That Was A Year

[smalltrolven]

Happy New Year to all!
I've seen this in a couple of places and thought it would be an interesting exercise to go through for 2018.
I'm using the handy dandy "stats" by year from AO3.

Written in 2018:

January
WincestMas 2017 - for WincestMas all Sam/Dean - 9836
Bear The Weight - Sam/Dean - 2310 - an episode coda for 13.11

February
Finish Lines - for deanwbigbang - Sam/Dean - 10,278

May
It'll Take Four Trips  Sam/Dean - 5256 - an episode coda for 13.21

June
Second Time Around for wincest_reverse Sam/Dean- 10,790
Hidden In The Right Place for spn_j2_bigbang Sam/Dean - 30348

July
Hatbox - for spncanonbigbang, Sam/Dean - 5513

October
Freak In The Sheets for wincest_bigbang, Sam/Dean - 7350

November
The Thing About Lotus Flowers for spn_reversebang - Sam/Dean - 5036

December
When Happiness Is A Choice for spn_j2_xmas - Sam/OFC, Dean/Abaddon - 2135

Published in 2018 WordCount
88,854  Which is a whole lot moore than I'd thought I'd accomplished!

Unpublished But Written in 2018 to be posted in 2019:
Memory Box for samwinchesterbigbang - 11296
Vegas Kimon for deanwinchesterbigbang - 6652
Unspoiled Salt for thingsthatgobumpinthenightbang - 11,821
Chief's Orders episode coda for 14.03 - 1,172

Total 2018 Word Count: 119,795

Fandoms that I dabbled in this year, old and new: Supernatural, I guess I'm a one fandom person. I saw a lot of Marvel stuff flying by on tumblr but didn't engage with it too much, not my thing, not as connected to the characters I guess?

My favorite story this year: I'm very proud of writing The Thing About Lotus Flowers, mostly because it came to me virtually complete in the moment I saw the beautiful art. That happens a lot, but I'm not always able to get it down on the page, and this time I did.

My least favorite story this year: I'll be honest, I really struggled with writing When Happiness Is A Choice, the giftee's requests were super specific and completely out of my wheelhouse, so it was a challenge. I don't feel like I gave them what they wanted, not even close, but I just couldn't get the story to go there.

Most successful story: In terms of kudos received, Bear The Weight , which was an episode coda for 13.11. I just re-read it, and yeah, I agree, for what it was, definitely "successful". Another reminder that I should keep writing and posting episode codas. As the emotional content in the show has declined over the seasons, there's less to jump off of for me, so I'm only doing it if something triggers the need to write.

Story most underappreciated by the universe, in my opinion: Probably my spn-j2-bigbang story, Hidden In The Right Place. I know it's harder for readers to tackle the longer stories, but yeah, I worked hard on that one and really enjoyed the final story.

Most fun story:I'd say Hatbox, because of getting to write almost an entire story of Dean using old-timey cowboy-speak. That dialogue was a hoot to research and write and write Sam's reaction to said dialogue.

Story with single sexiest moment: I'd say probably the

Biggest story fail: Hmmm, I guess

Hardest story to make: See my answer to least favorite story above. It just was.

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you'd predicted? I was truly surprised I wrote as much as I did, given how I was doing and feeling this past year.

What pairing/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in January 2018? Sam/OFC and Dean/Abaddon, because I just never think about Sam or Dean without each other as their end game.

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them? I don't think so really, I just embraced the

Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters? Writing It'll Take Four Trips, I got even more into Sam Winchester's ability to accept where he is and keep going anyway, the thing I most admire about him. It's really extraordinary. That and the depthless amount of grace he seems to have to bestow on those who wrong him.

Biggest Surprise? That I got enough of my spn-j2-bigbang story done in time to submit, and that I was able to make a coherent story out of the "outline" that I left myself.

Story with the sweetest moment? Oooh, hard to pick just one, as I tend to be the more sweet the better kind of writer.

Story that made you cry? Definitely The Thing About Lotus Flowers because...of course. And one that hasn't been published yet, Memory Box has a scene that uhm, yeah some tears.

Most eye-roll worthy title? Well..hmmm, I guess that'd be Second Time Around , it's very vague and just *basic*. Titles are hard sometimes, y'all, they just plain are. Occasionally they come to me along with the idea for the story, sometimes I have to hunt for one a bit more.

Most intentionally telling? It'll Take Four Trips is what Sam says in the story, several times in different ways. It was what I wanted to emphasize, about how many times he was going to have to go to Heaven and have it stick.

Unintentionally? The Thing About Lotus Flowers is kinda a spoiler for what happens in the story. But those beautiful flowers in the original illustration demanded they be in the title. So...whoops I guess.

Most overdue? N/A I didn't miss any deadlines this time. Came really close a few times, and had to beg to a mod once, but did okay on this part of the whole fic-writing thing.

This year's theme and the story that illustrates it most? This year's theme, ooh interesting question, looking back at the ten published fics I'd say it was probably "Soulmates gonna Soulmate" or something like that. There were a lot of Soulmate stories, (that's a running theme for me) but I think the twist of how their soulmate-status affected the story most was Hidden in the Right Place.

Favorite opening line(s)? From Second Time Around: He could see both of their faces in the elevator mirror, and they both had matching expressions that said, ‘not this shit again!’ which was funny because of where they were. He smiled and his brother returned the smile, stood up a little straighter, making the yellow polo shirt pull even more tightly across his chest. He knew he needed to look away, even in a mirror, Sam was going to notice. Adjusting his suspenders under his suit jacket was a good diversion.

Favorite closing line(s)? From The Thing About Lotus Flowers: know who he owed his thanks to, but he knew this one last chance with Sam wasn’t one he’d be wasting. He leaned down to press his lips against Sam’s, just before his words escaped him. He knew it was all changed and new, that it was their turn now. Dean kissed Sam desperate and wild with this knowledge, and his brother opened up to him with the calming beauty of the lotus flowers. Recycled, renewed, reborn together into a world where this was not only possible but inevitable.

Top 5 scenes from anywhere that you would choose to have illustrated? I love this question so much! Hard to narrow it down but:

1. Sam's resurrection in The Thing About Lotus Flowers


2. After their first time, Sam and Dean looking in the bathroom mirror at themselves from Freak In The Sheets


3. Sam and Billie in Heaven in It'll Take Four Trips


4. Amara and Chuck talking to Dean in Second Time Around


5. Sam as the Boy King in Hidden in the Right Place

The things I've learned this year? That I need to look at a calendar and not sign up for things that end up all due in the same week or when I'm going to be out of town. And re-watching an episode right before writing an episode coda (especially if it's an older one) is very useful, it's amazing how much I manage to mis-remember and how much I've forgotten.

Fic-writing goals for 2019? I want to write more stuff *just because* instead of mostly for challenges and exchanges.