2011 writing roundup and analysis
Jan. 1st, 2012 08:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
edenfalling2010 version
2009 version
2005 version
JANUARY
Fanfiction:
To All Good Will -- Chronicles of Narnia, 600 words. Five letters exchanged between Susan and Edmund Pevensie in the week leading up to Christmas 1948. [15-minute fic]
The Guardian in Spite of Herself, chapter 14 -- Naruto, 4,600 words. The reward for a job well done is a bigger job. In this case, Ayakawa Yukiko's new job is a lot more complicated than anyone expected. The Uchiha massacre and its aftermath, in the world of 'The Way of the Apartment Manager.' WIP
Fanfiction: 5,200
Original Fiction:
The Principle of Fire -- Ashes, 350 words. Morgalen and her motives -- a character and world-building sketch. [15-minute fic]
Fall into the Sea -- Witch of Immish, 1,025 words. A sea girl makes a bargain with the children of a fishing village. Rough attempt at a companion story to "The Sea Hag." [15-minute fic]
Original Fiction: 1,375
January Total: 6,575
---------------------------------------------
FEBRUARY
Fanfiction:
The Courting Dance, chapter 5 -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,875 words. Aravis and Cor. Marriage is a bit more complicated than quarrelling and making it up again, especially for the crown prince of Archenland and an exiled Calormene Tarkheena. WIP
Fanfiction: 1,875
Original Fiction:
Toward Justice -- Ironheart's War, 150 words. An excerpt from Ironheart's speech to her troops before the first battle of Waek Tower. [15-minute fic]
Original Fiction: 150
February Total: 2,025
---------------------------------------------
MARCH
Fanfiction:
Parallel -- Chronicles of Narnia, 650 words. Jadis didn't meet her sister until they were seven years old. Until then, she had nothing but rumors and dreams.
Strange Likenesses, chapter 7 -- Harry Potter, 2,425 words. What if the newly disembodied Voldemort had noticed his link to Harry? A dark AU. WIP
Fanfiction: 3,075
March Total: 3,075
---------------------------------------------
APRIL
Fanfiction:
Lemonade, chapter 18 -- BtVS/Gundam Wing/Naruto, 2,025 words. An unfortunate accident with a demonic portal dumps Faith Lehane, Duo Maxwell, and Uchiha Sasuke into a hell dimension. Knowing these three, things can only get worse from there. WIP
Fanfiction: 2,025
April Total: 2,025
---------------------------------------------
MAY
Fanfiction:
A History of Handcrafts (Because a Sweater Equals Love) -- Star Trek: AOS, 3,200 words. Love doesn't have to be difficult: all you need to do is reach out to your friends. A story in three parts and many knitting projects. Written for RemixRedux 9, based on Spock's Sweater by![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
MelayneSeahawk.
A History of Handcrafts: alternate scenes -- Star Trek: AOS, 1,400 words. Various wrong turns from the previous story, posted for curiosity's sake.
In Foreign Tongues (Been All Over You) -- Star Trek: AOS, 1,600 words. Nyota offered herself as Gaila's sister when they first met -- she greeted Gaila with her name in all openness, the traditional overture to the creation of an in-net -- and Gaila has never regretted accepting that gift. Gaila/Uhura, dubious consent, mildly explicit sex. Written for RemixRedux 9, based on Talented Tongue byMelayneSeahawk.
Postcards from Naxos (You Don't Have To Go Home, But You Can't Stay Here) -- Inception, 5,300 words. In the months after the inception job, Ariadne slips from one life to another. Written for RemixRedux 9, based on With Thanks to Apollo bySour_Idealist.
While We Live -- Star Trek: AOS, 1,950 words. A horrifically compressed version of Gaila's early life on Orion Prime, her escape to the Federation, and the reason she joined Starfleet. This wants to be the first third of a novel and is more a world-building exercise than a story, but I really like the ideas. Contains slavery.
The Spell Begins to Break -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,050 words. Laurie, Stephen, and Mary receive their gifts from Father Christmas. Genderswap, part of "As the Morning and the Night."
How Does Your Garden Grow? -- Chronicles of Narnia, 2,225 words. Mary Pevensie and her family: a character study in three parts. Genderswap, part of "As the Morning and the Night."
Fanfiction: 16,725
May Total: 16,725
---------------------------------------------
JUNE
Fanfiction:
If You Have Any Questions After the Lecture -- Inception, 525 words. Ariadne and Arthur, a little tag to the paradoxical architecture scene. [15-minute fic]
Fanfiction: 525
June Total: 525
---------------------------------------------
JULY
Fanfiction:
Weregild, chapter 1 (parts 1-8) -- Inception/Anita Blake, 11,050 words. Ariadne survived Nikolaos by keeping her head down and playing as harmless as a young master vampire can; Jean-Claude's rule is better, but she still dreams of freedom. When bounty hunters Dominic Cobb and Arthur come to St. Louis seeking revenge for the death of Dom's wife, they set off a storm of events that may grant Ariadne's wish in a most unexpected way. Arthur/Ariadne/Eames, past Dom/Mal.
Weregild, chapter 2 (parts 9-14) -- Inception/Anita Blake, 10,500 words.
Weregild, part 15 -- Inception/Anita Blake, 1,725 words.
Fanfiction: 23,275
July Total: 23,275
---------------------------------------------
AUGUST
Fanfiction:
The Courting Dance, chapter 6 -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,675 words.
Weregild, part 16 -- Inception/Anita Blake, 1,650 words.
The Courting Dance, chapter 7 -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,575 words.
Fanfiction: 4,900
August Total: 4,900
---------------------------------------------
SEPTEMBER
Fanfiction:
When You Have To Go There -- Inception, 600 words. Post-film character study of Arthur, plus random thoughts on the extraction business. [15-minute fic]
Out of Season -- Chronicles of Narnia, 27,000 words. In the fourteenth year of Rishti Tisroc's reign, a demon in the shape of a beaver is captured and brought to Tashbaan. Shezan Tolkheera, high priestess of the goddess Achadith, is given the responsibility of guarding the demon until its sacrifice at the Spring Festival. Complications ensue. Written for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lady_songsmith in the 2011 Narnia Fic Exchange.
Any Sentry from His Post -- Chronicles of Narnia, 2,700 words. A week after the battle of Anvard, Shasta despairs of fitting in to his new life, until a chance meeting with King Edmund of Narnia opens his eyes to new perspectives. [15-minute fic]
Do not stand at my grave and weep -- Chronicles of Narnia, 600 words. Shezan Tolkheera and Ilgamuth Tarkaan during HHB -- brief thoughts on love, politics, poetry, and grief.
A Clean Getaway -- Harry Potter, 950 words. Harry and Hermione sneak out for some private couple time at Hogwarts. In other words, if you were ever curious what they were up to while Ginny was amusing herself at Ron's expense during "A Little Sisterly Intervention," now you can find out. H/Hr.
Sasuke and the Seven Leaves -- Naruto, 1,600 words. Uchiha Sasuke joined the Confederated Space Force to hunt pirates, keep order, and prevent tragedies like the one that claimed his entire clan. But military life wasn't quite what he was expecting, and then everything went sideways when he found himself a prisoner on the colony rebel ship the Seven Leaves. In other words, welcome to Naruto IN SPACE!
For All the Works and Days of Hands -- Naruto, 875 words. A month after Naruto moves into her building, Yukiko receives an invitation to her cousin Yuichiro's anniversary dinner celebration and wonders when she drifted so far apart from her family. Heavy on backstory, slightly melancholy. "Apartment Manager" sidestory.
Fanfiction: 34,325
Original Fiction:
Tightrope Walking -- Firsthome, 350 words. Svedanya sin Alar thinks about her new friend and the future. [15-minute fic]
Original Fiction: 350
September Total: 34,675
---------------------------------------------
OCTOBER
Fanfiction:
Weregild, part 17 -- Inception/Anita Blake, 1,475 words.
Fanfiction: 1,475
October Total: 1,475
---------------------------------------------
NOVEMBER
Fanfiction:
Commonly to the Wars -- Chronicles of Narnia, 900 words. Queen Lucy the Valiant rides to the wars, despite Father Christmas's prescription that women should avoid battles. How did that come about? [15-minute fic]
Lazy Day -- BtVS, 3,600 words. Faith and Buffy watch taped episodes of Firefly in Cleveland. Slice of life with introspection and meta.
An Adjourning Heart -- Inception, 575 words. When she was still in her right mind, Mal once spent a week pondering funerals. In the end, only Arthur was left to carry out her wishes. [15-minute fic]
Fanfiction: 5,075
November Total: 5,075
---------------------------------------------
DECEMBER
Fanfiction:
Storm Warning -- Chronicles of Narnia/Doctor Who, 200 words. Prompt: young!Jadis, he was the one who made her that way.
Loyalty -- Merlin, 100 words. Prompt: girl!Merlin/Arthur, forever and further.
Tribute -- Chronicles of Narnia, 125 words. Prompt: Susan & Lucy Pevensie, jewelry.
In Strict Obedience to Her Commands -- Lucifer, 275 words. Prompt: Beatrice/Mazikeen, after the fact.
Everything Ends -- Ender's Game/Doctor Who, 350 words. Prompt: the Doctor, he listens to a Speaking and knows it to be true.
Seek and Ye Shall Find -- Chronicles of Narnia/The Dark Is Rising, 300 words. Prompt: Lucy/Will, he had the look of adventure in his eyes.
Of Horses -- Chronicles of Narnia, 125 words. Prompt: Rabadash, that one mare in the stable... Brutality to animals.
No Illusions -- Inception, 150 words. Prompt: Mal, 'Darkness has come upon me, painting, black, palpable; wipe it out, Dawn, like a debt'.
I'm Your Gun -- Captain America: The First Avenger, 200 words. Prompt: Steve/Bucky, I'm your gun.
Birds in the Hand -- Chronicles of Narnia, 250 words. Prompt: Edmund Pevensie, pickpocket!AU, jack of all trades. Crime, child abuse, prostitution.
Why We Fight -- Bourne trilogy (movies), 100 words. Prompt: Jason/Marie, somewhere in the sun.
Wrong Turn at Albuquerque -- Chronicles of Narnia, 275 words. Prompt: Pevensies & Tirian, "I don't think this is where we're supposed to be."
Bad Influence -- Chronicles of Narnia/Star Trek, 475 words. Prompt: Edmund & Jim, hotwiring a car.
Of Mourning -- Chronicles of Narnia, 200 words. Prompt: Lord Peridan and/or Tumnus, the decision to lock up the treasury once and for all.
Thelema -- Bible, 250 words. Prompt: girl!Serpent/Eve, it's Madam and Eve and they don't need Adam.
Happily Married -- Chronicles of Narnia, 100 words. Prompt: Cor/Aravis, so kiss me first/ then do your worst to me.
Target Practice -- Captain America: The First Avenger, 300 words. Prompt: Peggy/Steve/Bucky, target practice.
Open All the Doors -- X-Men First Class, 250 words. Prompt: Charles/Raven/Erik, everything good comes in three.
Irrevocable -- A Song of Ice and Fire/Merlin, 350 words. Prompt: Robb & Gwen, choices.
-----
Dreamers of the Day -- Inception, 11,000 words. How Gwen Levine got into dreamshare, kicked ass, took names, and found herself inextricably entangled with a forger going by the name of Eames, and how said forger found himself similarly caught. Girl!Arthur/Eames, as told in a series of twenty prompt fills forbe_themoon (and one more just because). Contains some violence and some oblique mention of child abuse and murder.
-----
The Lion, the Witch and the Ninja -- Naruto/Chronicles of Narnia, 850 words. A fusion-style crossover, in which the Pevensies were originally from Konoha rather than England. Fragments of a longer, unwritten story.
Legacies -- Naruto, 400 words. In which Naruto's grandkids add his name to the Memorial Stone.
Grass and Silence -- Chronicles of Narnia, 375 words. In which Lucy and Susan go on a quest without their brothers, Lucy makes a choice, and Aslan takes Susan into his confidence. Fragment.
-----
A Woman with Silver Eyes: Kate Welker, the Rolling Stone Interview -- The Girl with the Silver Eyes, 3,750 words. Twenty-five years after the Institute of Psychic Phenomena went public, Rolling Stone interviews Kate Welker, one of the Curtis Pharmaceuticals quartet and a long-time activist for both animal rights and the acceptance of the psychically gifted. Written forMacadamanaity in Yuletide 2011.
Loopholes -- The Homeward Bounders, 2,650 words. There's no rule saying you can't have more than one anchor. Written foranait in Yuletide 2011.
Self Made -- Lucifer, 250 words. How Mazikeen chose her face. Written forcosmogyral aka nextian in Yuletide Madness 2011.
Healing -- Black Jewels, 1,400 words. Wilhelmina Benedict visits her sister after Queen of the Darkness. Written forrandom_chick in Yuletide 2011.
Dum vivimus, vivamus -- Seaward, 800 words. Caught between grief for her parents and longing for Westerly, Cally dreams of Snake. Written forpikkugen in Yuletide Madness 2011.
As You Wish -- The Dark Is Rising, 1,125 words. Will was the one who kept them all together. Bran was the one who thought to ask why he bothered. Written foraishuu in Yuletide Madness 2011.
Fanfiction: 26,975
Original Fiction:
Geometry -- 50 words. Prompt: Point A/Point B, is this the end of the line?
Utilitarian Virtue -- 350 words. A wanderer crosses into a new universe on an ethically troubling mission. Fragment.
Original Fiction: 400
December Total: 27,375
---------------------------------------------
2011 Fanfiction: 125,450
2011 Original: 2,275
2011 Total: 127,725
---------------------------------------------
ANALYSIS
My word counts per month are extremely misleading this year, since I count by posting date rather than writing date. I actually wrote most of "Weregild" ch. 1 in June, not in July, and I wrote "Out of Season" over the July-to-August transition, not in September. (I did revise the latter fic in September, though.)
The bulk of my writing happened in May (Remix), late June through early July ("Weregild"), late July through early August ("Out of Season") and December (Three Sentence Ficathon and Yuletide). The month in which I wrote the least was October, making 2011 the second year in a row I barely wrote anything in that month. I wonder if it's something inherent to October, or just coincidence.
I signed up for five fic challenges/exchanges this year -- RemixRedux, Femgenficathon, Narnia Fic Exchange, Yuletide, and Narnia Big Bang. I completed Remix, Yuletide, and NFE; I defaulted on Femgen; and the Big Bang isn't due until February 2012. This is the second year in a row I defaulted on Femgen. I don't know what's going on there. Perhaps it's the lack of pressure in a prompt challenge rather than an exchange? Perhaps it’s the extended writing and posting period, which kind of kills the OMG DEADLINE!!! pressure that bodily shoves me to the finish line in exchanges? Perhaps it's that I write a lot of female characters anyway and so don't feel as much incentive because the challenge isn't that different from what I write anyway? It's a puzzle.
This was the year in which I was, if not all Narnia all the time, definitely more heavily involved in that fandom than before. This is also the year in which I discovered the joy of mini-prompt fills! They are like 15-minute fics in the sense that they are tiny finger exercises to keep my hand in and my brain tuned to storytelling, but they are also aimed specifically at a person who wants to read them, rather than thrown into the void in hopes of landing on an interested audience. The idea of at least one guaranteed reader is a powerful lure.
Alas, I wrote almost no original fiction this year. I think my original stories fell afoul of the particular type of fanfiction I've been writing. You see, the appeal of original fiction is not the ability to publish it and make money off it. It's the control -- the freedom to make up my own characters and my own rules for the world rather than the constraint of working with and around somebody else's characters and rules.
But C. S. Lewis left Calormen mostly a giant unpopulated blank, so when I write about Calormen, I get to satisfy a lot of my original fiction urges while still remaining in conversation with the members of Narnia fandom and thus giving myself access to a more responsive pool of potential readers. As with prompt fills, that has a powerful lure.
Still, I am going to make an effort to write more truly original fiction this coming year.
Now for some questions:
Did you write more than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you'd predicted?
---More! I don't usually expect myself to write much and I tend to scatter my focus rather than concentrate on finishing one or two big projects, so I never feel that I am doing much and always end up surprised by my cumulative word counts.
What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in 2010?
---Fandom? Inception. It's a movie fandom! I do not usually write for audiovisual canons, no matter how much I love them. But apparently a single movie and a bare handful of extracanonical details are just manageable enough for me to feel I can master them the way I can master textual canons. Continuing along the road to weirdness, I have no idea where the Inception/Anita Blake crossover came from, because seriously, WTF??? I hadn't read Laurell K. Hamilton in years and had an unpleasant breakup with her writing, and yet here I am with another novel-length WIP on my to-finish list. *hands*
Also The Girl with the Silver Eyes, which is a YA book from 1980 that I'd never so much as heard of until November. Of course, that was for Yuletide and Yuletide often sweeps people into fandoms they never expected to write for, so it's pretty par for the course.
Genre? Hmm. Probably the girl!Arthur/Eames fills forbe_themoon. I thought I was more or less done with genderswap aside from "As the Morning and the Night" (the Narnia genderswap retelling that I am not writing), and that only ate my brain for meta story-structure reasons. These fills just came out of nowhere. But I am quite fond of them nonetheless. *grin*
Pairing? Girl!Arthur/Eames, for the reasons given above, and also because on the basis of canon I am more in favor of Arthur/Ariadne and Arthur/Ariadne/Eames than Arthur/Eames, regardless of how the latter ship dominates Inception fandom. Also Shezan Tolkheera/Ilgamuth Tarkaan, because I was trying to write a story about politics and religion and culture clashes and ethics and stuff, not a romance. Characters are weird like that.
Did you take any writing risks this year?
---Not that I am aware of. My writing process is pretty much the same as it ever was (long fallows of procrastination followed by brief intervals of blind panic), and no story felt like it was anything really new and different. I suppose the closest I came was mimicking the style and structure of a Rolling Stone interview, and writing first person Homeward Bounders fic, but I would not call either of those particularly risky.
Do you have any fanfic or original fic goals for the New Year?
---1. As always, I would like to finish my WIPs. Also as always, I suspect I will fail. *sigh* 2. I would like to not fail at Femgen for a third year in a row. 3. I would like to write more original fiction, since I fell down badly on that front this year. 4. I would like to not default on my Narnia Big Bang!
Favorite story -- not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest
---"Out of Season," because it convincingly makes the points I wanted to make. It is also a well-executed exercise in world-building (if I do say so myself), it is centered on an original female character with a bunch of other original female characters in important supporting roles, and I may have been writing it down to the absolute wire, but I damn well got it finished. \o/
Also "Dreamers of the Day," because those fills were pure pleasure to write and I like writing stories that I know at least one person will appreciate even if the rest of the universe doesn't care; "A History of Handcrafts" because genfic about family and nakama makes me warm and fuzzy and Amanda, Gaila, and Uhura are awesome (do not even think about arguing; you will get nowhere); "Postcards from Naxos" because I love the original, I love Ariadne, and I love the structural gimmick; and "While We Live" because see, I can so make the Orions make cultural sense.
Best story
---Probably "Out of Season." Now and then everything just clicks. :-)
Most underappreciated by the universe
---None, really. I have been lucky with feedback this year!
Most "Holy crap, that's wrong, even for you" story
---Weirdly enough, none? Unless you count the thief!Pevensies AU I wrote forcaramelsilver in the Three Sentence Ficathon. That does have a lot of unsettling stuff, but it's so short I hardly feel I should count it. Then again, considering my answer to the next question... *shrug*
Sexiest story
---"Thelema," the girl!serpent/Eve 3-sentence fic I wrote forlizzie_marie_23. "Dum vivimus, vivamus," the Cally/Snake Yuletide treat I wrote for pikku_gen, even though it's about as non-explicit as you can possibly get while writing about sex. I suppose "In Foreign Tongues" also counts, by virtue of centering on a semi-explicit sexual encounter, though I don't think the overall effect is particularly sexy as such.
Most fun to write
---All the 3-sentence fills! Also "Weregild," before the summer heat killed my computer for a week and I got derailed from my weirdly atypical speed-demon rhythm.
Most disappointing
---Any WIP I didn't finish! *headdesk*
Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters
---"Dreamers of the Day," because Gwen (girl!Arthur) is different from my mental version of Arthur in ways both obvious and subtle, and some of the differences I still have no real explanation for but cannot uproot from my mind.
Also "Healing," because Wilhelmina is both stronger and more adult than she gives herself credit for. I think she and Jaenelle would be awesome sisters if they ever really got a chance to know each other as people instead of... whatever that mess that passed for their childhood qualifies as.
Story with the single sweetest moment
---I dunno, really. All my sweet moments were kind of tied up in sad moments this year. But I think I'd go with either "A History of Handcrafts" for the Power of Friendship stuff, or "Legacies" for the way Naruto's grandkids choose to remember him.
Hardest story to write
---"The Guardian in Spite of Herself," which just stalled out halfway through a chapter; I have yet to go back, fix what I think is causing the problem, and start over. Also "Five Things That Never Happened to Rex and Ana Lewis (And One That Still Might)," even though it's not finished, because the sheer amount of research I have been putting into that thing is just mind-boggling. Especially for a freaking GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra fic. *headdesk*
Easiest story to write
---Again, the 3-sentence fills. :-)
Biggest surprise
---"Weregild." I reiterate, WTF???
Most revealing story
---Probably "A Woman with Silver Eyes: Kate Welker, the Rolling Stone Interview." It's tailored tomacadamanaity, of course, but it also draws on my own real life for a lot of the contextual details. I mean, I set the story in Ithaca. That alone should tell you something. I think unfamiliarity with the canon made me lean more heavily on personal experience -- "write what you know" -- than usual.
Also "Out of Season," because aside from the whole 'filling a prompt' aspect, that is pretty much me having an argument with C. S. Lewis about religion, ethics, world-building, female character roles, and so on and so forth. As I said in the AO3 tags, "once you create the rest of the world, it has to count as much as your special country, Mr. Lewis." I believe that with all my heart, and "Out of Season" is an illustration of that conviction.
---------------------------------------------
And that is that for the year!
2009 version
2005 version
JANUARY
Fanfiction:
To All Good Will -- Chronicles of Narnia, 600 words. Five letters exchanged between Susan and Edmund Pevensie in the week leading up to Christmas 1948. [15-minute fic]
The Guardian in Spite of Herself, chapter 14 -- Naruto, 4,600 words. The reward for a job well done is a bigger job. In this case, Ayakawa Yukiko's new job is a lot more complicated than anyone expected. The Uchiha massacre and its aftermath, in the world of 'The Way of the Apartment Manager.' WIP
Fanfiction: 5,200
Original Fiction:
The Principle of Fire -- Ashes, 350 words. Morgalen and her motives -- a character and world-building sketch. [15-minute fic]
Fall into the Sea -- Witch of Immish, 1,025 words. A sea girl makes a bargain with the children of a fishing village. Rough attempt at a companion story to "The Sea Hag." [15-minute fic]
Original Fiction: 1,375
January Total: 6,575
---------------------------------------------
FEBRUARY
Fanfiction:
The Courting Dance, chapter 5 -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,875 words. Aravis and Cor. Marriage is a bit more complicated than quarrelling and making it up again, especially for the crown prince of Archenland and an exiled Calormene Tarkheena. WIP
Fanfiction: 1,875
Original Fiction:
Toward Justice -- Ironheart's War, 150 words. An excerpt from Ironheart's speech to her troops before the first battle of Waek Tower. [15-minute fic]
Original Fiction: 150
February Total: 2,025
---------------------------------------------
MARCH
Fanfiction:
Parallel -- Chronicles of Narnia, 650 words. Jadis didn't meet her sister until they were seven years old. Until then, she had nothing but rumors and dreams.
Strange Likenesses, chapter 7 -- Harry Potter, 2,425 words. What if the newly disembodied Voldemort had noticed his link to Harry? A dark AU. WIP
Fanfiction: 3,075
March Total: 3,075
---------------------------------------------
APRIL
Fanfiction:
Lemonade, chapter 18 -- BtVS/Gundam Wing/Naruto, 2,025 words. An unfortunate accident with a demonic portal dumps Faith Lehane, Duo Maxwell, and Uchiha Sasuke into a hell dimension. Knowing these three, things can only get worse from there. WIP
Fanfiction: 2,025
April Total: 2,025
---------------------------------------------
MAY
Fanfiction:
A History of Handcrafts (Because a Sweater Equals Love) -- Star Trek: AOS, 3,200 words. Love doesn't have to be difficult: all you need to do is reach out to your friends. A story in three parts and many knitting projects. Written for RemixRedux 9, based on Spock's Sweater by
A History of Handcrafts: alternate scenes -- Star Trek: AOS, 1,400 words. Various wrong turns from the previous story, posted for curiosity's sake.
In Foreign Tongues (Been All Over You) -- Star Trek: AOS, 1,600 words. Nyota offered herself as Gaila's sister when they first met -- she greeted Gaila with her name in all openness, the traditional overture to the creation of an in-net -- and Gaila has never regretted accepting that gift. Gaila/Uhura, dubious consent, mildly explicit sex. Written for RemixRedux 9, based on Talented Tongue by
Postcards from Naxos (You Don't Have To Go Home, But You Can't Stay Here) -- Inception, 5,300 words. In the months after the inception job, Ariadne slips from one life to another. Written for RemixRedux 9, based on With Thanks to Apollo by
While We Live -- Star Trek: AOS, 1,950 words. A horrifically compressed version of Gaila's early life on Orion Prime, her escape to the Federation, and the reason she joined Starfleet. This wants to be the first third of a novel and is more a world-building exercise than a story, but I really like the ideas. Contains slavery.
The Spell Begins to Break -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,050 words. Laurie, Stephen, and Mary receive their gifts from Father Christmas. Genderswap, part of "As the Morning and the Night."
How Does Your Garden Grow? -- Chronicles of Narnia, 2,225 words. Mary Pevensie and her family: a character study in three parts. Genderswap, part of "As the Morning and the Night."
Fanfiction: 16,725
May Total: 16,725
---------------------------------------------
JUNE
Fanfiction:
If You Have Any Questions After the Lecture -- Inception, 525 words. Ariadne and Arthur, a little tag to the paradoxical architecture scene. [15-minute fic]
Fanfiction: 525
June Total: 525
---------------------------------------------
JULY
Fanfiction:
Weregild, chapter 1 (parts 1-8) -- Inception/Anita Blake, 11,050 words. Ariadne survived Nikolaos by keeping her head down and playing as harmless as a young master vampire can; Jean-Claude's rule is better, but she still dreams of freedom. When bounty hunters Dominic Cobb and Arthur come to St. Louis seeking revenge for the death of Dom's wife, they set off a storm of events that may grant Ariadne's wish in a most unexpected way. Arthur/Ariadne/Eames, past Dom/Mal.
Weregild, chapter 2 (parts 9-14) -- Inception/Anita Blake, 10,500 words.
Weregild, part 15 -- Inception/Anita Blake, 1,725 words.
Fanfiction: 23,275
July Total: 23,275
---------------------------------------------
AUGUST
Fanfiction:
The Courting Dance, chapter 6 -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,675 words.
Weregild, part 16 -- Inception/Anita Blake, 1,650 words.
The Courting Dance, chapter 7 -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,575 words.
Fanfiction: 4,900
August Total: 4,900
---------------------------------------------
SEPTEMBER
Fanfiction:
When You Have To Go There -- Inception, 600 words. Post-film character study of Arthur, plus random thoughts on the extraction business. [15-minute fic]
Out of Season -- Chronicles of Narnia, 27,000 words. In the fourteenth year of Rishti Tisroc's reign, a demon in the shape of a beaver is captured and brought to Tashbaan. Shezan Tolkheera, high priestess of the goddess Achadith, is given the responsibility of guarding the demon until its sacrifice at the Spring Festival. Complications ensue. Written for
lady_songsmith in the 2011 Narnia Fic Exchange.Any Sentry from His Post -- Chronicles of Narnia, 2,700 words. A week after the battle of Anvard, Shasta despairs of fitting in to his new life, until a chance meeting with King Edmund of Narnia opens his eyes to new perspectives. [15-minute fic]
Do not stand at my grave and weep -- Chronicles of Narnia, 600 words. Shezan Tolkheera and Ilgamuth Tarkaan during HHB -- brief thoughts on love, politics, poetry, and grief.
A Clean Getaway -- Harry Potter, 950 words. Harry and Hermione sneak out for some private couple time at Hogwarts. In other words, if you were ever curious what they were up to while Ginny was amusing herself at Ron's expense during "A Little Sisterly Intervention," now you can find out. H/Hr.
Sasuke and the Seven Leaves -- Naruto, 1,600 words. Uchiha Sasuke joined the Confederated Space Force to hunt pirates, keep order, and prevent tragedies like the one that claimed his entire clan. But military life wasn't quite what he was expecting, and then everything went sideways when he found himself a prisoner on the colony rebel ship the Seven Leaves. In other words, welcome to Naruto IN SPACE!
For All the Works and Days of Hands -- Naruto, 875 words. A month after Naruto moves into her building, Yukiko receives an invitation to her cousin Yuichiro's anniversary dinner celebration and wonders when she drifted so far apart from her family. Heavy on backstory, slightly melancholy. "Apartment Manager" sidestory.
Fanfiction: 34,325
Original Fiction:
Tightrope Walking -- Firsthome, 350 words. Svedanya sin Alar thinks about her new friend and the future. [15-minute fic]
Original Fiction: 350
September Total: 34,675
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OCTOBER
Fanfiction:
Weregild, part 17 -- Inception/Anita Blake, 1,475 words.
Fanfiction: 1,475
October Total: 1,475
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NOVEMBER
Fanfiction:
Commonly to the Wars -- Chronicles of Narnia, 900 words. Queen Lucy the Valiant rides to the wars, despite Father Christmas's prescription that women should avoid battles. How did that come about? [15-minute fic]
Lazy Day -- BtVS, 3,600 words. Faith and Buffy watch taped episodes of Firefly in Cleveland. Slice of life with introspection and meta.
An Adjourning Heart -- Inception, 575 words. When she was still in her right mind, Mal once spent a week pondering funerals. In the end, only Arthur was left to carry out her wishes. [15-minute fic]
Fanfiction: 5,075
November Total: 5,075
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DECEMBER
Fanfiction:
Storm Warning -- Chronicles of Narnia/Doctor Who, 200 words. Prompt: young!Jadis, he was the one who made her that way.
Loyalty -- Merlin, 100 words. Prompt: girl!Merlin/Arthur, forever and further.
Tribute -- Chronicles of Narnia, 125 words. Prompt: Susan & Lucy Pevensie, jewelry.
In Strict Obedience to Her Commands -- Lucifer, 275 words. Prompt: Beatrice/Mazikeen, after the fact.
Everything Ends -- Ender's Game/Doctor Who, 350 words. Prompt: the Doctor, he listens to a Speaking and knows it to be true.
Seek and Ye Shall Find -- Chronicles of Narnia/The Dark Is Rising, 300 words. Prompt: Lucy/Will, he had the look of adventure in his eyes.
Of Horses -- Chronicles of Narnia, 125 words. Prompt: Rabadash, that one mare in the stable... Brutality to animals.
No Illusions -- Inception, 150 words. Prompt: Mal, 'Darkness has come upon me, painting, black, palpable; wipe it out, Dawn, like a debt'.
I'm Your Gun -- Captain America: The First Avenger, 200 words. Prompt: Steve/Bucky, I'm your gun.
Birds in the Hand -- Chronicles of Narnia, 250 words. Prompt: Edmund Pevensie, pickpocket!AU, jack of all trades. Crime, child abuse, prostitution.
Why We Fight -- Bourne trilogy (movies), 100 words. Prompt: Jason/Marie, somewhere in the sun.
Wrong Turn at Albuquerque -- Chronicles of Narnia, 275 words. Prompt: Pevensies & Tirian, "I don't think this is where we're supposed to be."
Bad Influence -- Chronicles of Narnia/Star Trek, 475 words. Prompt: Edmund & Jim, hotwiring a car.
Of Mourning -- Chronicles of Narnia, 200 words. Prompt: Lord Peridan and/or Tumnus, the decision to lock up the treasury once and for all.
Thelema -- Bible, 250 words. Prompt: girl!Serpent/Eve, it's Madam and Eve and they don't need Adam.
Happily Married -- Chronicles of Narnia, 100 words. Prompt: Cor/Aravis, so kiss me first/ then do your worst to me.
Target Practice -- Captain America: The First Avenger, 300 words. Prompt: Peggy/Steve/Bucky, target practice.
Open All the Doors -- X-Men First Class, 250 words. Prompt: Charles/Raven/Erik, everything good comes in three.
Irrevocable -- A Song of Ice and Fire/Merlin, 350 words. Prompt: Robb & Gwen, choices.
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Dreamers of the Day -- Inception, 11,000 words. How Gwen Levine got into dreamshare, kicked ass, took names, and found herself inextricably entangled with a forger going by the name of Eames, and how said forger found himself similarly caught. Girl!Arthur/Eames, as told in a series of twenty prompt fills for
be_themoon (and one more just because). Contains some violence and some oblique mention of child abuse and murder.-----
The Lion, the Witch and the Ninja -- Naruto/Chronicles of Narnia, 850 words. A fusion-style crossover, in which the Pevensies were originally from Konoha rather than England. Fragments of a longer, unwritten story.
Legacies -- Naruto, 400 words. In which Naruto's grandkids add his name to the Memorial Stone.
Grass and Silence -- Chronicles of Narnia, 375 words. In which Lucy and Susan go on a quest without their brothers, Lucy makes a choice, and Aslan takes Susan into his confidence. Fragment.
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A Woman with Silver Eyes: Kate Welker, the Rolling Stone Interview -- The Girl with the Silver Eyes, 3,750 words. Twenty-five years after the Institute of Psychic Phenomena went public, Rolling Stone interviews Kate Welker, one of the Curtis Pharmaceuticals quartet and a long-time activist for both animal rights and the acceptance of the psychically gifted. Written for
Loopholes -- The Homeward Bounders, 2,650 words. There's no rule saying you can't have more than one anchor. Written for
Self Made -- Lucifer, 250 words. How Mazikeen chose her face. Written for
Healing -- Black Jewels, 1,400 words. Wilhelmina Benedict visits her sister after Queen of the Darkness. Written for
Dum vivimus, vivamus -- Seaward, 800 words. Caught between grief for her parents and longing for Westerly, Cally dreams of Snake. Written for
As You Wish -- The Dark Is Rising, 1,125 words. Will was the one who kept them all together. Bran was the one who thought to ask why he bothered. Written for
aishuu in Yuletide Madness 2011.Fanfiction: 26,975
Original Fiction:
Geometry -- 50 words. Prompt: Point A/Point B, is this the end of the line?
Utilitarian Virtue -- 350 words. A wanderer crosses into a new universe on an ethically troubling mission. Fragment.
Original Fiction: 400
December Total: 27,375
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2011 Fanfiction: 125,450
2011 Original: 2,275
2011 Total: 127,725
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ANALYSIS
My word counts per month are extremely misleading this year, since I count by posting date rather than writing date. I actually wrote most of "Weregild" ch. 1 in June, not in July, and I wrote "Out of Season" over the July-to-August transition, not in September. (I did revise the latter fic in September, though.)
The bulk of my writing happened in May (Remix), late June through early July ("Weregild"), late July through early August ("Out of Season") and December (Three Sentence Ficathon and Yuletide). The month in which I wrote the least was October, making 2011 the second year in a row I barely wrote anything in that month. I wonder if it's something inherent to October, or just coincidence.
I signed up for five fic challenges/exchanges this year -- RemixRedux, Femgenficathon, Narnia Fic Exchange, Yuletide, and Narnia Big Bang. I completed Remix, Yuletide, and NFE; I defaulted on Femgen; and the Big Bang isn't due until February 2012. This is the second year in a row I defaulted on Femgen. I don't know what's going on there. Perhaps it's the lack of pressure in a prompt challenge rather than an exchange? Perhaps it’s the extended writing and posting period, which kind of kills the OMG DEADLINE!!! pressure that bodily shoves me to the finish line in exchanges? Perhaps it's that I write a lot of female characters anyway and so don't feel as much incentive because the challenge isn't that different from what I write anyway? It's a puzzle.
This was the year in which I was, if not all Narnia all the time, definitely more heavily involved in that fandom than before. This is also the year in which I discovered the joy of mini-prompt fills! They are like 15-minute fics in the sense that they are tiny finger exercises to keep my hand in and my brain tuned to storytelling, but they are also aimed specifically at a person who wants to read them, rather than thrown into the void in hopes of landing on an interested audience. The idea of at least one guaranteed reader is a powerful lure.
Alas, I wrote almost no original fiction this year. I think my original stories fell afoul of the particular type of fanfiction I've been writing. You see, the appeal of original fiction is not the ability to publish it and make money off it. It's the control -- the freedom to make up my own characters and my own rules for the world rather than the constraint of working with and around somebody else's characters and rules.
But C. S. Lewis left Calormen mostly a giant unpopulated blank, so when I write about Calormen, I get to satisfy a lot of my original fiction urges while still remaining in conversation with the members of Narnia fandom and thus giving myself access to a more responsive pool of potential readers. As with prompt fills, that has a powerful lure.
Still, I am going to make an effort to write more truly original fiction this coming year.
Now for some questions:
Did you write more than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you'd predicted?
---More! I don't usually expect myself to write much and I tend to scatter my focus rather than concentrate on finishing one or two big projects, so I never feel that I am doing much and always end up surprised by my cumulative word counts.
What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in 2010?
---Fandom? Inception. It's a movie fandom! I do not usually write for audiovisual canons, no matter how much I love them. But apparently a single movie and a bare handful of extracanonical details are just manageable enough for me to feel I can master them the way I can master textual canons. Continuing along the road to weirdness, I have no idea where the Inception/Anita Blake crossover came from, because seriously, WTF??? I hadn't read Laurell K. Hamilton in years and had an unpleasant breakup with her writing, and yet here I am with another novel-length WIP on my to-finish list. *hands*
Also The Girl with the Silver Eyes, which is a YA book from 1980 that I'd never so much as heard of until November. Of course, that was for Yuletide and Yuletide often sweeps people into fandoms they never expected to write for, so it's pretty par for the course.
Genre? Hmm. Probably the girl!Arthur/Eames fills for
be_themoon. I thought I was more or less done with genderswap aside from "As the Morning and the Night" (the Narnia genderswap retelling that I am not writing), and that only ate my brain for meta story-structure reasons. These fills just came out of nowhere. But I am quite fond of them nonetheless. *grin*Pairing? Girl!Arthur/Eames, for the reasons given above, and also because on the basis of canon I am more in favor of Arthur/Ariadne and Arthur/Ariadne/Eames than Arthur/Eames, regardless of how the latter ship dominates Inception fandom. Also Shezan Tolkheera/Ilgamuth Tarkaan, because I was trying to write a story about politics and religion and culture clashes and ethics and stuff, not a romance. Characters are weird like that.
Did you take any writing risks this year?
---Not that I am aware of. My writing process is pretty much the same as it ever was (long fallows of procrastination followed by brief intervals of blind panic), and no story felt like it was anything really new and different. I suppose the closest I came was mimicking the style and structure of a Rolling Stone interview, and writing first person Homeward Bounders fic, but I would not call either of those particularly risky.
Do you have any fanfic or original fic goals for the New Year?
---1. As always, I would like to finish my WIPs. Also as always, I suspect I will fail. *sigh* 2. I would like to not fail at Femgen for a third year in a row. 3. I would like to write more original fiction, since I fell down badly on that front this year. 4. I would like to not default on my Narnia Big Bang!
Favorite story -- not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest
---"Out of Season," because it convincingly makes the points I wanted to make. It is also a well-executed exercise in world-building (if I do say so myself), it is centered on an original female character with a bunch of other original female characters in important supporting roles, and I may have been writing it down to the absolute wire, but I damn well got it finished. \o/
Also "Dreamers of the Day," because those fills were pure pleasure to write and I like writing stories that I know at least one person will appreciate even if the rest of the universe doesn't care; "A History of Handcrafts" because genfic about family and nakama makes me warm and fuzzy and Amanda, Gaila, and Uhura are awesome (do not even think about arguing; you will get nowhere); "Postcards from Naxos" because I love the original, I love Ariadne, and I love the structural gimmick; and "While We Live" because see, I can so make the Orions make cultural sense.
Best story
---Probably "Out of Season." Now and then everything just clicks. :-)
Most underappreciated by the universe
---None, really. I have been lucky with feedback this year!
Most "Holy crap, that's wrong, even for you" story
---Weirdly enough, none? Unless you count the thief!Pevensies AU I wrote for
caramelsilver in the Three Sentence Ficathon. That does have a lot of unsettling stuff, but it's so short I hardly feel I should count it. Then again, considering my answer to the next question... *shrug*Sexiest story
---"Thelema," the girl!serpent/Eve 3-sentence fic I wrote for
lizzie_marie_23. "Dum vivimus, vivamus," the Cally/Snake Yuletide treat I wrote for pikku_gen, even though it's about as non-explicit as you can possibly get while writing about sex. I suppose "In Foreign Tongues" also counts, by virtue of centering on a semi-explicit sexual encounter, though I don't think the overall effect is particularly sexy as such.Most fun to write
---All the 3-sentence fills! Also "Weregild," before the summer heat killed my computer for a week and I got derailed from my weirdly atypical speed-demon rhythm.
Most disappointing
---Any WIP I didn't finish! *headdesk*
Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters
---"Dreamers of the Day," because Gwen (girl!Arthur) is different from my mental version of Arthur in ways both obvious and subtle, and some of the differences I still have no real explanation for but cannot uproot from my mind.
Also "Healing," because Wilhelmina is both stronger and more adult than she gives herself credit for. I think she and Jaenelle would be awesome sisters if they ever really got a chance to know each other as people instead of... whatever that mess that passed for their childhood qualifies as.
Story with the single sweetest moment
---I dunno, really. All my sweet moments were kind of tied up in sad moments this year. But I think I'd go with either "A History of Handcrafts" for the Power of Friendship stuff, or "Legacies" for the way Naruto's grandkids choose to remember him.
Hardest story to write
---"The Guardian in Spite of Herself," which just stalled out halfway through a chapter; I have yet to go back, fix what I think is causing the problem, and start over. Also "Five Things That Never Happened to Rex and Ana Lewis (And One That Still Might)," even though it's not finished, because the sheer amount of research I have been putting into that thing is just mind-boggling. Especially for a freaking GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra fic. *headdesk*
Easiest story to write
---Again, the 3-sentence fills. :-)
Biggest surprise
---"Weregild." I reiterate, WTF???
Most revealing story
---Probably "A Woman with Silver Eyes: Kate Welker, the Rolling Stone Interview." It's tailored to
macadamanaity, of course, but it also draws on my own real life for a lot of the contextual details. I mean, I set the story in Ithaca. That alone should tell you something. I think unfamiliarity with the canon made me lean more heavily on personal experience -- "write what you know" -- than usual.Also "Out of Season," because aside from the whole 'filling a prompt' aspect, that is pretty much me having an argument with C. S. Lewis about religion, ethics, world-building, female character roles, and so on and so forth. As I said in the AO3 tags, "once you create the rest of the world, it has to count as much as your special country, Mr. Lewis." I believe that with all my heart, and "Out of Season" is an illustration of that conviction.
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And that is that for the year!
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Date: 2012-01-04 03:19 am (UTC)