2014 – The Year in Fanworks
Jan. 6th, 2015 04:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
elrhiarhodanBy the Numbers
(2013 numbers in parentheses)
Stories: 44 (101)
Words: 348,850 (432,244)
Monthly Average: 29,091 (34,117)
Daily Average: 956 (1,122)
Longest: 65,000 and counting (Return and Rebuild the Desolate Places)
Shortest: 250 (Ripe for Exploitation)
To compare, my 2013 Review | 2012 Review | 2011 Review | 2010 Review
Total number of words since 2010: 1,712,835
The rest of this exercise in navel-gazing is under the cuts. There's a bonus Tim and Matt awaiting anyone who finishes.
The List of 2014 Stories
January (4)
Resolute in Courage
Between the Lines
One Precious Thing Lost
A Fatal Weakness
February (3)
The Lost and Found
What Good's a Poker Face When You've Got an Open Hand
The Chaos of Our Lives (When Tomorrow Comes)
March (1)
This Is What Becomes of Us
April (3)
Return and Rebuild the Desolate Places
We Rise Where Shadows Fall
If the Soul Doesn't Sing (Just One Life)
May (1)
One Foot In the Graveyard (Living in the Past Remix)
June (1)
And So It Goes
July (10)
Coda (Sequel to Prelude)
Orchestration - Prelude (Andante)
And They Called it "Puppy Love"
We Are Made to Bend
An Ordinary Afternoon
August (1)
Forget About Me (Don't You)
September (4)
Below Your Paygrade
How the Heart Approaches What it Yearns
Ripe for Exploitation
Let Your Honesty Shine
October (6)
We Shall Come Home - The World is Getting Stranger
Is It Getting Hot in Here, or Is it Just Me? Five Ficlets in the Rentboy'verse
Destruction and Retribution - A Tragedy in Five Acts
The World Turned Upside Down
At the Other Side of Heaven
They Danced By the Light of the Moon
November (3)
A Mission of Vengeance
Between Fathers and Sons
Collateral Damage
December (13)
106 Three-Sentence A/U Ficlets
Three Tiny RPS Ficlets
After Rain
Weep to Break the World
Head Canon and Ficlets
An Escalating Madness
The Miracle of Love
The Language of Love
When the Day Goes Down
What's Mine I Keep
You Never Know Which Way the Wind May Blow
This Year, Next Year
Overview
As usual, for 2014, I have included stories published on my journal from January 1, 2014 until December 31, 2014. It includes stories that were works in progress/unpublished in 2013 and published in 2014, and doesn’t include any comment fic or other works that were not published as standalones on my journal, or any unpublished works in progress, or any completed but unpublished works.
Ruminations
2014 was a strange writing year for me. I knew, going into it, that it would be very difficult to exceed the almost inconceivable word count for 2013 (432,244). But I hoped to at least meet my 2012 total (363,950), which I didn't. And I certainly didn't come close to my 2011 total (384,875).
Not that 348,850 is a word count to be ashamed of, but it still bothers me that this is my lowest total since my first full year of writing.
To rationalize, there were a few things made this a less-than-productive year. Firstly, I took on new responsibilities as work, which meant longer hours and a lot less opportunity for mid-day writing. Secondly, I really seemed to focus on longer stories in 2014. My average word count per story was nearly 8k, There were some ficlets, but most of my energies went into my Reverse Big Bang stories (41k and 50k) and my WC Big Bang (40k). Even the so-called shorter fics were longer – 5k to 9k. It seemed a triumph to write anything less than 3k.
And then there's the big elephant in the room - Return and Rebuild the Desolate Places, which still isn't done. A lot of writing energy has gone into this story, which is heartbreaking and difficult to write, even under the best of circumstances (and it's still not done).
I will say this, I will NEVER publish another story serially until I've finished writing it. It's just too damn hard to keep the momentum going and then to know when to start to end it.
The Year End Meme Questions
And now to answer the questions that everyone asks themselves…
1. Favorite. This is always such a hard question to answer, because I to tend to love what I write, but I think my favorite has to be The Lost and Found. The tone, the poetry, the mystery at the core of the story makes me happy every time I read it.
2. Best. This one is really difficult, it's kind of a toss up between the two Reverse Big Bangs and the WC Big Bang, but if I have to stick with the one I'm most proud of, it would be Let Your Honesty Shine. Finding Ned Weeks' voice, being true to the pain and anguish of a generation, building a mystery that could be canon, still gives me a sense of wonder and awe – that I actually wrote this.
3. Most Fun. There are really three stories that I have to call out here. My remix redux fic, One Foot in the Graveyard, a Neal-Keller, or more likely Neal/Keller fic that takes place before things went sour between them; How the Heart Approaches What it Yearns, a crossover with Harry Potter, where everyone in Neal's world is a witch or wizard, but Neal doesn't have a clue; and An Escalating Madness, where I pulled all of the stops out on Neal and Keller's relationship.
4. Most Underappreciated. One Foot in the Graveyard. I guess people just don't dig Neal/Keller the way I do.
5. Sexiest. 2014 year was not a very good year for porn in terms of pure volume. I didn't write a single ficlet for MMOM in 2014, but I did write a lot of smut in my 3-Sentence Ficlet memes
6. Holy Crap, That’s Wrong Even for You. Pretty much almost all of the 106 3-sentence ficlets, plus An Escalating Madness
7. Hardest to Write. I should probably say Return and Rebuild the Desolate Places, but maybe the last story I wrote for 2014 – my Hurt/Comfort Advent fic - This Year, Next Year was very personal and very devastating
8. Biggest Disappointment. Withdrawing from the Polyamory Big Bang. I just couldn't manage it this year.
9. Biggest Surprise. Dragon'verse! I wanted to give my dear friend![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
theatregirl7299 something special for Fic-Can-Ukah, a riff, if you will, on her own gorgeous WC Big Bang story, Here Be Dragons - so I wrote my own take on Peter as a dragon. It got (like so many of my fics do), a little out of hand, and became Weep to Break the World, which was quickly followed by What's Mine I Keep. I am going to have a lot of fun playing with this 'verse.
10. Riskiest. That would have to be Let Your Honesty Shine. Let's just say for the week leading up to posting this, I had nightmares that Larry Kramer was going to sue me.
Looking Forward
Any Story You’d Like to Rewrite: Nope – I am pretty happy with everything I’ve written this year.
How Will New Canon Change Your Writing: Sad to say (oh, is it so sad to say) but there's no new canon, unless I move into another fandom.
Goals for2013 2014: This pretty much verbatim from 2013’s summary (which was the same for 2012).
I’ve got four big stories I know I want to write:
1 – White Collar/Pern Crossover
2 – Complete the SPQR ‘verse
3 – Complete Vampire World – Blood of Helios – I WILL DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4 – Write the music box/George Devore and the boiler room case stories (from Something We Never Dreamt We Could Have) in the Wonder(ful) Years ‘verse.
5 - The conclusion to the Vet Neal cycle.
I didn't manage a single bingo in 2014 – but I did use my Season of Kink card for inspiration for a whole bunch of short ficlets. My brand new Trope Bingo card is filled with awesome, though, and blackout worthy.
And that’s the 2014 Year in Review.
Acknowledgements, most heartfelt
As I wrote last year, and it is still very true, none of this writing would have happened without the unconditional love and endless patience of my dearest friends,theatregirl7299, miri_thompson and coffeethyme4me, and of course the wonderful, wonderful, wonderful ladies of the ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
wcwu, who are always there to listen to me, help me plot, chat and just be friends.
I also need to give a huge hug and a heartfelt thank you to my very dear and talented friend,kanarek13. She’s illustrated so many of my stories – some without me even asking. One of my goals for this year (AGAIN) is to put up a post showcasing all of her awesome artwork. She’s also provided high quality screencaps that I’ve often used in my own artwork – a very generous gift to the fandom.
And to everyone who reads my stories, thank you, thank you and thank you again – my appreciation for you is boundless. I haven't been so good at responding to feedback as I want to be, but please know that I cherish every kind thought and word you leave for me.
For those of you who made it all the way through, my boys being all badass:
(2013 numbers in parentheses)
Stories: 44 (101)
Words: 348,850 (432,244)
Monthly Average: 29,091 (34,117)
Daily Average: 956 (1,122)
Longest: 65,000 and counting (Return and Rebuild the Desolate Places)
Shortest: 250 (Ripe for Exploitation)
To compare, my 2013 Review | 2012 Review | 2011 Review | 2010 Review
Total number of words since 2010: 1,712,835
The rest of this exercise in navel-gazing is under the cuts. There's a bonus Tim and Matt awaiting anyone who finishes.
The List of 2014 Stories
January (4)
Resolute in Courage
Between the Lines
One Precious Thing Lost
A Fatal Weakness
February (3)
The Lost and Found
What Good's a Poker Face When You've Got an Open Hand
The Chaos of Our Lives (When Tomorrow Comes)
March (1)
This Is What Becomes of Us
April (3)
Return and Rebuild the Desolate Places
We Rise Where Shadows Fall
If the Soul Doesn't Sing (Just One Life)
May (1)
One Foot In the Graveyard (Living in the Past Remix)
June (1)
And So It Goes
July (10)
Coda (Sequel to Prelude)
Orchestration - Prelude (Andante)
And They Called it "Puppy Love"
We Are Made to Bend
An Ordinary Afternoon
August (1)
Forget About Me (Don't You)
September (4)
Below Your Paygrade
How the Heart Approaches What it Yearns
Ripe for Exploitation
Let Your Honesty Shine
October (6)
We Shall Come Home - The World is Getting Stranger
Is It Getting Hot in Here, or Is it Just Me? Five Ficlets in the Rentboy'verse
Destruction and Retribution - A Tragedy in Five Acts
The World Turned Upside Down
At the Other Side of Heaven
They Danced By the Light of the Moon
November (3)
A Mission of Vengeance
Between Fathers and Sons
Collateral Damage
December (13)
106 Three-Sentence A/U Ficlets
Three Tiny RPS Ficlets
After Rain
Weep to Break the World
Head Canon and Ficlets
An Escalating Madness
The Miracle of Love
The Language of Love
When the Day Goes Down
What's Mine I Keep
You Never Know Which Way the Wind May Blow
This Year, Next Year
Overview
As usual, for 2014, I have included stories published on my journal from January 1, 2014 until December 31, 2014. It includes stories that were works in progress/unpublished in 2013 and published in 2014, and doesn’t include any comment fic or other works that were not published as standalones on my journal, or any unpublished works in progress, or any completed but unpublished works.
Ruminations
2014 was a strange writing year for me. I knew, going into it, that it would be very difficult to exceed the almost inconceivable word count for 2013 (432,244). But I hoped to at least meet my 2012 total (363,950), which I didn't. And I certainly didn't come close to my 2011 total (384,875).
Not that 348,850 is a word count to be ashamed of, but it still bothers me that this is my lowest total since my first full year of writing.
To rationalize, there were a few things made this a less-than-productive year. Firstly, I took on new responsibilities as work, which meant longer hours and a lot less opportunity for mid-day writing. Secondly, I really seemed to focus on longer stories in 2014. My average word count per story was nearly 8k, There were some ficlets, but most of my energies went into my Reverse Big Bang stories (41k and 50k) and my WC Big Bang (40k). Even the so-called shorter fics were longer – 5k to 9k. It seemed a triumph to write anything less than 3k.
And then there's the big elephant in the room - Return and Rebuild the Desolate Places, which still isn't done. A lot of writing energy has gone into this story, which is heartbreaking and difficult to write, even under the best of circumstances (and it's still not done).
I will say this, I will NEVER publish another story serially until I've finished writing it. It's just too damn hard to keep the momentum going and then to know when to start to end it.
The Year End Meme Questions
And now to answer the questions that everyone asks themselves…
1. Favorite. This is always such a hard question to answer, because I to tend to love what I write, but I think my favorite has to be The Lost and Found. The tone, the poetry, the mystery at the core of the story makes me happy every time I read it.
2. Best. This one is really difficult, it's kind of a toss up between the two Reverse Big Bangs and the WC Big Bang, but if I have to stick with the one I'm most proud of, it would be Let Your Honesty Shine. Finding Ned Weeks' voice, being true to the pain and anguish of a generation, building a mystery that could be canon, still gives me a sense of wonder and awe – that I actually wrote this.
3. Most Fun. There are really three stories that I have to call out here. My remix redux fic, One Foot in the Graveyard, a Neal-Keller, or more likely Neal/Keller fic that takes place before things went sour between them; How the Heart Approaches What it Yearns, a crossover with Harry Potter, where everyone in Neal's world is a witch or wizard, but Neal doesn't have a clue; and An Escalating Madness, where I pulled all of the stops out on Neal and Keller's relationship.
4. Most Underappreciated. One Foot in the Graveyard. I guess people just don't dig Neal/Keller the way I do.
5. Sexiest. 2014 year was not a very good year for porn in terms of pure volume. I didn't write a single ficlet for MMOM in 2014, but I did write a lot of smut in my 3-Sentence Ficlet memes
6. Holy Crap, That’s Wrong Even for You. Pretty much almost all of the 106 3-sentence ficlets, plus An Escalating Madness
7. Hardest to Write. I should probably say Return and Rebuild the Desolate Places, but maybe the last story I wrote for 2014 – my Hurt/Comfort Advent fic - This Year, Next Year was very personal and very devastating
8. Biggest Disappointment. Withdrawing from the Polyamory Big Bang. I just couldn't manage it this year.
9. Biggest Surprise. Dragon'verse! I wanted to give my dear friend
theatregirl7299 something special for Fic-Can-Ukah, a riff, if you will, on her own gorgeous WC Big Bang story, Here Be Dragons - so I wrote my own take on Peter as a dragon. It got (like so many of my fics do), a little out of hand, and became Weep to Break the World, which was quickly followed by What's Mine I Keep. I am going to have a lot of fun playing with this 'verse. 10. Riskiest. That would have to be Let Your Honesty Shine. Let's just say for the week leading up to posting this, I had nightmares that Larry Kramer was going to sue me.
Looking Forward
Any Story You’d Like to Rewrite: Nope – I am pretty happy with everything I’ve written this year.
How Will New Canon Change Your Writing: Sad to say (oh, is it so sad to say) but there's no new canon, unless I move into another fandom.
Goals for
I’ve got four big stories I know I want to write:
1 – White Collar/Pern Crossover
2 – Complete the SPQR ‘verse
3 – Complete Vampire World – Blood of Helios – I WILL DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4 – Write the music box/George Devore and the boiler room case stories (from Something We Never Dreamt We Could Have) in the Wonder(ful) Years ‘verse.
5 - The conclusion to the Vet Neal cycle.
I didn't manage a single bingo in 2014 – but I did use my Season of Kink card for inspiration for a whole bunch of short ficlets. My brand new Trope Bingo card is filled with awesome, though, and blackout worthy.
And that’s the 2014 Year in Review.
Acknowledgements, most heartfelt
As I wrote last year, and it is still very true, none of this writing would have happened without the unconditional love and endless patience of my dearest friends,
theatregirl7299, miri_thompson and coffeethyme4me, and of course the wonderful, wonderful, wonderful ladies of the wcwu, who are always there to listen to me, help me plot, chat and just be friends. I also need to give a huge hug and a heartfelt thank you to my very dear and talented friend,
kanarek13. She’s illustrated so many of my stories – some without me even asking. One of my goals for this year (AGAIN) is to put up a post showcasing all of her awesome artwork. She’s also provided high quality screencaps that I’ve often used in my own artwork – a very generous gift to the fandom.And to everyone who reads my stories, thank you, thank you and thank you again – my appreciation for you is boundless. I haven't been so good at responding to feedback as I want to be, but please know that I cherish every kind thought and word you leave for me.
For those of you who made it all the way through, my boys being all badass:
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2015-01-07 12:30 am (UTC)Lady, you always amaze me with not only how much you write but how GOOD it all is! Let Your Honesty Shine? Is fucking brilliance. <3
I feel like if I did this meme, it'd be all, "Number of stories: 1" LOL!
<333
no subject
Date: 2015-01-07 08:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-07 04:37 am (UTC)Cudos to you!!!
no subject
Date: 2015-01-07 02:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-07 08:36 pm (UTC)There can never be enough Neal/Keller in this world!!!
Your word count still leave me all a-boggle. Just sayin'.
no subject
Date: 2015-01-07 08:39 pm (UTC)Looking at it now, I realize why I fell short last year - I was missing 40k on my Poly BB. Definitely need to fix that going forward.
no subject
Date: 2015-01-07 10:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-07 10:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-07 10:54 pm (UTC)I'm just so happy that WC has brought us together {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}}}}}