2012 writing roundup and analysis
Jan. 3rd, 2013 11:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
edenfalling2011 version
2010 version
2009 version
2005 version
JANUARY
Fanfiction:
none
Original Fiction:
Red -- 1,000 words. A long-term scientific mission to Mars runs into unexpected trouble. Sketch of a nightmare that I have never figured out how to flesh out into a proper story, but the bare bones get the point across just fine. Body horror, death.
Original Fiction: 1,000
January Total: 1,000
---------------------------------------------
FEBRUARY
Fanfiction:
The Transient and the Eternal: If only -- Angel Sanctuary, 1,900 words. Sara hates getting old.
Who Fell Among the Thieves -- Inception, 725 words. Arthur didn't help Dom run from California, but he couldn't let him drown on his own. [15-minute fic]
I Must Increase My Bust -- Homestuck, 6,800 words. Dave has a thing for large breasts. Jade discovers she does too. Explicit sex, shameless abuse of Jade's Witch of Space powers for kinky breast expansion purposes. I am assured that this is way more adorable than it has any right to be for something that is basically light porn. [kinkmeme prompt!fic]
Hollywood Shenanigans -- Homestuck, 3,500 words. Jane Crocker attends an entertainment industry party in honor of her poppop, escorted by, of all unlikely people, her friend Dirk's elusive older brother. Vaguely fluffy, mostly gen. [kinkmeme prompt!fic]
Four by Four, part 1 -- Homestuck, 1,400 words. John, Jade, Rose and Dave meet in a chat room on Jade's thirteenth birthday to talk about nothing in particular. Sedoretu AU. [kinkmeme prompt!fic]
Fanfiction: 14,325
Original Fiction:
none
February Total: 14,325
---------------------------------------------
MARCH
Fanfiction:
The Fire in Which We Burn -- Homestuck, 1,650 words. "The first watch keeps the correct time. Always. Terezi tried starting out of sync the third time they played this game, but without that one thread of the right beat to cling to, the grating wrongness of the other watches knocked Dave out of the mood long before he could hit trance state." Terezi/Dave, idiosycratic forms of bondage. [kinkmeme prompt!fic]
The Guardian in Spite of Herself, chapter 15 -- Naruto, 4,700 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."
An Intricate Courtship Process -- Homestuck, 1,850 words. Wherein Karkat Vantas asks Dave Strider an important question about quadrants and romantic intentions; after much soul-searching and random digression, Dave gives him an unexpected answer; and Terezi Pyrope's approval is sought for potential kinky shenanigans. Dave<3Terezi, Karkat<3Terezi, Dave???Karkat. [prompt!fic foraskerian]
Wherein Two Moirails Make the Best of a Stolen Afternoon -- Homestuck, 1,600 words. Karkat and Gamzee cuddle on the meteor road trip to nowhere. [kinkmeme prompt!fic]
Sparkly Rainbow Blood -- Homestuck, 2,050 words. Wherein going God Tier has made the humans' genetic material and other bodily fluids sparkly and rainbow colored. Various people react to this change. Complete nonsense, basically, but hopefully fun! Includes Terezi<3Dave, Rose<3Kanaya, Dave/Terezi/Karkat, and Karkat<>Gamzee. [kinkmeme prompt!fic]
Last Call -- Naruto, 2,250 words. Sakura and Naruto discuss their futures during their last summer as camp counselors. Summer Camp & Politics AU. [prompt!fic for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
cherokee1]
Implications -- Star Trek: AOS, 575 words. Jim Kirk loves his crew. (But not like that. Get your minds out of the gutter, people! :-p ) [prompt!fic forjjhunter]
What Is Essential -- Naruto, 3,200 words. Sakura went to summer camp to be with her best friend Ino. Somehow over the next two years, she ended up best friends with two jerks instead. Summer Camp & Politics AU. [prompt!fic foraskerian]
Narutostuck: The Spider and the Flies -- Homestuck/Naruto, 2,400 words. The eastern countries have reached out to the new government of the Land of Space, inviting the village of Hidden Time to send participants to the upcoming chuunin exam in Konoha. Vriska Serket is very interested in whether her country's new leaders will accept, and ropes her teammates into helping her spy on their meeting. [prompt!fic forrunespoor]
Fanfiction: 20,275
Original Fiction:
none
March Total: 20,275
---------------------------------------------
APRIL
Fanfiction:
After Frost -- Naruto, 4,850 words. In the shadow of a vote over a bilateral free trade agreement with Thunder Country, Hyuuga Hinata moves on. Warnings for depression, learned helplessness, severely dysfunctional families, and a traumatic backstory involving kidnapping, long-term captivity, and murder. [prompt!fic forhungrytiger11]
To Every Thing There Is a Season -- Chronicles of Narnia, 21,300 words. Ilgamuth Tarkaan was fourteen when he first rode to war. He was likewise fourteen when he pledged his life and his name to Prince Rabadash, a decision that would shape the rest of his life. Prequel to Out of Season. Contains character death, violence, and moral dilemmas. 2012 Narnia Big Bang entry.
Trollstuck, chapter 1: Jarlia (parts 1-4) & chapter 2: Alonde (parts 5-6) -- Homestuck, 4,000 & 4,000 words. In which the four beta!kids are and always were trolls on Alternia, Sgrub/Sburb does not exist, and Troll Jade Harley is on a quest to keep her friend Aradia from dying. Things will almost certainly get more complicated, but that's a good place to start. Ships to date: Rosec3<Feferic3<Eridan, Jade<3<Karkat, Aradia<>Sollux, Dave<>Terezi, Nepeta<>Equius. [prompt!fic forexplodingfrogs]
Sacrifices (Backwards and in High Heels) -- Batman (Nolan!verse), 1,850 words. Barbara Kean has been making sacrifices for a very long time. Her marriage and her children are the latest tithe to the city that owns her heart. Barbara Kean-Gordon/Jim Gordon. Written for Remix Redux 10, based on Sacrifices by![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
aviss.
Problems and Solutions (All Things in Time) -- Chronicles of Narnia/Stargate: SG-1, 1,250 words. How the Goa'uld Therem came to infiltrate Stargate Command and make an attempt to commandeer the Gate, as told by Susan Pevensie to SG-1 (with necessary omissions). Written for Remix Redux 10, based on An Alternate Solution to the Problem of Susan bycofax7.
Down in the Deep (The Index of Refraction) -- Merlin, 450 words. Now her breath is water. And they are still not the same. Freya/Merlin. Written for Remix Redux 10, based on Down in the Deep bysignificantowl.
Fanfiction: 37,700
Original Fiction:
none
April Total: 37,700
---------------------------------------------
MAY
Fanfiction:
Ass O'Clock in Dusseldorf -- Homestuck, 2,200 words. A lighthearted vignette wherein a young lady, away from home at a professional conference, utilizes the internet to discuss an important issue in interpersonal relationships with the young man she has been cohabiting with for several years. Files are sent, metaphors are abused, and a happy ending is guaranteed. Jade/Dave. [kinkmeme prompt!fic]
Me, Myself, and Die -- Homestuck, 2,400 words. Wherein Dave Strider goes back in time to save his friends at the cost of himself. Turning into a game program is not anyone's idea of happily ever after. Angst. [kinkmeme prompt!fic]
Blueprints -- Inception, 1,150 words, May 2012. This is how you build a castle. This is how you build a life. Ariadne gen, written for Femgenficathon 2011.
Fanfiction: 5,750
Original Fiction:
none
May Total: 5,750
---------------------------------------------
JUNE
Fanfiction:
Trollstuck, chapter 3: Aradia (parts 7-11) & chapter 4: Davven (parts 12-15) -- Homestuck, 5,700 words & 7,100 words.
Fanfiction: 12,800
Original Fiction:
none
June Total: 12,800
---------------------------------------------
JULY
Fanfiction:
Ring the Changes -- Homestuck, 1,150 words. Rose and Roxy connect via a shared literary interest. [15-minute fic]
Occam's Razor, Misapplied -- Chronicles of Narnia, 450 words. A brief excerpt from a volume of Calormene history. [15-minute fic]
Instant Corpse Party (Party Not Included) -- Homestuck, 7,600 words. What do you do with your own cadaver? Not to mention the bodies of your friends and guardians? A story of the first days traveling the yellow yard. [kinkmeme prompt!fic]
Fanfiction: 9,200
Original Fiction:
none
July Total: 9,200
---------------------------------------------
AUGUST
Fanfiction:
Weregild, part 18 -- Inception/Anita Blake, 1,600 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, background Anita/Jean-Claude and Anita/Richard tension.
Iconography -- Chronicles of Narnia, 500 words. World-building on the theme of apples. Contains incidental theology.
Trollstuck, chapter 5: Karkat (parts 16-19) -- Homestuck, 7,200 words.
Milk and Honey -- Homestuck, 3,650 words. In which Aradia meets herself in a dreambubble and decides to express her joy in being alive via sex. Contains explicit sex, references to the porn version of Troll Indiana Jones, mild kink with a bottle of honey and a leather whip handle, and non-fanon-standard troll genitalia. Aradia/Aradia. [kinkmeme prompt!fic]
Fanfiction: 12,950
Original Fiction:
none
August Total: 12,950
---------------------------------------------
SEPTEMBER
Fanfiction:
Angst and Sparkle -- Glee, 150 words. Kurt/Blaine vampire-and-werewolf ridiculousness, written to teaseaishuu.
Queen Lucy, the Firebird, and the Death of Koschei the Deathless -- Chronicles of Narnia, 2,700 words. In which Queen Lucy of Narnia and Princess Elena of Vinyedvyeri go on a quest to defeat Koschei the Deathless, rescue Elena's brothers, and incidentally get Lucy back home after she was carried off by a magical bird. Blink-and-miss-it implied crossover with the Vorkosigan series. Written forrthstewart in the 2012 Narnia Fic Exchange.
Four by Four, part 2 -- Homestuck, 6,000 words. wherein the kids attempt to explain moiety to the trolls mid-game. That goes about as smoothly as you'd expect. Sedoretu AU. [kinkmeme prompt!fic]
Waking Persephone -- Homestuck, 1,100 words. Jade and Dave take a break in their frog hunt, in the aftermath of the volcano and the coming of spring to LOFAF. Cotton Candy Bingo fill.
Every Child a Wanted Child -- Homestuck, 2,000 words. Jade English never expected to have children, let alone grandchildren. She has her company, her allies, and her fight against Crockercorp to fill the void left when her brother refused to run away with her. Then she rescues a baby from a meteor crater and finds herself rearranging her life. Cotton Candy Bingo fill.
Romancing the Sky -- Homestuck, 1,100 words. Sollux Captor meets Aradia Megido when she's looking up at the stars instead of down at the ground. She takes him flying. Cotton Candy Bingo fill.
Scourge of the Sea -- Homestuck, 2,100 words. Vriska tries to teach herself to sail. Terezi waits on shore for the inevitable disaster. Cotton Candy Bingo fill.
Food and Cheer and Song -- Homestuck, 2,100 words. When you finally get a group of friends together after possibly the worst day of your collective lives, obviously the next step is to light a fire, toast marshmallows, and sing. Or at least it's obvious to Roxy. Cotton Candy Bingo fill.
Fanfiction: 17,250
Original Fiction:
none
September Total: 17,250
---------------------------------------------
OCTOBER
Fanfiction:
Walk on the Ocean -- Homestuck, 4,200 words. Karkat wanders away from the chaotic post-game reunion/victory party to relax on the shore of Jade's island. Dave and Jade find him there. Karkat/Dave/Jade.
Trollstuck, chapter 6: Jothan (parts 20-25) -- Homestuck, 7,000 words.
Dedication -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,050 words, Oct. 2012. Susan's journey to accepting Narnia as her new home is not easy, either within or without. [![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
nffr_party prompt!fic]
Fanfiction: 12,250
Original Fiction:
none
October Total: 12,250
---------------------------------------------
NOVEMBER
Fanfiction:
The Courting Dance, chapter 8 -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,450 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.
Gifts Unlooked For -- Homestuck, 2,750 words. A week after they enter the Medium, Roxy and Jane take a trip to Prospit. Hints of Roxy/Jane. [kinkimeme prompt!fic]
Fanfiction: 4,200
Original Fiction:
none
November Total: 4,200
---------------------------------------------
DECEMBER
Fanfiction:
Out of Season cut scene -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,100 words. The night before the Spring Festival, Shezan is visited in a dream by Achadith and Aslan.
The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship -- Homestuck, 2,350 words. Wherein Dave Strider meets John Crocker at a Hollywood pool party. Alpha timeline fluff. Cotton Candy Bingo fill.
Dreams From My Mother -- Black Jewels, 8,700 words. Wilhelmina Benedict never knew her mother. That didn't stop Adria from shaping her daughter's life. (8,700 words) Written forMorbane in Yuletide 2012.
Fanfiction: 12,150
Original Fiction:
none
December Total: 12,150
---------------------------------------------
2012 Fanfiction: 158,850
2012 Original: 1,000
2012 Total: 159,850
---------------------------------------------
ANALYSIS
As always, I count word by posting date rather than writing date, which can give somewhat misleading results if you are trying to track my periods of greatest productivity. I also count "Trollstuck" only by completed chapters rather than section-by-section, which means there are a couple pieces of chapter 7 that are not officially in this analysis even though I did technically post them in 2012.
Last year I wrote 127,725 publicly posted words, which means this year I posted slightly over 30,000 more. Yay! My output was also more evenly paced this year than in 2011, which has probably been good for my mental health. I feel better when I am creating regularly.
I signed up for five fic challenges/exchanges this year: RemixRedux, Narnia Fic Exchange, Yuletide, Ladystuck, and Narnia Big Bang. I completed Remix, NFE, Yuletide, and Ladystuck; the Big Bang isn't due until February 2013. I also finally finished and posted the Femgenficathon story I defaulted on last year, eleven months late. I signed up for Cotton Candy Bingo, wherein one gets a bingo card of prompts and attempts to write fluff based on them; I completed a single-line bingo which is all that is strictly required to participate in the next round, plus one additional fic. I found that an interesting exercise, since my fluff tends to be liberally mixed with angst.
The overwhelming theme of this year was my sudden passionate affair with Homestuck. I was neither looking for nor expecting a new major fandom, but that is what I got. And it's not as if I'm complaining -- I love Homestuck to pieces, with an intensity I think it is rare to invest in fictional worlds one encounters after, say, one's early twenties -- but it's always a bit of a shock to realize that one's brain has completely shifted focus to a new playground. (As part of my freefall into Homestuck fandom, 2012 is also the year I discovered kink memes as a source of writing inspiration, instead of just a source of fic to read.)
I completely and utterly failed at my resolution to write more original fiction in 2012, and in fact wrote less than in 2011. That sucks and I need to fix it in 2013. *resolve face*
Did you write more than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you'd predicted?
---More! Any time I write over a hundred thousand words, I am doing better than I expect to. That doesn't mean I wrote as much as I'd hoped, though, or finished things I wanted to finish. Alas.
What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in 2010?
---For fandom, obviously Homestuck! Falling head over heels into a new fandom is always an interesting experience -- a combination of wild glee and semi-horrified "what on earth is happening to me???" -- but it is never a thing one can plan for. For genre... I guess interactive fiction? "Trollstuck" is certainly different from anything I've written before in that respect. Also porn. We cannot overlook the porn. And for pairing, let us all silently observe the moderately kinky, explicit, xeno Aradia/Aradia self-cest porn that is the sole and only point of "Milk and Honey" and agree that we will never be able to explain how that fic came out of my head. Yet there it sits, existing.
Did you take any writing risks this year?
---As mentioned above, I wrote actualfax porn. More than once. O_o I am still boggled by that. Also I am writing an interactive, illustrated story, which is perhaps equally weird given my control freak tendencies and the fact that I am not an artist.
Do you have any fanfic or original fic goals for the New Year?
---As always, I would like to finish my WIPs. (Also as always, I suspect I will fail. *sigh*) And I would like to write more original fiction, since I fell down badly on that front this year. That's about it.
Favorite story -- not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest
---Probably "To Every Thing There Is a Season," which sank without much impact outside of the Narnia Big Bang community. I expected that. It's a story about a character whose entire canon existence is two lines of narration in one of the lesser-known books, and who is essentially a nameless henchman of a strongly disliked canonical villain. It's also set in Calormen rather than Narnia, and treats that canonical villain -- Prince Rabadash -- as a three-dimensional character whom people might plausibly choose to follow.
But the story does exactly what I wanted it to do, which is bring Ilgamuth Tarkaan to life, bring a bunch of Rabadash's other companions to life, explore Calormene culture and history, and tell a story of a boy coming of age in a situation he would not have chosen if he'd known the price he would pay, and making the best of the results. It's also a story about poetry, horses, religion, topography, cities, war, and all kinds of the world-building details I delight in creating.
And despite the incredibly male-centric narrative, I did manage to get three female characters on in significant speaking roles, and one of them drives a huge amount of the plot (without any trace of romance with any of the other speaking characters!), so I am pleased by that as well.
I am also extremely fond of "Iconography," because world-building is always going to be my first joy; "Hollywood Shenanigans," because Jane is freaking adorable and she plays strangely well off of Dave; "After Frost," because I love Hinata and I managed, over the course of that fic, to successfully write myself both into and then back out of a mild depressive funk, which suggests the story is doing something right; "Ass O'Clock in Dusseldorf," because occasionally a sugar overdose is called for (and character voices are fun); "Queen Lucy, the Firebird, and the Death of Koschei the Deathless" because wheeee, fairy-tales!!!; and "Scourge of the Sea," because I love Vriska and Terezi and their horrible, messed-up friendship.
Best story
---Hard to say! I would probably point at "To Every Thing There Is a Season" for this, too. It's a pretty well balanced story, and also long enough to gather a decent amount of narrative momentum. Others that are particularly good from both a structural standpoint and an emotional effect standpoint are "Iconography," "Dedication," "Milk and Honey," "After Frost," "Romancing the Sky," "Scourge of the Sea," "Ring the Changes," and maybe "Wherein Two Moirails Make the Best of a Stolen Afternoon."
Most underappreciated by the universe
---"To Every Thing There Is a Season," for the reasons stated above.
Most "Holy crap, that's wrong, even for you" story
---That depends. How 'wrong' do we think kinky porn is? Because "Milk and Honey" can be seen as ew-bad-wrong (self-cest, duh), but if we're in a kink-welcoming situation, then... probably the implications of some of my other Homestuck fics (which have horrible, horrible things inherent in their background world-building), and/or "Dreams From My Mother," which is about a hideously dysfunctional family in an equally dysfunctional society and ends with a scene of attempted father-daughter rape. (The fact that the characters are not actually biologically related is irrelevant, and neither of them is aware of their lack of blood connection anyway.)
Sexiest story
---"I Must Increase My Bust," which is nothing but kink and lead-in to kink. It's a mild kink, but even so. Also "Milk and Honey," which again is nothing but porn and lead-in to porn with some mild kink for a garnish, plus more consciously sensual writing. Also "The Fire in Which We Burn," which again is nothing but kink and lead-in to kink, plus some pretentious stuff about the nature of time, though there I cut out before the actual sex qua sex. *hands* Like I said, I wrote actual porn this year. So weird.
Hardest story to write
---"To Every Thing There Is a Season," which fought me up, down, and sideways for months, but I triumphed in the end! Also "Dreams From My Mother," because I was not in the best mental place through much of December and was writing out of obligation rather than any positive emotion, though after a while the process picked up its own momentum and I got engaged despite my continuing sense of existential blah. (This is one reason I like external deadlines. They force me to force myself through my own walls.)
Easiest story to write
---Most of my early Homestuck kinkmeme prompt fills were absurdly fast and easy to write. The Cotton Candy Bingo fics (aside from "The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship," which I wrote with metaphorically gritted teeth while attempting to haul myself out of a depressive period) were also written pretty much off the top of my head without a great deal of soul-searching or second thoughts, and as such flowed quite easily. And the first two fics in the summer camp & politics AU -- "Last Call" and "What Is Essential" -- were literal comment!fics, so again I didn't give myself any time to stop and agonize.
Most fun to write
---"Ass O'Clock in Dusseldorf" was very, very fun to write. A lot of others were too -- most stories are fun in one way or another -- but that is the one I most specifically remember as making me grin nonstop while I was writing it.
Most disappointing
---Any WIP I didn't finish! *headdesk*
Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters
---All of the Homestuck fics, since I tend to use writing as a way to figure out what I think about characters and themes. Also "To Every Thing There Is a Season," but that was more or less my purpose for writing it -- I needed to figure out who Rabadash's sworn companions were as people, and how they interacted, so that I would eventually be able to write believably about what happens to them in the aftermath of the Battle of Anvard. *is evil*
Story with the single sweetest moment
---Pick whichever of the Cotton Candy Bingo fills suits your fancy. :-) Or maybe "Ass O'Clock in Dusseldorf." Or "Wherein Two Moirails..." despite Gamzee being a creepy fucker.
Biggest surprise
---"I Must Increase My Bust," hands down. It just blindsided me out of absolutely nowhere. At least by the time I started filling other porny prompts, I had some frame of reference for the experience, but that fic? Nothing but a giant sea of what-the-fuck-am-I-doing. I think it worked out all right, but man, it was weird to get ambushed by my own subconscious that way.
Most revealing story
---Um. "I Must Increase My Bust" probably qualifies? In the sense that I wrote it because the prompt basically clubbed me over the head and made known to me a kink that I'd never realized I had. Which. Um. Yeah.
In less pornographic walks of life, I guess "To Every Thing There Is a Season" is also pretty revealing, in that a lot of Ilgamuth's ethical qualms are a vehicle for me to work out my own issues with how people could love and respect Rabadash even though he's such a terrible human being in so many ways.
And "Red," of course. Which was literally a nightmare I had, years ago, and so is probably a pretty revealing line into my subconscious if you want to bother analyzing me. *shrug*
---------------------------------------------
And that is that for the year!
2010 version
2009 version
2005 version
JANUARY
Fanfiction:
none
Original Fiction:
Red -- 1,000 words. A long-term scientific mission to Mars runs into unexpected trouble. Sketch of a nightmare that I have never figured out how to flesh out into a proper story, but the bare bones get the point across just fine. Body horror, death.
Original Fiction: 1,000
January Total: 1,000
---------------------------------------------
FEBRUARY
Fanfiction:
The Transient and the Eternal: If only -- Angel Sanctuary, 1,900 words. Sara hates getting old.
Who Fell Among the Thieves -- Inception, 725 words. Arthur didn't help Dom run from California, but he couldn't let him drown on his own. [15-minute fic]
I Must Increase My Bust -- Homestuck, 6,800 words. Dave has a thing for large breasts. Jade discovers she does too. Explicit sex, shameless abuse of Jade's Witch of Space powers for kinky breast expansion purposes. I am assured that this is way more adorable than it has any right to be for something that is basically light porn. [kinkmeme prompt!fic]
Hollywood Shenanigans -- Homestuck, 3,500 words. Jane Crocker attends an entertainment industry party in honor of her poppop, escorted by, of all unlikely people, her friend Dirk's elusive older brother. Vaguely fluffy, mostly gen. [kinkmeme prompt!fic]
Four by Four, part 1 -- Homestuck, 1,400 words. John, Jade, Rose and Dave meet in a chat room on Jade's thirteenth birthday to talk about nothing in particular. Sedoretu AU. [kinkmeme prompt!fic]
Fanfiction: 14,325
Original Fiction:
none
February Total: 14,325
---------------------------------------------
MARCH
Fanfiction:
The Fire in Which We Burn -- Homestuck, 1,650 words. "The first watch keeps the correct time. Always. Terezi tried starting out of sync the third time they played this game, but without that one thread of the right beat to cling to, the grating wrongness of the other watches knocked Dave out of the mood long before he could hit trance state." Terezi/Dave, idiosycratic forms of bondage. [kinkmeme prompt!fic]
The Guardian in Spite of Herself, chapter 15 -- Naruto, 4,700 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."
An Intricate Courtship Process -- Homestuck, 1,850 words. Wherein Karkat Vantas asks Dave Strider an important question about quadrants and romantic intentions; after much soul-searching and random digression, Dave gives him an unexpected answer; and Terezi Pyrope's approval is sought for potential kinky shenanigans. Dave<3Terezi, Karkat<3Terezi, Dave???Karkat. [prompt!fic for
askerian]Wherein Two Moirails Make the Best of a Stolen Afternoon -- Homestuck, 1,600 words. Karkat and Gamzee cuddle on the meteor road trip to nowhere. [kinkmeme prompt!fic]
Sparkly Rainbow Blood -- Homestuck, 2,050 words. Wherein going God Tier has made the humans' genetic material and other bodily fluids sparkly and rainbow colored. Various people react to this change. Complete nonsense, basically, but hopefully fun! Includes Terezi<3Dave, Rose<3Kanaya, Dave/Terezi/Karkat, and Karkat<>Gamzee. [kinkmeme prompt!fic]
Last Call -- Naruto, 2,250 words. Sakura and Naruto discuss their futures during their last summer as camp counselors. Summer Camp & Politics AU. [prompt!fic for
cherokee1]Implications -- Star Trek: AOS, 575 words. Jim Kirk loves his crew. (But not like that. Get your minds out of the gutter, people! :-p ) [prompt!fic for
jjhunter]What Is Essential -- Naruto, 3,200 words. Sakura went to summer camp to be with her best friend Ino. Somehow over the next two years, she ended up best friends with two jerks instead. Summer Camp & Politics AU. [prompt!fic for
askerian]Narutostuck: The Spider and the Flies -- Homestuck/Naruto, 2,400 words. The eastern countries have reached out to the new government of the Land of Space, inviting the village of Hidden Time to send participants to the upcoming chuunin exam in Konoha. Vriska Serket is very interested in whether her country's new leaders will accept, and ropes her teammates into helping her spy on their meeting. [prompt!fic for
runespoor]Fanfiction: 20,275
Original Fiction:
none
March Total: 20,275
---------------------------------------------
APRIL
Fanfiction:
After Frost -- Naruto, 4,850 words. In the shadow of a vote over a bilateral free trade agreement with Thunder Country, Hyuuga Hinata moves on. Warnings for depression, learned helplessness, severely dysfunctional families, and a traumatic backstory involving kidnapping, long-term captivity, and murder. [prompt!fic for
hungrytiger11]To Every Thing There Is a Season -- Chronicles of Narnia, 21,300 words. Ilgamuth Tarkaan was fourteen when he first rode to war. He was likewise fourteen when he pledged his life and his name to Prince Rabadash, a decision that would shape the rest of his life. Prequel to Out of Season. Contains character death, violence, and moral dilemmas. 2012 Narnia Big Bang entry.
Trollstuck, chapter 1: Jarlia (parts 1-4) & chapter 2: Alonde (parts 5-6) -- Homestuck, 4,000 & 4,000 words. In which the four beta!kids are and always were trolls on Alternia, Sgrub/Sburb does not exist, and Troll Jade Harley is on a quest to keep her friend Aradia from dying. Things will almost certainly get more complicated, but that's a good place to start. Ships to date: Rosec3<Feferic3<Eridan, Jade<3<Karkat, Aradia<>Sollux, Dave<>Terezi, Nepeta<>Equius. [prompt!fic for
explodingfrogs]Sacrifices (Backwards and in High Heels) -- Batman (Nolan!verse), 1,850 words. Barbara Kean has been making sacrifices for a very long time. Her marriage and her children are the latest tithe to the city that owns her heart. Barbara Kean-Gordon/Jim Gordon. Written for Remix Redux 10, based on Sacrifices by
Problems and Solutions (All Things in Time) -- Chronicles of Narnia/Stargate: SG-1, 1,250 words. How the Goa'uld Therem came to infiltrate Stargate Command and make an attempt to commandeer the Gate, as told by Susan Pevensie to SG-1 (with necessary omissions). Written for Remix Redux 10, based on An Alternate Solution to the Problem of Susan by
cofax7.Down in the Deep (The Index of Refraction) -- Merlin, 450 words. Now her breath is water. And they are still not the same. Freya/Merlin. Written for Remix Redux 10, based on Down in the Deep by
significantowl.Fanfiction: 37,700
Original Fiction:
none
April Total: 37,700
---------------------------------------------
MAY
Fanfiction:
Ass O'Clock in Dusseldorf -- Homestuck, 2,200 words. A lighthearted vignette wherein a young lady, away from home at a professional conference, utilizes the internet to discuss an important issue in interpersonal relationships with the young man she has been cohabiting with for several years. Files are sent, metaphors are abused, and a happy ending is guaranteed. Jade/Dave. [kinkmeme prompt!fic]
Me, Myself, and Die -- Homestuck, 2,400 words. Wherein Dave Strider goes back in time to save his friends at the cost of himself. Turning into a game program is not anyone's idea of happily ever after. Angst. [kinkmeme prompt!fic]
Blueprints -- Inception, 1,150 words, May 2012. This is how you build a castle. This is how you build a life. Ariadne gen, written for Femgenficathon 2011.
Fanfiction: 5,750
Original Fiction:
none
May Total: 5,750
---------------------------------------------
JUNE
Fanfiction:
Trollstuck, chapter 3: Aradia (parts 7-11) & chapter 4: Davven (parts 12-15) -- Homestuck, 5,700 words & 7,100 words.
Fanfiction: 12,800
Original Fiction:
none
June Total: 12,800
---------------------------------------------
JULY
Fanfiction:
Ring the Changes -- Homestuck, 1,150 words. Rose and Roxy connect via a shared literary interest. [15-minute fic]
Occam's Razor, Misapplied -- Chronicles of Narnia, 450 words. A brief excerpt from a volume of Calormene history. [15-minute fic]
Instant Corpse Party (Party Not Included) -- Homestuck, 7,600 words. What do you do with your own cadaver? Not to mention the bodies of your friends and guardians? A story of the first days traveling the yellow yard. [kinkmeme prompt!fic]
Fanfiction: 9,200
Original Fiction:
none
July Total: 9,200
---------------------------------------------
AUGUST
Fanfiction:
Weregild, part 18 -- Inception/Anita Blake, 1,600 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, background Anita/Jean-Claude and Anita/Richard tension.
Iconography -- Chronicles of Narnia, 500 words. World-building on the theme of apples. Contains incidental theology.
Trollstuck, chapter 5: Karkat (parts 16-19) -- Homestuck, 7,200 words.
Milk and Honey -- Homestuck, 3,650 words. In which Aradia meets herself in a dreambubble and decides to express her joy in being alive via sex. Contains explicit sex, references to the porn version of Troll Indiana Jones, mild kink with a bottle of honey and a leather whip handle, and non-fanon-standard troll genitalia. Aradia/Aradia. [kinkmeme prompt!fic]
Fanfiction: 12,950
Original Fiction:
none
August Total: 12,950
---------------------------------------------
SEPTEMBER
Fanfiction:
Angst and Sparkle -- Glee, 150 words. Kurt/Blaine vampire-and-werewolf ridiculousness, written to tease
aishuu.Queen Lucy, the Firebird, and the Death of Koschei the Deathless -- Chronicles of Narnia, 2,700 words. In which Queen Lucy of Narnia and Princess Elena of Vinyedvyeri go on a quest to defeat Koschei the Deathless, rescue Elena's brothers, and incidentally get Lucy back home after she was carried off by a magical bird. Blink-and-miss-it implied crossover with the Vorkosigan series. Written for
rthstewart in the 2012 Narnia Fic Exchange.Four by Four, part 2 -- Homestuck, 6,000 words. wherein the kids attempt to explain moiety to the trolls mid-game. That goes about as smoothly as you'd expect. Sedoretu AU. [kinkmeme prompt!fic]
Waking Persephone -- Homestuck, 1,100 words. Jade and Dave take a break in their frog hunt, in the aftermath of the volcano and the coming of spring to LOFAF. Cotton Candy Bingo fill.
Every Child a Wanted Child -- Homestuck, 2,000 words. Jade English never expected to have children, let alone grandchildren. She has her company, her allies, and her fight against Crockercorp to fill the void left when her brother refused to run away with her. Then she rescues a baby from a meteor crater and finds herself rearranging her life. Cotton Candy Bingo fill.
Romancing the Sky -- Homestuck, 1,100 words. Sollux Captor meets Aradia Megido when she's looking up at the stars instead of down at the ground. She takes him flying. Cotton Candy Bingo fill.
Scourge of the Sea -- Homestuck, 2,100 words. Vriska tries to teach herself to sail. Terezi waits on shore for the inevitable disaster. Cotton Candy Bingo fill.
Food and Cheer and Song -- Homestuck, 2,100 words. When you finally get a group of friends together after possibly the worst day of your collective lives, obviously the next step is to light a fire, toast marshmallows, and sing. Or at least it's obvious to Roxy. Cotton Candy Bingo fill.
Fanfiction: 17,250
Original Fiction:
none
September Total: 17,250
---------------------------------------------
OCTOBER
Fanfiction:
Walk on the Ocean -- Homestuck, 4,200 words. Karkat wanders away from the chaotic post-game reunion/victory party to relax on the shore of Jade's island. Dave and Jade find him there. Karkat/Dave/Jade.
Trollstuck, chapter 6: Jothan (parts 20-25) -- Homestuck, 7,000 words.
Dedication -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,050 words, Oct. 2012. Susan's journey to accepting Narnia as her new home is not easy, either within or without. [
nffr_party prompt!fic]Fanfiction: 12,250
Original Fiction:
none
October Total: 12,250
---------------------------------------------
NOVEMBER
Fanfiction:
The Courting Dance, chapter 8 -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,450 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.
Gifts Unlooked For -- Homestuck, 2,750 words. A week after they enter the Medium, Roxy and Jane take a trip to Prospit. Hints of Roxy/Jane. [kinkimeme prompt!fic]
Fanfiction: 4,200
Original Fiction:
none
November Total: 4,200
---------------------------------------------
DECEMBER
Fanfiction:
Out of Season cut scene -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,100 words. The night before the Spring Festival, Shezan is visited in a dream by Achadith and Aslan.
The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship -- Homestuck, 2,350 words. Wherein Dave Strider meets John Crocker at a Hollywood pool party. Alpha timeline fluff. Cotton Candy Bingo fill.
Dreams From My Mother -- Black Jewels, 8,700 words. Wilhelmina Benedict never knew her mother. That didn't stop Adria from shaping her daughter's life. (8,700 words) Written for
Fanfiction: 12,150
Original Fiction:
none
December Total: 12,150
---------------------------------------------
2012 Fanfiction: 158,850
2012 Original: 1,000
2012 Total: 159,850
---------------------------------------------
ANALYSIS
As always, I count word by posting date rather than writing date, which can give somewhat misleading results if you are trying to track my periods of greatest productivity. I also count "Trollstuck" only by completed chapters rather than section-by-section, which means there are a couple pieces of chapter 7 that are not officially in this analysis even though I did technically post them in 2012.
Last year I wrote 127,725 publicly posted words, which means this year I posted slightly over 30,000 more. Yay! My output was also more evenly paced this year than in 2011, which has probably been good for my mental health. I feel better when I am creating regularly.
I signed up for five fic challenges/exchanges this year: RemixRedux, Narnia Fic Exchange, Yuletide, Ladystuck, and Narnia Big Bang. I completed Remix, NFE, Yuletide, and Ladystuck; the Big Bang isn't due until February 2013. I also finally finished and posted the Femgenficathon story I defaulted on last year, eleven months late. I signed up for Cotton Candy Bingo, wherein one gets a bingo card of prompts and attempts to write fluff based on them; I completed a single-line bingo which is all that is strictly required to participate in the next round, plus one additional fic. I found that an interesting exercise, since my fluff tends to be liberally mixed with angst.
The overwhelming theme of this year was my sudden passionate affair with Homestuck. I was neither looking for nor expecting a new major fandom, but that is what I got. And it's not as if I'm complaining -- I love Homestuck to pieces, with an intensity I think it is rare to invest in fictional worlds one encounters after, say, one's early twenties -- but it's always a bit of a shock to realize that one's brain has completely shifted focus to a new playground. (As part of my freefall into Homestuck fandom, 2012 is also the year I discovered kink memes as a source of writing inspiration, instead of just a source of fic to read.)
I completely and utterly failed at my resolution to write more original fiction in 2012, and in fact wrote less than in 2011. That sucks and I need to fix it in 2013. *resolve face*
Did you write more than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you'd predicted?
---More! Any time I write over a hundred thousand words, I am doing better than I expect to. That doesn't mean I wrote as much as I'd hoped, though, or finished things I wanted to finish. Alas.
What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in 2010?
---For fandom, obviously Homestuck! Falling head over heels into a new fandom is always an interesting experience -- a combination of wild glee and semi-horrified "what on earth is happening to me???" -- but it is never a thing one can plan for. For genre... I guess interactive fiction? "Trollstuck" is certainly different from anything I've written before in that respect. Also porn. We cannot overlook the porn. And for pairing, let us all silently observe the moderately kinky, explicit, xeno Aradia/Aradia self-cest porn that is the sole and only point of "Milk and Honey" and agree that we will never be able to explain how that fic came out of my head. Yet there it sits, existing.
Did you take any writing risks this year?
---As mentioned above, I wrote actualfax porn. More than once. O_o I am still boggled by that. Also I am writing an interactive, illustrated story, which is perhaps equally weird given my control freak tendencies and the fact that I am not an artist.
Do you have any fanfic or original fic goals for the New Year?
---As always, I would like to finish my WIPs. (Also as always, I suspect I will fail. *sigh*) And I would like to write more original fiction, since I fell down badly on that front this year. That's about it.
Favorite story -- not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest
---Probably "To Every Thing There Is a Season," which sank without much impact outside of the Narnia Big Bang community. I expected that. It's a story about a character whose entire canon existence is two lines of narration in one of the lesser-known books, and who is essentially a nameless henchman of a strongly disliked canonical villain. It's also set in Calormen rather than Narnia, and treats that canonical villain -- Prince Rabadash -- as a three-dimensional character whom people might plausibly choose to follow.
But the story does exactly what I wanted it to do, which is bring Ilgamuth Tarkaan to life, bring a bunch of Rabadash's other companions to life, explore Calormene culture and history, and tell a story of a boy coming of age in a situation he would not have chosen if he'd known the price he would pay, and making the best of the results. It's also a story about poetry, horses, religion, topography, cities, war, and all kinds of the world-building details I delight in creating.
And despite the incredibly male-centric narrative, I did manage to get three female characters on in significant speaking roles, and one of them drives a huge amount of the plot (without any trace of romance with any of the other speaking characters!), so I am pleased by that as well.
I am also extremely fond of "Iconography," because world-building is always going to be my first joy; "Hollywood Shenanigans," because Jane is freaking adorable and she plays strangely well off of Dave; "After Frost," because I love Hinata and I managed, over the course of that fic, to successfully write myself both into and then back out of a mild depressive funk, which suggests the story is doing something right; "Ass O'Clock in Dusseldorf," because occasionally a sugar overdose is called for (and character voices are fun); "Queen Lucy, the Firebird, and the Death of Koschei the Deathless" because wheeee, fairy-tales!!!; and "Scourge of the Sea," because I love Vriska and Terezi and their horrible, messed-up friendship.
Best story
---Hard to say! I would probably point at "To Every Thing There Is a Season" for this, too. It's a pretty well balanced story, and also long enough to gather a decent amount of narrative momentum. Others that are particularly good from both a structural standpoint and an emotional effect standpoint are "Iconography," "Dedication," "Milk and Honey," "After Frost," "Romancing the Sky," "Scourge of the Sea," "Ring the Changes," and maybe "Wherein Two Moirails Make the Best of a Stolen Afternoon."
Most underappreciated by the universe
---"To Every Thing There Is a Season," for the reasons stated above.
Most "Holy crap, that's wrong, even for you" story
---That depends. How 'wrong' do we think kinky porn is? Because "Milk and Honey" can be seen as ew-bad-wrong (self-cest, duh), but if we're in a kink-welcoming situation, then... probably the implications of some of my other Homestuck fics (which have horrible, horrible things inherent in their background world-building), and/or "Dreams From My Mother," which is about a hideously dysfunctional family in an equally dysfunctional society and ends with a scene of attempted father-daughter rape. (The fact that the characters are not actually biologically related is irrelevant, and neither of them is aware of their lack of blood connection anyway.)
Sexiest story
---"I Must Increase My Bust," which is nothing but kink and lead-in to kink. It's a mild kink, but even so. Also "Milk and Honey," which again is nothing but porn and lead-in to porn with some mild kink for a garnish, plus more consciously sensual writing. Also "The Fire in Which We Burn," which again is nothing but kink and lead-in to kink, plus some pretentious stuff about the nature of time, though there I cut out before the actual sex qua sex. *hands* Like I said, I wrote actual porn this year. So weird.
Hardest story to write
---"To Every Thing There Is a Season," which fought me up, down, and sideways for months, but I triumphed in the end! Also "Dreams From My Mother," because I was not in the best mental place through much of December and was writing out of obligation rather than any positive emotion, though after a while the process picked up its own momentum and I got engaged despite my continuing sense of existential blah. (This is one reason I like external deadlines. They force me to force myself through my own walls.)
Easiest story to write
---Most of my early Homestuck kinkmeme prompt fills were absurdly fast and easy to write. The Cotton Candy Bingo fics (aside from "The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship," which I wrote with metaphorically gritted teeth while attempting to haul myself out of a depressive period) were also written pretty much off the top of my head without a great deal of soul-searching or second thoughts, and as such flowed quite easily. And the first two fics in the summer camp & politics AU -- "Last Call" and "What Is Essential" -- were literal comment!fics, so again I didn't give myself any time to stop and agonize.
Most fun to write
---"Ass O'Clock in Dusseldorf" was very, very fun to write. A lot of others were too -- most stories are fun in one way or another -- but that is the one I most specifically remember as making me grin nonstop while I was writing it.
Most disappointing
---Any WIP I didn't finish! *headdesk*
Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters
---All of the Homestuck fics, since I tend to use writing as a way to figure out what I think about characters and themes. Also "To Every Thing There Is a Season," but that was more or less my purpose for writing it -- I needed to figure out who Rabadash's sworn companions were as people, and how they interacted, so that I would eventually be able to write believably about what happens to them in the aftermath of the Battle of Anvard. *is evil*
Story with the single sweetest moment
---Pick whichever of the Cotton Candy Bingo fills suits your fancy. :-) Or maybe "Ass O'Clock in Dusseldorf." Or "Wherein Two Moirails..." despite Gamzee being a creepy fucker.
Biggest surprise
---"I Must Increase My Bust," hands down. It just blindsided me out of absolutely nowhere. At least by the time I started filling other porny prompts, I had some frame of reference for the experience, but that fic? Nothing but a giant sea of what-the-fuck-am-I-doing. I think it worked out all right, but man, it was weird to get ambushed by my own subconscious that way.
Most revealing story
---Um. "I Must Increase My Bust" probably qualifies? In the sense that I wrote it because the prompt basically clubbed me over the head and made known to me a kink that I'd never realized I had. Which. Um. Yeah.
In less pornographic walks of life, I guess "To Every Thing There Is a Season" is also pretty revealing, in that a lot of Ilgamuth's ethical qualms are a vehicle for me to work out my own issues with how people could love and respect Rabadash even though he's such a terrible human being in so many ways.
And "Red," of course. Which was literally a nightmare I had, years ago, and so is probably a pretty revealing line into my subconscious if you want to bother analyzing me. *shrug*
---------------------------------------------
And that is that for the year!
(no subject)
Date: 2013-01-04 04:38 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-01-05 01:43 am (UTC)