end of year fanwork roundup 2017

LIST OF FANWORKS:

 

you only live a day (but it's brilliant anyway) (Rogue One, Bodhi/Galen)
nothing left to do when you've got to go on waiting (for the miracle to come) (Critical Role; Cassandra, Kaylie, Gilmore)
A cataloging of how the new population of ravens interacts with particular residents and/or visitors of Whitestone (Critical Role)
fingertips (The Last Jedi, Poe/Leia)
(let me come home) home is whenever I'm with you (Horizon: Zero Dawn, Aloy/Vanasha)
We can talk it so good (how you wish it would be all the time) (TFA, Ben Solo)
Tumblr ficlets
 

TOTAL WORD COUNT FOR THE YEAR:
 

11910

I also did transcription and a shitton (an actual quantifiable term) of editing for CRTranscripts this year, which is not the same as producing original work, but is also a fandom contribution. This is in addition to the tag wrangling.

 

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

 

Fuck this year, in general and specific. Between the Trump administration and my grandma's death, this was not going to be a good year for writing, but I didn't realize how bad it would be. This is less than 20% of my previous yearly output. The fact that I was able to write at all, however, is something I do not take lightly.

If, despite everything, you were able to produce work this year, congratulations. And if you couldn't, that's okay too. Next year will hopefully be better.

 

PERSONAL BEST/FAVORITE: 

 

I'm really pleased with you only live a day. It's rare for me to like a thing I write right off the bat, but I liked this a lot. I am pleased with the structure, and weaving in the flash-forwards was great, mostly because people were like "I don't understand how this relates--OHHHH MY GOD YOU MONSTER". That was fun.

 

MOST UNDERAPPRECIATED (IMO): 

 

Fingertips. I mean, people like it, but I want people to like it more.

 

MOST POPULAR:

Either a cataloging etc or nothing left to do, by kudos and Tumblr notes. 

STORY WITH THE SEXIEST MOMENT:

Nothing stands out, not like it did last year.

 

STORY THAT SHIFTED MY OWN PERCEPTIONS OF A CHARACTER:

If I wanted an easy out I'd say this Hot Fuzz ficlet, because I've never written Danny before. But his voice was so easy to figure out. Maybe Poe in fingertips? He's been living in my head for a couple years now, but I hadn't really, truly considered his relationship with Leia (in any sense really) until this story. And now that I've written it, I have more insight into both of them.

 

MOST FUN STORY TO WRITE:

 

Also fingertips. I don't think I've really quite plumbed Poe's complete and utter adoration and devotion to Leia, but this was a start.

 

HARDEST:

 

All of them. Fuck this year.

 

BIGGEST SURPRISE/S:

 

That I managed to get out more than two fics.

 

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: 

Too many IRL disappointments to even think about this one.
 

MOST UNINTENTIONALLY TELLING STORY: 

 

Like I say every year, all my shit is out in the open. 

 

FAVOURITE LINES/SCENES:

 

“I want to know,” he says, so Bodhi tells him about the narrow streets of NiJedha, bustling and full of life. He relates the best he can the smell of ful in the morning and dal at night, bread leavened and flat to accompany them. He describes pilgrim season before the Imperial presence on the moon, a sea of white robes streaked with travel dust. (from you only live a day)

Cool fingers slide against his chin, force his head up to look at her. There’s that angry spark in her eyes, the one he’s seen in old holoreels of the Imperial Senate and thought was incredibly attractive, until he was the focus of that attention. Now, under that gaze, he revises his opinion to attractive as well as incredibly frightening. (from fingertips)
 

LINES/SCENES YOU’D CHANGE: 

 

I try not to think about it because then I'll want to change them and then I'll never stop fiddling.

TOP FIVE SCENES YOU WISH WOULD BE ILLUSTRATED:

 

Bodhi and Galen in bed from you only live a day
Taako and Lup dropping water balloons in this ficlet
Danny pinned under Nick in this ficlet

OK I guess I didn't write enough to round out five

 

2018 WRITING AMBITIONS:

As always, a look back at last year's:
After the election, and looking ahead to the next year or four, I have been thinking about what I can do as a creative person, outside of direct activist/volunteer work, to support people's spirits during what will undoubtedly be some grim times. I think about how after the election, being able to dive into a fic for a little while was such comfort. I hope to write stories about connection, friendship, and resistance with as much love and care as possible. 

I do not know if I succeeded, but I hope my fics brought a little bit of solace to those who needed it. My goal next year remains the same. I don't know what horrors another year of this administration holds, but I think we will be in great need of escape and comfort from it, if only for a little bit.

End of year fandom survey 2017

1. Your main fandom of the year?

Critical Role and Star Wars, with brief interludes into The Adventure Zone and Stranger Things.

2. Your favorite film watched this year?

Thor: Ragnarok. It's pretty much perfect and goofy and surprisingly smart. I wish Taika Waititi would take over all the MCU movies except Black Panther. I also finally watched What We Do in the Shadows and it's every bit as delightful as people say. 

Honorable mentions: Logan, John Wick, Atomic Blonde.

The Last Jedi is in its own category of something because Star Wars and it's weird.

 

3. Your favorite book read this year?

A Queen from the North, by Racheline Maltese and Erin McRae. It's alt-history (War of the Roses never ended) arranged marriage romance. Super interesting setting, and I look forward to a book about one of the super interesting side characters who may or may not be a witch.

 

4. Your favorite TV show of the year?

The Good Place. Being a Michael Schurr show, It hits a lot of buttons for me: people who aren't great trying to be better but still being themselves, explicit repudiation of "hell is other people", a soulmate pairing I would actually fight to the death for despite hating the trope.

 

5. Your favorite online fandom community of the year?

Like last year, Critical Role Tumblr, or at least my corner of it. What an incredibly talented, lovely group of people. Also my corner of Star Wars Tumblr/Twitter.

 

6. Your best new fandom discovery of the year?

The Adventure Zone Balance arc. What a beautiful, brilliant piece of collaborative serial fiction. Can you fucking believe Griffin only started DMing at the beginning of the show? I honestly believe story-wise he's about as good as Mercer. 

 

7. Your biggest fandom disappointment of the year?

I can't remember if I had one of those this year, or if I just had bigger things to be disappointed by.

8. Your TV boyfriend of the year?

Jason Mendoza. He's genuinely sweet and wonderful. Stupid as stupid can be, but super super sweet.

 

9. Your TV girlfriend of the year?

Rosa Diaz, MY CANONICALLY BISEXUAL BADASS LADY COP

 

10. Your biggest squee moment of the year?

The thing that happened with the big fight in Critical Role. El coming back to Hawkins and reuniting with her friends.

 

11. The most missed of your old fandoms?

Still, the Abbie/Ichabod part of Sleepy Hollow. 

 

12. The fandom you haven't tried yet, but want to?

I still feel pretty full up on things to keep my attention right now.

13. Your biggest fan anticipations for the New Year?

New Critical Role campaign! Pacific Rim: Uprising. BLACK PANTHER. Maybe even the Thirteenth Doctor. I haven't watched Doctor Who in a while and I miss it.