End-of-year Writing Meme
Jan. 9th, 2022 08:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
verecundaOne of my New Year's Resolutions is to use this DW account more often - still haven't quite worked out what for, but I thought I could start off with this meme ganked from silverink.
Fiction posted this year:
Private Devotions (Frontier Wolf, Alexios/Lucius)
With Eyes to See (LOTR, Frodo/Sam & Bilbo)
Encore (FFIX, Kuja)
Safe Passage (Monty Python, Scotsman on a Horse/Betrothed Scotsman)
Flagons and Forfeits (LOTR, Legolas/Gimli)
Sword Sleep (LOTR, Éowyn)
A Binding Vow (The Hobbit, Bilbo/Thorin)
Like Calling to Like (The Eagle, Esca/Marcus)
Yet Feet That Wandering Have Gone (The Hobbit, Bilbo/Bofur)
Splitting Hairs (The Hobbit, fem!Bilbo & Company)
On the Took Side (The Hobbit, fem!Bilbo & Company)
Under One Man’s Awe (Rome HBO, Brutus/Caesar)
The Changing Season (The Hobbit, Sigrid/Tauriel)
Hand in Glove Together (The Hobbit, Bilbo/Bofur)
Such Companions (LOTR, Legolas/Gimli)
The Queen of Lost Hopes (Silmarillion, Tar-Míriel)
Above Hoarded Gold (The Hobbit, Bilbo/Thorin & Balin)
Between the Desert and the Wood (Silmarillion, Beren/Lúthien & Huan)
The Wealth of Memory (LOTR/Silm crossover, Gimli & Legolas & Finrod)
Defilement (Silmarillion, Sauron)
Beguiled By One (Silmarillion, Mairon/Melkor)
This year I wrote and posted:
…isn’t this the same question as the last one?
Overall thoughts:
A mixed bag this year. I had periods of being very industrious, and periods of feeling utterly brain-dead, especially in the latter half of the year. I think the Pestilence™ got to me harder this year than last.
Looking back, did you write more or less fic than you thought you would this year?
Less. It’s always less. XD
What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would've never predicted in January?
I didn’t expect to fall so hard into Tolkien fandom! LOTR and The Hobbit have always had a very special place in my heart, books and films alike, but I've never really felt the urge to get fannish about them, with fic and shipping etc. Then, suddenly, I did. I reread the books, and then dived into The Silmarillion at long last, and I had a whale of a time! Now I’ve got a head full of Middle-earth ships and plotbunnies.
Within that, I really did not expect to fall for Angbang, but here I am, absolutely head over heels for it. The minute I read about how Sauron was genuinely loyal to Morgoth, and “adored” him, I was a goner. XD
This year's theme and the story that demonstrates this the most:
Self-indulgence was very much the rule this year - but then again, it’s the rule pretty much every year! And I think every fic I write shows that, tbh.
What's your own favourite story of this year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest?
I think either The Changing Season or Such Companions. They’re the ones I’ve reread with most enjoyment.
Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them?
I don’t think I took any risks, particularly.
Best story of this year:
Oof, I don’t know. I think The Wealth of Memory came out particularly well, as did Such Companions. The Changing Season also turned out well, and was an actual story with a beginning, middle, and end, rather than a single vignette.
Most popular story of this year:
Incredibly, Splitting Hairs, with far and away more hits and kudos than anything else! I’m rather surprised, because it’s a rule 63 gen fic, fairly short, and just rather daft all-round. That said, it was a fun idea, and I’m glad other folks enjoyed it. :)
Story of mine that is most underappreciated by the universe:
Between the Desert and the Wood. C’mon, people! It’s Beren and Lúthien and Huan in a great big cosy cuddle-pile! What’s not to love??
My least favourite story of this year:
Under One Man’s Awe. I really struggled with writing it (wrong headspace entirely), and in the end, the recipient never even bothered to acknowledge it, and I think I only got like one comment on it, which for an exchange fic is rather… ouch. No doubt the fact that I struggled affected the quality of it, but still. :\
Most fun story to write:
Probably Splitting Hairs, along with On the Took Side. I enjoyed writing rule 63!Bilbo. As I said in the A/N to one of them, it’s a bit like taking the fussy aunt from a period drama and sticking her in the middle of a fantasy adventure. :D
Story with the sweetest moment:
Tough call! I wrote a lot of sweet things this year! Probably a toss-up between Private Devotions and The Wealth of Memory. The first was written to be entirely a big cosy ball of fluff, culminating in Alexios and Lucius cuddled up together and looking forward to seeing the farm in the spring, while in the second, I really loved writing the bit where Finrod sings to Gimli of the Nauglamír and conjures up a mental image of it for him. :’)
Story with the sexiest moment:
Beguiled by One. I really enjoyed the build-up to the kiss between Mairon and Melkor. From Melkor losing his temper and admitting his infatuation with Mairon, and Mairon realising that a) being able to make someone lose their mind with desire for you is quite a rush actually, and b) um. angery Dark Lord?? hot?????… yeah, I like that bit. ;)
Most "holy crap that's wrong, even for you" story:
I don’t think there was one this year. I can’t think of any that stretched the limits of my comfort zone overmuch!
Most overdue story:
Annoyingly enough, Under One Man’s Awe. I’ve wanted to write Rome-verse Brutus fic for ages, especially if it involved Cassius or Caesar, but in the event it didn’t turn out as I’d hoped.
Most eye-roll worthy title:
ALL OF THEM.
Story that shifted my own perspective of the characters:
Not sure if it shifted my perspective, exactly, but I loved writing The Changing Season because it got me thinking about Tauriel and Sigrid, as well as Bard and the other Bardlings, in more depth than I had before: what they’d do with themselves after the end of BOTFA, and how they’d deal with the momentous changes in their lives.
Hardest story to write:
Under One Man’s Awe, for reasons of shitty brain chemistry. :[
Biggest disappointment:
I ended up defaulting from three exchanges this year, due to a mixture of crappy brain chemistry and real life factors, which sucked. Two of them (Chocolate Box and Trick or Treat) are ones I always look forward to, and the third (Have a Happy Hobbit Holiday) was a first time one I’d been really excited to sign up for. I was also pretty gutted at how Multifandom Drabble just sort of self-destructed. :(
Biggest surprise:
Looking over this year’s output, there’s only one E-rated fic. That’s a bit of a surprise. I don’t write a huge amount of smut, but I still usually write more than that!
Most unintentionally, personally telling story:
lmao I’m nowhere near self-aware enough to answer this.
Favourite opening line:
Nothing that springs to mind at once. Possibly the opening paragraph to Defilement, since I think I managed to capture a decently Tolkienesque tone for it:
Those who witnessed the felling of the White Tree perceived that the Wizard did not smile. He whom they had once reviled as Sauron the Terrible, now the closest counsellor to the King and high priest in the worship of Melkor, Giver of Freedom, stood watching from the balcony at the King’s right hand, his countenance serene; yet his eyes blazed hot and blue as the heart of a flame, filling his face with a terrible light, so that all who looked upon him trembled and shunned his gaze.
Favourite closing line:
Probably the ending of The Changing Season. It has a nice, fairytale kind of ring to it:
In the end, there was no marriage between Sigrid Bard’s daughter and Hunulf son of Hador. But the cities of Dale and Watersmeet continued in friendship and traffic, and their prosperity grew together. And for many years afterwards, Sigrid and Tauriel walked together in happiness beneath the sun and the stars.
In conclusion:
A mixed bag, as I said above. Some things I’m very proud of and enjoyed writing a lot, others I’m not so fond of. Lots of Tolkien, and a nice, varied selection of characters and ships. I’ve had better writing years, but I’ve also had worse.
Fic writing goals for the coming year:
A few. I’d like to publish at least two fics per month (excluding exchange assignments). I also want to get back into my usual exchanges - especially since Sutcliff Swap should be running again this year *fingers crossed*. I've set a mini-challenge for myself to write at least one fic for each of my Tolkien ships, because I've accrued - um - a lot. XD That should hopefully help me mark off a few more squares on my![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
100ships table!
silverink.Fiction posted this year:
Private Devotions (Frontier Wolf, Alexios/Lucius)
With Eyes to See (LOTR, Frodo/Sam & Bilbo)
Encore (FFIX, Kuja)
Safe Passage (Monty Python, Scotsman on a Horse/Betrothed Scotsman)
Flagons and Forfeits (LOTR, Legolas/Gimli)
Sword Sleep (LOTR, Éowyn)
A Binding Vow (The Hobbit, Bilbo/Thorin)
Like Calling to Like (The Eagle, Esca/Marcus)
Yet Feet That Wandering Have Gone (The Hobbit, Bilbo/Bofur)
Splitting Hairs (The Hobbit, fem!Bilbo & Company)
On the Took Side (The Hobbit, fem!Bilbo & Company)
Under One Man’s Awe (Rome HBO, Brutus/Caesar)
The Changing Season (The Hobbit, Sigrid/Tauriel)
Hand in Glove Together (The Hobbit, Bilbo/Bofur)
Such Companions (LOTR, Legolas/Gimli)
The Queen of Lost Hopes (Silmarillion, Tar-Míriel)
Above Hoarded Gold (The Hobbit, Bilbo/Thorin & Balin)
Between the Desert and the Wood (Silmarillion, Beren/Lúthien & Huan)
The Wealth of Memory (LOTR/Silm crossover, Gimli & Legolas & Finrod)
Defilement (Silmarillion, Sauron)
Beguiled By One (Silmarillion, Mairon/Melkor)
This year I wrote and posted:
…isn’t this the same question as the last one?
Overall thoughts:
A mixed bag this year. I had periods of being very industrious, and periods of feeling utterly brain-dead, especially in the latter half of the year. I think the Pestilence™ got to me harder this year than last.
Looking back, did you write more or less fic than you thought you would this year?
Less. It’s always less. XD
What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would've never predicted in January?
I didn’t expect to fall so hard into Tolkien fandom! LOTR and The Hobbit have always had a very special place in my heart, books and films alike, but I've never really felt the urge to get fannish about them, with fic and shipping etc. Then, suddenly, I did. I reread the books, and then dived into The Silmarillion at long last, and I had a whale of a time! Now I’ve got a head full of Middle-earth ships and plotbunnies.
Within that, I really did not expect to fall for Angbang, but here I am, absolutely head over heels for it. The minute I read about how Sauron was genuinely loyal to Morgoth, and “adored” him, I was a goner. XD
This year's theme and the story that demonstrates this the most:
Self-indulgence was very much the rule this year - but then again, it’s the rule pretty much every year! And I think every fic I write shows that, tbh.
What's your own favourite story of this year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest?
I think either The Changing Season or Such Companions. They’re the ones I’ve reread with most enjoyment.
Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them?
I don’t think I took any risks, particularly.
Best story of this year:
Oof, I don’t know. I think The Wealth of Memory came out particularly well, as did Such Companions. The Changing Season also turned out well, and was an actual story with a beginning, middle, and end, rather than a single vignette.
Most popular story of this year:
Incredibly, Splitting Hairs, with far and away more hits and kudos than anything else! I’m rather surprised, because it’s a rule 63 gen fic, fairly short, and just rather daft all-round. That said, it was a fun idea, and I’m glad other folks enjoyed it. :)
Story of mine that is most underappreciated by the universe:
Between the Desert and the Wood. C’mon, people! It’s Beren and Lúthien and Huan in a great big cosy cuddle-pile! What’s not to love??
My least favourite story of this year:
Under One Man’s Awe. I really struggled with writing it (wrong headspace entirely), and in the end, the recipient never even bothered to acknowledge it, and I think I only got like one comment on it, which for an exchange fic is rather… ouch. No doubt the fact that I struggled affected the quality of it, but still. :\
Most fun story to write:
Probably Splitting Hairs, along with On the Took Side. I enjoyed writing rule 63!Bilbo. As I said in the A/N to one of them, it’s a bit like taking the fussy aunt from a period drama and sticking her in the middle of a fantasy adventure. :D
Story with the sweetest moment:
Tough call! I wrote a lot of sweet things this year! Probably a toss-up between Private Devotions and The Wealth of Memory. The first was written to be entirely a big cosy ball of fluff, culminating in Alexios and Lucius cuddled up together and looking forward to seeing the farm in the spring, while in the second, I really loved writing the bit where Finrod sings to Gimli of the Nauglamír and conjures up a mental image of it for him. :’)
Story with the sexiest moment:
Beguiled by One. I really enjoyed the build-up to the kiss between Mairon and Melkor. From Melkor losing his temper and admitting his infatuation with Mairon, and Mairon realising that a) being able to make someone lose their mind with desire for you is quite a rush actually, and b) um. angery Dark Lord?? hot?????… yeah, I like that bit. ;)
Most "holy crap that's wrong, even for you" story:
I don’t think there was one this year. I can’t think of any that stretched the limits of my comfort zone overmuch!
Most overdue story:
Annoyingly enough, Under One Man’s Awe. I’ve wanted to write Rome-verse Brutus fic for ages, especially if it involved Cassius or Caesar, but in the event it didn’t turn out as I’d hoped.
Most eye-roll worthy title:
ALL OF THEM.
Story that shifted my own perspective of the characters:
Not sure if it shifted my perspective, exactly, but I loved writing The Changing Season because it got me thinking about Tauriel and Sigrid, as well as Bard and the other Bardlings, in more depth than I had before: what they’d do with themselves after the end of BOTFA, and how they’d deal with the momentous changes in their lives.
Hardest story to write:
Under One Man’s Awe, for reasons of shitty brain chemistry. :[
Biggest disappointment:
I ended up defaulting from three exchanges this year, due to a mixture of crappy brain chemistry and real life factors, which sucked. Two of them (Chocolate Box and Trick or Treat) are ones I always look forward to, and the third (Have a Happy Hobbit Holiday) was a first time one I’d been really excited to sign up for. I was also pretty gutted at how Multifandom Drabble just sort of self-destructed. :(
Biggest surprise:
Looking over this year’s output, there’s only one E-rated fic. That’s a bit of a surprise. I don’t write a huge amount of smut, but I still usually write more than that!
Most unintentionally, personally telling story:
lmao I’m nowhere near self-aware enough to answer this.
Favourite opening line:
Nothing that springs to mind at once. Possibly the opening paragraph to Defilement, since I think I managed to capture a decently Tolkienesque tone for it:
Those who witnessed the felling of the White Tree perceived that the Wizard did not smile. He whom they had once reviled as Sauron the Terrible, now the closest counsellor to the King and high priest in the worship of Melkor, Giver of Freedom, stood watching from the balcony at the King’s right hand, his countenance serene; yet his eyes blazed hot and blue as the heart of a flame, filling his face with a terrible light, so that all who looked upon him trembled and shunned his gaze.
Favourite closing line:
Probably the ending of The Changing Season. It has a nice, fairytale kind of ring to it:
In the end, there was no marriage between Sigrid Bard’s daughter and Hunulf son of Hador. But the cities of Dale and Watersmeet continued in friendship and traffic, and their prosperity grew together. And for many years afterwards, Sigrid and Tauriel walked together in happiness beneath the sun and the stars.
In conclusion:
A mixed bag, as I said above. Some things I’m very proud of and enjoyed writing a lot, others I’m not so fond of. Lots of Tolkien, and a nice, varied selection of characters and ships. I’ve had better writing years, but I’ve also had worse.
Fic writing goals for the coming year:
A few. I’d like to publish at least two fics per month (excluding exchange assignments). I also want to get back into my usual exchanges - especially since Sutcliff Swap should be running again this year *fingers crossed*. I've set a mini-challenge for myself to write at least one fic for each of my Tolkien ships, because I've accrued - um - a lot. XD That should hopefully help me mark off a few more squares on my
100ships table!
