2016 writing roundup and analysis
Jan. 1st, 2017 11:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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A Year in Writing: 2016
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JANUARY
Fanfiction:
Wear Your Finest Hour -- Homestuck, 1,350 words. Rose and Jade go dress-shopping for prom. Light Jade/Rose. Written for![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
casetrippy in Ladypalooza 2015.
Let the Water Take Me -- Homestuck, 2,450 words. You've known since you were a wiggler that one night Meenah Peixes will set you free. You've known for almost as long that your death will only draw her further into the trap of your Master's schemes. And it only took one sweep in your Master's active service before it occurred to you that she is the only other troll in the universe who will live as long as you, with all the loneliness and loss that implies. It would take a far stronger person than you will ever be to not love and pity her a little, if only in the abstract. (You will destroy her anyway.) Handmaid<3/<>Condesce, depression, suicidal ideation, attempted suicide. Part of the Ancestral Nights series. Written forBurgundyrose in Ladypalooza 2015.
Request and Require -- Star Trek: AOS, 575 words. The Enterprise is on its third day surveying yet another uninhabited star system beyond the Federation's borders when they receive a highest priority message from the Confederacy of Surak. [15-minute fic]
Three Sentence Ficathon:
no friend like a sister -- BtVS, 300 words. In Cleveland, Buffy takes up coloring books as an escape; Dawn notices.
but compliments leave us baffled -- Star Trek: AOS, 250 words. Gaila likes making Jim blush.
thank you for all your service -- Hamilton, 175 words. Wherein Lt. Elijah Schuyler meets Miss Alexandra Hamilton.
walk off the edge of my own life -- Daredevil, 275 words. A game of truth or dare gets unexpectedly philosophical.
habitat -- Sailor Moon, 200 words. Makoto has complicated feelings toward aquariums.
battle magic -- Chronicles of Narnia, 250 words. Edith and Mary makes plans during the Sarovencian invasion. A (non-canonical) part of the As the Morning and the Night AU.
Fanfiction: 5,825
Original Fiction: none
January Total: 5,825
---------------------------------------------
FEBRUARY
Fanfiction:
the seer and the light -- Homestuck, 150 words. Rose rises out of the Green Sun, shedding plasma in her wake, and for a moment everything is gloriously, impossibly clear. Implied suicidal ideation. (A three-sentence ficlet.)
Fanfiction: 150
Original Fiction:
Cast a Shadow -- Sunbright and Shadowfall, 525 words. In which Sunbright unexpectedly acquires a body-servant. [15-minute fic]
Harvest: Stepping Stones -- Firsthome, 250 words. Ekanu and Denifar on the vision isle. [15-minute fic]
Original Fiction: 775
February Total: 925
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MARCH
Fanfiction:
Narutostuck: Tall Tales -- Hometuck/Naruto, 525 words. Shortly after the Kouin contingent's arrival in Konoha, Naruto attempts to explain recent events to Vriska. He fails. Badly. [prompt!fic for anonymous]
But Not Quite THAT Bored -- Homestuck, 150 words. Dirk wants to plan the Second Triennial Human/Troll Flashstepping Competition. Dave would prefer not to. Sequel to Things To Do Post-Sburb When You're Bored. [prompt!fic formme_hardy]
In what distant deeps or skies -- Homestuck, 625 words. Assigned to different ships at opposite ends of the Federation, in the middle of an interminable war, Dave and Jade do their best to stay in touch. Light Jade/Dave. [prompt!fic formme_hardy]
For what you have tamed -- Chronicles of Narnia, 200 words. Tumnus would give his life rather than let Lucy come to harm at his hands again. [prompt!fic for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
cat_i_th_adage]
Don't Get Caught -- Harry Potter, 275 words. Professor McGonagall visits Ginny in the infirmary, after an 'accident' one week into her sixth year. Indirect sequel to A Certain Point of View. [prompt!fic forwistfulmemory]
Narutostuck: No Child Left Behind -- Homestuck/Naruto, 1,450 words. The testing happens on Dave's birthday. In the first hour past dawn, soldiers knock on the doors of every kid who's turned six since the last round of tests, five months ago. Dave waves goodbye to his sister and mom as the soldier leads him away. If he's lucky, he'll see them again tonight. If he's not, well, there's nothing he can do except try to take someone with him when he dies. [prompt!fic for![[tumblr.com profile]](https://www.tumblr.com/favicon.ico)
mid-childan-puella-magi]
Narutostuck: Riptide -- Homestuck/Naruto, 500 words. Midway through the rebellion, Feferi, Jade, and Aradia break a prisoner out of the Uchuukage's compound. Unfortunately they fail the plausible deniability part of the mission. [prompt!fic formid-childan-puella-magic]
Noblesse Oblige -- Homestuck/Black Jewels, 500 words. "I never wanted to be anyone's Queen," Jane says as she and Dave sit on the gray, game-construct platform. Part of the Jewelstuck AU. [prompt!fic for anonymous]
Narutostuck: Family Planning -- Homestuck/Naruto, 775 words. If Dirk's kids ask questions, he'll give them honest answers. He's pretty sure he's going to scar them for life sooner or later. (AKA, Dirk explains the old regime's eugenics program to Dave.) [prompt!fic formme_hardy]
Narutostuck: By Which a Shattered World -- Homestuck/Naruto, 1,650 words. The battle for Kouin doesn't end with the assault on the Uchuukage's compound, but Jane and Roxy have enough downtime to get philosophical. [prompt!fic for anonymous]
Narutostuck: Triptych -- Homestuck/Naruto, 1,150 words. Karkat, Terezi, and Dave: three first meetings. [prompt!fic for anonymous]
And Carry On -- Homestuck, 1,400 words. Kanaya helps her Empress through the aftermath of an attempted assassination. Kanaya<>Feferi. Written fororiflamme in Palestuck 2016.
Fanfiction: 9,200
Original Fiction: none
March Total: 9,200
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APRIL
Fanfiction:
A Problem That You'll Understand -- Homestuck, 1,025 words. Jane and Dirk cheer each other up after a bad day. Alpha Timeline Fluff. Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic forlongroadstonowhere]
Fanfiction: 1,025
Original Fiction: none
April Total: 1,025
---------------------------------------------
MAY
Fanfiction:
Have Dominion -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,075 words. The Talking Beasts of Narnia are waiting for their names. Regardless of Aslan's words, Helen isn't at all sure she has any right to name them. Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic forsyrena_of_the_lake]
But Every Hour Is Saved from That Eternal Silence -- Chronicles of Narnia/BtVS, 1,450 words. While working to locate and seal a wild dimensional portal, Susan and her demon-hunting partner receive instructions from the Powers That Be that neatly derail the tragedy of TLB. Part of the One Equal Temper of Heroic Hearts AU. Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic forrollinginbooks]
Rekindling -- Naruto, 2,775 words. After Sasuke's promotion to a desk job in the UMCC, Naruto and Sakura help perform a family ritual to turn his new apartment into a home. Part of the Summer Camp & Politics AU. Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic forbranchandroot]
Almost at Odds with Morning -- Homestuck, 2,100 words. Four months after her resurrection, Damara arranges a meeting with an old friend. Part of the Untimely Ripped AU. Contains discussion of suicide and depression. Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic forasukaskerian]
Cardcaptor Uhura -- Star Trek: AOS, 900 words. Nyota Uhura occasionally regrets her sense of responsibility, particularly when the magical cards she accidentally released onto Starfleet Academy campus get in the way of her classes. Fortunately (or unfortunately), Gaila and Spock make sure she never misses a crisis. Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic forsablin27]
Who Contract the Habit of Eating -- Homestuck, 2,450 words. Jade has a bad day and invites Rose over for cuddles and nature documentaries, which Rose gladly accepts. Unfortunately they have wildly different reactions to Jade's chosen comfort food. Contains discussion of alcoholism and familial dysfunction. Part of the Leaf and Letter AU. Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic forgracefularchitect]
Fanfiction: 10,750
Original Fiction: none
May Total: 10,750
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JUNE
Fanfiction:
Truth or Dare -- Homestuck, 875 words. In the name of family bonding, Roxy, Rose, Dave, and Dirk play a game of truth or dare. (They may regret this plan.) Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic forrunespoor7]
A Splash of Color -- Enchanted Forest Chronicles, 1,625 words. Stokey's Academy of Magic was too new to have many traditions, but the students and faculty were working hard to make up that deficit -- primarily by declaring any particularly interesting accident 'a new tradition!' and egging people on to repeat it the next year. Between them, Morwen and Telemain started five traditions in their first two years of study. This is the story of their sixth. Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic forwistfulmemory]
Responsibility -- Chronicles of Narnia, 2,575 words. Susan only stopped to fetch a jar of jam, en route to her fight with the castle account books. Meanwhile the daring Captain Lucy, accompanied by her loyal crew of Otter pups, set sail to the Port of Pantry... Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic formarmota_b]
Fanfiction: 5,075
Original Fiction: none
June Total: 5,075
---------------------------------------------
JULY
Fanfiction:
Tiny Grass Is Dreaming (Failure To Communicate) -- Homestuck, 1,500 words. Something about talking to Damara makes Aranea feel like all her words twist in her mouth and come out as unintelligible nonsense. She hates it. Remix of Tiny Grass Is Dreaming byferalphoenix, written for Ladystuck Remix 2016.
Hold the Line (As Dreamers Do) -- Homestuck, 2,475 words. 1994: The Betty Crocker conglomerate invites Dr. Jade English, celebrated astrophysicist and CEO of Skaianet Technologies, to teach one year of classes at their first foray into private education, Marjorie Husted University in Houston, Texas. Jade says yes. Meanwhile, the Condesce is staging a corporate takeover of Disney. Remix of Hold the Line bydashery, written for Ladystuck Remix 2016.
Fanfiction: 3,975
Original Fiction: none
July Total: 3,975
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AUGUST
Fanfiction:
The Courting Dance:
The Courting Dance, chapter 9 -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,775 words. Narnia is both sister and friend to Archenland. Peridan intends to remind the Archens what that means.
The Courting Dance, chapter 10 -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,650 words. Wherein two ladies of the Narnian court exchange a series of letters discussing recent events and future expectations.
The Courting Dance, chapter 11 -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,700 words. Upon receiving formal notice of the planned Great Council session, Cor and Aravis steal an evening to themselves... for planning and for other things.
The Courting Dance, chapter 12 -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,675 words. Bree finds human politics and diplomacy deeply silly, but if Cor wants to return to Anvard and face the Great Council, he'll support his boy all the way.
The Courting Dance, chapter 13 -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,475 words. Aravis and Cor have made their home in Archenland, but they are still Calormene by birth and culture. They are also Archen. And there is no contradiction in those truths.
Fanfiction: 8,275
Original Fiction: none
August Total: 8,275
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SEPTEMBER
Fanfiction:
A High and Lonely Destiny -- Chronicles of Narnia, 3,375 words. All the stories Jadis knows begin with Lilith. Severely dysfunctional family and society. Written forKomadori in the Narnia Fic Exchange 2016.
enchantments -- Chronicles of Narnia, 450 words. One night, she will let him out of the chair and not recast her spell. Rilian fears that day more than anything. Dark. Written forKomadori in NFE Madness 2016.
Fanfiction: 3,825
Original Fiction: none
September Total: 3,825
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OCTOBER
Fanfiction: none
Original Fiction:
three introductions -- 600 words. Three ways to introduce myself as a character. [Comment!fic forrollinginbooks]
Original Fiction: 600
October Total: 600
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NOVEMBER
Fanfiction:
Three Sentence Ficathon:
to get away from it all -- Avengers (MCU), 175 words. Laura and Clint on vacation.
the ruling passion conquers reason still -- Star Wars, 175 words. Leia and Han never stop loving each other; that's not the problem.
absence makes -- Daredevil, 275 words. Karen and Matt experiment with blindfolds.
no diplomacy like candor -- Star Trek: AOS, 250 words. T'Pring has a proposition for Nyota.
madly, deeply -- Daredevil, 150 words. Foggy wonders why he tied his life to the two most obsessive people he knows.
on the internet, nobody can do your emotional labor for you -- Homestuck, 200 words. The perils of punctuation and/or the lack thereof. Implied Jade/Dave/Karkat.
a real magic -- Enchanted Forest Chronicles, 225 words. The Enchanted Forest goes slightly overboard when welcoming Cimorene into the royal family.
just as long as we're together -- Avengers (MCU), 225 words. Laura, Clint, & Natasha fail at holiday cooking.
Fanfiction: 1,675
Original Fiction: none
November Total: 1,675
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DECEMBER
Fanfiction:
The Morn Is Hallowday -- Tam Lin, 2,450 words. Halfway through the walk from Forbes to Ericson, Molly realized that if Tina hadn't returned already from her folk dancing, she certainly would very soon, and in either case Janet's absence would require some explanation. Written fornnozomi in Yuletide 2016.
Second Chances -- Daredevil, 14,825 words. 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.
Three Sentence Ficathon:
would smell as sweet -- Hamilton, 125 words. Alexander and Angelica on the set of the Bachelorette.
under a bushel -- Hamilton, 125 words. Eliza's life, in sunlight and shadow.
at the broken places -- X-Men, 150 words. Emma's jagged edges don't quite match up to Scott's own wounds.
won't take this lying down -- BtVS, 175 words. Faith is not subtle at flirting. Buffy/Faith.
the golden age of the barefoot time -- X-Men, 275 words. Scott and Jean have a standing monthly weekend date.
the iron queens -- Chronicles of Narnia, 350 words. In the cold and dark of Narnia after the end, Susan offers Jadis a bargain.
written on the arched sky -- Inception, 275 words. Ariadne and Arthur flirt in an imaginary planetarium.
questionably intelligent design -- Homestuck, 150 words. Jade isn't convinced that frogs are the best choice to represent living universes.
systems analysis -- Star Trek: AOS, 225 words. Every person is like a new code problem, but with Nyota, Gaila doesn't need to resort to hacking.
the ethics of duty -- Chronicles of Narnia, 150 words. Ilgamuth Tarkaan during the Battle of Anvard.
truly an eloquent turn of phrase -- Homestuck, 225 words. Rose courts Kanaya via magnetic poetry and bad memes.
and, in parting from you now -- Inception/Sandman, 200 words. When she dies, Mal steps sideways into the Dreaming.
for thine is the kingdom -- Inception/Sandman, 300 words. Ariadne receives Dream's permission to work with the fabric of his realm.
a soft epilogue -- Naruto, 200 words. A quiet moment, after the world doesn't end. NaruSasuSaku.
Fanfiction: 20,200
Original Fiction: none
December Total: 20,200
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2016 Fanfiction: 69,975
2016 Original: 1,375
2016 Total: 71,350
---------------------------------------------
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.
I signed up for six fic challenges/exchanges this year: Palestuck, Ladystuck Remix, WIP Big Bang, Narnia Fic Exchange, Yuletide, and Daredevil Secret Santa. I completed Palestuck, Ladystuck Remix (plus a pinch hit), WIP Big Bang, NFE (plus a treat), Yuletide, and Daredevil Secret Santa, though I required an extension for the last one. I also participated in two iterations of the Three Sentence Ficathon, signed up for a Daredevil Bingo card, and ran mini-ficlet prompt memes more than once through the year.
As with last year, the main theme of my year was depression getting in the way of writing. By August I realized there was no earthly way I was going to make my target wordcount for the year (for the record, 100,000 words, with a stretch goal of 120,000 words) and at the start of September I gave myself permission to take a creative break for nearly three months, because making myself stressed and miserable does not actually make me more productive.
Did you write more than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you'd predicted?
---Much less. Depression sucks.
What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted last year?
---Nothing. This was not a year for stretching my wings very much.
Did you take any writing risks this year?
--Doing the mental equivalent of trying to run a marathon on broken legs? That was kind of a risk, but probably not in the sense this question is meant to assess. So I'd have to say, writing a typical genre romance plot for my Daredevil Secret Santa fic. It's about as prosaic and unromantic a story as you can possibly get, given the inherent structure of the thing, but even so: genre romance. I think it mostly works? (It is also the single longest fic I wrote all year, which makes it doubly weird.)
Do you have any fanfic or original fic goals for the coming year?
---Get back to writing. :)
Favorite story -- not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest
---For full-length fics, "Let the Water Take Me," "Rekindling," "Almost at Odds with Morning," "Who Contract the Habit of Eating," "Hold the Line (As Dreamers Do)," and "The Morn Is Hallowday." For three-sentence fics, "the golden age of the barefoot time" and "truly an eloquent turn of phrase."
And also "The Courting Dance," I suppose, if only for finally being finished. *wry*
Best story
---Hmm. I think, in this case, the main criterion would be coherence of statement and effect, in which case it's probably "Rekindling," "Almost at Odds with Morning," "Who Contract the Habit of Eating," or "The Morn Is Hallowday." They are all about human connection in the face of past traumas, and dealing with memories and worries about the future and stuff like that, though I'd say they're all more fluffy than otherwise. (I mean. Fluffy in the sense of 'happy/hopeful ending,' rather than fluffy in the sense of 'everything is kittens and rainbows'. I don't write a lot of 'everything is kittens and rainbows' in general, and I particularly don't lean that way when I am, you know, depressed.)
Most underappreciated by the universe
---"at the broken places," because apparently the universe is not interested in vaguely melancholy three-sentence fics about Scott Summers and Emma Frost. Which is not particularly surprising, but there you have it.
Most "Holy crap, that's wrong, even for you" story
---None, really? I mean, there's dark stuff lurking around the edges or in the implicit backstories of various fics, but nothing that strikes me as out of line with the fics' respective canons. (Maybe "enchantments," though? It is a rocks fall, everyone dies AU and the implication is that eventually Rilian will be brainwashed into genuinely loving the Lady of the Green Kirtle, but it's not like that's in any way an implausible or even unlikely ending to his canon story.)
Sexiest story
---None, really. That is not the point of anything I wrote this year.
Hardest story to write
---"The Courting Dance," argh, argh, ten thousand times argh!
Easiest story to write
---None of them, honestly. Writing did not come readily this year, and even in December I was still feeling pretty rusty.
Most fun to write
---Probably some of the November/December three-sentence fics, both in and of themselves and for the relief of realizing I could write again without feeling like I was pulling mental teeth without anesthetics.
Most disappointing
---Any WIP I didn't finish! *headdesk*
Also "A High and Lonely Destiny" and "Second Chances," because in both cases I didn't have the time (and in the former case, I also didn't have the mental energy) to make them as good as they should have been. They're both perfectly serviceable stories as-is, but they could have been so much better, and it annoys me that they're not.
Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters
---None, really; as I said above, I didn't take risks this year so I didn't write anything that gave characters the space to surprise me.
Story with the single sweetest moment
---Hmm. I dunno, there's a bunch of sweet moments but they tend to be pretty contextually dependent. I guess if we're just going for sweet all the way through, I'd say "Wear Your Finest Hour" or "A Problem That You'll Understand." The former is adorable high school girlfriends flirting as they buy prom dresses, and the latter is two friends mutually cheering each other up after their respective terrible days.
Biggest surprise
---"The Courting Dance," I think, both because I am always pleasantly surprised when I finish a WIP, and because the structure shifted on me near the end and I wound up cutting two entire chapters about Lune, Corin, and squabbling Archen politicians. Also perhaps "Second Chances," because see above in re: genre romance. (Also it is pure dudeslash, which even when I'm writing ship!fic I don't write nearly as often as I write het, femslash, or poly.)
Most revealing story
---"Almost at Odds with Morning," because hello, depression. :(
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And that is that for the year. Here's hoping 2017 will be better on many fronts.
2014 version
2013 version
2012 version
2011 version
2010 version
2009 version
2005 version
---------------------------------------------
A Year in Writing: 2016
---------------------------------------------
JANUARY
Fanfiction:
Wear Your Finest Hour -- Homestuck, 1,350 words. Rose and Jade go dress-shopping for prom. Light Jade/Rose. Written for
Let the Water Take Me -- Homestuck, 2,450 words. You've known since you were a wiggler that one night Meenah Peixes will set you free. You've known for almost as long that your death will only draw her further into the trap of your Master's schemes. And it only took one sweep in your Master's active service before it occurred to you that she is the only other troll in the universe who will live as long as you, with all the loneliness and loss that implies. It would take a far stronger person than you will ever be to not love and pity her a little, if only in the abstract. (You will destroy her anyway.) Handmaid<3/<>Condesce, depression, suicidal ideation, attempted suicide. Part of the Ancestral Nights series. Written for
Request and Require -- Star Trek: AOS, 575 words. The Enterprise is on its third day surveying yet another uninhabited star system beyond the Federation's borders when they receive a highest priority message from the Confederacy of Surak. [15-minute fic]
Three Sentence Ficathon:
no friend like a sister -- BtVS, 300 words. In Cleveland, Buffy takes up coloring books as an escape; Dawn notices.
but compliments leave us baffled -- Star Trek: AOS, 250 words. Gaila likes making Jim blush.
thank you for all your service -- Hamilton, 175 words. Wherein Lt. Elijah Schuyler meets Miss Alexandra Hamilton.
walk off the edge of my own life -- Daredevil, 275 words. A game of truth or dare gets unexpectedly philosophical.
habitat -- Sailor Moon, 200 words. Makoto has complicated feelings toward aquariums.
battle magic -- Chronicles of Narnia, 250 words. Edith and Mary makes plans during the Sarovencian invasion. A (non-canonical) part of the As the Morning and the Night AU.
Fanfiction: 5,825
Original Fiction: none
January Total: 5,825
---------------------------------------------
FEBRUARY
Fanfiction:
the seer and the light -- Homestuck, 150 words. Rose rises out of the Green Sun, shedding plasma in her wake, and for a moment everything is gloriously, impossibly clear. Implied suicidal ideation. (A three-sentence ficlet.)
Fanfiction: 150
Original Fiction:
Cast a Shadow -- Sunbright and Shadowfall, 525 words. In which Sunbright unexpectedly acquires a body-servant. [15-minute fic]
Harvest: Stepping Stones -- Firsthome, 250 words. Ekanu and Denifar on the vision isle. [15-minute fic]
Original Fiction: 775
February Total: 925
---------------------------------------------
MARCH
Fanfiction:
Narutostuck: Tall Tales -- Hometuck/Naruto, 525 words. Shortly after the Kouin contingent's arrival in Konoha, Naruto attempts to explain recent events to Vriska. He fails. Badly. [prompt!fic for anonymous]
But Not Quite THAT Bored -- Homestuck, 150 words. Dirk wants to plan the Second Triennial Human/Troll Flashstepping Competition. Dave would prefer not to. Sequel to Things To Do Post-Sburb When You're Bored. [prompt!fic for
mme_hardy]In what distant deeps or skies -- Homestuck, 625 words. Assigned to different ships at opposite ends of the Federation, in the middle of an interminable war, Dave and Jade do their best to stay in touch. Light Jade/Dave. [prompt!fic for
mme_hardy]For what you have tamed -- Chronicles of Narnia, 200 words. Tumnus would give his life rather than let Lucy come to harm at his hands again. [prompt!fic for
cat_i_th_adage]Don't Get Caught -- Harry Potter, 275 words. Professor McGonagall visits Ginny in the infirmary, after an 'accident' one week into her sixth year. Indirect sequel to A Certain Point of View. [prompt!fic for
wistfulmemory]Narutostuck: No Child Left Behind -- Homestuck/Naruto, 1,450 words. The testing happens on Dave's birthday. In the first hour past dawn, soldiers knock on the doors of every kid who's turned six since the last round of tests, five months ago. Dave waves goodbye to his sister and mom as the soldier leads him away. If he's lucky, he'll see them again tonight. If he's not, well, there's nothing he can do except try to take someone with him when he dies. [prompt!fic for
Narutostuck: Riptide -- Homestuck/Naruto, 500 words. Midway through the rebellion, Feferi, Jade, and Aradia break a prisoner out of the Uchuukage's compound. Unfortunately they fail the plausible deniability part of the mission. [prompt!fic for
Noblesse Oblige -- Homestuck/Black Jewels, 500 words. "I never wanted to be anyone's Queen," Jane says as she and Dave sit on the gray, game-construct platform. Part of the Jewelstuck AU. [prompt!fic for anonymous]
Narutostuck: Family Planning -- Homestuck/Naruto, 775 words. If Dirk's kids ask questions, he'll give them honest answers. He's pretty sure he's going to scar them for life sooner or later. (AKA, Dirk explains the old regime's eugenics program to Dave.) [prompt!fic for
mme_hardy]Narutostuck: By Which a Shattered World -- Homestuck/Naruto, 1,650 words. The battle for Kouin doesn't end with the assault on the Uchuukage's compound, but Jane and Roxy have enough downtime to get philosophical. [prompt!fic for anonymous]
Narutostuck: Triptych -- Homestuck/Naruto, 1,150 words. Karkat, Terezi, and Dave: three first meetings. [prompt!fic for anonymous]
And Carry On -- Homestuck, 1,400 words. Kanaya helps her Empress through the aftermath of an attempted assassination. Kanaya<>Feferi. Written for
Fanfiction: 9,200
Original Fiction: none
March Total: 9,200
---------------------------------------------
APRIL
Fanfiction:
A Problem That You'll Understand -- Homestuck, 1,025 words. Jane and Dirk cheer each other up after a bad day. Alpha Timeline Fluff. Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
Fanfiction: 1,025
Original Fiction: none
April Total: 1,025
---------------------------------------------
MAY
Fanfiction:
Have Dominion -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,075 words. The Talking Beasts of Narnia are waiting for their names. Regardless of Aslan's words, Helen isn't at all sure she has any right to name them. Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
syrena_of_the_lake]But Every Hour Is Saved from That Eternal Silence -- Chronicles of Narnia/BtVS, 1,450 words. While working to locate and seal a wild dimensional portal, Susan and her demon-hunting partner receive instructions from the Powers That Be that neatly derail the tragedy of TLB. Part of the One Equal Temper of Heroic Hearts AU. Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
Rekindling -- Naruto, 2,775 words. After Sasuke's promotion to a desk job in the UMCC, Naruto and Sakura help perform a family ritual to turn his new apartment into a home. Part of the Summer Camp & Politics AU. Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
branchandroot]Almost at Odds with Morning -- Homestuck, 2,100 words. Four months after her resurrection, Damara arranges a meeting with an old friend. Part of the Untimely Ripped AU. Contains discussion of suicide and depression. Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
Cardcaptor Uhura -- Star Trek: AOS, 900 words. Nyota Uhura occasionally regrets her sense of responsibility, particularly when the magical cards she accidentally released onto Starfleet Academy campus get in the way of her classes. Fortunately (or unfortunately), Gaila and Spock make sure she never misses a crisis. Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
sablin27]Who Contract the Habit of Eating -- Homestuck, 2,450 words. Jade has a bad day and invites Rose over for cuddles and nature documentaries, which Rose gladly accepts. Unfortunately they have wildly different reactions to Jade's chosen comfort food. Contains discussion of alcoholism and familial dysfunction. Part of the Leaf and Letter AU. Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
Fanfiction: 10,750
Original Fiction: none
May Total: 10,750
---------------------------------------------
JUNE
Fanfiction:
Truth or Dare -- Homestuck, 875 words. In the name of family bonding, Roxy, Rose, Dave, and Dirk play a game of truth or dare. (They may regret this plan.) Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
A Splash of Color -- Enchanted Forest Chronicles, 1,625 words. Stokey's Academy of Magic was too new to have many traditions, but the students and faculty were working hard to make up that deficit -- primarily by declaring any particularly interesting accident 'a new tradition!' and egging people on to repeat it the next year. Between them, Morwen and Telemain started five traditions in their first two years of study. This is the story of their sixth. Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
wistfulmemory]Responsibility -- Chronicles of Narnia, 2,575 words. Susan only stopped to fetch a jar of jam, en route to her fight with the castle account books. Meanwhile the daring Captain Lucy, accompanied by her loyal crew of Otter pups, set sail to the Port of Pantry... Cotton Candy Bingo fill. [prompt!fic for
marmota_b]Fanfiction: 5,075
Original Fiction: none
June Total: 5,075
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JULY
Fanfiction:
Tiny Grass Is Dreaming (Failure To Communicate) -- Homestuck, 1,500 words. Something about talking to Damara makes Aranea feel like all her words twist in her mouth and come out as unintelligible nonsense. She hates it. Remix of Tiny Grass Is Dreaming by
Hold the Line (As Dreamers Do) -- Homestuck, 2,475 words. 1994: The Betty Crocker conglomerate invites Dr. Jade English, celebrated astrophysicist and CEO of Skaianet Technologies, to teach one year of classes at their first foray into private education, Marjorie Husted University in Houston, Texas. Jade says yes. Meanwhile, the Condesce is staging a corporate takeover of Disney. Remix of Hold the Line by
Fanfiction: 3,975
Original Fiction: none
July Total: 3,975
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AUGUST
Fanfiction:
The Courting Dance:
The Courting Dance, chapter 9 -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,775 words. Narnia is both sister and friend to Archenland. Peridan intends to remind the Archens what that means.
The Courting Dance, chapter 10 -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,650 words. Wherein two ladies of the Narnian court exchange a series of letters discussing recent events and future expectations.
The Courting Dance, chapter 11 -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,700 words. Upon receiving formal notice of the planned Great Council session, Cor and Aravis steal an evening to themselves... for planning and for other things.
The Courting Dance, chapter 12 -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,675 words. Bree finds human politics and diplomacy deeply silly, but if Cor wants to return to Anvard and face the Great Council, he'll support his boy all the way.
The Courting Dance, chapter 13 -- Chronicles of Narnia, 1,475 words. Aravis and Cor have made their home in Archenland, but they are still Calormene by birth and culture. They are also Archen. And there is no contradiction in those truths.
Fanfiction: 8,275
Original Fiction: none
August Total: 8,275
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SEPTEMBER
Fanfiction:
A High and Lonely Destiny -- Chronicles of Narnia, 3,375 words. All the stories Jadis knows begin with Lilith. Severely dysfunctional family and society. Written for
enchantments -- Chronicles of Narnia, 450 words. One night, she will let him out of the chair and not recast her spell. Rilian fears that day more than anything. Dark. Written for
Fanfiction: 3,825
Original Fiction: none
September Total: 3,825
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OCTOBER
Fanfiction: none
Original Fiction:
three introductions -- 600 words. Three ways to introduce myself as a character. [Comment!fic for
Original Fiction: 600
October Total: 600
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NOVEMBER
Fanfiction:
Three Sentence Ficathon:
to get away from it all -- Avengers (MCU), 175 words. Laura and Clint on vacation.
the ruling passion conquers reason still -- Star Wars, 175 words. Leia and Han never stop loving each other; that's not the problem.
absence makes -- Daredevil, 275 words. Karen and Matt experiment with blindfolds.
no diplomacy like candor -- Star Trek: AOS, 250 words. T'Pring has a proposition for Nyota.
madly, deeply -- Daredevil, 150 words. Foggy wonders why he tied his life to the two most obsessive people he knows.
on the internet, nobody can do your emotional labor for you -- Homestuck, 200 words. The perils of punctuation and/or the lack thereof. Implied Jade/Dave/Karkat.
a real magic -- Enchanted Forest Chronicles, 225 words. The Enchanted Forest goes slightly overboard when welcoming Cimorene into the royal family.
just as long as we're together -- Avengers (MCU), 225 words. Laura, Clint, & Natasha fail at holiday cooking.
Fanfiction: 1,675
Original Fiction: none
November Total: 1,675
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DECEMBER
Fanfiction:
The Morn Is Hallowday -- Tam Lin, 2,450 words. Halfway through the walk from Forbes to Ericson, Molly realized that if Tina hadn't returned already from her folk dancing, she certainly would very soon, and in either case Janet's absence would require some explanation. Written for
Second Chances -- Daredevil, 14,825 words. 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
Three Sentence Ficathon:
would smell as sweet -- Hamilton, 125 words. Alexander and Angelica on the set of the Bachelorette.
under a bushel -- Hamilton, 125 words. Eliza's life, in sunlight and shadow.
at the broken places -- X-Men, 150 words. Emma's jagged edges don't quite match up to Scott's own wounds.
won't take this lying down -- BtVS, 175 words. Faith is not subtle at flirting. Buffy/Faith.
the golden age of the barefoot time -- X-Men, 275 words. Scott and Jean have a standing monthly weekend date.
the iron queens -- Chronicles of Narnia, 350 words. In the cold and dark of Narnia after the end, Susan offers Jadis a bargain.
written on the arched sky -- Inception, 275 words. Ariadne and Arthur flirt in an imaginary planetarium.
questionably intelligent design -- Homestuck, 150 words. Jade isn't convinced that frogs are the best choice to represent living universes.
systems analysis -- Star Trek: AOS, 225 words. Every person is like a new code problem, but with Nyota, Gaila doesn't need to resort to hacking.
the ethics of duty -- Chronicles of Narnia, 150 words. Ilgamuth Tarkaan during the Battle of Anvard.
truly an eloquent turn of phrase -- Homestuck, 225 words. Rose courts Kanaya via magnetic poetry and bad memes.
and, in parting from you now -- Inception/Sandman, 200 words. When she dies, Mal steps sideways into the Dreaming.
for thine is the kingdom -- Inception/Sandman, 300 words. Ariadne receives Dream's permission to work with the fabric of his realm.
a soft epilogue -- Naruto, 200 words. A quiet moment, after the world doesn't end. NaruSasuSaku.
Fanfiction: 20,200
Original Fiction: none
December Total: 20,200
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2016 Fanfiction: 69,975
2016 Original: 1,375
2016 Total: 71,350
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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.
I signed up for six fic challenges/exchanges this year: Palestuck, Ladystuck Remix, WIP Big Bang, Narnia Fic Exchange, Yuletide, and Daredevil Secret Santa. I completed Palestuck, Ladystuck Remix (plus a pinch hit), WIP Big Bang, NFE (plus a treat), Yuletide, and Daredevil Secret Santa, though I required an extension for the last one. I also participated in two iterations of the Three Sentence Ficathon, signed up for a Daredevil Bingo card, and ran mini-ficlet prompt memes more than once through the year.
As with last year, the main theme of my year was depression getting in the way of writing. By August I realized there was no earthly way I was going to make my target wordcount for the year (for the record, 100,000 words, with a stretch goal of 120,000 words) and at the start of September I gave myself permission to take a creative break for nearly three months, because making myself stressed and miserable does not actually make me more productive.
Did you write more than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you'd predicted?
---Much less. Depression sucks.
What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted last year?
---Nothing. This was not a year for stretching my wings very much.
Did you take any writing risks this year?
--Doing the mental equivalent of trying to run a marathon on broken legs? That was kind of a risk, but probably not in the sense this question is meant to assess. So I'd have to say, writing a typical genre romance plot for my Daredevil Secret Santa fic. It's about as prosaic and unromantic a story as you can possibly get, given the inherent structure of the thing, but even so: genre romance. I think it mostly works? (It is also the single longest fic I wrote all year, which makes it doubly weird.)
Do you have any fanfic or original fic goals for the coming year?
---Get back to writing. :)
Favorite story -- not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest
---For full-length fics, "Let the Water Take Me," "Rekindling," "Almost at Odds with Morning," "Who Contract the Habit of Eating," "Hold the Line (As Dreamers Do)," and "The Morn Is Hallowday." For three-sentence fics, "the golden age of the barefoot time" and "truly an eloquent turn of phrase."
And also "The Courting Dance," I suppose, if only for finally being finished. *wry*
Best story
---Hmm. I think, in this case, the main criterion would be coherence of statement and effect, in which case it's probably "Rekindling," "Almost at Odds with Morning," "Who Contract the Habit of Eating," or "The Morn Is Hallowday." They are all about human connection in the face of past traumas, and dealing with memories and worries about the future and stuff like that, though I'd say they're all more fluffy than otherwise. (I mean. Fluffy in the sense of 'happy/hopeful ending,' rather than fluffy in the sense of 'everything is kittens and rainbows'. I don't write a lot of 'everything is kittens and rainbows' in general, and I particularly don't lean that way when I am, you know, depressed.)
Most underappreciated by the universe
---"at the broken places," because apparently the universe is not interested in vaguely melancholy three-sentence fics about Scott Summers and Emma Frost. Which is not particularly surprising, but there you have it.
Most "Holy crap, that's wrong, even for you" story
---None, really? I mean, there's dark stuff lurking around the edges or in the implicit backstories of various fics, but nothing that strikes me as out of line with the fics' respective canons. (Maybe "enchantments," though? It is a rocks fall, everyone dies AU and the implication is that eventually Rilian will be brainwashed into genuinely loving the Lady of the Green Kirtle, but it's not like that's in any way an implausible or even unlikely ending to his canon story.)
Sexiest story
---None, really. That is not the point of anything I wrote this year.
Hardest story to write
---"The Courting Dance," argh, argh, ten thousand times argh!
Easiest story to write
---None of them, honestly. Writing did not come readily this year, and even in December I was still feeling pretty rusty.
Most fun to write
---Probably some of the November/December three-sentence fics, both in and of themselves and for the relief of realizing I could write again without feeling like I was pulling mental teeth without anesthetics.
Most disappointing
---Any WIP I didn't finish! *headdesk*
Also "A High and Lonely Destiny" and "Second Chances," because in both cases I didn't have the time (and in the former case, I also didn't have the mental energy) to make them as good as they should have been. They're both perfectly serviceable stories as-is, but they could have been so much better, and it annoys me that they're not.
Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters
---None, really; as I said above, I didn't take risks this year so I didn't write anything that gave characters the space to surprise me.
Story with the single sweetest moment
---Hmm. I dunno, there's a bunch of sweet moments but they tend to be pretty contextually dependent. I guess if we're just going for sweet all the way through, I'd say "Wear Your Finest Hour" or "A Problem That You'll Understand." The former is adorable high school girlfriends flirting as they buy prom dresses, and the latter is two friends mutually cheering each other up after their respective terrible days.
Biggest surprise
---"The Courting Dance," I think, both because I am always pleasantly surprised when I finish a WIP, and because the structure shifted on me near the end and I wound up cutting two entire chapters about Lune, Corin, and squabbling Archen politicians. Also perhaps "Second Chances," because see above in re: genre romance. (Also it is pure dudeslash, which even when I'm writing ship!fic I don't write nearly as often as I write het, femslash, or poly.)
Most revealing story
---"Almost at Odds with Morning," because hello, depression. :(
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And that is that for the year. Here's hoping 2017 will be better on many fronts.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-01-03 04:55 am (UTC)Which is, of course, partly the depression talking -- it would like me to think that it has no bearing on my ability to write, and I'm just lazy and useless and other lies of that nature -- but also, creativity is one of my best weapons against gray emptiness and I'd like to learn how to keep a better grip on it when the going gets tough. *wry*