2009 in Review and 2010 Goals
02/01/2010 08:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rachel500The Fic
Stargate (48):
Aftershocks (25): (Desperate Measures to Metamorphosis)
Five Things (11)
Sam/Jack (6): Plan B,Time Box,Cherish The Moment,Lost and Found,Flowers in Atlantis,Universal Conspiracies
Other (6): The Unsung Hero, Food Diary, Three Wishes, Walk Beside Me, Scars on the Inside, Trouble on the Home Front
Airwolf (2): One of the Family,The Hawke Brothers
Original (2):Time to Mend,Time to Learn
The Questions
Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you'd predicted?
Less than I thought I would on Aftershocks, more on everything else including original fic so I guess it balanced out.
What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in January 2009?
Jacob/Mrs Carter for the sg-rarepairings ficathon. Indeed, I would never have predicted taking part in the rarepairings ficathon despite my 2009 aim to take part in more ficathons.
Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them?
Fanfic wise my biggest risk was trying to step outside of the Sam/Jack ship zone and write more gen stuff. Overall, I think my main learning is that I enjoy writing gen but I find it very hard to let go of Sam/Jack as – for me – their feelings for each other underscore their characterization a lot of the time – I really struggled with the challenge I gave myself taking part in the Sam/Jack friendathon and ended up with two fics as a result after I thought the first was too Sam/Jackish.
But I’m kind of happy where I ended up. I still want to do more gen fic but as I know where the main issue is in terms of Sam/Jack now for me, it has helped me write better gen fic as knowing the problem helps provide the solution.
Original fic wise my biggest risk was actually trying to get published and sending stuff off. Rejections aside, it feels good to actually try.
My Best Story of the Year
Probably Time Box which was really, really difficult to write not least because it was hard to be in Jack’s head all of the time and have to handle so much of Jack’s angst, but it’s the story of which I’m most (and possibly a tad insanely) proud of in terms of execution.
Story Most Under Appreciated by the Universe in My Opinion
Scars on the Inside. It is a Vala pov with the *new* SG1 team (as in post-Sam leaving SG1 so Vala, Daniel, Teal’c and Mitchell) and gen fic so I’m not too surprised that it doesn’t seem to have garnered much attention (my 2008 Vala pov/gen story was the same). Still, a shame IMO because I really liked the story in this one and Vala is so much fun to play with.
Most Fun Story
Probably The Hawke Brothers from my post-Airwolf-verse series (a bar, a brawl and the Hawke brothers – the very definition of fun) but Send in the Clowns which I did for a five things prompt comes close.
Most Sexy Story
Well, I don’t really do sexy fic although my original fic did have sex scenes…which all probably explains the lack of publication of said original fic. Otherwise, while Trouble on the Home Front has some sexiness, I think Cherish the Moment which is less explicit is far sexier.
Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters
Aftershocks continually shifts my perceptions primarily because I have to rewatch the show and that always prompts new thoughts but from a stand-alone pov, The Unsung Hero really shifted my perception of the importance of Hammond. It’s weird because I love the character, and I sometimes do explore Hammond as part of Aftershocks but when I sat down to write my tribute fic the real essence of how pivotal a role he played in supporting SG1, in mentoring them, in leading them became so apparent to me it was like being slapped in the face with it and provoked the thought ‘why haven’t I ever realized that before?’
Biggest Disappointment
In terms of goals/aims, probably not finishing Aftershocks Season 6 is the biggest disappointment. In terms of writing, of the stuff I published, probably a tie between Universal Conspiracies and Trouble on the Home Front. Both just didn’t really turn out the way I wanted or achieved the personal emotional hit that I was aiming for. The biggest disappointment though was probably the unpublished but completed Sam/Jack Christmas fic that I wrote – so much of a disappointment that I refused to publish it and questioned whether I can actually write Sam/Jack at all.
Review of 2009 Goals
Write more original fic. PASS. Having put the novel aside for a while, I have written two full short stories (planned a third) and one opening chapter of a novel (planned the novel and planned a second novel). Not a lot but more than I’ve achieved for a very long time.
Finish Aftershocks S6. FAIL. I have focused on it more and that has led to more fic recently but it’s a juggling act between my health, other writing, work, etc and Aftershocks is the one that gets put on the back burner when I’m busy. I really need to get S6 done though so will attempt it again in 2010.
Take part in more LJ ficathons. PASS. Joining LJ at the end of 2008 was scary. I’m still amazed some people have actually friended me. I wanted to take part in more ficathons (a) to put myself out there and (b) to stretch myself beyond my Sam/Jack comfort zone. I took part in the Women of the Gate ficathon, the Jack/Sam friendathon and the sg_rarepairing ficathons. I’ve also enjoyed the five things challenges.
Write Hammond tribute fic. PASS. I finally got round to writing the Hammond fic, the main story of which (ie the *present* stuff of his death) has been in my head for a long time (since just after Don’s passing). Finally, having been inspired by the SGU premiere in terms of how to structure it (the back and forth in character pov from past to present), I managed to write it.
Write One of the Family. PASS. This has been on my to-do list forever and it was good to get it ticked off.
Otherwise I have several Sam/Jack WIPs which I don’t seem to have managed to complete, and possibly never will, so that’s probably another FAIL. Still, 2009 was not a bad year writing wise.
2010 Goals
Finish Aftershocks Season 6. Really a left-over from 2009. I am committed to finishing the series with all 10 Seasons and at this rate it’s going to take me another three years.
Write an Airwolf fic based back in the series’ time-frame. Something I learned writing One of the Family was I really want to write Hawke when he was surly and hermitish again.
I’m signed up for the Day of Indulgence ficathon and I’ll be writing again for the Women of the Gate ficathon. While my aim last year was more ficathons, my aim this year is less.
Complete one of the Sam/Jack WIP in my folder. I have several. I may go back and try for a sequel to A Pond With No Fish.
Write more original fic. And more importantly, send it off to publishers and agents. I may try to do Nano 2010.
That’s pretty much it.
