Year In Writing Review (2014)
Jan. 2nd, 2015 02:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
konstantyaTotal fic wordcount for 2014: Guestimated at about 30,000, though only about 15,000 of that ended up published/posted.
Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you'd predicted?
Less than I expected, and less than I wanted to, unfortunately. Or maybe it's that I didn't end up finishing as many fics as I would have liked. Ah, well; such is life.
What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in January 2014?
I kind of got back into M*A*S*H, and started writing a couple Father Mulcahy/Gail Harris fics, which was rather surprising. Despite being into the series for a number of years, I never had a particular desire to even pop my head into the fandom, let alone write fic for it. But then August/September came, and the latent feels I have always had for the Mulcahy/Gail pairing reached an all-time high for some reason. And since there are all of, like, two fics out there that focus on the pairing, I (of course) had to start writing my own, if only out of necessity.
Did you take any writing risks this year? (See above for unexpected pairings, etc.) What did you learn from them?
I don't know if I'd called it a risk, per se, but I did write my first f/f story (Bridal Style), and though it was super-mild on the romance front, it was a lot of fun all the same. Not sure if I exactly learned anything from it, aside from the fact that I'd like to write more f/f fic in the future—assuming the motivation and inspiration is there, of course.
Do you have any fanfic or pro-fic goals for the New Year?
Definitely want to finish the Driving Circles Around Me Arc (only one fic left!), and it would be nice to finish up some of the more obscure WIPs that have been sitting around my hard drive: the aforementioned M*A*S*H fics, the Merry Gentleman fic I started about a year ago, etc. I also started rewriting a YA historical romance (Catherine and the Pirate, by Karen Hawkins, for the curious), just for my own personal pleasure, so it would be neat to finish that, but it's totally not a priority. (And, as always, there is still a part of me that dearly wants to finish my 1848-1867!AusHun fic,that is now FIVE YEARS IN THE MAKING *SOBS*, but the truth is, other stories and even fandoms have (clearly) captured my interest, so I'm not about to make any promises. But still, it would be nice, as I do have a special place in my heart for that story and pairing, and would love to be able to share it one day.)
From my past year of writing, what was…
My Favorite Story: This is tough, as I really like them all in different ways. I actually put this question off until the very end, thinking I'd have an answer by then, and I still don't. So I guess I'll just call it a six-way tie, ridiculous as that sounds.
My Best Story: I guess I'd have to go with either The Blaze Across My Nightgown or But the Rain. Blaze is longer and more epic on the emotional front, I guess you could say (plus it is essentially where the Folken/Eries relationship reaches a climax and shifts into something more overtly physical), but But the Rain... I really like how concise and controlled that one turned out. There's a lot going on under the surface, and a lot of detail packed into a mere 2,000 words, which is something I'm really proud of, so... Yeah, it's hard to choose.
Story Most Underappreciated by the Universe: But the Rain—poor Zongi, no one loves you! (Mostly kidding, as I did get some lovely reviews for that fic all the same. But still, it can be hard, not only writing for an old fandom, but writing for a very minor, decidedly unpopular character within that fandom.)
Most Fun: I'd say it's a three-way tie between Scientific Methods, Hot Fuzz, and Bridal Style. All of them were ridiculously fun to write.
Most Surprising: Perhaps Your Words All Over Me? Surprising because it was the first time I really got into Folken's head, and he turned out to be both 1.) a way more reliable narrator than I expected, and 2.) way more fucked up than I expected. As I noted at the end of the fic, I can kind of see why people would characterize him as an aggressive seme type now. (Kind of. I still think he has enough self-control to not act on any violent/aggressive urges he might have, but oh baby, the fact of the matter is, he does have them. He has them so hard.)
Most Disappointing: None of the ones that got published, but maybe the aforementioned M*A*S*H fics? Because they didn't get published (because they didn't get finished)? Or else the sixth (and final) installment of the Driving Circles Around Me Arc, for much the same reasons. After The Blaze Across My Nightgown got posted, I was so looking forward to finishing the arc up, but inspiration sort of fled me, and it's been difficult to get it back—possibly because the final fic is rather different in tone and focus, when compared to the others that preceded it? It's hard to say.
Sexiest: The Blaze Across My Nightgown, as it's the one fic I wrote this past year where sexytimes actually commence! (Hot Fuzz and even Scientific Methods were sexy in their own, fun way, but Blaze has a sort of smoldering, desperate, the-world-is-ending-and-I-want-you sexiness.) Your Words All Over Me might be a runner-up, if only because of all the UST and restraint flying around. (And if you know anything about my writing, you know I'm a sucker for that stuff. Unf.)
Sexiest Single Moment: Folken and Eries making out in The Blaze Across My Nightgown, or else the end of Your Words All Over Me, where Folken thinks about dragging her closer.;DDD
Hardest to Write: The Blaze Across My Nightgown. Very angsty, very emotionally involved, and on the long side for me. I'm pleased with the way it came out, but man, it was a bear.
Easiest to Write: Either Hot Fuzz or Bridal Style. They were short pieces, inspired by tumblr prompts, and I was able to bang each one out in a day or two, which is super-fast for me. Plus, they were on the lighter, more humorous side, which is definitely less exhausting, mentally and emotionally, than most of my fics.
"Holy crap, that's wrong even for you" Fic: Does writing a pairing that involves a Catholic priest (aka: my M*A*S*H fics) count? (Probably not, as I don't think that's particularly strange or out of character for me, and the actual romance bits are on the excessively mild side, but that's about all I got for this one this year. XP)
Fic That Shifted My Own Perceptions of the Characters: Your Words All Over Me, definitely. See previous answer, under "Most Surprising," for reasons why.
Most Unintentionally Telling: I'm gonna say Scientific Methods, as writing Merle's RPF was basically like getting back in touch with my fic-writing self of yesteryear (aka: when I was thirteen). XD
Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you'd predicted?
Less than I expected, and less than I wanted to, unfortunately. Or maybe it's that I didn't end up finishing as many fics as I would have liked. Ah, well; such is life.
What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in January 2014?
I kind of got back into M*A*S*H, and started writing a couple Father Mulcahy/Gail Harris fics, which was rather surprising. Despite being into the series for a number of years, I never had a particular desire to even pop my head into the fandom, let alone write fic for it. But then August/September came, and the latent feels I have always had for the Mulcahy/Gail pairing reached an all-time high for some reason. And since there are all of, like, two fics out there that focus on the pairing, I (of course) had to start writing my own, if only out of necessity.
Did you take any writing risks this year? (See above for unexpected pairings, etc.) What did you learn from them?
I don't know if I'd called it a risk, per se, but I did write my first f/f story (Bridal Style), and though it was super-mild on the romance front, it was a lot of fun all the same. Not sure if I exactly learned anything from it, aside from the fact that I'd like to write more f/f fic in the future—assuming the motivation and inspiration is there, of course.
Do you have any fanfic or pro-fic goals for the New Year?
Definitely want to finish the Driving Circles Around Me Arc (only one fic left!), and it would be nice to finish up some of the more obscure WIPs that have been sitting around my hard drive: the aforementioned M*A*S*H fics, the Merry Gentleman fic I started about a year ago, etc. I also started rewriting a YA historical romance (Catherine and the Pirate, by Karen Hawkins, for the curious), just for my own personal pleasure, so it would be neat to finish that, but it's totally not a priority. (And, as always, there is still a part of me that dearly wants to finish my 1848-1867!AusHun fic,
From my past year of writing, what was…
My Favorite Story: This is tough, as I really like them all in different ways. I actually put this question off until the very end, thinking I'd have an answer by then, and I still don't. So I guess I'll just call it a six-way tie, ridiculous as that sounds.
My Best Story: I guess I'd have to go with either The Blaze Across My Nightgown or But the Rain. Blaze is longer and more epic on the emotional front, I guess you could say (plus it is essentially where the Folken/Eries relationship reaches a climax and shifts into something more overtly physical), but But the Rain... I really like how concise and controlled that one turned out. There's a lot going on under the surface, and a lot of detail packed into a mere 2,000 words, which is something I'm really proud of, so... Yeah, it's hard to choose.
Story Most Underappreciated by the Universe: But the Rain—poor Zongi, no one loves you! (Mostly kidding, as I did get some lovely reviews for that fic all the same. But still, it can be hard, not only writing for an old fandom, but writing for a very minor, decidedly unpopular character within that fandom.)
Most Fun: I'd say it's a three-way tie between Scientific Methods, Hot Fuzz, and Bridal Style. All of them were ridiculously fun to write.
Most Surprising: Perhaps Your Words All Over Me? Surprising because it was the first time I really got into Folken's head, and he turned out to be both 1.) a way more reliable narrator than I expected, and 2.) way more fucked up than I expected. As I noted at the end of the fic, I can kind of see why people would characterize him as an aggressive seme type now. (Kind of. I still think he has enough self-control to not act on any violent/aggressive urges he might have, but oh baby, the fact of the matter is, he does have them. He has them so hard.)
Most Disappointing: None of the ones that got published, but maybe the aforementioned M*A*S*H fics? Because they didn't get published (because they didn't get finished)? Or else the sixth (and final) installment of the Driving Circles Around Me Arc, for much the same reasons. After The Blaze Across My Nightgown got posted, I was so looking forward to finishing the arc up, but inspiration sort of fled me, and it's been difficult to get it back—possibly because the final fic is rather different in tone and focus, when compared to the others that preceded it? It's hard to say.
Sexiest: The Blaze Across My Nightgown, as it's the one fic I wrote this past year where sexytimes actually commence! (Hot Fuzz and even Scientific Methods were sexy in their own, fun way, but Blaze has a sort of smoldering, desperate, the-world-is-ending-and-I-want-you sexiness.) Your Words All Over Me might be a runner-up, if only because of all the UST and restraint flying around. (And if you know anything about my writing, you know I'm a sucker for that stuff. Unf.)
Sexiest Single Moment: Folken and Eries making out in The Blaze Across My Nightgown, or else the end of Your Words All Over Me, where Folken thinks about dragging her closer.
Hardest to Write: The Blaze Across My Nightgown. Very angsty, very emotionally involved, and on the long side for me. I'm pleased with the way it came out, but man, it was a bear.
Easiest to Write: Either Hot Fuzz or Bridal Style. They were short pieces, inspired by tumblr prompts, and I was able to bang each one out in a day or two, which is super-fast for me. Plus, they were on the lighter, more humorous side, which is definitely less exhausting, mentally and emotionally, than most of my fics.
"Holy crap, that's wrong even for you" Fic: Does writing a pairing that involves a Catholic priest (aka: my M*A*S*H fics) count? (Probably not, as I don't think that's particularly strange or out of character for me, and the actual romance bits are on the excessively mild side, but that's about all I got for this one this year. XP)
Fic That Shifted My Own Perceptions of the Characters: Your Words All Over Me, definitely. See previous answer, under "Most Surprising," for reasons why.
Most Unintentionally Telling: I'm gonna say Scientific Methods, as writing Merle's RPF was basically like getting back in touch with my fic-writing self of yesteryear (aka: when I was thirteen). XD
