End of year fic overview 2022

[alchemicink]

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 2022! (This is my first time posting this to dreamwidth! Previous years are on my livejournal)

 

I posted a total of 23 complete fics on AO3, with a wordcount totaling 52,588 words.

That was more fics posted than last year, but about 40k words less as well! I just didn't have any longfic juice in my brain for 2022, I guess. But I'm glad I managed to make it past the 50k words mark at least.

 

The fics

1. together, alone (1387 words)
2. Rusted Bolt (968 words)
3. Bright stars, dark space (1000 words)
4. First Day (485 words)
5. The unforeseen upsides of pillowforts (2773 words)
6. Solitaire (1208 words)
7. Like a summer butterfly (1114 words) (for Kacchako Week)
8. Only just the beginning (3549 words) (for Bakuiida Week)
9. The Joys of Public Speaking (1019 words) (for Bakuiida Week)
10. 3 a.m. bookclub (2150 words) (for Planet BNHA exchange)
11. No rest for the weary (1608 words) (for Planet BNHA exchange)
12. Captain Janeway's guide to dealing with intruders on your ship (2362 words) (for Pod_Together)
13. Home is where the bones are (1266 words)
14. a falling leaf, tossed by the wind, finds the ground (3875 words) (for Planet BNHA exchange)
15. Haircare for Dummies (4035 words)
16. Give or take a few centuries (4183 words)
17. Trial and Error (3661 words)
18. Blueberry (1567 words)
19. Proof of imperfection (1687 words) (for Planet BNHA exchange)
20. First rule of chess club (976 words)
21. PSA: That Burning Sensation in Your Chest May be Love (3775 words) (for Planet BNHA exchange)
22. Detour (2958 words) (for Planet BNHA exchange)
23. To all a good night (4982 words)

 

I once again had fun with long titles this year… lol

 

What fandoms did you write for this year?

In keeping with the last few years, BNHA has been the one I've written the most. I'm up to 59 fics total for the fandom now! (Watch out, hsj! BNHA might surpass you for my most written fandom soon)
 

 

I also got to revisit a few other fandoms I'd written before this year: NCISLA, Star Trek Voyager, Yu Yu Hakusho, and ATLA. And I finally finished and posted a Gundam IBO fic for the first time! I wish I had been able to write more than one fic for each of these fandoms, but BNHA really has a vice-like grip on me… (it's the abundance of characters/ships lol)

 

What did you write this year that you wouldn’t have expected last year?

I wanted to write more BNHA ships in 2022, but went into the year not actually expecting to branch out too much. But the Planet BNHA exchange has been a really cool opportunity to do just that, so I was pleasantly surprised by how many different ships I've gotten more comfortable writing.

 

I also didn't expect to write a Botan/Shizuru fic this year, but the idea popped in my head, so I just had to write it. They're really cute so maybe I'll write them again.

 

What was the most challenging thing to write?

I have two answers for this question. Firstly, Proof of imperfection was difficult solely because of unrelated irl things going on at the time, which split my attention away from focusing on it fully. I did think it turned out well in the end, but yeah… it's very hard to write when your life is a complete trashfire at the same time. (For the record, things are better now.)

 

Secondly, a falling leaf… was the other fic I struggled the most with, because I'd never written a genderqueer character before. It was a bit out of my comfort zone trying to figure out how to write the character in a respectful way. In the end though, I really enjoyed how it turned out and so did the fic recipient it was gifted to!

 

What was the most fun to write?

It's hard to narrow this down to only one thing. Haircare for Dummies was a real joy to play around with, and it was one of those fics where the words really came easily to me.

 

A couple of the shiritori fics (Home is where the bones are, Blueberry, and First rule of chess club) that I cleaned up to post to ao3 were extremely fun too since they all ended up being quite silly.

 

Also, I have to say the challenge of writing ten drabbles for Bright stars, dark space was a fun way to push past a bit of writer's block. A good little writing challenge always sparks the serotonin in my brain.

 

Favorite opening lines?

Bakugou has always been damn good at playing solitaire.

-Solitaire

 

They make it a grand total of two steps into the hardware store before Kaminari takes a left turn and walks straight to the Halloween decoration display.

-Home is where the bones are

 

Favorite closing lines?

Just the swing of arms and legs, and their breaths syncing up as they take the last few steps to the finish line.

-Only just the beginning

 

But, eventually, free from the rain.

-together, alone

 

"It's never about winning or losing. It's all about how you play the game."

-First rule of chess club

 

Thing that made you laugh the most?

I randomly think about this bit in Haircare for Dummies and crack up every time:
 

 

Shizuru gets the water going in the sink and then manhandles Yusuke to stick his head under the running faucet. Keiko watches from the doorway, an amused smile playing across her lips at Yusuke's stream of profanity. Like the professional she is, Shizuru ignores the protests and starts the tedious process of washing sticky demon vomit out of Yusuke's hair.

"This is the worst shit that’s ever happened to me," Yusuke says in between spluttering through water and shampoo streaming down his face.

"Haven't you died at least twice?" Shizuru quips.

Yusuke's response is just a gurgling noise.

Men. Always so dramatic.

 

Thing that made you cry the most?

I thought I was gonna pick something from together, alone because that's quite angsty too, but I think this bit in Rusted Bolt cut me the deepest:

 

The end of Tekkadan is still a fresh wound. One that oozes out on quiet nights. On bad nights, it feels more like a festering infection that'll never heal exactly right. Not even a scab to pick at.

 

(I just had a lot of feelings about Yamagi and grief after my last Gundam IBO rewatch…)
 

 

Character you liked writing the most?

It's… Kaminari?!

 

I mean, he's always been fun to throw in fics for funny moments, but I've really been gravitating towards wanting to write him more the last few months. He has a lot of hidden potential I'd like to explore more in the future.

 

Character you need to apologize to?

Last year I said it was Yusuke, and this year, it's probably still Yusuke! I never did give him a good opportunity for snarky insults.

 

Also, here's my annual obligatory apology to Daiki for once again not writing him at all… lmao

 

Favorite story of the year?

I think it's a falling leaf… actually! Perhaps because of how challenging it was at first, but I just was really satisfied with how the plot came together and wrapped up. To me, it kinda felt like something I would have submitted for my college CW classes, and that's a vibe I haven't returned to in a while.

 

Also, I listened to a bunch of old jrock/vk while writing it that made me feel happily nostalgic

 

Most underappreciated story of the year?

It's not the most underappreciated in terms of hits, but I wish more people would have enjoyed Only just the beginning. I was very proud of how it turned out, but it's also extremely sappy, so I understand a lot of people probably aren't interested in it. But the end scene when they're running together is one of my favorite things I've ever written. (To explain my inspiration: every year, I photograph a 5k race for work, and one of the most striking things I always remember is watching runners who've already finished turn around to go run alongside others who are trying to reach the finish line too. They're there for support, a reminder that it might be a struggle to finish but you won't be doing it alone. To me, it's just the sweetest form of unspoken love and kindness, and that's why I chose that visual to end that fic with. So idk, I guess that's why I wish more people had read that fic. I'm just curious if it would resonate with anyone else.)

 

Biggest surprise of the year?

I'm totally shocked that no fic I wrote surpassed 5k words this year?? More on that below, but it's just a big change from last year when I was trending towards longer and longer stories.

 

I'm also surprised I finally finished the ATLA fic that I started in 2021. I still can't pinpoint why I couldn't focus on it long enough to finish it earlier. Oh well! I like how it turned out

 

Wordcount Breakdown

0-1k: 4 of 23 (17.3%)

1k-5k: 19 of 23 (82.6%)

5k-10k: 0 of 23 (0%)

10k-15k: 0 of 23 (0%)

15k-20k: 0 of 23 (0%)

20k+: 0 of 23 (0%)
 

 

I don't think I've ever had such weirdly lopsided results for the wordcount breakdown before! (Though, I'm not going to look back and double-check.) My typical reaction would be feeling disappointed at these numbers, because I do like a more even spread, but I'm not actually dissatisfied, looking back on it now. It's not a bad thing to write these more bite-sized fics. Last year, I talked about writing more "complete" stories and that's why they were getting longer. But reflecting on it now, I don't feel like any of this year's stories were incomplete. I'm just getting better at conveying stories in different ways, including learning how to still tell rich stories in fewer words.

 

That being said, I still want to write some longer fics in 2023!

 

What did you learn from your writing this year?

I learned that I should post more of my shiritori fics to ao3 😂

 

No, but in all seriousness, I feel like I continued learning more about how to explore different parts of a relationship. Like how Only just the beginning and Proof of imperfection are both about what comes after the "getting together" and first "I love you" stages of a relationship. And how No rest for the weary is about the slow realization that your friendship could be something more. I already knew I liked those kinds of stories, but this year felt like a good continuation of practicing how to write them.

 

Goals for 2023?

I say this every year (and have yet to accomplish it) but I want to write a long chaptered fic. My problem is that I have difficulty focusing on one story long enough to finish. I don't know if I'll figure out a way to overcome that in 2023, but I'm going to try, at least!

 

Another goal is to keep writing more wlw fics. I personally never feel like there's enough women-centered stories in fandom, and so I still want to contribute more. I have several WIPs that I hope to finish in 2023. So far, pretty much all of my wlw fics have been cute fluff (because it's easiest to write), so I'm also going to try to focus on writing more stories outside of that specific genre. (Like, for example, I love the trope where two people are trapped in a dire near-death situation. But I never see this trope for wlw pairings! So that's one of my fics to finish in 2023!!)

 

As always, I'd like to write for more fandoms and ships I've never done before. Specific ones I've been thinking about lately are Yu-Gi-Oh (angstshipping, specifically), Miss Scarlett and the Duke, Good Omens, Inuyasha, and Stargate SG-1. Maybe 2023 is the year I finally add a few of these to my ao3 list!!

 

Lastly, I have to finish the kacchako time loop fic! It is KILLING ME that it still isn't done yet. I AM THE ONE STUCK IN THE TIME LOOP

 

Special thanks?

Once again, a very special thanks to ansa for inviting me to do Pod_Together again! It's always super fun to get to create something together, and I'm glad we did a Voyager fic again this year.

 

And thanks to everyone who left me kind comments this past year, recommended my fics, and simply said hi to me on Twitter. Fanfic has always been the best way for me to package up my headcanons and present them neatly to share with fandom, and I appreciate knowing that some people out there enjoy my stories.

Final thoughts?

Every year is a challenge in a different way. But I made it through 2022 with another batch of fics that I'm proud of, and I'm determined to create more stories I love in 2023. I'm feeling optimistic about it, even if I may fall short along the way.

 

Cheers to all the stories we’ll create in 2023!