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sagemoderocklee · 3 years

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2020 has been a weird fucking year, to put it mildly. There have been a lot of ups and downs, and with New Year’s Eve and the start of 2021 upon us, focusing on the ~positive~ seemed like a better way to end the year, and hopefully start 2021 feeling inspired and proud for overcoming this horrendous year.

For many people, it was difficult--even impossible--to get anything done this year (myself included), and that’s okay! But if you were able to make progress on writing projects, even if it was just one or even if it was just part of one, you should celebrate that! I wish I’d thought of this sooner and organized it better, but regardless I wanted to celebrate my own accomplishments with regards to my writing, and encourage others to do the same! I was going to tag people, but I’m not sure with it being 2 hours til midnight for me if that would feel like putting too much pressure on others, so if you want to do this too please do!

This wrap up is honestly just a self-indulgent look back on the works I’ve made and what I learned/gained from each, maybe what I don’t like about them, some totaling on what I did, and some resolutions for the next year. It’s silly, but I think it’s kinda fun and if you missed any of the things I have posted this year, you’ll find them here!

2020 Fic Wrap Up:

Kado: Parts II+III (COMPLETED)

Kado was started in September of 2019 for the @puregaalee summer event. This was a last minute thing that I started the day the prompt was due and managed to write the first part in about 6 hours while sitting in a cafe--remember that? Sitting in cafes? Man, I miss that. I hadn’t anticipated working on Kado, but I decided that I was going to finish it this year, and I’m honestly amazed that I did. This fic is sweet and fun, and surprisingly popular, though it isn’t my favorite of my works. However, it is a light, fluffy little romcom modern AU, and I learned a lot with it because despite my struggles with modern AUs and their horrible lack of political intrigue, this fic forced me to work within set parameters. I was only writing a 3 part story, and each part could only be 9 scenes long. For those unfamiliar, kado is another term for Ikebana, and in Ikebana there are specific elements to follow. Certain styles will only use three branches, some will use nine. So my goal was for the structural elements of the fic to mimic Ikebana. In doing this, I was able to do something I don’t usually do, which is keep this story more concise.

I’m still not sure how I personally feel about the ending, but I think endings are always a struggle, especially with something like this.

Gate of Dreaming (COMPLETED)

This is a fic that I started last year, then left to sit untouched with only 2k words. Getting back into it was a bit difficult because I was writing something very different from my usual: stream of consciousness. This fic was very experimental for me not only because of the stream of consciousness, but also because of the changing tenses. This was another exercise--unexpected though it was--in brevity. With this particular story, it couldn’t be dragged on and on, because--despite the 100 year time span--the events take place within the Infinite Tsukuyomi. This was also the first time I’d worked from Lee’s PoV in quite some time, so that was fun because I do enjoy writing him, but usually write from Gaara’s PoV. This is definitely one of my favorites from this year, and since it had been sitting on the back burner for so long, I’m so excited that I could finally get it done.

Another one where the ending really wasn’t easy to achieve, but I did end up liking it more than I expected, and I think the best thing is that it’s open-ended which leaves room for others to guess at what the future holds.

It Eats Your Heart (WIP)

This was an unexpected fic for me in every way imaginable. Starting another fic? Making another modern AU? Tackling the horror genre? None of those were things I’d planned to do this year, but lo and behold, that’s just what I did. I really enjoy a good bit of horror, but it is NOT an easy genre to work within, and this fic has definitely been a push for me. But with it being such a push, the payoff is far more. Stepping out of my comfort zone is something I like doing, but I think this is the biggest step outside of that and I am so incredibly proud of how that first chapter turned out because of it. I was really able to surprise myself with this fic, and I am hoping to update the next chapter early on in the year.

Absolution (WIP)

This fic is probably the second oldest idea/longest unpublished fic I currently have up. Formerly a much longer title, the idea for this fic came to me in May of 2017 when a friend, @brianadoesotherjunk / @brianadoesart, posted a piece of GaaLee fanart that sparked inspiration. The fic took off, morphed into something much bigger than the one scene depicted by the art, and now 3 years later, the first part is up. Initially, this was meant to be a long shot, but after sitting with this for so long, I realized that I needed to split it up into 9 parts, which allowed me to use this for GaaLee bingo and finally publish it. Much of the first part was already written before this year, but I’d been quite stuck on it until now. This is actually probably one of my favorite GaaLee concepts to date. I remember back in the day, there weren’t a lot of different takes on getting Lee to Suna so he and Gaara could fall in love, so (at the risk of sounding cocky) I think that Lee as a nanny is rather inspired. I think with this fic, I pushed myself the hardest to get past the hurdle of writer’s block and accepted that publishing is probably the best way to motivate myself to keep going. The feedback for this fic has been really motivating, so I think I’m probably right about that.

I do think there are some parts in the middle or towards the end that could maybe use some tightening up, but I’m just happy to finally have this fic out in the world.

The Art of Love: Chapter 11 (WIP)

TAoL is such a ridiculous labor of love. The chapters for this fic are novellas in and of themselves, so each time I update it takes a lot of work to get them out. This fic is one of those like magnum opus type fics. I have put so much into it, and I’m honestly amazed that it’s only been up for 3 years because I’m approaching the halfway mark on it, and I don’t think I expected to be there by now. Despite being able to churn out 30k chapters, I have a hard time focusing on one thing and I often struggle with mental health related writer’s block, so big works are always sort of sporadic in their updates.

This particular update of TAoL was definitely one of my favorites though. Initially, I didn’t plan to go the sort of dark fantasy rout that I did with Shikamaru, but I actually really love what I’ve done with him, though I worry others won’t be as into it or that the execution isn’t quite there. One thing I would like to work on with future chapters of TAoL, however, is maybe pairing things down a bit--though I’m not sure that’ll always be possible. The next chapter is a Naruto PoV chapter, though, so I expect that one to be a MUCH shorter chapter than the last three and should be able to get it out sometime next year.

Before I could publish this chapter, however, I did go through and make some big changes, which is something I often struggle with because of such long breaks in between working on certain projects. I will say, though, that TAoL continues to push me to greater heights as a writer, and I look forward to actually finishing this fic someday.

Thirteen Strokes: 1 + 2 (WIP)

Another unexpected fic this year, however, this one was actually an idea for about a year, unlike IEYH. This fic has really given me a lot of perspective on my own writing and world building, and has inspired me to sit down and really start committing the things I’ve developed to paper to create a cohesive view of Suna, Wind, and the shinobi world. This fic is meant to be a Romance. Like just full on Romance. I write a lot of tragedy and focus on a lot of darker themes in my writing, so while I don’t think of this as stepping outside of my comfort zone, it is very different from my usual, and a really nice change of pace. I think, in all honesty, it is one of my best works, and I do hope I can continue to deliver on the remaining 11 parts of this story.

if this were the last i felt you breathing (COMPLETED)

Ugh. This fic has been my enemy for 2 long years. I signed up for a Secret Santa exchange, and of course, I regretted doing it when I found that I was not motivated and, after the month of October where I was churning out fic after fic for GaaLee Bingo, that I was massively burned out. I wasn’t able to think past writer’s block, and so I ended up settling on dusting off an old, unfinished piece for my giftee, and I hope they can forgive me for not coming up with something brand new for them.

This fic was a struggle. Working so closely with the canon--following the Rescue Kazekage Arc as closely as I did for this fic--made this a much bigger challenge and this fic sat and sat and sat for two years, untouched and incomplete. I’m still not sure how I feel about it. I know it’s not my best work, but I am glad that this fic isn’t hanging over my head and that I was able to deliver something to my secret santa giftee.

My goal with this fic was to rewrite this particular arc from Lee’s PoV to give more depth to the arc and shift the emotional core of it away from Naruto. Naruto as a character has a lot of flaws that never get addressed, and one of the things that is consistently frustrating for me is the way the emotional core of the series rests on him in unrealistic and often superficial ways. Naruto hasn’t spoken to Gaara in three years, but I’m supposed to believe he’s this affected by Gaara’s kidnapping? Temari and Kankuro are right there! Lee is right there! I wanted to see that, so that’s what I set out to do, and ultimately I don’t think I fully succeeded, but I tried. I guess not everything can be a resounding success

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This year I managed to do a lot more than I realized. New works, updates, and COMPLETED pieces?! I never would have thought, but staying home gave me more free time, and when I was too broke to work on costumes, writing fanfiction was something free I could do.

Total new works: 5 Total updates: 9 Total completed works: 3 Total words this year: 143,587

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I have a lot of goals for the coming year, and I know I won’t make all of them, but that won’t stop me from trying.

2021 Writing Resolutions:

Reach 1million words (+238,073 words)

Finish IEYH

Finish Pearl-Filled Lungs

Update TAoL (Chapter 12 and 13)

Update Absolution

Update 13S

Update Find Me (Chapter 6)

Start the Ballad of the Dragon and the Phoenix

Start editing Alliance

Return to working on Honor Bound

Return to working on We Need Not Be Yellow Tulips

#naruto fanfiction #gaalee #naruto #shippuden #gaara #rock lee #fanfiction 2020 wrap up #fanfic year in review

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miamaroo · 5 years

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Northern Migration- Chapter 30 (Notes)

Yikes, it’s been a while. I’m not sure I have any excuses beyond that I am a fully realized creation with a multitude of real life responsibilities I am absolutely drowning in. But, hey! This chapter is here and it’s out. Yay for that.

Like always, these notes will contain spoilers, so be sure to read the actual chapter before hitting this guy up. Without any further ado—

I kinda have a niche for interpersonal drama, and this chapter’s usage of Julia and Taako is very illustrative of the reasons why. Julia’s flaws show more intensely when you see them directed at a particular person. I’ve always believed that people by themselves will be generally decent; it’s only when they’re put up against something or someone they don’t like will actual flaws present themselves. Similarly, Taako’s starting to realize that he doesn’t like having so much bitterness towards Julia when he can see himself in her. I just really like character conflict, okay?

I’ve always avoided using DND jargon in dialogue and such because I’ve always felt like it takes me out of the narrative too much. What little jargon I do use, like “spell slots,” I typically mean to be a part of the in-universe slang or terminology for magic users. So, for example, spell slots is an imprecise measuring system magic-users use to not only calculate how much energy a spell will use, but how much energy they have left to use at a certain time.

The scene on the Starblaster was written in two parts: the first back in April, starting from Magnus going to Davenport and ending at the same point it does in the chapter. The second part, the first half wherein Magnus and Stevie are whittling wood, was added within this past week. What happened? I realized belatedly that if I wanted to have Angus disguise himself as Merle, I needed to pre-establish his magic use. Not only that, but I knew that I needed to plant some seeds that would pay off in the next chapter. I can see where the scene splits off, and to me it’s really obvious, but I hope that’s only because I know how it originally looked.

That being said, the original reason Magnus went to Davenport wasn’t for reassurance, but because Lucretia left without getting winter clothes for Angus and Magnus wanted to see if anything Davenport owned would fit him.

Should I have written out that scene where Taako reveals the prophecy he got years ago? Yeah, but we literally just got through a bunch of chapters where people learned a prophecy and were amazed by it. I’m not going to write the same scene again for the, like, fifth time.

I like Sloane. I like her understated friendship with Johann and the fact that she’s kinda the underdog. What a legend.

This fic should be a musical. I feel like I’m writing a song every other chapter. The Crystal Kingdom verse featured here should fit the tune of the original song. I borrowed some of the rhymes from part 3, but honestly, who cares?

Here are some rejected lyrics for the second to last line: “Imprisoned by all my misdeeds” / “My own destruction I foresee” / “A lost legacy I foresee”

Lucretia backstory! It’s hard to believe that I’m 30 chapters in and there’s still light sprinklings of backstory I need to write about. I mean, I still have to cover the formation of the pseudo-BOB and the flashback chapters to how the Starblaster mission came about, but that’s different.

I like the idea that Kravitz’s corporeal form does weird things when you try to mess with it. I also like the idea that Kravitz can shapeshift.

I know people wanted a bigger splash for Johann and, so far, I kinda under-played his presence, but I do have plans for him. Granted, he’s still the Greatest Bard Ever and can kick everyone’s butts. So he’s done something. But if you’re a Johann fan and are upset that he hasn’t done more, have no fear. He will have his time to shine.

Taako and Ren reunion! They actually never had their reunion back in Wonderland (which happened a long time ago holy crap), so it’s finally happening. And again, I am team Taako Really Does Care For Ren, so take your bully!Taako headcanons and get out of here.

Lup

Lup, Lup, Lup.

Where do we start?

I wrote that scene months ago, and I remember not being too happy with it the first time around. Now that I’m looking at it again, I actually really like it. I so this pseudo-stream of consciousness style whenever I try to get into someone’s head during a moment of realization, and I like the way it works here. It really does help what his physically just Taako just staring at an umbrella feel as grand as it should be.

But there’s a particular manipulation of Taako and Lup’s famous “always an outcast, but never alone” that I’m doing that is not only incredibly on brand for me (I do love the manipulation of canon), but also demonstrative of how Taako’s character development is different here than in the show and (to be honest) fanon. I don’t like the narrative that Lup is so important to Taako that her absence destroyed him. I don’t like the idea that restoring his memory of her is what helps him recover. The show itself doesn’t do that to a serious degree, but I see a lot of fics play up that angle for angst. So my intention is to do what the show did, which is letting Taako learn how to love but doing it times 10.

I’m not sure how else to articulate this, and at this rate, I’m going to have to come back with a clarification to really convey my thoughts on this. Because Taako’s development is that he learns that he is loved no matter what, and that’s his happy ending. But here, his development is centered on this idea that he is an extremely emotional person who does not want to be emotional. And he does this by slipping into denial. So to have Taako make a connection with Ren is demonstrative that he’s learning to accept that he cares about people. Putting him back on the Starblaster where there is still a lot of bitterness causes him to double down on denying how much he loves the people he’s upset with. And he needs to learn if he wants to be loved in return.

I don’t know how else to put it.

And that’s it! Unfortunately, there isn’t going to be a preview for the next chapter since literally every scene involves a reveal. I will tell you that we’re definitely in the latter half of the fic. There’s no definitive outline, but every time I do a count in my head, I can only see around 20 more chapters, which would put us a little over the halfway point. So while we still have this, an interlude, and another relic arc before the finale: the end is nonetheless finally within sight!

And Barry is still kidnapped.

Fuck.

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