alchemicink (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
alchemicink) wrote2024-01-01 08:25 am
alchemicink) wrote2024-01-01 08:25 am
Entry tags:
- avatar the last airbender,
- end of year fic overview,
- fruits basket,
- fullmetal alchemist,
- good omens,
- iron-blooded orphans,
- killjoys,
- my fics,
- my hero academia,
- ncisla,
- star trek deep space nine,
- star trek strange new worlds,
- star trek voyager,
- stargate sg-1,
- teen titans,
- the witch from mercury,
- wednesday (tv),
- writing goals,
- yu yu hakusho,
- yu-gi-oh
End of year fic overview 2023
Every year, just for fun, I go back and look over all the fic I wrote in the past twelve months like those fic meme things that used to go around. I didn’t follow any specific template, but anyone is welcome to use this one if they want. So here are the results for 2023! (Last year's overview is here. Previous years are on my lj which I'm not gonna bother to link)
I posted a total of 53(!) complete fics on AO3, with a wordcount totaling 50,360 words.
The word total is slightly less than I did in 2022, but I think 50k is a very respectable amount of words so I'm not mad about it. The fic total, however, is probably double what I've ever posted in a year before! (Putting together the list of links below was so tedious 😅)
The Fics
1) Teamwork (for 48 exchange)
2) If the sock fits (for 48 exchange)
3) Infinite star meal (for 48 exchange)
4) The nearest planet is always just out of sight (for Planet BNHA exchange)
5) Half-buried in sand (for Planet BNHA exchange)
6) Sparks in the evening sky (for Planet BNHA exchange)
7) The Short-lived Adventures of the Lighthouse Point Pirates (for Planet BNHA exchange)
8) Stretch it out
9) A rock (or more) in the path
10) Already here
11) Cold Comforts
12) Pausing for Petals
13) rainwater running down her face
14) aftermath (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
15) connection (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
16) Bad case of the Mondays (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
17) Perspectives on problem solving (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
18) Second Opinion (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
19) stand tall (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
20) Just the way you are (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
21) A kiss would make it better
22) The family disappointment (for Into a Bar challenge)
23) in and out (for 48 exchange)
24) Down the aisle, beside you (for 48 exchange)
25) Celestial (for 48 exchange)
26) Takin' your ghosts for a walk
27) Etched
28) Comprehensive Determination (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
29) something happier (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
30) Presence by your side (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
31) This dance, saved for you (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
32) Two kinds of scientists (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
33) Like relief (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
34) Close encounters of some kind (for Pod_Together)
35) Facade
36) Safekeeping
37) meet me in the garden (for Spooky Scary Skelemix fic fest)
38) the hardest part (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
39) For all seasons (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
40) Rematch (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
41) Bedtime (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
42) Starting in the kitchen (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
43) Umbrella (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
44) no medical degree necessary (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
45) A Study in Efficiency (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
46) Have it your way (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
47) Score (for Planet BNHA exchange)
48) Illuminations
49) Meet-Ugly
50) How to Recognize Different Types of Greenery From Quite a Short Way Away
51) How lovely are your branches
52) Holiday cheer
53) Christmas Cookie Quest
...don't ever let me post this many fics in one year again 😂
What fandoms did you write for this year?
I really broadened my fandom list this year! (![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
seasonsofdrabbles helped with that)
Fandoms I'd already written before: My Hero Academia, ATLA, Yu Yu Hakusho, Gundam IBO, Fruits Basket, Star Trek Voyager, and NCISLA.
Fandoms that I've never written before: Good Omens, Killjoys, FMA Brotherhood, Star Trek Deep Space Nine, SG-1, Yu-Gi-Oh, Wednesday, Teen Titans, Star Trek Strange New Worlds, Star Trek AOS, and G-witch.
I'm thrilled by the fandom expansion this time. It's been fun to explore so many different characters and settings. I said last year I wanted to branch out, and I think I've accomplished that.
What did you write this year that you wouldn’t have expected last year?
All the drabbles! I didn't expect how fun the challenge is to tell a story in a small set of words.
I also didn't expect to write my first crossover fics either. But that's been something I've been wanting to do for a long time.
What was the most challenging thing to write?
Hm... I think it was both of the crossover fics actually (The family disappointment and Close encounters...). It was more difficult than I expected to get the characters from different fandoms to interact in a way that felt genuine. Close encounters was a little easier because of the epistolary format. But I definitely struggled with both. (Perhaps it also didn't help that I was getting sick and didn't know it at the time too...)
I think if I write more crossovers, they'll get easier with time.
What was the most fun to write?
In general, getting to try out some new pairings! But specifically, I think Katara/Yue sparked the serotonin in my brain the most (Celestial and the hardest part). They gave me the opportunity to write some fun AUs for ATLA.
It was also fun to write the banter in Two kinds of scientists too!
Favorite opening lines?
--Already here
--rainwater running down her face
--Aftermath
--Perspectives on problem solving
Favorite closing lines?
--Bad case of the Mondays
--Celestial
--Have it your way
Thing that made you laugh the most?
This bit from Two kinds of scientists:
Thing that made you cry the most?
This bit from Takin' your ghosts for a walk:
(I picked a Gundam IBO fic for this question last year too 😭)
Character you liked writing the most?
This was hard to choose because I didn't write a whole lot of one single character. But I think standouts include Malik (YGO), Hiei (YYH), and Sokka (ATLA). I just enjoy getting into their heads, but for different reasons. Malik is an exploration of trauma recovery, Hiei is tsundere, and Sokka can often provide some fun comic relief.
Character you need to apologize to?
I think that'll be Zuko and Suki for giving them a hard time in Aftermath 😅
(Yusuke was the one I apologized to last year and the year before, but he managed to avoid bad stuff in my fics this time! Congrats, man)
Favorite story of the year?
How am I supposed to pick one out of 53 fics?! I think it's a tie between Half-buried in sand and the hardest part. Both are sci-fi AUs, which has always been my favorite kind of AU. The setting just gives so much opportunity to develop characters in ways they don't in canon. I was just very pleased with how both turned out. (I'm not writing sequels to either fic, but I definitely think a lot about both of those universes.)
Most underappreciated story of the year?
Actually, I'm just going to say all of my ochamina fics. I wrote a few this year. I think that's probably my OTP for bnha, but it just gets so little traction in fandom, so I always feel like I'm enjoying it by myself. (Perhaps I'm just very bitter because I recently posted ochamina and shinbaku fics, and of course, the shinbaku got a lot more traction...)
Biggest surprise of the year?
Finally writing Fullmetal Alchemist fic for the first time, even though I've been using "alchemicink" as my pen name for a decade 😂
Wordcount Breakdown
0-1k: 37 of 53 (69.8%)
1k-5k: 15 of 53 (28.3%)
5k-10k: 1 of 53 (1.8%)
10k-15k: 0 of 53 (0%)
15k-20k: 0 of 53 (0%)
20k+: 0 of 53 (0%)
Those drabbles really skewed the wordcount breakdown this year! This is the highest percentage of under 1k fics I've ever done. (Which is so funny because last year I said I wanted to write longer fics in 2023.)
Last year, I also didn't have anything above 5k, so at least there's one fic here in this batch.
I'm not dissatisfied with the breakdown this year, but I do hope it's less lopsided in 2024. It's been too long since I wrote anything over 10k!!
What did you learn from your writing this year?
I honestly cannot think of any revelations this year. Other than maybe "drabbles are fun." 😅 I feel this means I really do need to recalibrate my writing, if I'm not even learning anything from it anymore.
Goals for 2024?
Firstly, I just want to keep up the multifandom vibes! I explored so many different characters in 2023, and I want to keep writing them all in 2024. It would be nice to get several fandoms to double digits on my ao3 dashboard. And keep adding more too.
Secondly, more wlw fics! I did a surprisingly good job of this in 2023, but I want to keep it going. (And I'm still mostly writing cute fluff, when I want to do some serious plots too)
Thirdly, finish a multichapter fic! I say this every year, but I'm not sure I'm built for writing long fics. Nevertheless, I still try. I have several WIPs that I'm going to focus on, so we'll see how that turns out.
Lastly... I really need to finish the kacchako time loop fic I started writing in *checks notes* 2019. LET ME ESCAPE THE TIME LOOP
Special thanks?
As always, a wonderful thank you tobluedreaming for collabing with me again for pod_together! It's always a highlight of my year to work on that together. (Extra special thanks for picking up the slack when I got sick at the end.)
And thanks, of course, to everyone who took a moment to read my fics, leave a kudos or comment, and encouraged me along the way. Fanfic has always been the way I feel most comfortable engaging with fandom, so I appreciate it when I'm not always shouting at the void.
Final thoughts?
I'm proud of the stories I wrote in 2023. A lot of them were unexpected ships and fandoms, but they were fun to explore. But, as I mentioned here a few weeks ago, I'm ready to focus more on fic ideas that feel more meaningful to me. So I'm excited to see what the new year holds for my writing.
Cheers to all the stories we’ll create in 2024!
I posted a total of 53(!) complete fics on AO3, with a wordcount totaling 50,360 words.
The word total is slightly less than I did in 2022, but I think 50k is a very respectable amount of words so I'm not mad about it. The fic total, however, is probably double what I've ever posted in a year before! (Putting together the list of links below was so tedious 😅)
The Fics
1) Teamwork (for 48 exchange)
2) If the sock fits (for 48 exchange)
3) Infinite star meal (for 48 exchange)
4) The nearest planet is always just out of sight (for Planet BNHA exchange)
5) Half-buried in sand (for Planet BNHA exchange)
6) Sparks in the evening sky (for Planet BNHA exchange)
7) The Short-lived Adventures of the Lighthouse Point Pirates (for Planet BNHA exchange)
8) Stretch it out
9) A rock (or more) in the path
10) Already here
11) Cold Comforts
12) Pausing for Petals
13) rainwater running down her face
14) aftermath (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
15) connection (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
16) Bad case of the Mondays (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
17) Perspectives on problem solving (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
18) Second Opinion (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
19) stand tall (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
20) Just the way you are (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
21) A kiss would make it better
22) The family disappointment (for Into a Bar challenge)
23) in and out (for 48 exchange)
24) Down the aisle, beside you (for 48 exchange)
25) Celestial (for 48 exchange)
26) Takin' your ghosts for a walk
27) Etched
28) Comprehensive Determination (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
29) something happier (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
30) Presence by your side (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
31) This dance, saved for you (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
32) Two kinds of scientists (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
33) Like relief (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
34) Close encounters of some kind (for Pod_Together)
35) Facade
36) Safekeeping
37) meet me in the garden (for Spooky Scary Skelemix fic fest)
38) the hardest part (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
39) For all seasons (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
40) Rematch (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
41) Bedtime (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
42) Starting in the kitchen (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
43) Umbrella (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
44) no medical degree necessary (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
45) A Study in Efficiency (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
46) Have it your way (for Seasons Of Drabbles exchange)
47) Score (for Planet BNHA exchange)
48) Illuminations
49) Meet-Ugly
50) How to Recognize Different Types of Greenery From Quite a Short Way Away
51) How lovely are your branches
52) Holiday cheer
53) Christmas Cookie Quest
...don't ever let me post this many fics in one year again 😂
What fandoms did you write for this year?
I really broadened my fandom list this year! (
seasonsofdrabbles helped with that) Fandoms I'd already written before: My Hero Academia, ATLA, Yu Yu Hakusho, Gundam IBO, Fruits Basket, Star Trek Voyager, and NCISLA.
Fandoms that I've never written before: Good Omens, Killjoys, FMA Brotherhood, Star Trek Deep Space Nine, SG-1, Yu-Gi-Oh, Wednesday, Teen Titans, Star Trek Strange New Worlds, Star Trek AOS, and G-witch.
I'm thrilled by the fandom expansion this time. It's been fun to explore so many different characters and settings. I said last year I wanted to branch out, and I think I've accomplished that.
What did you write this year that you wouldn’t have expected last year?
All the drabbles! I didn't expect how fun the challenge is to tell a story in a small set of words.
I also didn't expect to write my first crossover fics either. But that's been something I've been wanting to do for a long time.
What was the most challenging thing to write?
Hm... I think it was both of the crossover fics actually (The family disappointment and Close encounters...). It was more difficult than I expected to get the characters from different fandoms to interact in a way that felt genuine. Close encounters was a little easier because of the epistolary format. But I definitely struggled with both. (Perhaps it also didn't help that I was getting sick and didn't know it at the time too...)
I think if I write more crossovers, they'll get easier with time.
What was the most fun to write?
In general, getting to try out some new pairings! But specifically, I think Katara/Yue sparked the serotonin in my brain the most (Celestial and the hardest part). They gave me the opportunity to write some fun AUs for ATLA.
It was also fun to write the banter in Two kinds of scientists too!
Favorite opening lines?
Ochako's little spaceship is a real clunker.
--Already here
It rarely rains on Mars.
--rainwater running down her face
The fourth assassination attempt leaves Zuko with bruised, maybe cracked ribs.
--Aftermath
Jack gazes around at the remnants of whatever civilization used to live here, and thinks they must have been terrible at interior decorating.
--Perspectives on problem solving
Favorite closing lines?
As she watches, all of Keiko's earlier frustrations and annoyances drift away, like petals floating on the wind to forgotten places.
--Bad case of the Mondays
Katara willingly follows along, like water caught in the endless pull of the moon.
--Celestial
"Next we introduce you to the wonders of onion rings."
--Have it your way
Thing that made you laugh the most?
This bit from Two kinds of scientists:
Without test results yet, the mysterious rubbery blob-like substance could have any number of effects on a human body.
Jim tries to poke it.
"Where's your sense of self-preservation?" Bones cries, slapping the hand away.
Thing that made you cry the most?
This bit from Takin' your ghosts for a walk:
Sometimes when she looks at Akatsuki, she wonders what his father was like at the same age. Was young Mikazuki quiet and reserved like when she knew him? Or was he bright and full of energy, not yet weighed down by the awful realities of life?
Mikazuki's not here anymore to ask. And perhaps the only other person who might know – Orga – isn't here anymore either.
(I picked a Gundam IBO fic for this question last year too 😭)
Character you liked writing the most?
This was hard to choose because I didn't write a whole lot of one single character. But I think standouts include Malik (YGO), Hiei (YYH), and Sokka (ATLA). I just enjoy getting into their heads, but for different reasons. Malik is an exploration of trauma recovery, Hiei is tsundere, and Sokka can often provide some fun comic relief.
Character you need to apologize to?
I think that'll be Zuko and Suki for giving them a hard time in Aftermath 😅
(Yusuke was the one I apologized to last year and the year before, but he managed to avoid bad stuff in my fics this time! Congrats, man)
Favorite story of the year?
How am I supposed to pick one out of 53 fics?! I think it's a tie between Half-buried in sand and the hardest part. Both are sci-fi AUs, which has always been my favorite kind of AU. The setting just gives so much opportunity to develop characters in ways they don't in canon. I was just very pleased with how both turned out. (I'm not writing sequels to either fic, but I definitely think a lot about both of those universes.)
Most underappreciated story of the year?
Actually, I'm just going to say all of my ochamina fics. I wrote a few this year. I think that's probably my OTP for bnha, but it just gets so little traction in fandom, so I always feel like I'm enjoying it by myself. (Perhaps I'm just very bitter because I recently posted ochamina and shinbaku fics, and of course, the shinbaku got a lot more traction...)
Biggest surprise of the year?
Finally writing Fullmetal Alchemist fic for the first time, even though I've been using "alchemicink" as my pen name for a decade 😂
Wordcount Breakdown
0-1k: 37 of 53 (69.8%)
1k-5k: 15 of 53 (28.3%)
5k-10k: 1 of 53 (1.8%)
10k-15k: 0 of 53 (0%)
15k-20k: 0 of 53 (0%)
20k+: 0 of 53 (0%)
Those drabbles really skewed the wordcount breakdown this year! This is the highest percentage of under 1k fics I've ever done. (Which is so funny because last year I said I wanted to write longer fics in 2023.)
Last year, I also didn't have anything above 5k, so at least there's one fic here in this batch.
I'm not dissatisfied with the breakdown this year, but I do hope it's less lopsided in 2024. It's been too long since I wrote anything over 10k!!
What did you learn from your writing this year?
I honestly cannot think of any revelations this year. Other than maybe "drabbles are fun." 😅 I feel this means I really do need to recalibrate my writing, if I'm not even learning anything from it anymore.
Goals for 2024?
Firstly, I just want to keep up the multifandom vibes! I explored so many different characters in 2023, and I want to keep writing them all in 2024. It would be nice to get several fandoms to double digits on my ao3 dashboard. And keep adding more too.
Secondly, more wlw fics! I did a surprisingly good job of this in 2023, but I want to keep it going. (And I'm still mostly writing cute fluff, when I want to do some serious plots too)
Thirdly, finish a multichapter fic! I say this every year, but I'm not sure I'm built for writing long fics. Nevertheless, I still try. I have several WIPs that I'm going to focus on, so we'll see how that turns out.
Lastly... I really need to finish the kacchako time loop fic I started writing in *checks notes* 2019. LET ME ESCAPE THE TIME LOOP
Special thanks?
As always, a wonderful thank you to
bluedreaming for collabing with me again for pod_together! It's always a highlight of my year to work on that together. (Extra special thanks for picking up the slack when I got sick at the end.) And thanks, of course, to everyone who took a moment to read my fics, leave a kudos or comment, and encouraged me along the way. Fanfic has always been the way I feel most comfortable engaging with fandom, so I appreciate it when I'm not always shouting at the void.
Final thoughts?
I'm proud of the stories I wrote in 2023. A lot of them were unexpected ships and fandoms, but they were fun to explore. But, as I mentioned here a few weeks ago, I'm ready to focus more on fic ideas that feel more meaningful to me. So I'm excited to see what the new year holds for my writing.
Cheers to all the stories we’ll create in 2024!