2019 Fic-Writing Survey
Dec. 14th, 2019 02:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
between_time_and_42Eventually I'll post my Fall/Winter Fanfic Collection, but first, a survey that I found last year...
General Fic Stats*:
Fics: 12 (11 completed, 1 WIP, not counting the 6 WIPs that I haven't posted anywhere)
Kudos: 249
Comment Threads: On new fics only: 17
Bookmarks: Again on new fics only: 42
Word Count: Not counting the three new chapters of my WIP: 118,563
Hits: 2,563 (roughly...)
Favorite Fic: Dance Along the Edge (Teen, gen with Niko Bellic/Kate McReary undertones, 23k, complete) : Grand Theft Auto IV fic. The idea of going out with one of her brothers' "business associates" doesn't impress Kate McReary. She has enough to worry about without adding another criminal degenerate to her list. However, after spending time with Niko Bellic, Kate begins to realize that sometimes she'd rather listen to her heart than her personal ideologies.
This is easily my favorite fic that I wrote this year, and the one I wish received as much attention as I want it to. After watching a playthrough of Grand Theft Auto IV, I started digging into the fandom, and I discovered a lot of hatred for the character Kate McReary, which seemed to be because she's a flawed, underdeveloped female character. Of course, I couldn't let that slide, especially since I felt I understood Kate's perspective, particularly her anxieties over falling in love not only for the first time, but with a man whom she wasn't sure she could trust. This story is basically a love letter to the McReary family, who were my absolute favorite characters in the game, and also a subtle defense of Kate. I put so much work into this fic that I felt completely empty for a week after finishing it, and I am very proud of the results. Some of my favorite dialogue that I wrote all year is in this fic.
Funniest Fic: Let's face it, none of my fics will ever be funny, so...
Cutest Fic: An Impossible View (teen, gen, 10k words) : Breaking Bad fic. Upon arriving in Haines, Alaska, Jesse Pinkman knows that he can't put things to right. But with the help of the community surrounding him, his own determination, and an unexpected canine companion, he sets about making a fresh start. Maybe one day he'll find himself recovering, too.
I didn't write much shipping goodness or fluffy stuff this year, so the cutest fic I have to offer is a long one where Jesse Pinkman ends up getting a dog at the end, because honestly, it's what he deserves. I modeled the dog after one that I know personally, who is one of the cutest dogs I know.
Kinkiest Fic: The Perfect Reminder (Explicit, Michael de Santa/Trevor Philips, 2,283 words): Grand Theft Auto V fic. Trevor lets it slip that the best head he's ever gotten was from a stripper. Michael decides to jog his memory.
I don't write smut very much because it just feels awkward, and you'd think I'd feel the same for such a trashy ship (trashy solely because Trevor Philips is part of the ship. In fact, Trevor's presence in anything automatically makes the thing trashier than it was). However, after I discovered some of the scenes of the GTA V protagonists calling strippers for a booty call, I started wondering if their relationships with the strippers were canon. Then I started wondering how Michael would feel being compared to a stripper. Then I wrote this. Half of it was written in public at work, no less. Hey, when the inspiration strikes and you're terrified of forgetting the lines you just came up with...
Angstiest Fic: Tamna Noc (teen, gen, 1,597 words). Grand Theft Auto IV fic. After many years, Niko Bellic has found the revenge he was seeking, but now he wonders if it's really what he wanted.
This is both my angstiest and shortest fic of the year (but if I end up posting one that I churned out a few days ago before the year ends, that might change). I wrote this after watching the scene where Niko confronts Darko Brevic, the man who sold out his squadron during the Yugoslav Wars, and got twelve men killed all for $1,000, which he used to buy drugs. Just describing the setup is angsty enough... but I wanted to get inside Niko's head and explore how he felt in that moment. It was also an attempt to humanize Niko's squadron, as they are not characterized at all in the game. I felt oddly unsatisfied once I'd finished the piece, but I still like to think it strikes the right tone.
Most Popular Fic: The Perfect Reminder. Go figure, people love smut.
Least Popular Fic: Tamna Noc. Go figure, no one wants to read a short, sad extended scene for an underrated game that's been out since 2008.
Most Cringe-Worthy Fic: The Perfect Reminder, not only because it's smut written by, um... well let's just say I've never done what Michael does to Trevor in the fic... but also because I'm honestly a little concerned that the ending might come off as uncomfortable, given that Trevor basically lied about having sex with a stripper to make Michael jealous. But then again, Trevor's enough of a dickhead that I think it fits his characters.
Most Challenging Fic: Stay Away: The Story of Mike Timlin (Teen, technically gen but with Mike Timlin/Llewyn Davis undertones and a few background relationships, 40k words): Inside Llewyn Davis fic. The story of Mike Timlin, his fight against the blues, and his love for a man called Llewyn Davis.
I started writing this in January 2018, and it took me until October 2019 to get to the point where I believed it was ready to be posted. I'm still not sure if it's "good" at all, especially given my apprehensions regarding the validity of a straight woman writing from the perspective of a gay man. Fleshing out Mike in general was difficult, as he's given no personality in the film, and keeping Llewyn consistent was difficult, as the Llewyn Davis of this story is a very different man, uncorrupted by grief and depression. I really hope that this massive contribution was well-received, but the fandom is so small, I have no idea. I also genuinely hope I receive constructive criticism for it someday- I don't want it to become an "Old Shame."
General Reflections: This year was supposed to be about finishing unfinished pieces- I did finish Stay Away, but I've still got Born Again (my movie fusion fic) and a Kingsman one-shot left simmering on my backburner- but then Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto happened and my entire year of writing was derailed. I'm very proud of the fics I wrote this year, especially for Red Dead, and I hope to finish those unfinished pieces next year. My Fanfic Collection post will go into more detail about the WIPs I have going.
General Fic Stats*:
Fics: 12 (11 completed, 1 WIP, not counting the 6 WIPs that I haven't posted anywhere)
Kudos: 249
Comment Threads: On new fics only: 17
Bookmarks: Again on new fics only: 42
Word Count: Not counting the three new chapters of my WIP: 118,563
Hits: 2,563 (roughly...)
Favorite Fic: Dance Along the Edge (Teen, gen with Niko Bellic/Kate McReary undertones, 23k, complete) : Grand Theft Auto IV fic. The idea of going out with one of her brothers' "business associates" doesn't impress Kate McReary. She has enough to worry about without adding another criminal degenerate to her list. However, after spending time with Niko Bellic, Kate begins to realize that sometimes she'd rather listen to her heart than her personal ideologies.
This is easily my favorite fic that I wrote this year, and the one I wish received as much attention as I want it to. After watching a playthrough of Grand Theft Auto IV, I started digging into the fandom, and I discovered a lot of hatred for the character Kate McReary, which seemed to be because she's a flawed, underdeveloped female character. Of course, I couldn't let that slide, especially since I felt I understood Kate's perspective, particularly her anxieties over falling in love not only for the first time, but with a man whom she wasn't sure she could trust. This story is basically a love letter to the McReary family, who were my absolute favorite characters in the game, and also a subtle defense of Kate. I put so much work into this fic that I felt completely empty for a week after finishing it, and I am very proud of the results. Some of my favorite dialogue that I wrote all year is in this fic.
Funniest Fic: Let's face it, none of my fics will ever be funny, so...
Cutest Fic: An Impossible View (teen, gen, 10k words) : Breaking Bad fic. Upon arriving in Haines, Alaska, Jesse Pinkman knows that he can't put things to right. But with the help of the community surrounding him, his own determination, and an unexpected canine companion, he sets about making a fresh start. Maybe one day he'll find himself recovering, too.
I didn't write much shipping goodness or fluffy stuff this year, so the cutest fic I have to offer is a long one where Jesse Pinkman ends up getting a dog at the end, because honestly, it's what he deserves. I modeled the dog after one that I know personally, who is one of the cutest dogs I know.
Kinkiest Fic: The Perfect Reminder (Explicit, Michael de Santa/Trevor Philips, 2,283 words): Grand Theft Auto V fic. Trevor lets it slip that the best head he's ever gotten was from a stripper. Michael decides to jog his memory.
I don't write smut very much because it just feels awkward, and you'd think I'd feel the same for such a trashy ship (trashy solely because Trevor Philips is part of the ship. In fact, Trevor's presence in anything automatically makes the thing trashier than it was). However, after I discovered some of the scenes of the GTA V protagonists calling strippers for a booty call, I started wondering if their relationships with the strippers were canon. Then I started wondering how Michael would feel being compared to a stripper. Then I wrote this. Half of it was written in public at work, no less. Hey, when the inspiration strikes and you're terrified of forgetting the lines you just came up with...
Angstiest Fic: Tamna Noc (teen, gen, 1,597 words). Grand Theft Auto IV fic. After many years, Niko Bellic has found the revenge he was seeking, but now he wonders if it's really what he wanted.
This is both my angstiest and shortest fic of the year (but if I end up posting one that I churned out a few days ago before the year ends, that might change). I wrote this after watching the scene where Niko confronts Darko Brevic, the man who sold out his squadron during the Yugoslav Wars, and got twelve men killed all for $1,000, which he used to buy drugs. Just describing the setup is angsty enough... but I wanted to get inside Niko's head and explore how he felt in that moment. It was also an attempt to humanize Niko's squadron, as they are not characterized at all in the game. I felt oddly unsatisfied once I'd finished the piece, but I still like to think it strikes the right tone.
Most Popular Fic: The Perfect Reminder. Go figure, people love smut.
Least Popular Fic: Tamna Noc. Go figure, no one wants to read a short, sad extended scene for an underrated game that's been out since 2008.
Most Cringe-Worthy Fic: The Perfect Reminder, not only because it's smut written by, um... well let's just say I've never done what Michael does to Trevor in the fic... but also because I'm honestly a little concerned that the ending might come off as uncomfortable, given that Trevor basically lied about having sex with a stripper to make Michael jealous. But then again, Trevor's enough of a dickhead that I think it fits his characters.
Most Challenging Fic: Stay Away: The Story of Mike Timlin (Teen, technically gen but with Mike Timlin/Llewyn Davis undertones and a few background relationships, 40k words): Inside Llewyn Davis fic. The story of Mike Timlin, his fight against the blues, and his love for a man called Llewyn Davis.
I started writing this in January 2018, and it took me until October 2019 to get to the point where I believed it was ready to be posted. I'm still not sure if it's "good" at all, especially given my apprehensions regarding the validity of a straight woman writing from the perspective of a gay man. Fleshing out Mike in general was difficult, as he's given no personality in the film, and keeping Llewyn consistent was difficult, as the Llewyn Davis of this story is a very different man, uncorrupted by grief and depression. I really hope that this massive contribution was well-received, but the fandom is so small, I have no idea. I also genuinely hope I receive constructive criticism for it someday- I don't want it to become an "Old Shame."
General Reflections: This year was supposed to be about finishing unfinished pieces- I did finish Stay Away, but I've still got Born Again (my movie fusion fic) and a Kingsman one-shot left simmering on my backburner- but then Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto happened and my entire year of writing was derailed. I'm very proud of the fics I wrote this year, especially for Red Dead, and I hope to finish those unfinished pieces next year. My Fanfic Collection post will go into more detail about the WIPs I have going.
