WIP Challenge Check-In: Day 31 - End of the Year Wrap-Up

[soldierwitch]

gif credit: Sparkler by Katia Oloy on Dribbble

Happy New Year's Eve, y'all! We've made it to the end of 2021, and we're about to ring in 2022. Some of you may already be living in the future or close to midnight right now. Time zones are infinitely fascinating. We'll catch up to you soon! I just want to say that everyone here has made amazing strides this year in their writing. It's been a struggle, but we've helped push each other forward. This community is a godsend for fanfic writers and it's been a joy interacting with y'all. Can't wait to see how far we all get with our writing next year. Good luck and best wishes in all that you do, everyone.

For our last check-in of the year, I thought we could do some reflecting. I found an end of the year writing meme (credit to queenangst) and I've selected some prompts I thought would work well for our group. Here's the full meme if you'd like to do it over on tumblr or here on DW.

Our discussion prompts:

• Favorite fic you wrote this year
• Favorite line/scene you wrote this year
• Fandom you enjoyed writing for the most this year
• Favorite character to write about this year
• A fic you didn’t expect to write
• Something you learned this year
• Fics you’ll continue next year
• Any new fics to start next year

Answer as many as you like or none at all if you'd rather talk about the progress you're making on your WIP.

Note: You can expect one more check-in from my hosting stint tomorrow (Saturday, Jan. 1).

Comments

[soldierwitch]

Favorite fic you wrote this year: It's a tie between Choler and The Devil Went Down to Roswell. Both fics are for the Roswell, New Mexico fandom and multichapter WIPs. The first is a canon divergent fix-it fic and the other is the supernatural AU that I won't shut up about on here lol. I've grown so much with my writing with both of these fics, and I'm excited for what's next in 2022 with them.

Favorite line/scene you wrote this year: This is a moment from my fic, A Comedy of (Jones) Errors. I had a lot of fun writing this fic and being in Jones' voice.

“Liz--”

“What was in the hole?”

Jones doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t know. He can’t even begin to guess. There are endless possibilities. He hasn’t studied Max long enough to know what he’d put in the ground on his property like a damn prospector hiding the gold he’s found.

“Max--”

“Just give me a minute,” he says, in a low growl and then forces himself to rein it in. He can’t afford to mess this up but this woman is relentless. It’s like going up against a dragon but instead of wielding a sword, he’s fighting her off with a tree branch.

None of this is going to plan.

Something you learned this year: Patience with myself when it comes to writing, some sense of consistency, and I've also, thankfully, learned to stop biting off more than I can chew for the most part. Here's to more lessons learned in 2022!

[mistressofmuses]

I really need to watch Roswell, New Mexico. I dug the original Roswell show when I was younger, as cheesy as I recognize it was. But my dad is FROM Roswell, so I feel like I'm obligated!

[soldierwitch]

Oh cool! Your dad has probably heard one too many alien jokes lol.

This reboot is cheesy, too, and sweeping with its romance stuff but it also likes to tackle storylines like immigration, an abusive parent, homophobia, addiction, racism etc. and it can be hit or miss just as a heads up. Like it can be MUCH at times, but it also has a lot of heart and potential.

[mistressofmuses]

Fortunately, my dad LOVES the alien jokes, lol. I think some of his family that still lives there hates them, but oh well.

I'd seen that there were a few more "serious" subplots in the new series. Most shows of that type handle those things with varying levels of success, but usually I appreciate when they try. Heart and potential can buy a lot of good will!

[mistressofmuses]

Thank you so much to this whole comm for being here! It really has been a continually great thing to feel less alone in both the ups and downs of writing!

For the meme:

Favorite fic you wrote this year: Probably my only completed one: Step Right Up. It's a mermaid AU for my favorite OT3, and it turned out pretty much just like I'd hoped.
(My real favorite is a longer one that I think I have complete, but just haven't started to post yet. Sharing it will be my reward for finishing my other WIPs.)

Fandom you enjoyed writing for the most this year: Someday I will find a new fandom, besides "Kingdom Hearts (but ignoring almost everything post-KH:II)", but this was not that year, lol.

A fic you didn’t expect to write: my Unconventional Courtship entry (Connections of the Heart), which is still in-progress. I didn't anticipate it turning into as much of a Thing as it turned into!

Something you learned this year: Reminder to self, that outlining saves my ass, and if I ever want to tell myself that I'll remember where I was going without one, I'm lying.
Also, that I CAN write more words more steadily than I thought I could!

Fics you’ll continue next year: Connections of the Heart and Island Territory. And the unposted reward-for-self fic.

Any new fics to start next year: gonna try to finish my WIPs as my big focus. But I did have a terrible idea for a holiday rom-com fic for my fave OT3, and it's tempting to write that and have it ready for posting next December. :)

[stefanyeah]

A review the year thing I might even be able to get done. :D

Favorite fic you wrote this year: Not easy, I went through my Ao3 and there's a few that I like.
Maybe I'll point out X marks the Spot, a story written for the Mediaeval Exchange about an adventuresome map. I remember having problems with my recipients prompts, because there were just too many good ones. So I combined them and had great fun. :D
Favorite line/scene you wrote this year: For some reason I still am somewhat amused by the line: He wasn’t sure who intimidated him more, the Queen and mother of his lover, or the Fury and lover of his lover.
Fandom you enjoyed writing for the most this year: Hades, of course.
Favorite character to write about this year: I'm not sure. Might be our dear Zagreus indeed. And that Adventuresome Map, that was fun.
A fic you didn’t expect to write: Tartarus Lullaby. It's not finished yet, but I'd never have expected to write mpreg. And looking through my stories, Dragon Dance for the Dick or Treat event was a tad unexpected, too. Literal Monster Hunter monster fucking was not something I had ever planned to do…
Something you learned this year: Drawing feet and dick. Thanks Hades.
Fics you’ll continue next year: Tartarus Lullaby's sequels and The Shield Song which will also have a sequel…
Any new fics to start next year: *cries-in-far-too-many-WiPs-piling-up*

[frogfarm]

2021 was consumed so much by other stuff that I'm lucky I wrote anything at all. And I've still been so focused on finishing the last installment of the Dexter/Buffy trilogy that not only haven't I written a word of anything else, I've barely even thought about anything else. I did keep writing up until September, and I'm just about to resume with four chapters remaining plus an epilogue. Hopefully finished by spring. Other than the City of Heroes story, I haven't had any desire to work on other WIPs and haven't had any new ideas, so maybe this coming fall I'll get back into femslash_kink fills after missing the last few years.

Favorite character to write about this year: ASTOR THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. Despite my initial fears about getting depressed writing this darker AU, it's been just as much fun as the original. Can't wait to see her finally conquer all her demons and triumph over a mountain of adversity.

And the Three Musketeers of Miami Metro (Angel, Doakes and Vince) are always a good time, but here's one of my favorite scenes from the current chapter in progress:

"So your ghost is still leading us." Angel is giving Vince's phone the look he usually gives day-old shrimp.

"You got no clue this thing is even a good ghost," Doakes scoffs, glaring at Masuka. "Could be some evil spirit gonna be laughing its ass off. Watching us go all Thelma and Louise off the side of a goddamn cliff."

"Every time I think I know you." Vince shakes his head. "The layers are astounding."