Writing Roundup 2020
Mar. 10th, 2021 11:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
out_thereLast year's stats
(And let's pretend I got around to posting this in January, when I meant to. Oops.)
January
War of Attrition (8096 words) by out_there
Chapters: 4/4
Fandom: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Characters: Aziraphale (Good Omens), Crowley (Good Omens)
Additional Tags: Ineffable Husbands (Good Omens), South Downs Cottage (Good Omens), Presents, Good Omens Big Bang
Summary:
"It's rather lovely." Aziraphale holds it up, carefully brushing the crumbs off and looking at the bird in flight. "Such delicate work."
Crowley shrugs. "Keep it."
"Are you sure?"
"It's hardly my colour scheme," Crowley replies. The look Aziraphale gives him is far too knowing.
***
Three presents Crowley gave Aziraphale.
Reflection
This was a fun story to write. It was a Big Bang type story where I got to work with an artist, and it was absolutely amazing to have artwork made that so perfectly fit with the story. There's something so surprisingly about seeing art that captures the fuzzy details in my head as I wrote it. (I remember the first time I saw the lacework picture, and going back to make sure the description matched it.)
Still, I like this story as a story -- it's sweet and fluffy, but Crowley's adoration of Aziraphale is lovely to write. He appreciates Aziraphale's kindnesses as much as his sharp edges, and I always love getting to end a story in the South Downs cottage.
Temptation (4123 words) by out_there
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Crowley (Good Omens), Jesus (Good Omens)
Additional Tags: Two bros hanging out in the desert, Temptation in the desert, Name Changes
Summary:
And the tempter coming said to him: If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. (Matthew 4:3)
Reflection
This was a pain to write. I loved the idea of it and I'm still really proud of it -- but writing about Jesus is a very hard line to walk as lapsed Catholic. I wanted to get that mix of divinity and mundane, the way that Crowley is kinder than most of the heavenly angels but also a slight idea of free will being part of the ineffable plan -- a little encouragement for Crowley to think beyond the rules of Hell. It was also a chance to take a bit of scripture and play with the perspective, show how those famous temptations could have been exaggerated and twisted in later retellings.
March
that groove has gotten so deep (8112 words) by out_there
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Clint Barton/Phil Coulson
Characters: Clint Barton, Phil Coulson
Additional Tags: Mission Fic
Summary:
"I thought Shanghai was supposed to be a break," says the note left on the single bed. It's in Barton's scrawled handwriting, a chicken-scratch pattern of lower-case letters, heavily slanted to the left.
Phil tucks the note away in his pocket and looks around the room. Dingy off-white walls, industrial orangey-mustard carpet and cheap polyester bedspread. As far as safehouses go, it's a big step down from the Ritz. Then again, Phil remembers how much room service Barton ordered over four days at the Ritz. It's hardly a coincidence they're not assigned nice hotels anymore. Plus, there was that whole exploding chandelier incident.
Reflection
I've had the first two lines of this story sitting in a text file for at least three years. I was going to try an epistolary fic, something all written by letters back and forth, except I never wrote past that start. And then I was stuck for something to write and decided to try a bit of a mission fic. Except that also didn't work. So I ended up going back and using flashbacks for every second scene to flesh out the relationship between Phil and Clint.
I like the end result, but it took a while to write.
June
In Times of Trouble (10124 words) by out_there
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Sherlock (TV)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade
Characters: Mycroft Holmes, Greg Lestrade
Additional Tags: POV Greg, Established Relationship, mystrade, time spent in hospital waiting rooms
Series: Part 3 of The Sad Divorced Bastards Club
Summary:
Reflection
The conclusion of the Sad Divorced Bastards Club series. This was a delight to write. After the last installment, there had been a few comments asking aout Mycroft's first marriage and the divorce, and while I had a clear idea of it, they weren't appropriate for that story. I started writing this as an exercise of the circumstances that would be required for Mycroft to divulge any painful details, and it grew a life of it's own. Because even at a painful moment for Greg, even while he's worrying over the life of a friend, Mycroft would still have the practicality to realise that sharing those painful details won't bring Greg any solace; satisfying that curiousity won't make Greg feel better and won't be terribly fair to anyone.
So what this story ended up being was everyday romance, not the fowers and flush of first love but the steady support through tough times, the day-to-day considerations that make life easier and build an 'us' to last through the years. It's an idealised romance, absolutely, but it also makes me very happy.
July
Dipped in Gold (32715 words) by out_there
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Shadowhunters (TV)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Characters: Alternate Alec Lightwood (Shadowhunters: This World Inverted), Alternate Magnus Bane (Shadowhunters: This World Inverted), Alternate Isabelle Lightwood (Shadowhunters: This World Inverted), Alternate Simon Lewis (Shadowhunters: This World Inverted), Alternate Jace Wayland (Shadowhunters: This World Inverted), Alternate Clary Fray (Shadowhunters: This World Inverted), Alternate Maryse Lightwood (Shadowhunters: This World Inverted)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - This World Inverted (Shadowhunters TV), Magic Revealed, Good Parent Maryse Lightwood, POV Alec Lightwood, Warlock Magnus Bane
Summary:
Reflection
I had a lot of fun binge-watching Shadowhunters on Netflix, and what I really wanted to write about was the AU versions we saw of Alec and Magnus. They were so much fun and I love a good AU. I had a great time writing this -- how Alec could be proudly out and still mission-serious about party planning. That even when it's not saving the world, the Lightwoods are still intense and committed to their goals, and Izzy's still the only one who makes friends easily. And Magnus may be quieter and appear conservative, but he's still sassy and fun, and the chemistry he has with Alec can't be denied.
(Plus, I have a soft spot for characters who enjoy sex but also tend to use it to compensate for personality flaws. Think Elliot in Scrubs, using sex "as an ice-breaker".)
August
About Last Summer (11822 words) by out_there
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Shadowhunters (TV)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Characters: Magnus Bane, Alec Lightwood, Isabelle Lightwood, Jace Wayland
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Unconventional Courtship Generator, Harlequin, One Night Stands, POV Alec Lightwood
Summary:
Reflection
We all know I love writing a romcom, and this was no exception. I love that these two start with sexual chemistry and then keep running into each other; I love that it's not a practical decision based on teh things Alec should want, but being with Magnus makes him happy and he enjoys it. I love that the more he gets to know Magnus, the more he realises that Magnus is a very good guy beneath the eyeliner and flirting. (And I love the idea of them breaking Clary's shower and never, ever telling her.)
September
Eight on a Sunday (2701 words) by out_there
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Clint Barton/Phil Coulson
Characters: Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes, Bruce Banner
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, House Flipping, Banking, Renovations, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Bucky Barnes & Clint Barton Friendship, Classic Cars, Don't Touch Lola (Agents of SHIELD)
Summary:
Reflection
Sometimes, there is so much choice in what to remix that it's hard to get an idea to start. But the idea of Clint as a renovator is incredibly sexy to me -- honestly, after spending months procrastinating over finishing the plastering in our front bedroom, the idea of a hot guy who's good with his hands gets more and more appealing -- and even though it's a short story, I had a lot of fun letting Clint and Bucky become friends.
Conclusion
7 stories in four fandoms, which seems about right for me.
Breakdown by fandom:
2 Good Omens - 12,219 words
2 MCU - 10,813 words
2 Shadowhunters - 44,537 words
1 Sherlock - 10,124
Total word count: 77,693
What's your own favourite story of the year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest:
Probably "In Times of Trouble". That always makes me happy when I re-read it.
Now your most popular:
By bookmarks: Dipped in Gold
By comments and kudos: War of Attrition
Good Omens is a huge fandom, but I was surprised that Dipped in Gold was so big in bookmarks (but a third of them are private bookmarks, so that's interesting).
The other top 4?
The other four I wrote this year, in order of popularity (by kudos):
- In Times of Trouble
- Dipped in Gold
- Temptation
- that groove has gotten so deep
Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion:
I feel like Temptation was a great idea in a big fandom, but it's also gen and non-shippy and features Jesus, so I get why it feels big to me but doesn't have a lot of comments.
Easiest story to write:
Porbably Dipped in Gold. That came together scene by scene, and was a lot of fun to write.
Most fun story to write:
About Last Summer -- again, fairly easy and so much fun.
Hardest story to write:
As I said last year, it was Temptation (also known as the "Crowley and Jesus hang out in the desert" story that kept stalling over and over). I mean, I loved the idea and I'm so proud of the end result, but it took a lot of time.
Fic writing goals for 2021:
My biggest goal was to finish the Gotham wip that I was working on at the end of the year (which I did, in Feb). Goals for the rest of the year might be just to try to keep writing.
Favourite opening line:
In the dark of a moonless night, two figures lurk by a grove of olive trees. - Temptation. Honestly, describing demons lurking is one of the joys of Good Omens stories.
Favourite closing line:
"That's over a month away," Alec says, as if he hasn't already sent an email to their mother to let her know he'll be bringing someone. "We'll see how it goes." - Dipped in Gold, because white lies to your sibling are sometimes needed to protect your pride.
Hilariously, almost all of those stories end with a bit of dialogue. I like to hear my characters talk.
Favourite line from anywhere:
This is what it comes down to, isn't it? Things go wrong, and life's all about the people who care enough to stay there when it happens. - In Times of Trouble
Favourite title:
That's a toss up. I love "Dipped in Gold" for the reference to Magnus' eyes and the vague feeling of value, but I also like "War of Attrition" even though it isn't really a war -- it's just Crowley slowly wearing down Aziraphale's resistance to the idea of their side, until Aziraphale is the one brave enough to lean into their kiss.
(And let's pretend I got around to posting this in January, when I meant to. Oops.)
January
War of Attrition (8096 words) by out_there
Chapters: 4/4
Fandom: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Characters: Aziraphale (Good Omens), Crowley (Good Omens)
Additional Tags: Ineffable Husbands (Good Omens), South Downs Cottage (Good Omens), Presents, Good Omens Big Bang
Summary:
"It's rather lovely." Aziraphale holds it up, carefully brushing the crumbs off and looking at the bird in flight. "Such delicate work."
Crowley shrugs. "Keep it."
"Are you sure?"
"It's hardly my colour scheme," Crowley replies. The look Aziraphale gives him is far too knowing.
***
Three presents Crowley gave Aziraphale.
Reflection
This was a fun story to write. It was a Big Bang type story where I got to work with an artist, and it was absolutely amazing to have artwork made that so perfectly fit with the story. There's something so surprisingly about seeing art that captures the fuzzy details in my head as I wrote it. (I remember the first time I saw the lacework picture, and going back to make sure the description matched it.)
Still, I like this story as a story -- it's sweet and fluffy, but Crowley's adoration of Aziraphale is lovely to write. He appreciates Aziraphale's kindnesses as much as his sharp edges, and I always love getting to end a story in the South Downs cottage.
Temptation (4123 words) by out_there
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Crowley (Good Omens), Jesus (Good Omens)
Additional Tags: Two bros hanging out in the desert, Temptation in the desert, Name Changes
Summary:
And the tempter coming said to him: If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. (Matthew 4:3)
Reflection
This was a pain to write. I loved the idea of it and I'm still really proud of it -- but writing about Jesus is a very hard line to walk as lapsed Catholic. I wanted to get that mix of divinity and mundane, the way that Crowley is kinder than most of the heavenly angels but also a slight idea of free will being part of the ineffable plan -- a little encouragement for Crowley to think beyond the rules of Hell. It was also a chance to take a bit of scripture and play with the perspective, show how those famous temptations could have been exaggerated and twisted in later retellings.
March
that groove has gotten so deep (8112 words) by out_there
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Clint Barton/Phil Coulson
Characters: Clint Barton, Phil Coulson
Additional Tags: Mission Fic
Summary:
"I thought Shanghai was supposed to be a break," says the note left on the single bed. It's in Barton's scrawled handwriting, a chicken-scratch pattern of lower-case letters, heavily slanted to the left.
Phil tucks the note away in his pocket and looks around the room. Dingy off-white walls, industrial orangey-mustard carpet and cheap polyester bedspread. As far as safehouses go, it's a big step down from the Ritz. Then again, Phil remembers how much room service Barton ordered over four days at the Ritz. It's hardly a coincidence they're not assigned nice hotels anymore. Plus, there was that whole exploding chandelier incident.
Reflection
I've had the first two lines of this story sitting in a text file for at least three years. I was going to try an epistolary fic, something all written by letters back and forth, except I never wrote past that start. And then I was stuck for something to write and decided to try a bit of a mission fic. Except that also didn't work. So I ended up going back and using flashbacks for every second scene to flesh out the relationship between Phil and Clint.
I like the end result, but it took a while to write.
June
In Times of Trouble (10124 words) by out_there
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Sherlock (TV)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade
Characters: Mycroft Holmes, Greg Lestrade
Additional Tags: POV Greg, Established Relationship, mystrade, time spent in hospital waiting rooms
Series: Part 3 of The Sad Divorced Bastards Club
Summary:
"Unfortunately, helplessness does not seem to get any easier with practice." Mycroft sighs, breath gusting through Greg's hair. "If it did, it would be easier to watch you suffer and do nothing."
Greg turns to look at him, but in the darkness he can only make out the darker shadow of Mycroft's haughty nose in profile. There's no hint of Mycroft's expression. "You're here. That's not nothing."
Reflection
The conclusion of the Sad Divorced Bastards Club series. This was a delight to write. After the last installment, there had been a few comments asking aout Mycroft's first marriage and the divorce, and while I had a clear idea of it, they weren't appropriate for that story. I started writing this as an exercise of the circumstances that would be required for Mycroft to divulge any painful details, and it grew a life of it's own. Because even at a painful moment for Greg, even while he's worrying over the life of a friend, Mycroft would still have the practicality to realise that sharing those painful details won't bring Greg any solace; satisfying that curiousity won't make Greg feel better and won't be terribly fair to anyone.
So what this story ended up being was everyday romance, not the fowers and flush of first love but the steady support through tough times, the day-to-day considerations that make life easier and build an 'us' to last through the years. It's an idealised romance, absolutely, but it also makes me very happy.
July
Dipped in Gold (32715 words) by out_there
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Shadowhunters (TV)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Characters: Alternate Alec Lightwood (Shadowhunters: This World Inverted), Alternate Magnus Bane (Shadowhunters: This World Inverted), Alternate Isabelle Lightwood (Shadowhunters: This World Inverted), Alternate Simon Lewis (Shadowhunters: This World Inverted), Alternate Jace Wayland (Shadowhunters: This World Inverted), Alternate Clary Fray (Shadowhunters: This World Inverted), Alternate Maryse Lightwood (Shadowhunters: This World Inverted)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - This World Inverted (Shadowhunters TV), Magic Revealed, Good Parent Maryse Lightwood, POV Alec Lightwood, Warlock Magnus Bane
Summary:
Every year, Alec organises the Sapphire Ball, a fundraiser for homeless queer youth. It's important to him, and he takes it seriously. So seriously that he tends to become a little… intense. Which wouldn't be a problem if he could just distract Magnus with sex.
(Set in the This World Inverted universe.)
Reflection
I had a lot of fun binge-watching Shadowhunters on Netflix, and what I really wanted to write about was the AU versions we saw of Alec and Magnus. They were so much fun and I love a good AU. I had a great time writing this -- how Alec could be proudly out and still mission-serious about party planning. That even when it's not saving the world, the Lightwoods are still intense and committed to their goals, and Izzy's still the only one who makes friends easily. And Magnus may be quieter and appear conservative, but he's still sassy and fun, and the chemistry he has with Alec can't be denied.
(Plus, I have a soft spot for characters who enjoy sex but also tend to use it to compensate for personality flaws. Think Elliot in Scrubs, using sex "as an ice-breaker".)
August
About Last Summer (11822 words) by out_there
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Shadowhunters (TV)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Characters: Magnus Bane, Alec Lightwood, Isabelle Lightwood, Jace Wayland
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Unconventional Courtship Generator, Harlequin, One Night Stands, POV Alec Lightwood
Summary:
Alec Lightwood – type A personality, dutiful son, and manager of the family event planning business – is organizing his brother’s wedding. Which is awkward, since last summer he fell into bed with the best man.
Magnus Bane is all wrong for him – commitment-phobic, recently divorced, and living on the other side of the country. He never promised him a future, and he doesn’t want anyone to know about their past. But history does have a way of repeating itself… and with the wedding coming up, their little secret is harder and harder to keep!
(From About Last Summer by Sandra Panting)
Reflection
We all know I love writing a romcom, and this was no exception. I love that these two start with sexual chemistry and then keep running into each other; I love that it's not a practical decision based on teh things Alec should want, but being with Magnus makes him happy and he enjoys it. I love that the more he gets to know Magnus, the more he realises that Magnus is a very good guy beneath the eyeliner and flirting. (And I love the idea of them breaking Clary's shower and never, ever telling her.)
September
Eight on a Sunday (2701 words) by out_there
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Clint Barton/Phil Coulson
Characters: Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes, Bruce Banner
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, House Flipping, Banking, Renovations, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Bucky Barnes & Clint Barton Friendship, Classic Cars, Don't Touch Lola (Agents of SHIELD)
Summary:
Phil doesn't see the contractor during the next week. It's only the growing pile of rubbish outside -- wooden edges and old drywall and on Thursday, the bathtub and toilet -- that proves the work is continuing. It makes the neighborhood look like a garbage dump but thankfully an empty dumpster gets delivered on Saturday.
Phil hears the noise of the delivery truck backing up and goes outside to investigate. Clint's standing outside, directing the driver. In deference to the heat, he's wearing khaki shorts and a lavender wifebeater. Phil tries not to stare at his strong shoulders.
He fails, but he tries.
Reflection
Sometimes, there is so much choice in what to remix that it's hard to get an idea to start. But the idea of Clint as a renovator is incredibly sexy to me -- honestly, after spending months procrastinating over finishing the plastering in our front bedroom, the idea of a hot guy who's good with his hands gets more and more appealing -- and even though it's a short story, I had a lot of fun letting Clint and Bucky become friends.
Conclusion
7 stories in four fandoms, which seems about right for me.
Breakdown by fandom:
2 Good Omens - 12,219 words
2 MCU - 10,813 words
2 Shadowhunters - 44,537 words
1 Sherlock - 10,124
Total word count: 77,693
What's your own favourite story of the year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest:
Probably "In Times of Trouble". That always makes me happy when I re-read it.
Now your most popular:
By bookmarks: Dipped in Gold
By comments and kudos: War of Attrition
Good Omens is a huge fandom, but I was surprised that Dipped in Gold was so big in bookmarks (but a third of them are private bookmarks, so that's interesting).
The other top 4?
The other four I wrote this year, in order of popularity (by kudos):
- In Times of Trouble
- Dipped in Gold
- Temptation
- that groove has gotten so deep
Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion:
I feel like Temptation was a great idea in a big fandom, but it's also gen and non-shippy and features Jesus, so I get why it feels big to me but doesn't have a lot of comments.
Easiest story to write:
Porbably Dipped in Gold. That came together scene by scene, and was a lot of fun to write.
Most fun story to write:
About Last Summer -- again, fairly easy and so much fun.
Hardest story to write:
As I said last year, it was Temptation (also known as the "Crowley and Jesus hang out in the desert" story that kept stalling over and over). I mean, I loved the idea and I'm so proud of the end result, but it took a lot of time.
Fic writing goals for 2021:
My biggest goal was to finish the Gotham wip that I was working on at the end of the year (which I did, in Feb). Goals for the rest of the year might be just to try to keep writing.
Favourite opening line:
In the dark of a moonless night, two figures lurk by a grove of olive trees. - Temptation. Honestly, describing demons lurking is one of the joys of Good Omens stories.
Favourite closing line:
"That's over a month away," Alec says, as if he hasn't already sent an email to their mother to let her know he'll be bringing someone. "We'll see how it goes." - Dipped in Gold, because white lies to your sibling are sometimes needed to protect your pride.
Hilariously, almost all of those stories end with a bit of dialogue. I like to hear my characters talk.
Favourite line from anywhere:
This is what it comes down to, isn't it? Things go wrong, and life's all about the people who care enough to stay there when it happens. - In Times of Trouble
Favourite title:
That's a toss up. I love "Dipped in Gold" for the reference to Magnus' eyes and the vague feeling of value, but I also like "War of Attrition" even though it isn't really a war -- it's just Crowley slowly wearing down Aziraphale's resistance to the idea of their side, until Aziraphale is the one brave enough to lean into their kiss.
no subject
Date: 2021-03-11 11:10 am (UTC)It's always so much fun to see what authors think about their fics, and how their perspective differs from that of the reader!
no subject
Date: 2021-03-13 06:03 pm (UTC)And its interesting to look back at the year not just in terms of words written, but what did you enjoy writing, and make yourself actually read through your opening and closing lines and appreciate them. It always surprises me how much I've written and how easily I forget what I've posted a few months ago.