#the fandom feasts: rwrb

[inexplicablymine]

The Fandom Feasts

There are so many updates on AO3 for this Friday I just wanted to let y’all know that the RWRB fandom feasts today

In no particular order todays updates (including the link to read them of course ;)

the one in which everything is the same, but Alex has piercings and Henry has no idea by @cheesecurdsgravyandfries (E/2K)

Technically last night and a second chapter update ~ but as a celebration fic for 200 subscribers it deserves a shout out, the title is exactly like it sounds and some may like it hot, but Poutini’s fics always are

under the tuscan sun by @stutteringpeach (E/5.4K)

One shot with a mistaken Airbnb double booking, one bed, and the Italian countryside. What more could you ask for (there’s not, let me tell ya)

Going Platinum by @cricketnationrise (E/12K)

A spicy chapter three update of Cricket’s Cam Boy AU (and fret not this story is being updated DAILY every day until it reaches its 5 chapter conclusion)

Little Matters by @pridepages (M/72k)

If you have not been tuning in every Friday to this absolute masterpiece you are missing out. This chapter 14 installment was just one update in a long line of updates that have had me on the edge of my seat. Found family, real family, AU and a whole lot of slow burn between our boys

But I love him, whether or no. by @leaves-of-laurelin (E/5.4K)

This first chapter installment of a FDNY/Firefighter AU is exactly what everyone in this fandom needs. So enjoy this piping hot piece of writing.

Under your influence by @clottedcreamfudge (T/2.2K)

A canon compliant one shot 5+1 of all the times Alex was a bad influence and one time Henry was. Y’all this one made me tear up in a good way.

Level-Headed and Even-Kneeled by @historicallysam (T/2.9K)

This one shot features Alex’s water going out, and just maybe his hot neighbor in 807 has a working shower? Honestly cuter than it had any right to be

Drummers Do It Better by @everwitch-magiks (M/1.4K)

Run don’t walk to this one shot that is punchy and on beat every line makes itself count. A game of F*ck Marry Kill featuring the positions in the band. And let me tell you, drummers do it better.

All The Broken Pieces by @ifigo (M/8.9K)

An epilogue months in the making this is a sweet conclusion to the previous chapters described as “three pieces of angst in a crack shaped trench coat”

Minor Holidays by AbsoluteAudacity (E/3.2K)

This is the 4th installment of a 5+1 where the boys celebrate a very sexy little month long “holiday” involving a whole lot of deliciously explicit experiences

In the Stars by @orchidscript (E/38.9K)

A chapter 10 update! This WWII au is a part of Orchid’s History Huh series that if you haven’t taken a peak down you are missing out immensely

In His Wildest Dreams by @myheartalivewrites (E/11.4K)

Listen I wasn’t expecting and 11K canon compliant one shot (spoilers for the bonus chapter) that was this horny today but I’ll take it gladly with no qualms. Truly y’all this one will get ya

we’re right here for a reason by @smc-27 (M/12.8K)

“How to loose a guy in ten days but make it FirstPrince need I say more” - I’ll say more. This is delectable and honestly a feast for all rom com lovers, let it tide you over until the movie comes out.

We don’t feast every Friday ~ but when we do? The grub is good.

[millennialgrandma]

2023 Wrap Up

Ok, so. I really meant to post this in January. Had most of it drafted and all but a few of the stats done. And then [gestures widely], life. When I sat down with my airtables and my notebook to begin the task of summarizing this 2023 in words, I honestly couldn't intuit where I fell in comparison to 2022. I knew I read more traditionally published books, which was thrilling in and of itself (although wholly unexpected). And I knew that as each month of the year passed, I despaired over how little fanfic I got to read (and how little I was able to interact with the fanfic community). Life served a whole lot of lemons this year. And rather than retreat into fandom and burrow under the blanket of escapism to deal with the stress, I...held it at arm's length. Perhaps because I was terrified that once I started, I wouldn't be able to stop. Or because I felt I didn't deserve the escape (I had too much to do). Or because I just didn't have the time for a proper spiral. Probably all of the above.

Words Written

It's funny I've chosen to highlight this stat with its own heading this year, given the facts. Despite my best (ok, really more like medium) efforts, I barely managed to squeak out 2,300 words (a quick little fic and a smaller little ficlet). And I guess I just wanted to tell myself that that's ok. That as disheartening as it is to look back and see so few words, to know that I signed up and backed out of fests, it's ok. I spent some time working on the MCD fic here and there, and I know I'm going to be really proud of it when I'm finally done. I have so many more stories to tell. The words will come when they come.

Traditionally Published Books

Last year I set myself a goal of 12 books and only managed to read two. I am happy to report I smashed it out of the park this year with a total of 13 books. The biggest contributing factor here is, of course, the way I devoured all the Grishaverse books in April. I enjoyed a new release (Forget Me Not) and a couple of delightful queer romance novels (RWRB and Boyfriend Material). I continue to study astrology (when I remember), and my love of history accounts for the books on the Cold War and the last crossing of the Lusitania.

Total word count on traditionally published books comes in at approximately 1,538,705 words.

Completed Fics

The vast majority of fics I read continue to be within the Harry Potter fandom. I branched out a bit more to other fandoms this year, but HP will always be my first love. RWRB will get its own section this year, as that's the fandom I'm most heavily invested in after HP. The remainder will be compiled into separate section for ease of tracking stats.

Harry Potter

In 2023, I read a total of 113 completed fics (a handful of them 2-3 times) in the HP fandom, for a total word count of 917,126 words. The 2 fics that started the year in WIP status (and were subsequently completed) will be included in the WIP word count below.

AO3 RATINGS

I remain a horny monster. Explicit fics accounted for all but 2 fics read. Those two tiny little paragons of virtue were rated GA.

PAIRINGS

Dramione remains my most wide-read ship, all though I slutted myself out a fair few more pairings this year. Dramione was referenced as the sole main pairing in 43 (or 38%) of the fics. I read 50 fics (44%) that had non-dramione pairings, with the most popular being parkweasel and harmony. The remaining handful of fics (those that don't fall into exclusively dramione, or explicitly non-dramione) are filthy, dirty threesome/foursome/moresome smut, which usually pair dramione at some point among the tangled limbs.

RWRB

So I read RWRB back in August, and watched the movie and became a wee bit obsessed with these dumbass boys. I had grand plans to then feast upon the wonderful world of fic in this fandom, but life kept getting in the way. Even though I didn't get to read much, I'm breaking this fandom out from the rest because it deserves its own spotlight and I foolishly made grand grand plans for spiraling in 2024. All told, I read 9 completed fics for a total word count of 263,058 words. All were rated Explicit or Mature, most were multi-chap, and all but one featured firstprince exclusively (shoutout to whimsymanaged for being the whore of my heart and feeding me a threesome).

Other Fandoms

I ventured into a few more fandoms this year and I'll be so real with you, I did it exclusively for horny reasons. Fics in this category totaled 127,815 words.

S&B (darklina): 9 fics, 63k words

Anne of Green Gables (shirbert): 10 fics, 31k words

HoTD (mostly harwin/rhaenyra): 6 fics, 22k words

LoTR (haladriel): 2 fics, 7.5k words

Euphoria: 1 fic, 4k words

WIPs

This is probably the saddest section out of all of them, because I neglected my WIPs quite horribly. I think this was part of the whole "denying-myself-fun-until-I-get-stuff-done" mindset: since I wasn't making progress, I didn't get my WIPs. Truly an awful mentality, and the more I write about it the more I'm thinking that it didn't actually accomplish anything except keep me miserable.

At the start of the year, I was following 19 WIPs. Two of these were completed during the year, and I did finish them. I managed to catch up on two others, and somehow added four more. There are a handful of the WIPs I was following that completed during the year that I *didn't* catch up on. First order of business when I get to a place of intentional reading in 2024 is coming back to each and every one of these 21 abandoned children.

Final Tally

And with that said, my 2023 fanfic word count was 1,393,225 words and my tradpub word count was 1,538,705 words, for a total of 2.933 million words read for pleasure this year.

This comes in at 92% of 2022's total reading, and 42% of 2021's. I'm happy I at least got close to a level comparable to 2022. I don't think I'll ever reach 2021 levels again, but it is fun to compare against that absolutely fucking bananas year of reading. BUT. It is sad to see the number continue to go down, and really reinforces the need to change my mindset about fun being a reward that I earn (I'm working on it, I swear, but as I'm posting this in May instead of January you can see that I'm not off to a great start for 2024).

Outside of everything I've read listed above, I also got the immense privilege to read early drafts of a handful of original works that a big beautiful brain I know is working on. I can't quantify those in the word count, but let me just say there are so many character stories I am holding in my heart and I cannot wait for other people to know them and shriek over them someday, too.

My promise for 2024 is to get back to my menace ways. I've got a lot of ground to make up, but I think I might just be able to do it.

[typicalopposite]

20 Questions For Fic Writers

(OMG istg if it wasn't for auto drafts I would not be making this! I was almost done and accidently erased the whole thing! but it had auto saved! So here we are!)

Ooooo! I love theseeeeeee! Thank you @onthewaytosomewhere for the tag! :)

How many works do you have on ao3?

102 :) maybeeeeeeee (definitely) about to be 103 ;)

What's your total ao3 word count?

458,418!! O.o

What fandoms do you write for?

Quite a few! Let's go back from newest to oldest shall we? 9-1-1, RWRB, Shameless, The Untamed (nothing posted yet), Stranger Things, Starsky & Hutch, The Musketeers (BBC), Our Flag Means Death, AAAAAAND Supernatural! :)

Top five fics by kudos:

Zahra Deserves a Raise (RWRB)

Saved By (Not) An Angel (Supernatural)

A Summer Scandal (RWRB)

take my hand (i'll take the lead) (9-1-1)

The Royal American Wedding (Planner) (RWRB)

Do you respond to comments?

YESS!

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

OOOOOOF That's easy! Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (Supernatural) It's part of an equally angst, and frustratingly unfinished, series... and is the last one so far... so it's left very cliff hanger-y :(

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

OOOOOOF! AGAIN! That's hard because I try to always have happy endings (minus the previously mentioned story...) Ummmmmm... I'll sayyyyyy Three Days (RWRB) because of how incredibly UNhappy it is in the beginning! LOL

Do you get hate on fics?

oh god I'm scared to jinx myself, but I haven't yet! O.o

Do you write smut?

Ehhhhhh.... very very tame

Craziest crossover:

haven't done one :(

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! :) Zahra Deserves a Raise is translated in Chinese! :)

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yep! With @scripted-downfall quite a few actually! And Smoke Gets in Your Eyes is one of them :)

All time favorite ship?

I plead the fifth, you can not make me answer this!

What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

ack! it feels like all of them that prior to 9-1-1 and my RWRB Big Bang Fic :( but in reality probably the sister fic I made for Feast Your Black Eyes (Supernatural) :(

What are your writing strengths?

I honestly don't know! I have a few comments saying my characterization is good... soooooo I'll go with that! O.o

What are your writing weaknesses?

: ; , - () ... <- *insert big MASSIVE middle finger emoji* I swear I'll just be putting them in text and I have no idea which one should be there or not... I just take pick them at random

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

Should be handled with care (when writing)

First fandom you wrote in?

Supernatural (posted) Starsky & Hutch (in Docs)

Favorite fic you've written?

I plead the fifth... again!

No, ok, Three Days (that was a whole ride!! OMG) AND in a perfect world (9-1-1) I literally wrote this with only the kiss scene and like a handful of scene packs and fanfiction

and now to taggggggg @scripted-downfall, @luainthewild, @meraki-yao, aaaand @windwardstar :)

[rmd-writes]

WAIT you're filipino???? merriest of christmas to you and your family!! hope your noche buena was a feast!! <3 you're one of the best writers in this fandom (rwrb but im sure in SC and 911 as well!!) <3

Hey Nonnie! Merry Christmas!! Thank you so much, that’s just the loveliest thing to say 💖💖💖💖 (and yes, I am, and it was an absolute feast!)

[beautifulhigh]

20 Questions aka. Oversharing on the Internet version 92840938. Plus one?

Thank you for for tagging me @welcometololaland. Even though I suck at tag games and answering asks...

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

77.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

952,168. Pretty sure the next fic is going to top the million mark when (if) it finally goes up.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

At the moment? 911: Lone Star & Red White and Royal Blue

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Every nation ought to have a right to provide for its own happiness (RWRB). My newest fic and clearly posted at the right time to ride the wave!

Tell all the truth but tell it slant, Success in circuit lies (Lone Star) My post-Sadie fic. I really liked getting to play about with the narrative structure in this one

The tender things are those we fold away (Lone Star) Only Fans fic, my beloved.

But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep (Lone Star) My first Tarlos fic. Written before Gwyn's sudden death and she had a starring role at the start of it. And then I did something similar with Gabriel for my last one. I swear I will never heavily feature any recurring character again.

Want (Emmerdale) Come back to the Dales, Hawley you coward.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I respond to 99% of them - hard to come up with a response to a comment that you know someone just cuts and pastes onto all fics they read. (I am grateful for all comments but still...) You took the time to read and leave me a comment, I'm going to acknowledge that.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I'm going to go with Rumours (Emmerdale) for this. Because while they both die at the end (no reference intended to the book!) there is a whole life for Aaron and Robert before that moment comes.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I think most of them? It's all varying degrees of happiness because it depends what has happened to them in the meantime. But it all comes out in the wash.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I once wrote a fic in which I had characters explain why they couldn't take a particular course of action, and I had comments like "this is stupid, why don't they just do x?" which says more about their lack of reading skills. Other than that, not really.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I do, but it's more about the feels than the actions.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I've never written one, simply because it feels a little too much like crossing the streams. Unless they are canonically in the same 'verse my muse refuses to even consider it. She's a sucker for rules like that.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Someone translated a Glee fic of mine into Russian (I think? It was a cyrillic language, I remember that) but I am always open to it!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I did a dual narrative fic once and that was great fun.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Don't make me choose between my babies. I can't.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have a Tarlos WiP and a Firstprince WiP and I want to finish them both.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I plan. I have pages and pages of planning and research and scribbled lines of dialogue and prose. I know exactly where I'm going with my stories and so the ending always pulls together the strands in the story. There are always hints and clues as to where I'm going, you just gotta pay attention.

(It's OK if you don't. It's rare someone comments on what is supposed to be a throwaway line and wonder why it's in there. Hint: it's because it's not throwaway.)

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

More of a weakness for me I think - but consistency. I am a feast or famine writer. I knock out a fic in a week (Only Fans) or I have to drag it kicking and screaming from its coccoon of bedsheets (bank fic)

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

If I need to do it then I am putting out pleas on Tumblr for a native speaker to translate the line for me

19. First fandom you wrote for?

"...I plead the 5th."

^ what she said

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Don't make me choose between my babies.

I am super later to this so open tag!