{review} fics in 2015
“I’m going to finish my draft for the next check-in.” This isn’t my draft, but I feel like this is a good way to reflect on the past year fic-wise and see how I’ve progressed. (I also found all my old anime fanfiction drafts and wow, I am cringing so hard at myself.)
Total number of stories worked on: 15, not counting the collection of prompts filled for the VIXX 3-Sentence Ficathon
Total number of completed stories: 6, well 7 if you included the collection of prompts
Fandoms written in: INFINITE, VIXX, Big Byung, KARA, Rainbow
Total word count:
Completed fics: 25,946 words
Works in progress: 6,002 words
February
Shelter
INFINITE | Lee Howon/Kim Myungsoo | 2,362 words | Written for Infinite Secret Santa on AFF.
June
Screaming, crying, perfect storms
VIXX, Rainbow, KARA | Various pairings | 2,399 words | Drabbles from the VIXX 3-Sentence Ficathon hosted by alesserrain
August
Wandering in the Dark
INFINITE | Howon-centric | 7,444 words | Written for seasonthreee Round 1
we’ve got this (no we don’t)
Big Byung (VIXX, GOT7, BTOB) | 2,294 words | Written for the forvixx summer exchange
chasing the sun
VIXX | Jung Taekwoon/Lee Jaehwan | 2,240 words | Written as a pinch-hit for the forvixx summer exchange
September
the marks humans leave don’t have to be scars
INFINITE | Myungsoo-centric | 5,751 words | Written for extrafictionary
December
so there’s this boy who makes me smile
VIXX | Kim Wonshik/Cha Hakyeon | 3,457 words | Written for vixxgifts
Overall
Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d predicted? Less, considering the fact that I had originally planned to finish certain works within the past year but could not. I’m a little difficult on myself when I don’t get things done, and I’m grateful that I was talked out of being my own worst critic and overthinking every little thing. But on a more positive note, I’m happy with what I’ve been able to accomplish because I was able to try a lot of new things and just. Do something that makes me happy.
What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in January? I wrote something Howon and Wonshik-centric on separate occasions, my god. I’m just laughing to myself because they used to give me the least feels in their respective groups and now my brothers laugh at me whenever I see them on television or watch a video of them. (I still wrote my favorites in though... I’m incapable of not writing them in.) This applies both character-wise and pairing-wise because I felt that I didn’t think I could do them justice because of the lack of feels. I had to really sit down and think of how to write them without turning them into skewed versions of themselves, and I’m glad that I had friends to walk me through headcanons and hold my hand through it all.
What’s your own favorite story of the year? It would have to be superhero!INFINITE. I had a lot of fun brainstorming for it and imagining my bias group as superheroes. The prompts also gave me a lot of feelings and ideas for an entire AU. It’s still lacking, and I know I’m at fault for finishing it well over the deadline, but this is the fic where I thought a lot about a certain Lee Howon; who he is, what drives him and all that. It was... interesting, writing about a character and how he goes from being a brother to losing his way and tentatively finding his way back to the good guys.
Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them? One of my biggest flaws is my lack of time management skills, seriously. There are days when I can write loads and loads of things, but there are days when I feel like I want to bang my head on the table. (Pardon my choice of words, but it’s literally the best way to phrase how I feel.) Add the fact that I can be very harsh with myself and... yes, there are times when I feel like I’m wrestling with my drafts and I’m losing. This is most evident in the wizard!Myungsoo fic, mostly because I confused myself with trying to give him character development while at the same time paying attention to the huge plot that’s supposed to be going on. All this in the span of a week and a half, because I let myself slip after submitting other things that have piled up. This has all taught me to.. be more diligent and manage my time better because... this is not good for one’s sanity.
I also tried writing for pairings that I don’t really ship, like in vampire ken fic and in dumb!wonshik fic... as well as het pairings for the drabble collection. For genres, I wrote different AUs (realistic, superhero, fantasy, etc.), and uh, I was able to fix some things after talking to both slashedsilver and thunggyu. Like, show how things develop more subtly?
Do you have any fanfic or profic goals for the New Year? I actually want to go back to my old fics and tweak them, especially the ones with AUs I still want to add to. Also, to write more, especially some of the fics that I have always wanted to write for myself.
My goals from last year were: Definitely met. At the beginning of the year, I said that I’d be happy if I completed just one fic.
From my past year of writing, what was…
My best story of this year: I like to think that I’ve improved over the past year, so dumb!Wonshik is probably the best in terms of writing. (It’s also the first fic I submitted on time.)
My most popular story of this year: In terms of kudos, it’s the single dad!Myung fic, but the one with the best comments would have to be dumb!Wonshik fic. Because of it, I have discovered my talent in being punny.
Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion: superhero!INFINITE --- but then again, I feel like INFINITE fics with hardly any romance or humor get that much attention?
Most fun story to write: Big Byung fic--- it was also my first attempt at genfic and humor, plus I wrote it while watching Running Man. It was fun to imagine how the four would fare if they were put on certain variety shows.
Story with the single sexiest moment: Hosoo making out in single dad!Myung fic? Does that count? No? Please anticipate the coming of a sexy moment from me.
Most “Holy crap, that’s wrong, even for you” story: Hakyeon using Taekwoon’s hyde extensions to practice braiding.... this is from the drabble collection
Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters: dumb!Wonshik fic made me realize that Kim Wonshik, despite looking all tough and the next member of thug life, is an actual marshmallow. I knew this for awhile, but writing this fic just drove this point even closer to home.
Hardest story to write: wizard!Myungsoo fic squeezed my brain until it metaphorically dribbled out of my ears. This is mostly my fault because I signed up for three fic events months earlier with check-ins about a few days apart. Two months later and real life happened, so I spent the next month catching up with everything while trying to remember the plots and how to make these characters grow and.. it was.. draining. I told myself that I wouldn’t join anything for awhile after that, but I ended up not listening to my own advice. (I ended up joining vixxgifts-- )
Biggest disappointment: I’m most disappointed with myself because of not being able to send things on time, then panicking that nobody likes my writing. I started out writing for myself, but as I progressed, it turned into writing for someone else to please them and when that person kind of shut me out, I stopped. I picked it up again two years later in 2013, taking on only a few things until last year. I’m less panicky now, and last year was an opportunity to learn not to bite off more than I can chew.
Biggest surprise: I’ve never really had someone beta my fics before... or talk about writing with... and wading through characters and plot. I’m really thankful for all the friends I’ve made in the past year because they’re just really great ; u ;
Highlights + Wrap-up:
Favourite Opening Lines (3):
1. It had been a good idea at the time; the network wanted something ... fresh. Fresh, yet familiar. Something the viewers knew but wanted more of. There had to be a show that would be able to bring out the various charms of each member.
2. Wonshik’s memories of first meeting the INFINITE sunbaenims were a little murky, to be quite honest.
3. Myungsoo was twelve the first time he traveled to Flora on an errand for his mother.
Favourite Closing Lines (3):
1. It may not be the happy ending they’ve both waited for, but this, this is definitely progress.
2. Myungsoo notices that everyone’s looking at him, waiting for him to speak, and Howon’s nervous about what he might say, he can’t help it. That’s why he can’t help but sigh softly in relief when a small smile tugs at the corners of Myungsoo’s lips. “It’s about time you come back to us, Lee Howon.”
Howon doesn’t think twice about his choice.
3. But for now, he just hopes his powers are enough for this.
Favorite 5 Line(s) from Anywhere:
1. “Do you still want to date me even with my lack of cooking skills?”
“Don’t worry, the cute apron makes up for it.”
They don’t really get anything done until Miyeon comes into the kitchen to ask if breakfast is ready.
2. What was the protocol, when the people you were supposed to capture were your friends?
3. Minjae wrinkled his nose and shook his head, making the same face from earlier. “Icky.”
“Well, they are peas.” Sungjae nodded in agreement, expression sympathetic. Jackson wasn’t going to be deterred, however, still holding the spoon with the mashed peas. “Oh come on, I’m sure they’re not that bad.” He then takes the spoonful of mashed peas and shoves it into his mouth, grimacing immediately.
“Hyung, are you okay?” That definitely wasn’t an attractive shade of green, Sungjae noted.
4. “We were meant to be, from here to eternity.”
“I want to be your Superhero and Rock Ur Body.”
5. If Jaehwan was the sun, then he certainly didn’t mind being a planet orbiting around said sun.
In Conclusion: There were several times when I thought I couldn’t finish something, as well as continue writing. I’m really happy and thankful for the people I’ve met while writing, and for the friends who continue to pick me up when I’m at my lowest and encourage me to do the best I can. I’ll continue to work hard, and not beat myself with a stick by overthinking.
Friends' Reviews:
here - slashedsilver
here - thunggyu
here - alesserrain
Total number of stories worked on: 15, not counting the collection of prompts filled for the VIXX 3-Sentence Ficathon
Total number of completed stories: 6, well 7 if you included the collection of prompts
Fandoms written in: INFINITE, VIXX, Big Byung, KARA, Rainbow
Total word count:
Completed fics: 25,946 words
Works in progress: 6,002 words
February
Shelter
INFINITE | Lee Howon/Kim Myungsoo | 2,362 words | Written for Infinite Secret Santa on AFF.
June
Screaming, crying, perfect storms
VIXX, Rainbow, KARA | Various pairings | 2,399 words | Drabbles from the VIXX 3-Sentence Ficathon hosted by alesserrain
August
Wandering in the Dark
INFINITE | Howon-centric | 7,444 words | Written for seasonthreee Round 1
we’ve got this (no we don’t)
Big Byung (VIXX, GOT7, BTOB) | 2,294 words | Written for the forvixx summer exchange
chasing the sun
VIXX | Jung Taekwoon/Lee Jaehwan | 2,240 words | Written as a pinch-hit for the forvixx summer exchange
September
the marks humans leave don’t have to be scars
INFINITE | Myungsoo-centric | 5,751 words | Written for extrafictionary
December
so there’s this boy who makes me smile
VIXX | Kim Wonshik/Cha Hakyeon | 3,457 words | Written for vixxgifts
Overall
Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d predicted? Less, considering the fact that I had originally planned to finish certain works within the past year but could not. I’m a little difficult on myself when I don’t get things done, and I’m grateful that I was talked out of being my own worst critic and overthinking every little thing. But on a more positive note, I’m happy with what I’ve been able to accomplish because I was able to try a lot of new things and just. Do something that makes me happy.
What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in January? I wrote something Howon and Wonshik-centric on separate occasions, my god. I’m just laughing to myself because they used to give me the least feels in their respective groups and now my brothers laugh at me whenever I see them on television or watch a video of them. (I still wrote my favorites in though... I’m incapable of not writing them in.) This applies both character-wise and pairing-wise because I felt that I didn’t think I could do them justice because of the lack of feels. I had to really sit down and think of how to write them without turning them into skewed versions of themselves, and I’m glad that I had friends to walk me through headcanons and hold my hand through it all.
What’s your own favorite story of the year? It would have to be superhero!INFINITE. I had a lot of fun brainstorming for it and imagining my bias group as superheroes. The prompts also gave me a lot of feelings and ideas for an entire AU. It’s still lacking, and I know I’m at fault for finishing it well over the deadline, but this is the fic where I thought a lot about a certain Lee Howon; who he is, what drives him and all that. It was... interesting, writing about a character and how he goes from being a brother to losing his way and tentatively finding his way back to the good guys.
Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them? One of my biggest flaws is my lack of time management skills, seriously. There are days when I can write loads and loads of things, but there are days when I feel like I want to bang my head on the table. (Pardon my choice of words, but it’s literally the best way to phrase how I feel.) Add the fact that I can be very harsh with myself and... yes, there are times when I feel like I’m wrestling with my drafts and I’m losing. This is most evident in the wizard!Myungsoo fic, mostly because I confused myself with trying to give him character development while at the same time paying attention to the huge plot that’s supposed to be going on. All this in the span of a week and a half, because I let myself slip after submitting other things that have piled up. This has all taught me to.. be more diligent and manage my time better because... this is not good for one’s sanity.
I also tried writing for pairings that I don’t really ship, like in vampire ken fic and in dumb!wonshik fic... as well as het pairings for the drabble collection. For genres, I wrote different AUs (realistic, superhero, fantasy, etc.), and uh, I was able to fix some things after talking to both slashedsilver and thunggyu. Like, show how things develop more subtly?
Do you have any fanfic or profic goals for the New Year? I actually want to go back to my old fics and tweak them, especially the ones with AUs I still want to add to. Also, to write more, especially some of the fics that I have always wanted to write for myself.
My goals from last year were: Definitely met. At the beginning of the year, I said that I’d be happy if I completed just one fic.
From my past year of writing, what was…
My best story of this year: I like to think that I’ve improved over the past year, so dumb!Wonshik is probably the best in terms of writing. (It’s also the first fic I submitted on time.)
My most popular story of this year: In terms of kudos, it’s the single dad!Myung fic, but the one with the best comments would have to be dumb!Wonshik fic. Because of it, I have discovered my talent in being punny.
Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion: superhero!INFINITE --- but then again, I feel like INFINITE fics with hardly any romance or humor get that much attention?
Most fun story to write: Big Byung fic--- it was also my first attempt at genfic and humor, plus I wrote it while watching Running Man. It was fun to imagine how the four would fare if they were put on certain variety shows.
Story with the single sexiest moment: Hosoo making out in single dad!Myung fic? Does that count? No? Please anticipate the coming of a sexy moment from me.
Most “Holy crap, that’s wrong, even for you” story: Hakyeon using Taekwoon’s hyde extensions to practice braiding.... this is from the drabble collection
Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters: dumb!Wonshik fic made me realize that Kim Wonshik, despite looking all tough and the next member of thug life, is an actual marshmallow. I knew this for awhile, but writing this fic just drove this point even closer to home.
Hardest story to write: wizard!Myungsoo fic squeezed my brain until it metaphorically dribbled out of my ears. This is mostly my fault because I signed up for three fic events months earlier with check-ins about a few days apart. Two months later and real life happened, so I spent the next month catching up with everything while trying to remember the plots and how to make these characters grow and.. it was.. draining. I told myself that I wouldn’t join anything for awhile after that, but I ended up not listening to my own advice. (I ended up joining vixxgifts-- )
Biggest disappointment: I’m most disappointed with myself because of not being able to send things on time, then panicking that nobody likes my writing. I started out writing for myself, but as I progressed, it turned into writing for someone else to please them and when that person kind of shut me out, I stopped. I picked it up again two years later in 2013, taking on only a few things until last year. I’m less panicky now, and last year was an opportunity to learn not to bite off more than I can chew.
Biggest surprise: I’ve never really had someone beta my fics before... or talk about writing with... and wading through characters and plot. I’m really thankful for all the friends I’ve made in the past year because they’re just really great ; u ;
Highlights + Wrap-up:
Favourite Opening Lines (3):
1. It had been a good idea at the time; the network wanted something ... fresh. Fresh, yet familiar. Something the viewers knew but wanted more of. There had to be a show that would be able to bring out the various charms of each member.
2. Wonshik’s memories of first meeting the INFINITE sunbaenims were a little murky, to be quite honest.
3. Myungsoo was twelve the first time he traveled to Flora on an errand for his mother.
Favourite Closing Lines (3):
1. It may not be the happy ending they’ve both waited for, but this, this is definitely progress.
2. Myungsoo notices that everyone’s looking at him, waiting for him to speak, and Howon’s nervous about what he might say, he can’t help it. That’s why he can’t help but sigh softly in relief when a small smile tugs at the corners of Myungsoo’s lips. “It’s about time you come back to us, Lee Howon.”
Howon doesn’t think twice about his choice.
3. But for now, he just hopes his powers are enough for this.
Favorite 5 Line(s) from Anywhere:
1. “Do you still want to date me even with my lack of cooking skills?”
“Don’t worry, the cute apron makes up for it.”
They don’t really get anything done until Miyeon comes into the kitchen to ask if breakfast is ready.
2. What was the protocol, when the people you were supposed to capture were your friends?
3. Minjae wrinkled his nose and shook his head, making the same face from earlier. “Icky.”
“Well, they are peas.” Sungjae nodded in agreement, expression sympathetic. Jackson wasn’t going to be deterred, however, still holding the spoon with the mashed peas. “Oh come on, I’m sure they’re not that bad.” He then takes the spoonful of mashed peas and shoves it into his mouth, grimacing immediately.
“Hyung, are you okay?” That definitely wasn’t an attractive shade of green, Sungjae noted.
4. “We were meant to be, from here to eternity.”
“I want to be your Superhero and Rock Ur Body.”
5. If Jaehwan was the sun, then he certainly didn’t mind being a planet orbiting around said sun.
In Conclusion: There were several times when I thought I couldn’t finish something, as well as continue writing. I’m really happy and thankful for the people I’ve met while writing, and for the friends who continue to pick me up when I’m at my lowest and encourage me to do the best I can. I’ll continue to work hard, and not beat myself with a stick by overthinking.
Friends' Reviews:
here - slashedsilver
here - thunggyu
here - alesserrain