(no subject)
Nothing like a little self-promotion to cheer a girl up. Thanks for the tag, smilla02!
The Rules: Sometimes it's ok to pimp yourself out. Post a list of your top five fic-favorites you've written, regardless of fandom or the reason you love them. This isn't about the BEST things you've written, but what you LOVE most. Then tag five other people to do the same.
The Other Rules: After each story, add a little something about what you learned about writing in the process. Or, if you didn't learn anything, add something that fits contextually with the time of writing the story.
1. The Syncretist - SPN: Dean, John, Cassie, OFC - gen
Why I love it: Without a doubt, the piece of fanfic I'm proudest of. This is my lovesong to where I grew up. I wanted to write this story even before I saw "Route 666" and Athens, Ohio entered Supernatural canon. This was an emotionally trying piece to write, given that I was unable to return to Athens for so many months because of my mom's health, and it unexpectedly became a way to talk about my own loss of my hometown, through the absence of Sam. I also think the quality of this fic is amazing -- I improved so much because of writing it, and because of the beta work of varadia and st_aurafina. The feedback still gobsmacks me: it didn't receive the sheer number of comments other BigBangs did, but every single one was so detailed and dense and meaningful, and I still feel so happy about having written something that got such reactions from everyone who chose to review.
What I learned: I cut 7,000 words off the length just by making sentences leaner and eliminating unnecessary clauses. My job as a copyeditor made this piece so much stronger. I also learned a lot about sustaining a story; this takes place over the course of nine months, and dealing with the passage of time and slowly building toward a climax was an incredible process that I think paid off greatly. Also, creating believable OCs is really cool.
2. Food for the Bees (I Could Easily Be) - SPN: John - gen
Why I love it: Frankly, I'm delighted that it was something I'd never seen done before. I also like the intractable dilemma the story presents: in order to get rid of the ghost, John would have to stop loving or missing his sons. It can't be done.
What I learned: That I like writing John Winchester far too much for my own good. Also, Missouri Mosely is terrific fun and very easy for me to write. And I'm very mean.
3. The Coronation and For which no justice is adequate - Shakespeare/HDM: Macbeth and Othello - gen
Why I love it: I'm putting these here in part because I don't like to talk up gruoch_whofell when that's a friendslocked story. I love the daemon AU, and I am so pleased with the daemons I came up with for Iago and for Macbeth and his Lady. I also think the imagery here is really vivid and sharp, and I'm proud of what I accomplished in so small a space.
What I learned: It's not size, it's how you use it.
4. dragstormaround - original
Why I love it: Oh man. The blues! The atmosphere! The freedom of original everything! It had been a while since I'd managed to complete a long-form story like this, and just the sheer accomplishment of my own worldbuilding was exhilarating. (Oops, there goes my not-posting-about-friendslocked rule.)
What I learned: What I will learn, more like. I suspect this is going to teach me a lot about revisions, because while I'm proud of the original spurted-out story, this thing needs to be rewritten like whoa. (I also have to figure out how not to write the same story over and over again, because I suspect that my antagonist is, in fact, the repackaged Lady Macbeth from gruoch_whofell.)
5. This Isn't the Comedy We Intended to Do (and also, cheating, Cards in the Hands of an Angry God) - S60 - gen
Why I love it: Aaron Sorkin! His characters, his language patterns, the relationships he builds, the neuroses he exploits -- they're just delightful in every way.
What I learned: It's not easy relying so heavily on dialogue that action prose isn't included. But a great challenge! Also, I need to do more humor. Especially in SPN.
Tagging! Who do I tag? allfireburns, lindensphinx, fryadvocate, st_aurafina and lilacsigil! Plus anyone who would like to.
In other news, I'm totally fascinated by this headline: Girl lives 118 days without heart. Isn't that just begging to be written about?
The Rules: Sometimes it's ok to pimp yourself out. Post a list of your top five fic-favorites you've written, regardless of fandom or the reason you love them. This isn't about the BEST things you've written, but what you LOVE most. Then tag five other people to do the same.
The Other Rules: After each story, add a little something about what you learned about writing in the process. Or, if you didn't learn anything, add something that fits contextually with the time of writing the story.
1. The Syncretist - SPN: Dean, John, Cassie, OFC - gen
Why I love it: Without a doubt, the piece of fanfic I'm proudest of. This is my lovesong to where I grew up. I wanted to write this story even before I saw "Route 666" and Athens, Ohio entered Supernatural canon. This was an emotionally trying piece to write, given that I was unable to return to Athens for so many months because of my mom's health, and it unexpectedly became a way to talk about my own loss of my hometown, through the absence of Sam. I also think the quality of this fic is amazing -- I improved so much because of writing it, and because of the beta work of varadia and st_aurafina. The feedback still gobsmacks me: it didn't receive the sheer number of comments other BigBangs did, but every single one was so detailed and dense and meaningful, and I still feel so happy about having written something that got such reactions from everyone who chose to review.
What I learned: I cut 7,000 words off the length just by making sentences leaner and eliminating unnecessary clauses. My job as a copyeditor made this piece so much stronger. I also learned a lot about sustaining a story; this takes place over the course of nine months, and dealing with the passage of time and slowly building toward a climax was an incredible process that I think paid off greatly. Also, creating believable OCs is really cool.
2. Food for the Bees (I Could Easily Be) - SPN: John - gen
Why I love it: Frankly, I'm delighted that it was something I'd never seen done before. I also like the intractable dilemma the story presents: in order to get rid of the ghost, John would have to stop loving or missing his sons. It can't be done.
What I learned: That I like writing John Winchester far too much for my own good. Also, Missouri Mosely is terrific fun and very easy for me to write. And I'm very mean.
3. The Coronation and For which no justice is adequate - Shakespeare/HDM: Macbeth and Othello - gen
Why I love it: I'm putting these here in part because I don't like to talk up gruoch_whofell when that's a friendslocked story. I love the daemon AU, and I am so pleased with the daemons I came up with for Iago and for Macbeth and his Lady. I also think the imagery here is really vivid and sharp, and I'm proud of what I accomplished in so small a space.
What I learned: It's not size, it's how you use it.
4. dragstormaround - original
Why I love it: Oh man. The blues! The atmosphere! The freedom of original everything! It had been a while since I'd managed to complete a long-form story like this, and just the sheer accomplishment of my own worldbuilding was exhilarating. (Oops, there goes my not-posting-about-friendslocked rule.)
What I learned: What I will learn, more like. I suspect this is going to teach me a lot about revisions, because while I'm proud of the original spurted-out story, this thing needs to be rewritten like whoa. (I also have to figure out how not to write the same story over and over again, because I suspect that my antagonist is, in fact, the repackaged Lady Macbeth from gruoch_whofell.)
5. This Isn't the Comedy We Intended to Do (and also, cheating, Cards in the Hands of an Angry God) - S60 - gen
Why I love it: Aaron Sorkin! His characters, his language patterns, the relationships he builds, the neuroses he exploits -- they're just delightful in every way.
What I learned: It's not easy relying so heavily on dialogue that action prose isn't included. But a great challenge! Also, I need to do more humor. Especially in SPN.
Tagging! Who do I tag? allfireburns, lindensphinx, fryadvocate, st_aurafina and lilacsigil! Plus anyone who would like to.
In other news, I'm totally fascinated by this headline: Girl lives 118 days without heart. Isn't that just begging to be written about?