow… wait, is sex somehow involved here?"
June
50. Change is Gonna Come
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "cartography"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl - Glenn, 1046 words
Summary: "Okay, on this little expedition? You were the brawn. I was the brains." He pulls the wrinkled paper out of his pocket and shakes it. "I'm the one making the damn map!"
51. Romance in the Apocalypse
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "relationships"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Beth - Maggie - Daryl - Glenn, 1277 words
Summary: "The way you turned your nose up when Glenn kissed me." Maggie cocks her head, leans her hip on the table. "You have a problem with me and Glenn?"
52. Mine
Written for love_bingo for the prompt "the boy is mine"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn - Rick, 1652 words
Summary: Everything gets fucked up as soon as they hit the camp. There's less of the outlaws than they figured - only seven of 'em, ranged round the fire and gorging on the food that it took Daryl and Glenn weeks of supply runs to find, food that properly rationed would have lasted their little camp a month - but the odds tip radically out of their favour when they realize the outlaws have a machine gun.
53. Road Trip
Written for smallfandomfest for the prompt "vacation"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 1497 words
Summary: John has been saying things grumpily for the better part of an hour. In fact, "grumpy" could probably be the watch-word for this entire ill-conceived endeavor. What on earth was he thinking when he agreed to this madness?
54. Stuck in the Middle with You
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "labyrinth"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 1487 words
Summary: "All I wanted to do was return a library book. For you, I might add. That's it. Hand in the book, leave. That was my plan for the day. Instead I'm stuck in some disgustingly smelly version of Beauty and the Beast."
55. Definitely Not Cursed
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "father"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 1232 words
Summary: "Seriously John, I'm good, I'm all sweaty from running here from the station and I don't even know how to… whoa, okay, so you're just going to… oh holy fuck I'm holding the baby."
56. Nightmares
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "malleable"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl - Judith, 724 words
Summary: He takes a shuddering breath… and realizes he's not alone.
57. Mix It Up
Written for tv_universe for the prompt "holy team-ups, batman"
Fandom: The Walking Dead (Oz, Buffy), 2046 words
Summary: The premise was to team up two "good guys" from different TV shows, then two "bad guys". Then put them all together for the final entry.
July
58. Driver Picks the Music
Written for tv_universe for the prompt "driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl - Glenn, 1360 words
Summary: He's never really talked to God, but Glenn sends up a little note of thanks to the Big Guy that it wasn't Merle who volunteered to accompany him on this little road trip.
59. I'm Probably Fine, But I Also Might Be Dead
Written for tv_universe for the prompt "I'm probably fine, but I also might be dead"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn, 1142 words
Summary: It turns out that Shane knows how to make homemade explosives. Glenn's not at all surprised.
60. Broken Dreams
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "Great Barrier Reef"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Carol, 622 words
Summary: This isn't the way she imagined her life would turn out.
61. Nice
Written for tv_universe for the prompt "I'm not good at nice"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl - Merle, 512 words
Summary: There is goodness in Merle, and Daryl doesn't believe that it's buried so deep that it can't be found again.
62. Sense of Smell
Written for tv_universe for the prompt "Did you just smell me?"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn, 401 words
Summary: He's become an expert at these little maneuvers, getting close to Glenn without making it obvious that he's getting close.
63. How It Ends
Written for tamingthemuse for the prompt "dystopia"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl, 516 words
Summary: Now he walks, across cracked concrete littered with rusting heaps of metal next to fields overgrown with wildflowers. The earth is coming back to what it used to be, before man got their hands on it.
64. How It Begins
Written for tv_universe for the prompt "Okay. That's close enough."
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl - Merle, 2055 words
Summary: He glances over his shoulder at Ray, imagines a city full of undead things converging on some hastily constructed refugee camp. It will be idiotic to go there, it will probably get him killed… but he can't leave his brother. He can't.
65. Under the Influence
Written for smallfandomfest for the prompt "don't move"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 3172 words
Summary: It's not until the taxi's tail-lights are fading in the distance and he's standing alone in front of McClane's place that he realizes he forgot his damn key.
66. Lessons Learned
Written for smallfandomfest for the prompt "recovering"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 1041 words
Summary: "Things have changed a lot. It really has gotten better. But there's always gonna be homophobic assholes, John."
August
67. Sausages and Sage Advice
Written for sexy_right's Notable Quotables challenge, for the prompt "Four, Nan. Four"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 3193 words
Summary: Fridays are for slow kisses during the post-game show that lead to questing hands, clothes strewn on the floor on the way to the bedroom, rediscovering Matt's body with his hands and his lips.
Fridays are not for Matt standing awkwardly in the middle of the room in too many clothes, refusing to meet his eyes as he tugs on his gloves.
68. In the Dark
Written for love_bingo for the prompt "in your eyes"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn, 823 words
Summary: But Daryl has him. Even if Daryl isn't always one hundred percent sure of that, yet.
69. Indecent Proposal
Written for love_bingo for the prompt "indecent proposal"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn, 1826 words
Summary: "Wanna fuck?"
70. A Fresh Start
Written for love_bingo for a photo prompt of a wedding topper
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl & Carol (unrequited Daryl/Glenn), 1978 words
Summary: Daryl's never told a soul how he feels. But it's best not to underestimate Carol.
September
71. 19th Nervous Breakdown
Written for sexy_right's Notable Quotables challenge, for the photo "Maybe I'll just sit here and bleed at you."
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 1163 words
Summary: He's been in a high speed chase, nearly creamed by a flying car, held hostage, and shot in the goddamn knee. So Matt's not sure why simply standing in the vestibule of a generic, oh-so-carefully non-denominational chapel is the most terrifying thing he's ever experienced.
72. Monsters
Written for tv_universe for the prompt "monsters"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl and others
Summary: Five ficlets based on the "monsters" theme (five literal or metaphorical monsters that a character has faced in his life) using Daryl from The Walking Dead, at various points in his life.
October
73. Dragon's Den
Written for spook_me for the prompt "dragon"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 2679 words
Summary: Matt frowns and leans forward in the chair, props his elbows on his knees and darts a wary glance toward the guard at the door. "The dragon," he hisses.
November
74. Villains
Written for tv_universe for the challenge "spock's goatee"
Fandoms: Beauty and the Beast (original) (200 words) and Law and Order: SVU (250 words)
Summary: Recasting heroes as villains. I used Vincent (BatB) and Elliot (SVU)
75. Heat
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "hiding an injury/illness"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Glenn/Maggie, 1171 words
Summary: He'll always be grateful that somehow she saw beyond the geeky, awkward nerd in the baseball cap.
76. Positive Thinking
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "forced to face fear"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Beth, 927 words
Summary: She's rotating her neck to ease out the kinks when she sees the walker lurch from behind the parked car.
77. Just Like a Heatwave
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "heat stroke"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 1744 words
Summary: "You passed out. That old bastard probably saved your life," Matt says. He leans forward, swipes a hand through his hair. "Jesus, McClane. What were you thinking?"
78. Parting Words
Written for tv_universe for the prompt "Promise me you'll always remember: you're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." (A.A. Milne)
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Rick & Carl, 695 words
Summary: Far-future-fic
79. Flower Power
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "sex pollen"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn, 1764 words
Summary: Of all the things he expected, for Daryl to looks up at him and grin lazily, slowly, seductively… yeah, that was way at the bottom of the list.
80. Wanderer
Written for tv_universe for the prompt "Not all those who wander are lost." (JRR Tolkien)
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn - Rick - Shane, 1480 words
Summary: Alternate ending for Episode 201
81. Live Wire
Written for tv_universe for the prompt "The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me." (Ayn Rand)
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Michonne, 415 words
Summary: Post Season Three.
82. Love and Hate
Written for tv_universe for the prompt "I'd rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I'm not." (Kurt Cobain)
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl & Merle, 802 words
Summary: Pre-Series.
83. Heart
Written for tv_universe for the prompt "Home is where the heart is." (Pliny the Elder)
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl & Michonne, 820 words
Summary: Post Season Three
84. The Quiet
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "ostracized from society"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Bob, 547 words
Summary: He just wanted to warm himself up a little bit that night. Just a little nip, to take the chill off.
85. Invisible
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "invisibility"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Carol - Daryl - Beth, 1036 words
Summary: As always, she wonders how different their lives would be now if they'd only met a little sooner, before they were cracked and broken.
86. Pain Management
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "post traumatic stress disorder"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl - Hershel - Bob, 1031 words
Summary: The war never stops. The walkers are always at the gate.
87. Break in the Routine
Written for smallfandomfest for the prompt "John has a thing for Matt in glasses"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 2629 words
Summary: By Sunday night, John's aware that his fascination with the glasses just may have become a full-blown fetish.
88. Plans
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "loss of limb/limb function"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Merle, 578 words
Summary: Hurts like a son of a bitch, but he can take it. He can take a lot of things.
89. Words of Love
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "bullet wounds"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 601 words
Summary: He tries to make it a tough-sounding whimper, like a grunting through the pain kind of thing that McClane would do, but despite his best efforts it comes out sounding a bit like a puppy who's been left outside in the rain.
90. Crossroads
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "undeserved reputation"
Fandom: Dark Harbor, David/Young Man, 1080 words
Summary: David cruises by the corner every few weeks, his palms sweaty on the steering wheel.
91. Shock Treatment
Written for smallfandomfest for the prompt "haze of pain"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt - Holly, 1369 words
Summary: The hair is tinged with grey now, and slightly less poofy than in the ragged family photo that John keeps in his wallet, but she's still a beautiful woman. Matt kind of wants to hate her on sight.
92. Happy…What, Exactly?
Written for smallfandomfest for the prompt "anniversary"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 2824 words
Summary: "You brought me… flowers. Wow. You brought me flowers?"
93. Caught
Written for smallfandomfest for the prompt "first meeting"
Fandom: Dark Harbor, David/Young Man, 2407 words
Summary: When the dark haired boy smiles and steps forward, it is all David can do not to roll his eyes. His day just gets better and better.
December
94. Committed
Written for smallfandomfest for the prompt "committed"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 1547 words
Summary: Apparently corralling wild cops is one of his life skills, Matt thinks as he hurries down the hall. Who knew?
95. Outbreak
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "death"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl & Merle, 1269 words
Summary: He had to keep reminding himself that it wasn't cranky old Mrs. Chambers anymore, banging on his wall and yelling at him to turn down his damn music. It wasn't Dave from 1B, sprawled on the staircase out of his head on the meth. Mrs. Chambers was dead. Dave was dead. They were all dead, rotting things who wanted to take a bite out of him and he had to put them down like rabid dogs.
96. Home
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "homesickness"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Carl - Rick - Maggie - Hershel -Beth, 1340 words
Summary: Whenever he looks at his hands - at the dirt under his nails and worn into the creases of his palms - he's reminded that they're safe now. The prison is secure.
97. Escape
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "loss of home/shelter"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Beth & Daryl, 512 words
Summary: She's not the child she was two years ago, hiding beneath her covers and letting her father sing her a nonsense song from when she was a baby.
98. QaF Drabbles 01 to 05
Written for drabylon for various photo prompts
Fandom: Queer as Folk, Brian/Justin, 100 words each
Summary: Five Brian/Justin-centric drabbles
99. QaF Drabbles 06 to 10
Written for drabylon for various photo prompts
Fandom: Queer as Folk, Brian/Justin, 100 words each
Summary: Five Brian/Justin-centric drabbles
100. Countdown to Armageddon
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "pandemics and epidemics"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt - Warlock, 2942 words
Summary: Matt's seen plenty of dead bodies in beds and stretchers over the past week, though it's not really something he's gotten used to. But this particular dead man is sprawled face-down on the floor, halfway between the elevator and the nurse's station.
101. Dinner
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "food poisoning"
Fandom: Dark Harbor, David/Young Man, 528 words
Summary: He sees the boy watching him over the edge of his book when they sit quietly in the evening. The boy smiles when he notices, and David knows his own returned smile is weak, wary.
102. QaF Drabbles 11 to 15
Written for drabylon for various photo prompts
Fandom: Queer as Folk, Brian/Justin, 100 words each
Summary: Five Brian/Justin-centric drabbles
103. Scars
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "scars"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 836 words
Summary: "Holly wouldn't even look at it," John says softly.
104. Patient
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "hospital stay"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John/Matt, 1337 words
Summary: John sighs. Matt might be hurting physically, but there's still nothing wrong with the kid's mouth.
105. Captured
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "sensory deprivation"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl, 504 words
Summary: He's got a high tolerance for pain, forged through years of living with his old man. They can do whatever they want to him. He ain't telling them shit.
106. Solitude
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "moving"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Beth - Daryl, 578 words
Summary: They eat the cold supper together at the window. Watch the sun go down.
107. Fault
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "lacerations/knife wounds"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl - Glenn, 854 words
Summary: Too close for the guns, so he'd drawn his knife and jumped into the fray, swung and fought and listened to the screams, to the children's cries, to Beth shrieking Judith's name over and over.
108. Bodyguard
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "bodyguards"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Beth, 1027 words
Summary: He watched as Beth's hand went instinctively to the knife on her belt. "You taught me that," she said. She smiled up at him. "But I like having you here regardless. I like it when you guard my body."
109. Premonition
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "nightmares"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Daryl/Glenn, 807 words
Summary: "Okay," Daryl said after a long moment. "You know that's crazy, right? Dead people walkin' around?"
110. Strong
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "self-harm"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Beth - Daryl, 620 words
Summary: In the weeks after they lose the farm, Beth finds herself staring at the scar on her wrist.
111. Weak
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "torture"
Fandom: The Walking Dead, Merle, 552 words
Summary: "It ain't right, what they did," Merle mumbles.
112. Not Exactly a SuperVillain
Written for hc_bingo for the prompt "secret identity discovered"
Fandom: Live Free or Die Hard, John - Matt - Lucy - Warlock, 570 words
Summary: His gun is still lying on the floor where it slipped from his hand when she ran to him, and the bad guy that was hiding somewhere in the back still has her in a death-grip, a gun to her head. Again.
I always enjoy reading other people's thoughts on their stories, and the Fic Year in Review is something I've tried to do the past few years. Might only be of interest to me (and okay, Snick) but hey. Here goes.
Favourite Story:
Fracture
It's super hard to pic a favourite, because Favourite what, exactly? I wrote so many different types of stories in several different fandoms. I basically just picked the first story that came to mind. I always like delving into Daryl's backstory, and this one felt particularly real to me.
Best Story:
Crossroads
Dark Harbor fic. I felt like I accomplished a very tight POV while still maintaining accurate character voice. What is interesting to me about this fic (and Dark Harbor in general) is that we as readers (or viewers) really don't know what's true. We get David's perception of his marriage and his perception of the boy; we get the boy's denials of his nature. But we don't really know if David is right, or if the boy is telling the truth. I like that dark edge, and I think it comes through in this little story.
Most Underappreciated by the Universe:
Strong
This is a Beth story. There are others that probably fit the bill more - "The Quiet" which was all about Bob comes to mind - but I think that generally any story that isn't pairing-centric and which features supporting characters is always going to get less love than slash or even het pairing fic. I chose this one because I quite frankly love the way it turned out. It feels visual to me.
Most Fun:
Road Trip
Because John and Matt and Matt's paranoia and John's stubbornness and a car and a vacation to see a giant ball of twine. This was just fun to write.
Most Sexy:
Gah, did I write anything sexy this year? *ponders* Bluh. I guess maybe this:
Scars
It's the only one, I think, that takes place entirely in bed, and the whole point is Matt mapping out John's body (and being stupidly romantic.)
"Holy Crap, That's Wrong Even for You" Story:
A Fresh Start
Probably not what is usually expected from this question, but this story involves me setting up Daryl with another guy, and it's practically unheard of for this to happen. It actually still feels wrong. So yeah, this was wrong for me as, like, somebody who usually fights to the freakin' death for her OTP. LOL
Single Sexiest Moment:
House Call
I'm not sure if this is what most people would call 'sexy', but I kind of love Glenn coming up behind Daryl and propping his head on Daryl's shoulder, and Daryl staring at them in the mirror. It just… makes me happy. As does Daryl, I think, staying in character - I actually love his dialogue when Carl bursts in on them. This was one of my fave stories this year as well.
Most Unintentionally Telling Story:
I don't think there was a particular story, but looking back there seems to be more angst than I remember writing. I guess that's what happens when one of your main fandoms takes place in the apocalypse.
Fic That Shifted Your Perception of the Characters:
Don't think there was one particular fic, but as TWD aired I grew to love Beth and I think that showed in my stories toward the latter half of the year. I'm happily anticipating the rest of the season.
Biggest Disappointment:
An easy one: You'll Never See the End of the Road (While You're Traveling With Me) - Part One / Part Two
I wrote the first half of this, then couldn't get back to it for close to two months. I think it feels - and reads - like two separate stories. The tones are just different in a way that I was never able to fix, and the story itself felt like it needed to be longer and needed more room to breathe. I could never seem to get a handle on this one, and the more I tried to wrangle it into submission the worse it became. It was frustrating.
Biggest Surprise:
Shock Treatment
In terms of writing, this story was a surprise. In my head all I knew was that Matt would wake up and find Holly there (and for anyone that knows me, Holly is not my favourite person.) I expected it to be sort of angsty, but then Matt was all adorable and Holly was actually pretty cool and amusing and supportive, and it turned out to be a cute little fic.
Hardest Story to Write:
Sausages and Sage Advice
This one started out strong, but the middle part always felt clunky and overwritten. It also has the worst title known to mankind.
Easiest Story to Write:
Parting Words
Rick and Carl, in the future. I could see that little cabin and the blood on the snow so clearly. The goal was to keep a tight POV and to keep it simple, and I feel like I succeeded. This one flowed out so nicely.
This Years Theme and the Story that demonstrates it:
I don't see a theme. There is too.much.fic to see a theme.
Amount of Fic that sits, unposted, on your hard drive…and why:
Mostly I post things as I finish them, and anything half-written or abandoned gets deleted pretty quickly. I label all half-written fic "random such and such". Let's see what I've got:
01. random beth gets gunky and random beth gets gunky take 2 - apparently I really, really wanted to write a fic where Beth gets gunky. This was Beth, Daryl, and Carol, but I could never nail down a point of view, and then S4 happened and Carol supremely pissed me off. I'm going to keep these, though, and see if they can be reworked. Because if there's two drafts of gunkiness, it must be pretty important to me. LOL
02. random daryl carol it's raining - I'm pretty sure "it's raining" was a prompt I had from somewhere. I tried, but this was completely out of character. Plus Carol, bluh. *deletes right now*
03. random daryl glenn au - An "the apocalypse never happened" fic in which Daryl meets Glenn's parents. Started for the prompt "I'm not good at nice", but abandoned because I had no idea where I was going with this. I think I kept it because there's a flashback story to Daryl's dad throwing peas at one of Merle's girlfriends. Hah.
04. random matt pussies out - "Matt pussies out and goes back to Camden" was a prompt from Snick from, like, two years ago and this was probably on my hard drive when I did this meme last year. I should probably admit that this is never going to get written. Yeah.
05. random qaf false start - I think this was one of the many many many false starts I had to Lisa's QaF fic. It's basically just Brian/Justin dialogue, which I guess I figured I could maybe rework into something else. Yeah, that's not gonna happen. *deletes*
06. random secret identity 1 and random secret identity 2 - Yup, two drafts of something again. Various starts for the 'secret identity revealed' prompt, and one of them has a couple thousand words. I really like the idea for this story - it's like a pre-Daryl/Beth - but it's got a rambly, boring beginning that's all about an original character who just doesn't matter that much and again the issue where I couldn't nail down a POV when it came to the meat of the story. This one has so much potential, though.
Well, that was fun. And made me think that I should probably make notes on my own fic as I write it or something, because whoa time-consuming. (But then I guess sometimes you can't really see what's 'best' or a 'fave' or whatever until you've done all the product, so. Hmmm..)
Anyway, my writing goals for this year are the same as last year's… with the exception that I've upped my Word Count Goal to 200,000 words. EEEEK.
... I should probably start writing.
.