#2023 AO3 wrapped

[daniwib]

My 2023 AO3 wrapped

Looking back over my writing in 2023, I can say that I've had a wonderful time and thoroughly enjoyed myself and it seems like those reading my work do too. Thank you everyone who left comments, they really brighten up my day every time I get one, and those who left kudos too.

The word count is a bit off on this, I have approx 100 - 150k more written but haven't posted yet as it's mostly from two long fic that I won't start to post until they're finished (werewolf AU & Seal!Buck for those following along). I also have a few more shorter incomplete fics and partial chapters for my incomplete WIP's that I will finish one day!

Phoenix, Rising is my favourite fic this year because it challenged me the most. I wanted to see if I could write about a well liked, kind and caring character making a life altering mistake and hurting someone he cares about deeply; and what would happen after that. Could I write it in such a way as to not villainise him for his action? It was very difficult emotionally and mentally and I think I achieved my goal. 2023 for me finished with gastro, ED visit, more gastro, another ED visit, correct diagnosis of the gastro as appendicitis while also ill with influenza A followed by emergency surgery. Recovery during a heatwave followed by a tornado on Christmas Day night and then several days without power then followed by 3 months of rain in 2 days starting on NYE, resulting in widespread flooding and the second disaster declared in our region in 7 days. December was not fun for me at all, friends, and there was very little writing done, sadly. But! Tomorrow hubby and I are off to Tasmania for our first holiday alone together since we had kids. I am very excited and I just know I'll return rested and refreshed and ready to get back into writing once more.

Thank you everyone who has read my writing and who has supported me this year. Special shout out to @daughterofscotland and @hella-writes for all our varied and interesting chats throughout the year! And thank you @spicedrobot for your awesome template, I appreciate it!

[lunacornfan2k24]

I’ve seen other fanfic writers do an AO3 wrap up and tbh I’ve been kind of embarrassed to do one myself because I was only a productive writer from May to October which isn’t even half of the year (thanks to Jedi: survivor, bg3, and everything in my authors notes) but it was also my most productive year for writing fanfic that I wanted to do something so…

Ao3 statistics don’t easily separate by year for a multi chapter fic that I started back in 2021, but I can do a rough estimate of 2023 stats and then reflect on every fic that I’ve written this year. (Edit: by the time I finish writing this we will be a week into 2024 at least)

Almyrah’s AO3 2023 Year In Review:

New fics posted: The Spy and The Actor, Phoenix the Vampire Hunter

Fics updated: The Spy and The Liar: The Movie (6x)

Word count: ~50k

Comment threads: 48

Kudos: 81+

Best comment: @agent-calivide (in Exes and Ohs, chapter 7 of The Spy and The Liar: The Movie)

I have had so much support for my writing this year thanks to the amazing I Expect You To Die fandom and the IEYTD fandom discord in particular. To be honest, you guys really make it hard to be humble with how much love is showered over my fics and I am so grateful for every kudos, comment, and bookmark I’ve received since I started the Celebrity Crush series way back in 2021 when a certain actor lived in my head rent free.

Like I said before the statistics are rough estimates and I think that the best way to celebrate all I’ve done this past year is with words more than numbers and statistics.

The Spy and The Liar: The Movie

This is probably the best fic I’ve ever written! I am so proud of how it has grown beyond ten bullet points to be the 66k story it currently is with more to come. I’ve loved weaving foreshadowing and subtext into the story that I think most people have missed.

It’s also really hard to stay humble as this is the most love I’ve ever gotten on a fic and it has somehow seemingly become the Agent Phoenix/John Juniper fic on ao3. I’ve literally dropped all my other wips for other and bigger fandoms because of how much love and support it’s gotten. Especially because of the people in the fandom discord. Maybe it’s the instant appreciation but I had never been more motivated to write than when y’all shared your love for this fic and the Celebrity Crush series in general.

The Celebrity Crush series and ieytd was the first thing that got me back into writing after going through the most traumatic and violent loss and experience of my entire life back in 2020 (wasn’t even covid related lol). Literally an entire year had passed before I could write again. To know that this story has meant as much to you guys as he has to me has been the greatest gift that could ever been given to me.

Thank you.

The Spy and The Actor

This story wasn’t really supposed to be anything. The first (and only) chapter was written on a whim in one sitting based on a conversation in the fandom discord. Just the third time I’d be rewriting the ieytd 2 with an Agent Phoenix/John Juniper twist…

But then came the comments.

For those that don’t know, the point of the fic was that it was written and published by John Juniper but to come off as a fan thirsting for John instead of John thirsting for Phoenix. At its core it was me roleplaying as John Juniper. And the discord decided to roleplay in the comments as various characters from the games and of course I had to respond in character as John Juniper!

Even when I was a teen I thought roleplay was kinda cringe. But now? I get it, like I get it! I had so much fun roleplaying as John Juniper!!! I’m usually really nice so being able to just let go and be an absolute bitch. I’m so excited to work on the next chapter but I know it’ll have to be when I’ll have time to sit down and roleplay with everyone again.

Phoenix the Vampire Hunter

This was written for Calivide for beta reading a chapter in The Spy and The Liar: The Movie. This is the first fully alternate universe fic I’ve ever written and I absolutely adore the world I’ve created. It’s a sandbox that I’d love to play in more and I’d love for others to play in the sandbox too if they ever feel like it and write their own stories of the world. The ending I have planned leaves the world open for so many possible stories for myself or anyone to explore.

And I promise that I wrote vampire!Juniper before I ever played Baldur’s Gate III and fell in love with Astarion

God this got long but these fics mean so much more to me than simple statistics can tell and I hope people can see why I chose to elaborate on everything.

With 2024 signaling the 10th year of me writing and publishing fanfiction and with last year being so productive, I’m hoping to bring all of last years productivity into the new year as long as the video game industry stops releasing so many good games (I haven’t even gotten to spider-man 2 yet lol)

[theoceanoasis]

2023 wrapped

username Oceanoasis

Word count: 394, 711

Fics written this year: 164

My favorite fic was The Outlier's it was also the most popular.

[brandileigh2003]

2023 AO3 wrapped author style. It's the first time I wrote for like a year and a half maybe? And all of my marauders works were published this year. (My star wars stuff isn't great, save yourself)

You can find me here

This is my only full length but I have 1 shots and shorter one that I'm proud of 💕

Silence between us: a soft wolfstar falling in love, features Sirius dealing with anxiety, and remus who is deaf and has an adorable service dog. (Complete)

See the rest (and my rec list) here if you rather tumblr and short descriptions.

[lunarriviera]

2023 ao3 wrapped

last year @programmedradly and i asked each other some questions, rather than try to field the entire thing. so we did the same thing this year! and here are my answers. i had a wild little annus mirabilis and somehow posted more work than i ever have before, so there was lots to choose from.

•

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

tragically, one of my dead doves: the wu xie/li cu fic “you bear your scars, you've done your time.” no one reads it because it's an age-gap pairing, and it's inherently tragic (post-sha hai fucked-up wu xie). it has 17 whole kudos and it fought for every one. but like a lot of my badwrong pairings, it's honestly some of my best writing. i wrote it fast and the action scenes are solid, the dialogue is good and even funny, and the sex scenes are miserable and scorching. oh well, they can put it in my norton critical edition after i'm dead lol.

5. What work of yours got more feedback than you expected?

readers seemed to like the pingxie kissing fic, which was funny to me because it's literally just…kissing. (i wanted to put in plot and/or sex but mumble was very stern with me: “this is a KISSING fic.”) i guess we all are still battered by canon and just want wu xie dozing by the carp pool and getting kissed.

6. Favorite title you used?

“the subtle fire," with its title from the calamus poems by walt whitman; all its subheadings are from whitman too. sadly otherwise this was the year of taylor, and i exhausted midnights and all the vault tracks. new year's resolution: moratorium on fic titles from tay.

8. Pairing you wrote the most for this year?

somehow there were 18 dmbj fics. 😳 pingxie won out with 9 fics, followed by 6 heihua fics and then a smattering of rare pairs (not to say dead doves lol). there were 5 under the skin fics; at this point i post one of those like every two damm weeks because i'm down that bad.

10. What work was the quickest to write?

probably either of my drabbles—a little rpf prose poem for zhu yilong/unnamed photographer (still my most beloved pairing) or shen wei smoking a cigarette and zhao yunlan being horrified (and a little turned on).

11. What work took you the longest to write?

without a doubt, the 31k guardian fic i just posted. i got freaked out by its complexity and dropped it for a year, and then had to TOIL over all the canon details, because i didn't remember ANYTHING apparently (zhang shi who? fu you? li qian? what?). it took for fucking EVER to finish and i will NEVER write such a plotty monster again. the worst part was when ma gui randomly said, “oh there's a fifth hallow” at which point i was like “there's a WHAT NOW.” ironically that turned out to be the title. i hate characters that TALK and SAY SHIT.

15. What WIP are you taking into next year with you?

the pingxie epic 😭 i'm not sure if i even can ever finish it because it involves google searches like “recent tomb discoveries china” and “can you survive c4 explosion.” also it'll be another dead dove because it starts with wu xie divorcing bai haotian, and the iron triangle being broken up. and that's just the beginning. everyone will hate it, and instead read cute fics about liu sang being a fox, probably.

17. Your favorite character to write this year?

it's gotta be du cheng from under the skin. he embodies what is turning into my favorite character archetype, Big Dumb Hot Cop. so butch. so loyal. so stupid. just a blast to narrate. wu xie and hei xiazi have similar idiot energy but are also paradoxically very intelligent so that's more challenging. (writing xiaoge's dialogue is difficult as fuck. he can't just say "wu xie" ALL the time.)

28. Favorite work you wrote this year?

possibly, after everything, the end (for me) of the zhu yilong/unnamed photographer series. other people may keep adding to it but i needed to let them go. they exist in such a liminal unsettled never-together bittersweet place for me and i felt grateful to have spent time with them, as weird as that is to say. i'll always love unnamed photographer, and his aesthetic yearning. MY ONE RPF SHIP THAT WENT CANON. 😭

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

indulging myself and submitting a few:

Even Huos had to sleep sometime, or hang upside down, or whatever it was they did to restore themselves. [x]

•

Once he has him flat on his back again, with breathtaking pragmatism Shen Yi drips lube all over him, sinks down on him and then rides him so hard Du Cheng sees not just stars but entire constellations. [x]

•

Xiaoge kissed his hair. "Hold still," he said, and Wu Xie could do that, no problem. He fell asleep that way, curled against Xiaoge’s naked skin, and dreamed he was watching Xiaoge plant moss in the moss garden, in impossible colors: turquoise, bright orange. A richly saturated luminous violet. [x]

•

Xiazi added so much condensed milk to Xie Yuchen’s coffee that he finally had to arrest his hand forcibly. “Stop trying to give me diabetes.” Xiazi’s smile was worse than the cloying milk. “It’s to match the sweetness in your soul, my little flower." “Oh my god,” said Xie Yuchen faintly, as Geya listened, to all appearances visibly entertained. “What do you want? Because I assume you want something. Money? Work? Is this a hostage situation?” Xiazi just smiled harder, but at least he put the milk down, in favor of giving Xie Yuchen another pain au chocolat. “Why does he get all the pastry?” Geya said, sounding disappointed. “It’s to build his strength,” Hei Xiazi told him, and the patently, horribly uxorious look on Xiazi’s face made Xie Yuchen want to hit someone.) [x]

•

Xiao Hua manages to bite back a tart comment about how challenging it is to keep looking younger than forty when one’s companion will never look any older. It takes more than expensive rose hip and argan oil and ceramides; it takes never skipping the gym, and always skipping dessert. It means going to bed at nine-thirty when he’d rather stay up reading, and above all it means not letting Hei Xiazi know about any of these little maneuvers, lest it not seem effortless. [x]

•

As Wu Xie started enthusiastically laying out the details—and why was he awake at this miserable hour?—Hei Xiazi pulled the pillow away from his face and started gently hitting Xie Yuchen with it. “Wu Xie, let me call you back later,” he said, arresting the pillow’s movement with one hand. “I have something I have to deal with here.” “Sure,” said Wu Xie, cheerful. Then: “I bought Pangzi an espresso machine, and he taught me how to use it! Xiaoge’s not here, I wish he’d come home. I had five cups! You should take Hei Xiazi with you, just in case things get complicated. They might. Get complicated, I mean. I'll tell you all about it. When will you call me?” Xie Yuchen fought not to laugh. “After sunrise, probably. Drink some water. And tell Pangzi I’m going to kill him.” [x]

•

Su Wan seems lost in thought for a minute. “I always thought maybe one day I would like guys, but I don’t.” Li Cu elbows him. “What about Hei-ye?” Su Wan looks horrified. “Yali, no! What a thought!” “Okay, okay,” says Li Cu, and drunkenly tousles his hair. “Calm down.” Yang Hao puts out his hand for the bottle. “Hei-ye is pretty cool, though,” he says, which is high praise from him. It’s true. They sit without saying anything for a moment, in silent contemplation of Hei Xiazi’s inarguable coolness. [x]

•

The things about you that other people find unsettling, those have somehow never bothered Wu Xie. You’re spooky, Hei Xiazi told you frankly, once. I am too, but I drown it out by talking. You’re so silent, our little Yaba Zhang. People are afraid of you. Xiazi had been right, and you knew it. But Wu Xie has never been afraid of you, not even once. You think about the first time you came back from behind the gate, how furious and desperate he’d been to know why you hadn’t come straight back to him. Demanding answers, wanting to know why you went, what you saw. And you remember gazing back at him, still mute with the magnitude of it. He could never have understood, but no one could, not even Wu Xie whose intelligence shone as clearly as an aura around him, glowing, burnished—still innocent, still young enough to be passionate. Whereas even at the time you felt every single one of your hundred years lying on you like a burden, like fallen trees pressing you into the loam, the moss, the muck. [x]

•

He’s still half-asleep, is the only thing that could possibly explain why Zhao Yunlan ducks under some low-slung branches and strolls right up to the water’s edge only to see Shen Wei, stripped naked, hip-deep in a pool of still clear water, combing through his unbraided hair with his fingers. Why is this a surprise. What was he thinking. And above all, why is he still walking towards him on automatic, as if drawn toward him, as if not caring whether Shen Wei would see him or stop— Shen Wei startles and looks up, motion arrested. He’s bent at the waist, rinsing bits of dirt and bracken from his hair, skin glowing like wet marble, and Zhao Yunlan suddenly wants him so badly he couldn’t make a fist if he had to. Shen Wei smiles, and Zhao Yunlan will never get enough of that smile, artless and full-hearted. All he can do is smile back, helplessly. [x]

[schmem14]

My 2023 Year in Fic

Words published this year: 256,358 Number of hits: 78,891 Number of works published: 40 (3 of which are multi-fic collections so… upwards of 100?)

Favorite Fic: Peculiar Prompts (Multiple)

Least Favorite Fic: Atonement (Percy x George)

Most Popular Fic by hits: HP Kinkuary 2023 Collection  22k hits

Least Popular Fic by hits: Tender and Breakable 3 hits 😂

Longest Work of the year: Ron and Draco Go on an Island Adventure [Gee Thanks, Hermione] (15,207 words)

Shortest Work of the year: Schmem's Sapphic Microfic Collection (50 words each)

Works Inspired by my fics: 

I Bloom Pink For You by crazybutgood was inspired by Adorned with Petals and Praise

Strange Cocks and Stranger’s Come by lumosdrabbles (lumosatnight) was inspired by HP Kinkuary 2023 Collection

Podfics recorded:

For Sale by Owner: Rose Weasley-Granger's Virginity by Vukovich inspired [PODFIC] For Sale by Owner: Rose Weasley-Granger's Virginity by Vukovich

Like A Brother Would by wolfpants inspired [PODFIC] Like A Brother Would by wolfpants

Yes, But It'll Cost You by mintaminta inspired [PODFIC] Yes, But It'll Cost You by mintaminta

Fests I participated in: 

HP Kinkuary  HP Kinktober  HP Cest Fest 31 Days of Weasley  CMD Fest Dronarry Fest Dron Fest HP Podfic Mini Fest HP Rare Pair Fest IV HP Pumpkin Spice Fic Fest HP Spooky Saffics Flash Comp HP Saffics Secret Santa HP Saffics Summer Exchange

Pairings written this year: 98 different pairings, most of them rare! (not including HP Saffic Microfics. There are way too many to count)

Pairings with more than one fic: 

Harry x Draco 9 Pansy x Ginny 4 Harry x Ron 4 Harry x Ron x Draco 3 George x Harry 3 Sirius x Remus 3 Draco x Albus Severus 2 Arthur x Molly 2 Ron x Andromeda 2 Colin x Harry 2 Hagrid x Tom Riddle/Voldemort 2 Draco x Ron 2 Bellatrix x Narcissa 2 Hermione x Pansy 2 Lavender x Parvati 2 Arthur x Lucius 2 Luna x Ginny 2 Percy x Marcus 2

Favorite Pairings this year:  Percy Weasley x Marcus Flint Harry x Ron x Draco

Favorite Characters this year:  Ron Percy

Who is my Fandom Bicycle? 🥇Harry - 29 fics 🥈Draco- 25 fics 🥉Ron- 16 fics 🥉Hermione- 16 fics Pansy- 11 fics Ginny- 10 fics Percy- 8 fics

What were my Goals last year? Release my first ever attempt at Podfic Finish at least 3 of my 8 wips Write more femslash works Organize my TBR list Take it easy, and have fun writing! 

Did I complete my goals? All except organizing my TBR list, and I did not take it easy near the end of the year. I am now paying for it with a touch of burn out. 

2024 Writing Goals: Finish my Dronarry fest piece, Finish editing a Hermione x Remus podfic, do Peculiar Prompts, take a break from writing and fests, read more (still organize that TBR if I can!!) and rec fellow authors. 

[corduroyserpent]

i am so so so scared of the statistics page and i avoid it whenever possible BUT this was actually very interesting! thanks @spicedrobot for the template 💕

[breitweisergallery]

ao3 wrapped 2023

Thanks for the tag @killerandhealerqueen <3

Works Published: 9 - 7 on AO3, 2 in a zine that I need to publish onto AO3 as well

Word Count:  24,921 words

Hits: 1908

Bookmarks:  55

Most Popular by Kudos: puppetry | 69 kudos

Most Hits: puppetry | 830 hits

Longest: all of our circles | 9823 words

Shortest: puppetry | 489 words

Most Comments: puppetry | 6 comments

Fic that made me cry: don't let me know | consequences of characters' actions!

Fic that made me smile: dreaming of flying | karna and deli love

Gifts: 2

Collaborations: None

Events: 2 zines, 3 exchanges

Underrated: don't let me know

Coming in 2024:

Hopefully some CR fics, almost definitely some Dimension 20 (whoo Junior Year is coming and that's bound to give me something to dig my hands into). Really, really hoping I can return to some of TDJ and update some old things.

Tagging: @highflyerwings @thedeviljudges @bobafvcks @godotismissingx and anyone else who wants to.

[dramioneasks]

Top 10 Most “Kudos-ed” (Completed) Fics on AO3 of 2023:

Damaged Goods by slytherin_after_dark - E, 50 chapters, Words: 150,499 - Hermione, now in her mid-20s, is back at Hogwarts to pursue higher education. Trying to forget the trauma carved into her by the war, she spends one lust-filled night with a certain pureblood. But that night will have consequences. While her personal life unravels, a string of mysterious murders forces her to work together with Draco Malfoy, who himself seems to carry many secrets. "He scared her. Not because he wielded killing curses like they were nothing, but because he seemed to understand her in a way that even she didn’t. The more she let him in, the more power he had to destroy her." Come for the smut, stay for the plot. Read if you like: - Murder mystery - Dark Arts - Hurt/ Comfort - Hermione and Draco both deal with PTSD - Angst, so much angst

In These Silent Days by HeyJude19 - E, 14 chapters, Words: 67,209 -Hermione is familiar with fighting: for respect, for attention, for justice. She’s even made a career of it; working on behalf of creatures and beings. But her battle against the Ministry’s marriage law is one she loses. Badly. And now, she has to contend with not only public derision and patriarchal politics, but her growing feelings for her government-mandated spouse.

The Silver Envelope by sinflower81 - E, 70 chapters, Words: 192,647 - “Tell me again to release you, Granger. Tell me again that you just want to be friends.” It’s been five years since Draco last spoke to Granger. Things are different now, and though earning her trust will be a challenge, he can’t seem to keep himself away. Hermione has been busy advocating for elves around the world, but when her breakup with Ron turns her life upside-down, she knows there’s only one person who can help her. Alternating POVs between Hermione and Draco. Slow burn, eventual smut, light dom/sub. Diverges from canon after Voldemort's defeat.

In Silence & Submission by gillianeliza - E, 29 chapters, Words: 69,694 - 10 years after the war everything has changed. Enemies turned into friends and lovers. Fear turned into hope. Pain into joy. Everyone has moved on except for Hermione Granger. Nestled within her friend group, now made up of not just Harry and Ginny, but also Theodore Nott, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini and of course Draco Malfoy, she was content to allow the trauma of her past to haunt her. More than just content - it was what she felt she deserved - until one evening Draco Malfoy decided enough was enough. This is a low stakes, split POV fic that deals heavily with life AFTER the Battle of Hogwarts. You will find the POV of either Hermione or Draco stated in bold italics, in the middle whenever it shifts. Please read all tags as this work deals with BDSM, kink, trauma recovery, & suicidal ideation.

A Game of High Stakes by In_Dreams - E, 51 chapters, Words: 263,110 - In theory, the task is simple: kill Draco Malfoy. In practice, putting a curse through the Dark Lord's favoured lieutenant will take everything Hermione has―especially since he's trying to kill her, too. Even more so when the lines between them start to blur. Sometimes, the only way out is through.

Hogwarts: A History (Hermione's Version) by Lizzie_carlile - M, 38 chapters, Words: 141,828 - Lord Voldemort has been defeated, and the children of the Wizarding War are thriving. When the heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black is adopted and takes her place in the family with her loving fathers, a new trio is formed. With her best friend and her brother by her side, Hermione Black is thrust into a world that she never knew existed. Will whispers from the past threaten to destroy the world she knows? Or will love once again conquer all? Another take of the Nice Things AU. What would happen if Draco asked Hermione to the Yule Ball before Ron Weasley had a chance to?

Teach Me How to Forget by scullymurphy - E, 20 chapters, Words: 109,646 - Hermione Granger is 27 years old when her life falls apart. Cheated-on, flatless, fed up with her job, she decides to change one thing she can--take a class and try for some career advancement. But change is never easy, especially when an old enemy is the catalyst. And the class instructor. "Just as the minute hand clicked over to the hour, the doorknob twisted and a figure slipped into the room. He was tall, a bit windblown. Hermione had a general impression of crisp cuffs and polished leather, and then a more specific one of the most beautiful grey coat—highlighting his shoulders and eyes, skimming to just the right place on his knife creased trousers. His movements were precise and confident. He was wearing the softest-looking gloves. He was not Professor Belinda Rowle. He was Draco bloody Malfoy."

The Order of Serpents by bl_crtz - E, 44 chapters, Words: 193,506 - During the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry Potter walked into the forbidden forest, died, and walked out with crimson eyes as the new vessel of the Dark Lord. Since then, Hermione Granger served as an elite member of the True Order, isolating herself from other Order members and going on missions alone, not only haunted by the loss of her best friend, Harry, but Ron who had run away after the battle. Three and a half years later, Draco Malfoy shows up with his two year old son on the Order’s doorstep seeking to switch sides. Together, Draco and Hermione are forced to deal with not only each other, but their own past and confront who they’ve become because of the war.

The Contender by rubykrishna - E, 9 chapters, Words: 58,875 - Hermione stopped walking. Her eyes scanned back up the roster until they found the name that she initially mistook for a typo. Draco Malfoy….Beater. She could comprehend the words, the name and the meaning. She understood that his name being on the roster meant he was the starting Beater for England’s national team, but for whatever reason, when her eyes ran over the black ink, her brain could not articulate any emotions or reaction. 

Sincerely Yours by LovesBitca8 - E, 10 chapters, Words: 40,759 - A smile tickled the corners of Hermione’s mouth as she clicked Send. She listened to the whoosh of the message and then turned off her computer. When the ping! had come in, she’d had one foot half-out the door of her flat. She’d dropped her coat and darted for her computer desk, a wide grin blossoming at her inbox. You’ve Got Mail.

[sitp-recs]

My AO3 Wrapped: 16 Drarry Recs

This year I’ve embraced a change of pace and read way less than I intended to. This made me feel a bit disconnected from fandom but also allowed me to put this list together in record time so let’s not complain too much 😂 this is shorter and lacking my usual commentary but I didn’t want to break the tradition of sharing my fave reads of the year! Be it for their creativity or peak romance, these 16 amazing fics made my heart beat faster and got me even more in love with Drarry. I’ve read most of them in the first half of the year and it was interesting to see so many fics over 40k, as my usual sweet spot is 10k - 20k. I love the mix of tropes featured here and am very excited to rec authors I’m reading for the first time. ps: I haven’t included any Erised fics since the fest is still ongoing.

Thank you dear creators for sharing so many brilliant works with us this year! 2023 wasn’t my best year fandom-wise, but life has been so generous in other areas that I can’t help but feel humbled today. I wish everyone a lovely start to the new year! As always, please mind the tags and take some time to shower these authors with the appreciation they deserve. Oh, and stay tuned for a rare pair list sometime soon ;)

🍆 Snug by @moonflower-rose (E, 6k)

8th year | touch-starved Harry | soft cock kink

Potter can't keep his hands off himself. Draco can't look away.

🧩 Muscle Memory by @corvuscrowned (E, 8k)

curse breaking | partners to lovers | memory magic

There's something just beneath the surface, just at the periphery of Harry's mind. They've been here before — they've done this before. If only he could remember it.

👹 draco malfoy's substitute murder service by @oknowkiss (E, 10k)

odd jobs | D/s undertones | open ending

When Harry joins the Curse Breakers shortly after his twenty-fifth birthday, he’s surprised to find himself assigned to the Department of Creatures, Cryptids, and Associated Calamities.

🏰 the earth from a distance by spqr (E, 15k)

time travel | Wizarding history | only one bed

“Well,” Harry said gamely, once they’d managed to find the Leaky Cauldron – still under construction but mercifully open for business – and he’d turned up a few knuts from his pockets, enough to get them a room for the night, “it could be worse.”

🎚️ O Come, All Ye Faithful by @toomuchplor (E, 20k)

vicar Draco | established relationship | Church of England

Aunt Petunia died, that was what began everything. Or rather, Aunt Petunia was dying. In the act of dying. In which Draco finds faith in the church, and Harry finds faith in Draco.

🎄 Waking Up Slow by @sweet-s0rr0w and @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm (E, 22k)

shop owner Draco | summer romance | light angst

'Twas the night before Christmas, although it’s July / Draco’s a shopkeeper, no-one knows why / There’s hiking and witch caves, freak snowfalls and more / Bad Christmas jumpers, nosy neighbours galore / Narcissa’s here too, but… something’s amiss / And what’s in those chocolates that’s making them kiss?

🚬 Sun Thief by @floydig and BlackRose532 (E, 28k)

slice of life | fast sexual burn | dark humour

It’s 2005, and Draco Malfoy says, “Fuck the Ministry,” Harry works as a handyman in muggle London, and Draco should really stop pissing off the Squib gangs.

🍷 Winner Takes It All by @skeptiquewrites (E, 41k)

break up make up | down & out Draco | hurt/comfort

As with all his friends’ wagers, it starts small. Fifty Galleons for one kiss from Harry Potter is easily done.

🏖️ LA, Who Am I To Love You? by @epitomereally (E, 42k)

Draco in the Muggle World | pining Harry | recreational drug use

Harry’s summer in LA is not going as expected. Pansy Parkinson keeps inviting him to parties in the Hollywood Hills and harassing him to finally go to the physical therapist, Blaise Zabini keeps slipping new strains of his company’s magical weed into Harry’s pockets in hopes of an endorsement, and Draco Malfoy keeps having sex with everyone but Harry.

🫃Shine On, You Crazy Diamond by @lagerloutfic (E, 42k)

fwb to lovers | gay awakening (Harry) | mpreg (Draco)

Harry has probably always wanted Draco, it just took him a few years to figure that out. A story about the joy of discovering exactly who you are and how easy it can be once you do.

🚣‍♀️ Our Objective Remains Unchanged by @citrusses (E, 46k)

rowing AU | enemies to lovers | university setting

Harry Potter, returning member of the Oxford University Boat Club, has two goals for the spring of 2005: beat Cambridge, and beat Draco Malfoy. Perhaps not in that order.

🧶 Polar Night/Midnight Sun by @toomuchplor (E, 54k)

cabin fic | wintery vibes | only one bed

Harry travels to arctic Norway on the trail of dragon egg poachers, only to find he's been assigned to work alongside the only NorMagPol Auror north of sixty: one Draco Malfoy.

🎩 Nights With You by @the-sinking-ship (E, 58k)

holiday fic | fake relationship | mutual pining

Draco is mortified when moments prior to departing for the most anticipated destination wedding of the year, he is cruelly dumped. But when he learns that Harry Potter has, at long last, split with his horrible boyfriend, Draco is certain his luck has changed.

👮🏻‍♂️Rookie Moves by peu_a_peu (E, 75k)

auror partners | slow burn | humour

Aurors Potter and Malfoy crack the case.

🖼️ where all the veins meet by @saxamophone (E, 146k)

sad bois | Grimmauld Place | found family | 8th year

It's the summer of 1998. The battle is over, and Voldemort is dead, but Harry still has more questions than answers. Who is he without a piece of Voldemort's soul in his head? What is he supposed to do now?

📼 Always Already by @aibidil (E, 170k)

time travel | forced proximity | mutual pining

Harry and Draco are perfectly fine, separately minding their business in 2004, when the Unspeakables conscript them into service... in the First War against Voldemort.

[myheartalivewrites]

(Some of) My favourite fics of 2023

2023! What a year, eh? Jesus fucking Christ.

There's no way I can start this list without making a huge caveat: unlike last year, I have NOT read all the RWRB fics that have come out in 2023, not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all. There's just been SO MUCH, and I have in no way kept up.

Anyway. These are my favourite things that I HAVE read. Rules (because who am I if not an extremely organised rule follower?): fic has to have been published in 2023; no more than one per author (some of you gave me real trouble here). Last year I only let myself put five fics on the list, this year I’ve been slightly more generous. Here we go:

muscle memory by @dumbpeachjuice: (E, ~30k) pining while fucking so good it makes me a little bit insane.

Going Platinum by @cricketnationrise: (E, ~20k) OMG the camboy!Alex AU I never knew I needed.

With so much of my heart (that none is left to protest) by @kiwiana-writes: (E, ~65k) Shakespearean actors goodness!

Sweetheart Grips by @orestespdf: (E, ~13k) I am a little bit in love with trans Alex.

coyote ugly series (part 1 part 2) by @smc-27: (E, ~12k) *the rules are being bent, no one look over here. I'm already screaming at myself for not choosing the tennis AU or the stripper!Henry entry* Pining that's worth its weight in gold.

Taste the Way You Bleed by @cha-melodius: (T, ~4k) *again it pains me to not go with spy bois or cheesemonger Henry* The Halloween Huh! fic that nearly ended me in the best way. So funny I could scream.

The Edge of Glory by @historicallysam (T, ~10k) fantastic post-canon exploration of: what if Alex got asked to back into politics, after they've had a kid?

a rich and complex tapestry by @everwitch-magiks (E, ~9k) Henry hosts a radio show about sex and relationships, Alex fucks his way through his bisexual crisis. Delightful.

And of course I couldn’t leave out these babies I helped birth (gross, I beta read them):

Underground by @zwiazdziarka: (T, ~4k) If you love Labyrinth (and Henry in tights, which--who doesn't!) then I've got the fic for you!

why are you googling vampires? by @daisymae-12: (E, ~14k) vampire Henry goodness starring Twilight obsessed Alex

***

As for my favourite out of my own fics, I'm gonna go for an outlier: Down by the Water, I Saw You (E, ~63k). I love all my fics, and the numbers on some of the post-August 11 fics speak for themselves, but this one has my heart. The journey from sad/angry exes to trusting each other again and getting over all the past hurts; to being able to dig into their hearts and find that love that they'd both buried but never managed to get rid of. I wrote it because it was what I wanted to read and it still kills me. Of all my fics, it's the one I miss the most.

***

Thanks to all of you who've read my stuff, everyone who’s sent a nice comment or message my way; everyone who started reading RWRB fic this year, everyone who watched the film then found the book then turned to ao3 because they needed MORE. I know the feeling. What a ride it's been.

[laiqualaurelote]

2023 Fic Round-up

This year I wrote seven fics and 108,512 words, which is more than I thought! Here's a round-up

maybe everything that dies someday comes back (The English | Cornelia/Eli | M | 14k)

The post-apocalyptic Mad Max Fury Road zombie AU where David Melmont hires bounty hunter Eli Whipp to track down and retrieve a fugitive called Cornelia Locke.

wins this year's award for: Fic That Fulfils My Childhood Dream (writing a zombie apocalypse)

ain't practical, a world you can't touch (The English | Cornelia/Eli | G | 5k)

The Pushing Daisies AU in which Eli can bring people back to life with his touch, but has tried his best not to until Cornelia.

wins this year's award for: Deepest Cut, Zagged

The Lady With The Recorder Asks The Questions (Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries | Phryne/Jack | T | 6k | WIP)

Modern-day newsroom!AU - Phryne is a star investigative journalist who breaks news as easily as she breaks hearts; Jack is just trying to do his best in the war on error.

wins this year's award for: Fic I Most Regret Not Finishing (I'm sorry!)

constant as a northern star (constantly in the dark) (Ted Lasso | Ted/Trent, past Trent/OFC | T | 10.5k)

The saga of Trent Crimm and his independent ex-wife.

wins this year's award for: Most Surprisingly Popular Fic

all the men and women merely players (Ted Lasso | Ted/Trent, Roy/Keeley/Jamie | T | 50k)

The Station Eleven!AU where the Richmond Players are a travelling Shakespearean company performing in the ruins of a post-pandemic England, and Trent is, despite the apocalypse, still a journalist.

wins this year's awards for: Longest Fic, Fic That Survived The Most Hiatuses, Fic I Am Proudest Of

well-versed in etiquette, extraordinarily nice (Good Omens, Historical RPF | Aziraphale/Crowley | G | 3k)

The Regency heist fic in which Jane Austen, criminal mastermind and aspiring novelist, pulls off the 1810 Clerkenwell Diamond Robbery with the help of a certain demon.

wins this year's award for: Quickest Fic (I wrote it in four days)

speak easy, swing hard (Marvel Cinematic Universe | Steve/Tony | T | 13k)

The 1920s Prohibition era!AU in which Tony runs a nightclub empire, Steve is an aspiring artist and/or questionably undercover agent, Sam and Bucky are bootlegging their way through America and nobody knows what Natasha is up to.

wins this year's award for: Most Historical Research (I watched two seasons of Boardwalk Empire and had to figure out multiple characters' speech patterns, then transpose these to the 1920s. Also I listened to so much vaudeville)

I don't think I will be around as much in 2024, barring unexpected hyperfixations, but I wish you all a glorious year anyway! May your WIPs be finished, your ships prolific and your fandoms full of joy.

[leothil]

AO3 wrapped

"Hold on," you might be saying, "isn't that supposed to be between your browser history and you?" Maybe so! But unfortunately for everyone, I keep a fic reading log, and that means I've got ✨statistics✨! So without further ado:

Number of fics read in 2023: 748

Total words read: 10 032 841

Amount of unique authors: 169

Rereads vs new reads: 120 rereads, which makes the year total 16% rereads and 84% new reads!

I don't know what happened in the beginning of the year, but clearly I was reading A Lot of fic right then! And everybody give it up for the Explicit rating barely edging (heh) out a win over the Teen rating!

Top five tags 2023:

getting together (224 occurrences or 29.95% of the fics)

smut (216 occurrences, 28.88%)

fluff (181 occurrences, 24.20%)

established relationship (119 occurrences, 15.91%)

AU (113 occurrences, 15.11%)

Top five most read authors 2023 (rereads included):

@letmetellyouaboutmyfeels (64 fics - the "Fractals" chapters have been counted as separate entries)

@bropunzeling (32 fics)

@try-set-me-on-fire (31 fics - most of the "All my life" chapters have been counted as separate entries)

withoutthetiger aka @rewritetheending (29 fics)

@glorious-spoon (24 fics)

Top five most read fandoms 2023:

9-1-1

Hockey rpf

Summer Sons

Rebel Kings MC

A four-way tie between Captain America, Stranger Things, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and Red, White, and Royal Blue

Big, big thanks to all the writers I've had the absolute joy and honour of reading this year! You have brought me countless hours of joy (and pain) this year, and my life wouldn't be the same without the work you do!

[inexplicablymine]

Maybe because it’s 3:42 in the morning and I’m feeling maudlin, but let me be sappy for a moment of your time dear internet.

Because dear internet, you fucking suck. There is no other way around it, from stan trolls, to the rampant isms that plague platforms, to the depths of hatred that seem to be so easily spewed from a screen, you take the pits of hell and present it to us in nice, neat, perfectly packaged bite size pieces. Dante’s Inferno might have been a fan fiction of the Bible, but you have found a way to push us, unwillingly, through the nine circles of hell all on your own.

But dear internet, in between all the faff and pieces of your mainframe that I can’t seem to stand, I have found the most wonderful people. In the dusty corners of a discord chat, discussed between the tags of reblogs, in intermittent DM’s, through AO3 comments, and a whole host of cobbled together platforms stuffed underneath a trench coat trying to appear put together… I have found community.

Even if just for an infinitesimal moment, for a shred of time, for the split second it takes to slip into something more, I am reminded that all we have in this world when it’s all said and done are the relationships we have built with others, the love we have doled out to the people around us, and the kindness we have fostered for friends we have made.

I sit here with tears in my eyes and a frog in my throat feeling thankful that these wonderful talented fantastical people from all over the globe are my friends. That I get to have them in my life. That their silly words, and laughter, and imagination get to mark up my brain and settle deeply into the grooves of who I am as a person.

So dear internet, you might suck truly, madly, deeply but some of the people hiding between your folds of code make me feel like even though the world is on fire, and gets closer to the inevitable end with each and every waking moment, I now have the kinds of people who make it worth doing more than just survive.

My community, my friends, my silly little names in my phone, thank you for making this year bearable, exciting, and brand new.

[evelinessa]

AO3 Wrapped 2023

I did this last year, but had shared on Twitter instead. Canva template was made by @/cassibee_ on Twitter. With a link for the template in this tweet, if you wanted to try it yourself.

Named fics for AO3 Wrapped 2023:

Mile(s) High Club - Narumitsu | Angst & Fluff & Smut *18+ NSFW*

Tasked with assisting Interpol in a dangerous mission, Miles boards a plane bound for Germany. Against Miles' wishes, Phoenix accompanies him. But before they reach their destination, they'll have to work through an unexpected situation they find themselves in—thirty-five thousand feet in the air.

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not - Narumitsu | Fluff & Angst

As a child, Phoenix plays a game to determine if Edgeworth loves him back. Twenty years later, he plays once more.

After All This Time - Narumitsu | Angst

Miles Edgeworth knocks on Phoenix Wright's door, one year to the day he lost his badge.

To Propose (Un)traditionally - Narumitsu | Fluff & Humor

Phoenix learns of an old Edgeworth family tradition, wherein they always get married to someone they defended in court. Coincidently, Iris' prison release is drawing near. Phoenix knows exactly what he needs to do to resolve this issue.

All That Remains - Narumitsu | Angst *Major Character Death*

In the aftermath of The Time Loop Ritual, Miles is left to deal with everything that transpired.

Halloween Magic - Gen | Narumitsu | Fluff & Angst

Trucy is in her first semester of college. Living in a dorm several hours away from home—away from all her family and friends—she's finding it difficult to adjust. Even the approach of her favorite holiday, Halloween, isn't bringing her joy. Sensing the change in their daughter, Phoenix and Miles do what they can to lift her spirits.

Nothing too wild here, but as always, please check tags before reading! 🥰

[gabessquishytum]

thank you @spicedrobot for this template - My 2023 AO3 Wrapped!

it was so hard to choose my fave fic 🥲 they are all my babies!!

Thank you so much for the love on my fics this year, still can't believe I wrote over 200,000 words in 2023!!! Here's to more in 2024, see you over there on my ao3!