Thank you for the tag, lovely @wolfpants ! I wasn’t going to do this because to be honest I don’t really like looking back in the fear that my past work will make me cringe. But you know what. I did look back and all I see is ✨progress✨ and that’s a bloody good feeling.
So I put together some stats and surprised myself with those as well, because the whole year I felt like I was struggling with motivation and thought that my engagement with fandom was lacking but actually, these stats show a different story. So here’s what I did:
✨ART
I made 31(!) art pieces in 2023. Out of these, 8 were for fests and 6 inspired by fic (Nightcall and Terrible People by wolf). I drew Drarry together 14 times, Draco 7 times, Harry 5 times, Ron twice, Teddy once and Fleur/Ginny once. My absolute favorite piece of art is (as usual) the very last one I made: fortune teller Draco for my fic “on the cards” (and I am cheekily counting it, even though I posted on Jan 1st, because I did draw it at the end of last year).
✨WRITING
I’m decidedly *not* a writer, so it feels a bit funny to even mention this, but here it goes: I wrote 3140 words, all of them in the form of drabbles: 14 for hd candyhearts fest (more on this later in a separate post) and 8 microfics, my fave out of those being “Changes”.
✨REC LISTS
I made 6 reclists, 4 of them in a response to lovely asks: drarry get-together, favorite tropes, outsider POV + bonus, art recs and 2023 favorites. I also made 51 individual Quick Quotes Recs posts (masterlist here).
✨MODDING
I was a co-mod in 3 amazing fests. I will take the oportunity to link their masterlists because the works are just incredible: dronarry masterlist, bodice ripper masterlist, unleashed masterlist.
All in all, a busy year. I love seeing these posts from everyone; reading everyone’s lovely fics, seeing gorgeous art, and just basking in the chance of being in this wonderful community. I hope 2024 will be just like that too! I wish everyone a year full of creative spark!✨
PS: I think that everyone has already done this but if you haven’t and want to, consider this your no pressure tag! (I’m looking at you @crazybutgood 😉)
I have not written a lot this year. 2 fics and 15 ficlets. I started with plotting and writing a real casefic last December and managed about 5 chapters. Then there was a very long general writing hiatus starting June 2023 due to - let's say - challenging IRL events that ended only in October. October was great with the whumptober prompts and I completed the challenge for the second time.
I restarted writing on the casefic in November highly motivated and because I broke my ankle and have been on sick-leave since then there was a lot of writing time. I finished chapter 12 today, 43k words in and there will be "only" two more chapters to write. Depending on my beta I hope to be able to post on AO3 soon in early 2024.
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Oyster and Mushroom Soup in February 2023, part 2 of the crackfic series "Sherlock's Secret Laboratory Journal"
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15 ficlets (parts 6 to 20) in my Sherlock Ficlets for Writing Challenges collection for the May writing prompts by @notjustamumj
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Slowly Suffocating a fic following the 31 prompts for whumptober
I've seen a bunch of these going around from artists today, and I'm loving them! But why should they have all the fun?
We writers have worked hard to ignore our current WIPs this year to dream up new ideas we'll never write about! We've busted our tails to see how long we can go before people who read our ongoing long fics reach out to make sure we haven't died!
We have broken bread with writer's block and had two in the morning plot epiphanies. We've brought back the dead and given them children. We've resurrected planets and killed off characters for looking at us funny because...well, because we can!
Here's my creative 2023 in a nutshell, and I hope some other writers will do this too. Even if you don't think you have been particularly "productive", I think you'll surprise yourselves if you take inventory.
I did!
January
"A Crosshair Carol" on AO3, Art by @toucheholland23!
February
"Plan Seven" on AO3
March
"Don't Die Here" and "The Archium" on AO3
April
No writing this month. I was far too sad.
May
Still no writing mojo this month, but the spirit was there!
June
My "Force Fatale" piece, "An Unexpected Opportunity" on AO3
July
"A Life Changing Decision" on AO3, art by @lightspringrain
August
"Tech's New Data Pad" on AO3
September
"Happy Hatch Day" on AO3
October
"Only If You WANT to Die" and "Tambor's Monster" on AO3, art by @cloned-eyes
November
No brains this month. Just floof.
December
"BATCHED" IS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS THROUGH JANUARY 7TH!
star trek writers in the 60s: these two guys have a deep loving bond that spans their lifetimes and is inherently tied to being queer, not only because of their own personal character arcs but because of the intentional subtext surrounding their relationship and the real life context at the time
star trek writers in the 21st century: two guys being dudes. they hate each other. you can have a little bit of friendship as a treat.
863 notes - Jun 24 2023
#7
maybe if u stopped playing on ur nintendo u would be a better father
1,112 notes - Jan 23 2023
#6
i love that star trek is trending simply because neil gaiman ships spirk
1,262 notes - Oct 9 2023
#5
🫶
1,290 notes - Apr 30 2023
#4
wyd if u go to spock’s quarters and he answers the door like this
1,540 notes - Jun 3 2023
#3
you mean that you ah talkin about biology? that is, to say, the uh reproduction? of... vulcans?
star trek where everything is the same except jim is benoit blanc
1,828 notes - Feb 18 2023
#2
spleep
6,571 notes - Sep 30 2023
My #1 post of 2023
extra special Amok Time Day this year because it’s been 56 years… happy 9th pon farr spock!
This year I wrote 16 new stories (and one new chapter on an old one!) across five fandoms - One Direction, Endeavour, Kingsman, The Eagle and new-to-me Ted Lasso. Details below, I hope you’ll check some out - I like to think there’s a bit of something for everyone.
One Direction
Bloom - T, 28k, Louis/Liam
Do you like historical AUs? Do you like awesome art by @whatagreatproblemtohave? Then you’ll like this, written for the One Direction Big Bang.
In early 1970s Oxford, Detective Sergeant Louis Tomlinson has to deal with the dual pressures of a case that hits too close to home, and the arrival of new colleague Liam Payne. Payne is both the bane of his existence and, uh... dangerous. Very dangerous. His eyes, that is. His lips. The way he stands.
A story of rain and cobblestones, cigarettes, and repression. And the sunshine after the storm.
In Shining Armour of Trackie and Trainers - T, 9k, Louis/Harry
Because who wouldn’t love white knight Louis coming to their rescue?
Online dating isn't exactly working for Harry. In fact, it couldn't really be going much worse. But then the door of the bar opens, and the pack of friends walking in parts and - that’s Louis Tomlinson.
Louis fucking Tomlinson.
Pageant Material - G, 6k, Louis/Zayn
Watch me throw Miss Congeniality and Kacey Musgraves together, shake it up, and give it a Zouis twist. Written for the Zouis fest.
Louis flicks a nearby switch, lighting the bulbs around his mirror in a soft glow. The buttery yellow catches on the edges of his cheekbones, sharpening the dip. He looks more grown up this year. Some of his baby fat has melted away, and he sucks in his cheeks to see what he might look like by twenty five if this pattern continues. Then he crosses his eyes and sticks out his tongue.
Or, the Zouis teen beauty pageant AU.
The Way to My Heart - T, 6k, Louis/Harry
Fluffy, funny AU Larry with lots of Nouis friendship on the side. Written for the a/b/o fest.
Louis' having a bit of a dry spell, until he bumps into an attractive alpha in the supermarket and leaves with his number. It was a hard bump. Very... muscular.
The only problem is, said alpha asks Louis to cook for him - which is not exactly his skill set.
Feeling Feline - T, 4k, Louis/Niall
Nouis, my beloved, with shelter-worker!Niall and magical cat transformations. Written for the Louis rare pair fest.
“I’m telling you,” drifts through the cracked door, and Louis’ ears prick, twitching with interest. “There’s something wrong with that cat.”
“Have you talked to Liam?” asks another voice, worried. Louis thinks it’s the tall one with curly hair. Taller one. They’re all tall when you’re ten inches high.
“Not medically wrong,” the blond one says. “But I swear, and I know this sounds nuts, but I don’t think he’s a cat?”
Fine Line - G, 1k, Louis/Nick Grimshaw
It’s present day, it’s canon compliant, it’s just long enough to read while waiting for the bus assuming it’s not got stuck in traffic.
Telling his family was always going to be a big deal, but doing it alone was a sacrifice he could make.
He never thought they’d fall about laughing.
In The Dark - T, 666, Gen
Choose your own character in this spooky snippet written for the trick or treat fest.
It’s the dreams.
He’d be fine without the dreams… suggesting things. If he could face all this - whatever this is - with a clear, rested mind.
Bound - G, 619, Liam/Zayn
Vampire AU? Check.
Months should pass like hours for a vampire, but to Zayn they’ve felt endless. Now, finally, it has come. The day he takes his consort.
Endeavour
Tread Carefully into my Life - T, 29k, WIP, Morse/Jakes
See? I told you it’s not abandoned. Maybe 2024 is the year I finally finish this canon rewrite where Jakes stayed - in the meantime, enjoy nearly thirty thousand words of their on/off up/down shenanigans!
He can't help the way his eyes drift across the room, to Morse in his shirtsleeves, arms crossed across his body. It’s a defensive posture, which is no surprise, but otherwise he looks collected. Calm. Like facing down man eating beasts is all part of the job, and despite the evidence of today, it most certainly is not part of the job.
Tigers. For the love of God, give him an axe murderer any day.
Stepping Out - G, 9k, Morse/Jakes/Joan
Established polyamory with the Oxford disaster trio. Jakes didn’t leave.
“You know what I haven't done in ages?” Joan asks, punctuating her question by flinging her legs up and leaning dramatically backwards against the sofa arm. Peter almost spills his tea. “Gone dancing. We should go.”
Kindred - G, 2k, Gen
Ohhh series nine. Pre-slash Morse/Sam if you really squint.
Sam Thursday, Morse, and the power of orange juice.
Offcuts - G, 2k, Morse/Jakes/Joan
With this final instalment, the series is complete. As a whole it's almost 32k, so if you like Endeavour and polyamorous relationships, set aside a Saturday and dive in.
Snapshot scenes of life with the trio.
Adding it Up - G, 887, Morse/Jakes
Let’s return to series three, because Jakes.
Fred’s been a copper for a long time. It’s in his bones at this point, a habit so engrained he can’t turn it off. Like Morse with his beer and Jakes with his cigarettes, Fred’s addiction is piecing things together. Even when he’d rather not.
Ted Lasso
Would You Rather - G, 1k - Colin & Jamie, Roy/Jamie
It had to happen! Diving into a new fandom is always a pleasure.
"I’m talking about percentages. Like, yeah, you’re gay. So maybe you’re at like, eighty, ninety per cent. But if I say who’d you rather fuck out of Ms Welton, Keeley and Maisie from the canteen, you know what you’d say, right?”
Colin is beginning to think Jamie doesn’t know what gay is. "Erm, no."
Squeegee - M, 525 - Roy/Jamie
Short and snappy ;)
Jamie’s beautifully vocal in bed, but long, pitchy squeaking is new.
Kingsman
The Honeypots - T, 5k - Eggsy/Harry
Partial AU with undercover, honeypot spy shenanigans and obliviousness? I wrote it for a reason. I mean, it’s right up my street.
Eggsy is MI6. Harry is Kingsman. They have each been tasked to seduce a suspected rival intelligence agent.
The intelligence part may be overselling it.
The Eagle of the Ninth
Winter Sunlight - G, 1k, Marcus/Esca
I think writing a fluffy, happy gay farmers fic is actually a requirement of this fandom. Here’s my offering.
“How is it,” a familiar voice mutters drowsily, muffled by the drape of skins and fur, “that after all these years, you still can’t manage a proper lie in?”