2017 writing roundup and analysis
Jan. 3rd, 2018 10:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
edenfalling2016 version
2015 version
2014 version
2013 version
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2011 version
2010 version
2009 version
2005 version
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A Year in Writing: 2017
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JANUARY
Fanfiction:
Maboroshi -- Naruto, 1,075 words. After Sasuke returns home, Sakura and Naruto invite him to pull them into a Sharingan-based illusion. Trust is a humbling thing. NaruSasuSaku. Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for![[tumblr.com profile]](https://www.tumblr.com/favicon.ico)
runespoor7]
Some Little Talk a While of Me and Thee -- Homestuck, 2,725 words. It's the post-Sburb world, there are too many people all the time, and tonight Roxy wants to grab Dirk and flee screaming to a (pair of) faraway mountains. Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic formadamehardy]
Three Sentence Ficathon: (2,225 words)
no morality by instinct -- Inception, 200 words. At the heart of every person's mind is a guardian, territorial and feral.
years of drought and famine -- Darkangel Trilogy, 225 words. The clouds are thin in the first years, translucent veils that drape in narrow, scattered bands across the sky.
truth, like the sun -- Mad Max: Fury Road, 175 words. They say if you drive west fast enough, a single day lasts forever.
the treason of pity -- Homestuck, 250 words. Even in the depths of slavery, the Dolorosa spins might-have-beens. The Demoness knows better.
the seat containing of unweary'd flame (Meet Adoration to My Household Gods) -- Chronicles of Narnia/BtVs, 200 words. Susan learns magic in England. Part of the One Equal Temper of Heroic Hearts series.
unwanted blessings -- Enchanted Forest Chronicles, 500 words. Morwen's roommate has an idiosyncratic reason for studying magic.
the gate of iron and emerald -- Chronicles of Narnia/Harry Potter, 375 words. En route to Harfang, Ginny and Edmund encounter an obviously magical door. (Part of Edmund and Ginny Go to Harfang)
the heart that is soonest awake to the flowers -- Beauty and the Beast, 300 words. Beauty and her lady walk in the winter gardens.
Fanfiction: 6,025
Original Fiction:
signs and bargains -- Sunbright and Shadowfall, 150 words. A previous might-be Queen and the spell that snared her.
Original Fiction: 150
January Total: 6,175
---------------------------------------------
FEBRUARY
Fanfiction:
An Unexpected Meeting -- Enchanted Forest Chronicles, 3,525 words. One Monday morning two months after Kazul's coronation (and all the chaos leading up to it), Cimorene woke up completely and utterly out of patience for wrangling her new responsibilities. "We are taking tomorrow off and inviting Morwen over for a picnic," she said as she cleared away the breakfast dishes. Kazul readily agreed. Of course, nothing ever works out quite so smoothly in practice... Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
wistfulmemory]
Fanfiction: 3,525
Original Fiction: none
February Total: 3,525
---------------------------------------------
MARCH
Fanfiction: none
Original Fiction:
Oranges and Lemons -- 750 words. "Don't buy tiny fruit trees," Nic said obediently. Written for the 2017 John Mosedale creative writing contest, held by the Loon (annual newsletter/directory of the Star Island Protective League).
Original Fiction: 750
March Total: 750
---------------------------------------------
APRIL
Fanfiction:
Foundlings -- Star Wars, 1,175 words. While they wait for Poe to return from a routine reconnaissance mission, Rey tells Finn a story about her childhood on Jakku. Contains discussion of animal death. Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic formusesfool]
Transition State -- Star Trek: TNG/The Sandman, 400 words. Data visits the Dreaming. Genprompt Bingo fill. [prompt!fic forakatsuki210]
Written on the Skin -- The Darkangel, 250 words. Erin asks Aeriel to paint her skin after the custom of Zambul. Genprompt Bingo fill. [prompt!fic forminutia_r]
Camouflage the Question -- Sailor Moon, 1,500 words. Ami has an idea for gathering information about the Death Busters. Usagi modifies it into something almost -- but not entirely -- completely different. Genprompt Bingo fill. [prompt!fic forgramarye1971]
Fanfiction: 3,325
Original Fiction: none
April Total: 3,325
---------------------------------------------
MAY
Fanfiction:
Whose Allegiance Is Ruled by Expedience -- Naruto, 1,600 words. There was a lot of money in running a city on a constant, low-grade war footing, if you knew where to look and didn't mind the risk of invasion. For those who didn't mind risk and who weren't encumbered by deep emotional ties to any one country, there was even better money in supplying missing-nin. Renouncing their political allegiances didn't let missing-nin renounce basic physical necessities, and Kuwa Natsume had rarely met a ninja who was willing to spend actual time and effort on practical logistics when they could subcontract the headaches out instead. Genprompt Bingo fill. [prompt!fic forthe_rck]
Into the Rift -- Chronicles of Narnia/Harry Potter, 200 words. Edmund and Ginny find themselves pointedly unwelcome in Underland. (Part of Edmund and Ginny Go to Harfang) Genprompt Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
mylittleficlet]
Fanfiction: 1,800
Original Fiction: none
May Total: 1,800
---------------------------------------------
JUNE
Fanfiction:
I Am the One Who Lives with the Ocean -- Homestuck, 700 words. Callie loves the rain. Roxy/Calliope. Cotton Candy Bingo fill. Genprompt Bingo fill. [prompt!fic formme_hardy]
The Test of Gold -- Chronicles of Narnia/Harry Potter, 200 words. Ginny and Edmund take an unusual boat trip. (Part of Edmund and Ginny Go to Harfang) Genprompt Bingo fill.
Sweets to the Sweet -- Homestuck, 1,000 words. Rose buys Jade a bonsai azalea, just because. Part of the Leaf and Letter AU.
Second Chances edits and extensions -- Daredevil, 2,725 words (story is 17,550 words total). When Foggy meets an old acquaintance who's fallen on hard times, he naturally does his best to help. When this leads to romance, he couldn't be happier. Unfortunately, life is never that simple. Foggy/OMC, Foggy/Matt. Written foriraya in the 2016 Daredevil Secret Santa Gift Exchange.
A Good Idea at the Time -- Chronicles of Narnia/Harry Potter, 300 words. Edmund and Ginny consider a novel transport method. (Part of Edmund and Ginny Go to Harfang) Genprompt Bingo fill.
Fanfiction: 4,925
Original Fiction: none
June Total: 4,925
---------------------------------------------
JULY
Fanfiction:
A Bit of Hot Water -- Enchanted Forest Chronicles, 4,350 words. Six months into Shiara's term as Kazul's princess (or apprentice -- which wasn't exactly the correct term either, since she wasn't studying to become either a dragon or a king, but felt less presumptuous than claiming to be royalty), she insisted that Daystar come visit her for a change. Genprompt Bingo fill. [prompt!fic forwistfulmemory]
How Easy All Can See -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,200 words. "My milk-sister's heart is her own to guard," Rabadash said as he swung down from his stallion and led the bay horse, gleaming with sweat, down to the bank of the Shirush to drink. Background Shezan/Ilgamuth. Genprompt Bingo fill. [prompt!fic forpriscipixie]
Queen of the Night -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,250 words. Lucy Pevensie in the early days at Cair Paravel: surely a queen of Narnia doesn't need a bedtime. Genprompt Bingo fill. [prompt!fic forpriscipixie]
Fanfiction: 6,800
Original Fiction: none
July Total: 6,800
---------------------------------------------
AUGUST
Fanfiction:
Intervention -- Star Trek: AOS, 24,800 words. Jayavanti Chatterjee wanted to see the stars, but in her own way; working as a nurse on a Red Cross and Red Crescent patrol and intervention ship seemed like a good option. Now, as her crew work to investigate and treat a mysterious plague on a small and deliberately isolationist human colony, and hints of a great danger lurk in the background, she's beginning to rethink her choices. (A Star Trek: AOS fic centered entirely on original characters with a brief cameo from the Enterprise near the end.) Finished as part of![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
wipbigbang 2017.
Fanfiction: 24,800
Original Fiction: none
August Total: 24,800
---------------------------------------------
SEPTEMBER
Fanfiction:
An Outstretched Hand -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,825 words. The giants came in the summer of the seventh year, in the long golden days between planting and harvest, when the people of Narnia worked to lay the bones of their new land: roads and wells, fords and harbors, and towers along the borders for they knew that an Evil walked abroad and their protection would not last forever. Written forredsnake05 in the Narnia Fic Exchange 2017.
Turn the Page (Don't Fear the Ending) -- Haroun and the Sea of Stories, 1,500 words. Sometimes, when a storyteller tries to wring every last drop of Stories out of themself before ever coming to an ending, the storyteller is not the only one squeezed dry. Written forgramarye in RemixRevival 2017. Remix of The Monster at the End of This Book.
Fanfiction: 3,325
Original Fiction: none
September Total: 3,325
---------------------------------------------
OCTOBER
Fanfiction:
With Only Mild Complaining -- Daredevil, 400 words. "How much experience do you have with libel cases?" Foggy pulled his cell phone away from his face, gave it his best sternly disappointed stare, and then returned it to his ear. "Hello to you too, Karen. It's a lovely autumn morning, thank you for buying bagels before you left for work, and I'm doing well, thanks so much for asking." Daredevil Bingo fill. [prompt!fic forrosaxx50]
Fanfiction: 400
Original Fiction: none
October Total: 400
---------------------------------------------
NOVEMBER
Fanfiction:
Music of the Spheres -- Chronicles of Narnia/Harry Potter, 250 words. Ginny and Edmund dance with the stars. (Part of Edmund and Ginny Go to Harfang) Genprompt Bingo fill.
Terms and Conditions May apply -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,050 words. Aravis and Cor negotiate the results of a bet. Genprompt Bingo fill. [prompt!fic formusesfool]
Fanfiction: 1,300
Original Fiction: none
November Total: 1,300
---------------------------------------------
DECEMBER
Fanfiction:
Patience, Tenacity, Luck -- Chalion, 5,075 words. Some months after Penric's Fox, Thala investigates the disappearance of a trainee shaman. Written forDesertVixen for Yuletide 2017.
Three Sentence Ficathon:
that have chalked forth the way -- Chronicles of Narnia, 200 words. Susan makes her own worlds.
hope, like roads across the earth -- Chronicles of Narnia, 250 words. Edmund rebuilds Narnia's transportation network.
you can be me when I'm gone -- Homestuck, 125 words. Calliope considers her other self.
When in Rome -- Othello/Macbeth, 300 words. Iago meets the Scottish queen in Rome.
for the living -- Daredevil, 300 words. Foggy in the aftermath of Defenders.
Three Views of Alternia -- Homestuck, 100 words. War is kind.
each day a new and different sun -- Inception, 175 words. Arthur and Ariadne make travel plans.
the journey of a thousand miles -- Avengers, 250 words. Natasha deals with the fallout of Civil War.
makes the dream work -- Naruto, 175 words. Sakura reaches the valley's rim just in time.
the good of your stars and trees -- Naruto, 250 words. The night before Naruto's investiture as Hokage.
like a thunderbolt -- Guardians of the Galaxy, 175 words. Nebula has a proposition for Kraglin.
a language all nations understand -- Chronicles of Narnia, 375 words. Two artisans work on the king of Archenland's anniversary gift to his queen.
unwound, unknit, unraveled -- Lucifer/Sandman, 150 words. "Oh yes, he had a thread; everyone does."
And o'er his heart a shadow -- Darkangel Trilogy, 400 words. First Melchior thinks that the Lady saved him to be a weapon against her lost and deadly daughter.
I will repay -- Daredevil, 150 words. "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar," Wilson's mother used to say.
practical magic -- Harry Potter, 200 words. Luna gives Hermione a confusing birthday present.
worth a thousand words -- Captain America, 275 words. His first week in Wakanda, Steve gets a letter from Natasha.
one for the road -- Chronicles of Narnia, 175 words. Campfire stories on the road to Narnia and the North.
though it be silent as light -- Homestuck, 250 words. Kanaya is fairly sure her neighbors consider her a cryptid.
Fanfiction: 9,350
Original Fiction:
The Wizard's Fate -- The Witches of Immish, 375 words. In the days when the dragons rebuilt the Glass Mountain, a wizard of Almeric came to believe the witches of Immish had no true magic of their own.
Original Fiction: 375
December Total: 9,725
---------------------------------------------
2017 Fanfiction: 65,575
2017 Original: 1,275
2017 Total: 66,850
---------------------------------------------
ANALYSIS
As always, I count words by posting date rather than writing date, which can give somewhat misleading results if you are trying to track my periods of greatest productivity
Last year I posted slightly over 71,000 words. This year I fell about 4,500 words short of even that reduced mark. *sigh* On the one hand, I did finally get treatment for my resurgent depression. Yay for SSRIs! On the other hand, I effectively lost four months of writing time to working 50-plus hour weeks from January through April, and by mid-October when the Celexa properly kicked in, I was both out of the habit of regular writing and distracted by other projects -- like returning to college to finally finish an associate degree.
You win some, you lose some, I guess. *wry*
I am hoping 2018 will be better, mostly because of the medication. It is flat-out amazing how much easier time-management becomes when I don't have to slog through a slough of gray despond to even begin to contemplate doing stuff. I mean, I still can't just do stuff at the drop of a hat -- I have some executive dysfunction issues that are apparently unrelated to depression, though holy shit does the depression exacerbate them -- but having to kick a motor a couple-three times before it starts vs. never getting it to start at all...? Entirely different worlds.
I signed up for four fic challenges/exchanges this year: WIP Big Bang, Narnia Fic Exchange, Remix Revival, and Yuletide. I completed all four, albeit by the skin of my teeth in most cases; I did not write any pinch hits or treats. I also participated in the FandomTrumpsHate charity auction, though my contribution was tragically delayed a year because lack of time and spoons. *headdesk* (That is first on my list of things to finish in 2018!) I also ran a couple mini-ficlet prompt memes, which got delayed by mental and physical exhaustion, and participated in the Three Sentence Ficathon both in January (filling leftover prompts from 2016) and December (new prompts, yay!).
I wrote barely any original fiction this year (bah, humbug), but next year should be different, if only because I have two long-overdue gift stories I need to finish -- both of which are likely to run at least 10,000 words and perhaps up to 30,000 words, based on my rough scene-by-scene breakdowns. I hope that will help me get back into the habit of writing original fiction just because instead of having it be a rare exception to my general patterns.
Did you write more than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you'd predicted?
---Less. I knew going in that my productivity was going to plummet until May, so I wasn't expecting to hit my usual goal of 100,000 words, but I did want to beat last year's word count. Unfortunately I underestimated how badly depression was still affecting me even after my mental health break from writing in late 2016.
What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted last year?
---I guess my Yuletide fic, for the Penric & Desdemona subseries in Lois McMaster Bujold's Chalion series. I tend to be surprised by my assigned Yuletide fandoms. *wry* Also it's a case!fic detective story, which is emphatically not one of my usual genres.
Did you take any writing risks this year?
---In retrospect, signing up for WIP Big Bang while caught in the net of clinical depression was not a great idea. I did finish the story, but I want to go back and do extensive rewrites and additions because the editing I did manage was a hideous rush-job and there are so many things I ran out of time to fix or elaborate on. *sigh*
Do you have any fanfic or original fic goals for the coming year?
---Finish a bunch of my longstanding WIPs. I am resolutely NOT going to run mini-ficlet prompt memes, nor will I sign up for any challenges beyond my standard four: WIP Big Bang (because see above in re: finishing WIPs), NFE, Remix (if any version runs), and Yuletide. (Well, okay, and Ladystuck if any version of that runs. I am weak to Ladystuck.)
This holds for original fiction also. As previously mentioned, I have two gift stories I still owe people, and I want to get them off my back so I can stop feeling guilty about them!
Favorite story -- not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest
---Either "Oranges and Lemons" or "Intervention," despite all the things that are still wrong with the latter. Also the various component ficlets of "Edmund and Ginny Go to Harfang," because making that a series was definitely one of my better decisions. :)
Best story
---Probably "I Am the One Who Lives with the Ocean." I feel like it expresses the most complete thought in the most concise and appropriate language.
Most underappreciated by the universe
---None, really; I have been lucky that way these past few years.
Most "Holy crap, that's wrong, even for you" story
---Oddly enough, none this year.
Sexiest story
---None, though I suppose "Terms and Conditions May Apply" probably comes closest by way of innuendo.
Hardest story to write
---"Intervention," ugh. I am never writing space battles again!
Easiest story to write
---I guess "I Am the One Who Lives with the Ocean," at least once I stopped trying to force it to be something it wasn't. When I gave in and just wrote what needed to happen, it all flowed very quickly and smoothly.
Most fun to write
---Probably either the component parts of "Edmund and Ginny Go to Harfang" because the concept is ridiculous to start with and I gave myself permission to just write the especially fun bits, or "Whose Allegiance Is Ruled by Expedience" because there is something wonderfully freeing about writing amoral people who are good at logistics. (YMMV, obviously, but that is prime comfort-zone writing for me.)
Most disappointing
---Any WIP I didn't finish! *headdesk*
Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters
---"Intervention," obviously, since they're all my own original characters and I was pinning them down as I wrote!
Story with the single sweetest moment
---Um. "Maboroshi" and "Some Little Talk a While of Me and Thee" both get pretty sappy toward the end, "Sweets to the Sweet" is functional relationship goodness all the way through, "A Bit of Hot Water" is adorable in a slightly embarrassing way for its protagonists, and "Queen of the Night" is pure familial fluff. I'm not sure I can narrow further.
Biggest surprise
---None, really.
Most revealing story
---"Oranges and Lemons" has a close though oblique relationship to things from my own life. "Intervention" is drenched in my love for ethical dilemmas that don't have clear-cut answers, and for characters learning how to stay true to themselves while finding a place in their community.
And "I Am the One Who Lives with the Ocean" is, in retrospect, a flashing neon sign that I was not nearly as over my depression as I'd been trying to tell myself I was. *wry* If you hand me a fluff-fic prompt about cuddling and freedom and I come up with that... yeah. It's a good story. I am proud of it! But it's also very much the kind of thing I write when I am so emotionally grayed-out that I just want to not exist for a couple days. *sigh*
Have I mentioned that SSRIs are beautiful things? Because they really, really are. And they are helping me finally climb out of the gods-be-damned slough of despond that's been swallowing me for the past two or three years. Here's to 2018! Let's make it a good year, together.
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And that is that for the year. :)
2015 version
2014 version
2013 version
2012 version
2011 version
2010 version
2009 version
2005 version
---------------------------------------------
A Year in Writing: 2017
---------------------------------------------
JANUARY
Fanfiction:
Maboroshi -- Naruto, 1,075 words. After Sasuke returns home, Sakura and Naruto invite him to pull them into a Sharingan-based illusion. Trust is a humbling thing. NaruSasuSaku. Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
Some Little Talk a While of Me and Thee -- Homestuck, 2,725 words. It's the post-Sburb world, there are too many people all the time, and tonight Roxy wants to grab Dirk and flee screaming to a (pair of) faraway mountains. Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
Three Sentence Ficathon: (2,225 words)
no morality by instinct -- Inception, 200 words. At the heart of every person's mind is a guardian, territorial and feral.
years of drought and famine -- Darkangel Trilogy, 225 words. The clouds are thin in the first years, translucent veils that drape in narrow, scattered bands across the sky.
truth, like the sun -- Mad Max: Fury Road, 175 words. They say if you drive west fast enough, a single day lasts forever.
the treason of pity -- Homestuck, 250 words. Even in the depths of slavery, the Dolorosa spins might-have-beens. The Demoness knows better.
the seat containing of unweary'd flame (Meet Adoration to My Household Gods) -- Chronicles of Narnia/BtVs, 200 words. Susan learns magic in England. Part of the One Equal Temper of Heroic Hearts series.
unwanted blessings -- Enchanted Forest Chronicles, 500 words. Morwen's roommate has an idiosyncratic reason for studying magic.
the gate of iron and emerald -- Chronicles of Narnia/Harry Potter, 375 words. En route to Harfang, Ginny and Edmund encounter an obviously magical door. (Part of Edmund and Ginny Go to Harfang)
the heart that is soonest awake to the flowers -- Beauty and the Beast, 300 words. Beauty and her lady walk in the winter gardens.
Fanfiction: 6,025
Original Fiction:
signs and bargains -- Sunbright and Shadowfall, 150 words. A previous might-be Queen and the spell that snared her.
Original Fiction: 150
January Total: 6,175
---------------------------------------------
FEBRUARY
Fanfiction:
An Unexpected Meeting -- Enchanted Forest Chronicles, 3,525 words. One Monday morning two months after Kazul's coronation (and all the chaos leading up to it), Cimorene woke up completely and utterly out of patience for wrangling her new responsibilities. "We are taking tomorrow off and inviting Morwen over for a picnic," she said as she cleared away the breakfast dishes. Kazul readily agreed. Of course, nothing ever works out quite so smoothly in practice... Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
wistfulmemory]Fanfiction: 3,525
Original Fiction: none
February Total: 3,525
---------------------------------------------
MARCH
Fanfiction: none
Original Fiction:
Oranges and Lemons -- 750 words. "Don't buy tiny fruit trees," Nic said obediently. Written for the 2017 John Mosedale creative writing contest, held by the Loon (annual newsletter/directory of the Star Island Protective League).
Original Fiction: 750
March Total: 750
---------------------------------------------
APRIL
Fanfiction:
Foundlings -- Star Wars, 1,175 words. While they wait for Poe to return from a routine reconnaissance mission, Rey tells Finn a story about her childhood on Jakku. Contains discussion of animal death. Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
musesfool]Transition State -- Star Trek: TNG/The Sandman, 400 words. Data visits the Dreaming. Genprompt Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
akatsuki210]Written on the Skin -- The Darkangel, 250 words. Erin asks Aeriel to paint her skin after the custom of Zambul. Genprompt Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
minutia_r]Camouflage the Question -- Sailor Moon, 1,500 words. Ami has an idea for gathering information about the Death Busters. Usagi modifies it into something almost -- but not entirely -- completely different. Genprompt Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
gramarye1971]Fanfiction: 3,325
Original Fiction: none
April Total: 3,325
---------------------------------------------
MAY
Fanfiction:
Whose Allegiance Is Ruled by Expedience -- Naruto, 1,600 words. There was a lot of money in running a city on a constant, low-grade war footing, if you knew where to look and didn't mind the risk of invasion. For those who didn't mind risk and who weren't encumbered by deep emotional ties to any one country, there was even better money in supplying missing-nin. Renouncing their political allegiances didn't let missing-nin renounce basic physical necessities, and Kuwa Natsume had rarely met a ninja who was willing to spend actual time and effort on practical logistics when they could subcontract the headaches out instead. Genprompt Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
the_rck]Into the Rift -- Chronicles of Narnia/Harry Potter, 200 words. Edmund and Ginny find themselves pointedly unwelcome in Underland. (Part of Edmund and Ginny Go to Harfang) Genprompt Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
Fanfiction: 1,800
Original Fiction: none
May Total: 1,800
---------------------------------------------
JUNE
Fanfiction:
I Am the One Who Lives with the Ocean -- Homestuck, 700 words. Callie loves the rain. Roxy/Calliope. Cotton Candy Bingo fill. Genprompt Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
mme_hardy]The Test of Gold -- Chronicles of Narnia/Harry Potter, 200 words. Ginny and Edmund take an unusual boat trip. (Part of Edmund and Ginny Go to Harfang) Genprompt Bingo fill.
Sweets to the Sweet -- Homestuck, 1,000 words. Rose buys Jade a bonsai azalea, just because. Part of the Leaf and Letter AU.
Second Chances edits and extensions -- Daredevil, 2,725 words (story is 17,550 words total). When Foggy meets an old acquaintance who's fallen on hard times, he naturally does his best to help. When this leads to romance, he couldn't be happier. Unfortunately, life is never that simple. Foggy/OMC, Foggy/Matt. Written for
A Good Idea at the Time -- Chronicles of Narnia/Harry Potter, 300 words. Edmund and Ginny consider a novel transport method. (Part of Edmund and Ginny Go to Harfang) Genprompt Bingo fill.
Fanfiction: 4,925
Original Fiction: none
June Total: 4,925
---------------------------------------------
JULY
Fanfiction:
A Bit of Hot Water -- Enchanted Forest Chronicles, 4,350 words. Six months into Shiara's term as Kazul's princess (or apprentice -- which wasn't exactly the correct term either, since she wasn't studying to become either a dragon or a king, but felt less presumptuous than claiming to be royalty), she insisted that Daystar come visit her for a change. Genprompt Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
wistfulmemory]How Easy All Can See -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,200 words. "My milk-sister's heart is her own to guard," Rabadash said as he swung down from his stallion and led the bay horse, gleaming with sweat, down to the bank of the Shirush to drink. Background Shezan/Ilgamuth. Genprompt Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
Queen of the Night -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,250 words. Lucy Pevensie in the early days at Cair Paravel: surely a queen of Narnia doesn't need a bedtime. Genprompt Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
priscipixie]Fanfiction: 6,800
Original Fiction: none
July Total: 6,800
---------------------------------------------
AUGUST
Fanfiction:
Intervention -- Star Trek: AOS, 24,800 words. Jayavanti Chatterjee wanted to see the stars, but in her own way; working as a nurse on a Red Cross and Red Crescent patrol and intervention ship seemed like a good option. Now, as her crew work to investigate and treat a mysterious plague on a small and deliberately isolationist human colony, and hints of a great danger lurk in the background, she's beginning to rethink her choices. (A Star Trek: AOS fic centered entirely on original characters with a brief cameo from the Enterprise near the end.) Finished as part of
wipbigbang 2017.Fanfiction: 24,800
Original Fiction: none
August Total: 24,800
---------------------------------------------
SEPTEMBER
Fanfiction:
An Outstretched Hand -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,825 words. The giants came in the summer of the seventh year, in the long golden days between planting and harvest, when the people of Narnia worked to lay the bones of their new land: roads and wells, fords and harbors, and towers along the borders for they knew that an Evil walked abroad and their protection would not last forever. Written for
redsnake05 in the Narnia Fic Exchange 2017.Turn the Page (Don't Fear the Ending) -- Haroun and the Sea of Stories, 1,500 words. Sometimes, when a storyteller tries to wring every last drop of Stories out of themself before ever coming to an ending, the storyteller is not the only one squeezed dry. Written for
gramarye in RemixRevival 2017. Remix of The Monster at the End of This Book.Fanfiction: 3,325
Original Fiction: none
September Total: 3,325
---------------------------------------------
OCTOBER
Fanfiction:
With Only Mild Complaining -- Daredevil, 400 words. "How much experience do you have with libel cases?" Foggy pulled his cell phone away from his face, gave it his best sternly disappointed stare, and then returned it to his ear. "Hello to you too, Karen. It's a lovely autumn morning, thank you for buying bagels before you left for work, and I'm doing well, thanks so much for asking." Daredevil Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
rosaxx50]Fanfiction: 400
Original Fiction: none
October Total: 400
---------------------------------------------
NOVEMBER
Fanfiction:
Music of the Spheres -- Chronicles of Narnia/Harry Potter, 250 words. Ginny and Edmund dance with the stars. (Part of Edmund and Ginny Go to Harfang) Genprompt Bingo fill.
Terms and Conditions May apply -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,050 words. Aravis and Cor negotiate the results of a bet. Genprompt Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
musesfool]Fanfiction: 1,300
Original Fiction: none
November Total: 1,300
---------------------------------------------
DECEMBER
Fanfiction:
Patience, Tenacity, Luck -- Chalion, 5,075 words. Some months after Penric's Fox, Thala investigates the disappearance of a trainee shaman. Written for
Three Sentence Ficathon:
that have chalked forth the way -- Chronicles of Narnia, 200 words. Susan makes her own worlds.
hope, like roads across the earth -- Chronicles of Narnia, 250 words. Edmund rebuilds Narnia's transportation network.
you can be me when I'm gone -- Homestuck, 125 words. Calliope considers her other self.
When in Rome -- Othello/Macbeth, 300 words. Iago meets the Scottish queen in Rome.
for the living -- Daredevil, 300 words. Foggy in the aftermath of Defenders.
Three Views of Alternia -- Homestuck, 100 words. War is kind.
each day a new and different sun -- Inception, 175 words. Arthur and Ariadne make travel plans.
the journey of a thousand miles -- Avengers, 250 words. Natasha deals with the fallout of Civil War.
makes the dream work -- Naruto, 175 words. Sakura reaches the valley's rim just in time.
the good of your stars and trees -- Naruto, 250 words. The night before Naruto's investiture as Hokage.
like a thunderbolt -- Guardians of the Galaxy, 175 words. Nebula has a proposition for Kraglin.
a language all nations understand -- Chronicles of Narnia, 375 words. Two artisans work on the king of Archenland's anniversary gift to his queen.
unwound, unknit, unraveled -- Lucifer/Sandman, 150 words. "Oh yes, he had a thread; everyone does."
And o'er his heart a shadow -- Darkangel Trilogy, 400 words. First Melchior thinks that the Lady saved him to be a weapon against her lost and deadly daughter.
I will repay -- Daredevil, 150 words. "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar," Wilson's mother used to say.
practical magic -- Harry Potter, 200 words. Luna gives Hermione a confusing birthday present.
worth a thousand words -- Captain America, 275 words. His first week in Wakanda, Steve gets a letter from Natasha.
one for the road -- Chronicles of Narnia, 175 words. Campfire stories on the road to Narnia and the North.
though it be silent as light -- Homestuck, 250 words. Kanaya is fairly sure her neighbors consider her a cryptid.
Fanfiction: 9,350
Original Fiction:
The Wizard's Fate -- The Witches of Immish, 375 words. In the days when the dragons rebuilt the Glass Mountain, a wizard of Almeric came to believe the witches of Immish had no true magic of their own.
Original Fiction: 375
December Total: 9,725
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2017 Fanfiction: 65,575
2017 Original: 1,275
2017 Total: 66,850
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ANALYSIS
As always, I count words by posting date rather than writing date, which can give somewhat misleading results if you are trying to track my periods of greatest productivity
Last year I posted slightly over 71,000 words. This year I fell about 4,500 words short of even that reduced mark. *sigh* On the one hand, I did finally get treatment for my resurgent depression. Yay for SSRIs! On the other hand, I effectively lost four months of writing time to working 50-plus hour weeks from January through April, and by mid-October when the Celexa properly kicked in, I was both out of the habit of regular writing and distracted by other projects -- like returning to college to finally finish an associate degree.
You win some, you lose some, I guess. *wry*
I am hoping 2018 will be better, mostly because of the medication. It is flat-out amazing how much easier time-management becomes when I don't have to slog through a slough of gray despond to even begin to contemplate doing stuff. I mean, I still can't just do stuff at the drop of a hat -- I have some executive dysfunction issues that are apparently unrelated to depression, though holy shit does the depression exacerbate them -- but having to kick a motor a couple-three times before it starts vs. never getting it to start at all...? Entirely different worlds.
I signed up for four fic challenges/exchanges this year: WIP Big Bang, Narnia Fic Exchange, Remix Revival, and Yuletide. I completed all four, albeit by the skin of my teeth in most cases; I did not write any pinch hits or treats. I also participated in the FandomTrumpsHate charity auction, though my contribution was tragically delayed a year because lack of time and spoons. *headdesk* (That is first on my list of things to finish in 2018!) I also ran a couple mini-ficlet prompt memes, which got delayed by mental and physical exhaustion, and participated in the Three Sentence Ficathon both in January (filling leftover prompts from 2016) and December (new prompts, yay!).
I wrote barely any original fiction this year (bah, humbug), but next year should be different, if only because I have two long-overdue gift stories I need to finish -- both of which are likely to run at least 10,000 words and perhaps up to 30,000 words, based on my rough scene-by-scene breakdowns. I hope that will help me get back into the habit of writing original fiction just because instead of having it be a rare exception to my general patterns.
Did you write more than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you'd predicted?
---Less. I knew going in that my productivity was going to plummet until May, so I wasn't expecting to hit my usual goal of 100,000 words, but I did want to beat last year's word count. Unfortunately I underestimated how badly depression was still affecting me even after my mental health break from writing in late 2016.
What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted last year?
---I guess my Yuletide fic, for the Penric & Desdemona subseries in Lois McMaster Bujold's Chalion series. I tend to be surprised by my assigned Yuletide fandoms. *wry* Also it's a case!fic detective story, which is emphatically not one of my usual genres.
Did you take any writing risks this year?
---In retrospect, signing up for WIP Big Bang while caught in the net of clinical depression was not a great idea. I did finish the story, but I want to go back and do extensive rewrites and additions because the editing I did manage was a hideous rush-job and there are so many things I ran out of time to fix or elaborate on. *sigh*
Do you have any fanfic or original fic goals for the coming year?
---Finish a bunch of my longstanding WIPs. I am resolutely NOT going to run mini-ficlet prompt memes, nor will I sign up for any challenges beyond my standard four: WIP Big Bang (because see above in re: finishing WIPs), NFE, Remix (if any version runs), and Yuletide. (Well, okay, and Ladystuck if any version of that runs. I am weak to Ladystuck.)
This holds for original fiction also. As previously mentioned, I have two gift stories I still owe people, and I want to get them off my back so I can stop feeling guilty about them!
Favorite story -- not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest
---Either "Oranges and Lemons" or "Intervention," despite all the things that are still wrong with the latter. Also the various component ficlets of "Edmund and Ginny Go to Harfang," because making that a series was definitely one of my better decisions. :)
Best story
---Probably "I Am the One Who Lives with the Ocean." I feel like it expresses the most complete thought in the most concise and appropriate language.
Most underappreciated by the universe
---None, really; I have been lucky that way these past few years.
Most "Holy crap, that's wrong, even for you" story
---Oddly enough, none this year.
Sexiest story
---None, though I suppose "Terms and Conditions May Apply" probably comes closest by way of innuendo.
Hardest story to write
---"Intervention," ugh. I am never writing space battles again!
Easiest story to write
---I guess "I Am the One Who Lives with the Ocean," at least once I stopped trying to force it to be something it wasn't. When I gave in and just wrote what needed to happen, it all flowed very quickly and smoothly.
Most fun to write
---Probably either the component parts of "Edmund and Ginny Go to Harfang" because the concept is ridiculous to start with and I gave myself permission to just write the especially fun bits, or "Whose Allegiance Is Ruled by Expedience" because there is something wonderfully freeing about writing amoral people who are good at logistics. (YMMV, obviously, but that is prime comfort-zone writing for me.)
Most disappointing
---Any WIP I didn't finish! *headdesk*
Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters
---"Intervention," obviously, since they're all my own original characters and I was pinning them down as I wrote!
Story with the single sweetest moment
---Um. "Maboroshi" and "Some Little Talk a While of Me and Thee" both get pretty sappy toward the end, "Sweets to the Sweet" is functional relationship goodness all the way through, "A Bit of Hot Water" is adorable in a slightly embarrassing way for its protagonists, and "Queen of the Night" is pure familial fluff. I'm not sure I can narrow further.
Biggest surprise
---None, really.
Most revealing story
---"Oranges and Lemons" has a close though oblique relationship to things from my own life. "Intervention" is drenched in my love for ethical dilemmas that don't have clear-cut answers, and for characters learning how to stay true to themselves while finding a place in their community.
And "I Am the One Who Lives with the Ocean" is, in retrospect, a flashing neon sign that I was not nearly as over my depression as I'd been trying to tell myself I was. *wry* If you hand me a fluff-fic prompt about cuddling and freedom and I come up with that... yeah. It's a good story. I am proud of it! But it's also very much the kind of thing I write when I am so emotionally grayed-out that I just want to not exist for a couple days. *sigh*
Have I mentioned that SSRIs are beautiful things? Because they really, really are. And they are helping me finally climb out of the gods-be-damned slough of despond that's been swallowing me for the past two or three years. Here's to 2018! Let's make it a good year, together.
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And that is that for the year. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2018-01-04 05:32 am (UTC)*tips tea cup of commiseration to you*
> Here's to 2018! Let's make it a good year, together.
*tips it again*
(brought to you by yet another evening swallowed by spending my emotional energy to support my mother)
(no subject)
Date: 2018-01-04 07:19 pm (UTC)