So many words, so little time
Dec. 30th, 2007 12:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Every once in a while, I think to myself that I don’t have any new fic ideas. That I’ve worn out every piece of back story I could mine. That I’ve lost track of the characters. Then some new idea comes along, just a snippet of something -- sometimes just a word or a phrase. And when I look back, I’m astounded by the sheer volume of where those snippets led.
This year, I’ve actually written 20 different fics, including multi-chapter fics, collaborative fics, drabbles, fluff, challenge fics, a touch of angst and a bit of humor. I didn’t believe I’d written that much until I went back and counted things up, as one does at this time of the year. A little more than 127,000 words in total.
Here’s a quick rundown, starting with one of those stories that appears almost fully formed, and almost write themselves: Dama, a profile of House from the POV of Wilson’s former maid.
The Guilty Parties was both my first real “casefic” and an experiment in workshopping a fic.
From there, it was Friends, Family and Other Complications (link is to the first chapter, with links there to later chapters), which began with the simple question of what House’s parents thought of Wilson, and what he thought of them.
Vacation Planning was a simple set of drabbles based on House’s non-vacation vacation spots from “Fetal Position.”
The Tolstoy Principle began around Mother’s Day, and played with the aspects of the fellows’ relationships with the parents and families.
So It Goes and Big Brains came from the meme to write drabbles based on the first line on certain pages of books. I opted to turn them into House POV drabbles for each episode of the season. Then I continued the concept (but without the first lines) in 100 Seasons for each of the other characters. Cuddy, Foreman, Chase, Cameron and Wilson.
Whew.
As the Fourth of July came around, I wanted to do a short fic marking House on the fourth, since I’d written one the previous year. The result was Five Fourths.
A “Day After” challenge from The Clinic prompted Tuesday which played with what happened the morning after the third season finale, in this case with Chase and Cameron.
Another Clinic challenge, “The Box” turned into Miss with Foreman pondering family, the changes in his life and a childhood game.
The Past Is The Present (It’s the Future Too) (link goes to the first of five chapters) began just because it was hot, and I wrote a few paragraphs with House being hot -- in this case feverish, when he was still in the hospital post-infarction. I didn’t know where to go from there, but tossed it out there for feedback and ideas, and
pwcorgigirl mentioned House’s old friend Crandall, and the fic just took off.
The football fic series began very simply on the day after Appalachian State beat Michigan at its home opener, and I thought that Wilson would give House crap about that. Before I knew it, Michigan lost again, and there was another fic. Then another. So far, there’s Go Blue, Hail To the Victors?, Tailgating, College Game Day and Down The Badger Hole and Bowled Over (Come back on New Year’s Day for the conclusion during the actual bowl game.)
Forgiveness came out of the Days of Awesome community challenge, to write about Jewish characters, in this Cuddy as she ponders tradition, and battles House.
Disobedience was written for the Ficwriters_anon challenge, and began with the word “Don’t.” And everyone knew it was my fic. *sigh* I guess that means I’m either stuck in a rut, or have my own style. (I’ll take the latter option.)
By The Numbers took the newbies and their reactions to House’s stunt with the knife in “97 Seconds.”
The Great Escape was a surprise. I started playing with the idea that Steve McQueen had died, after coming across a mention of him on the Fox House website in which someone asked what happened to him. I posted it thinking it wouldn’t get much of a reception. I’m still surprised by how many comments I got on it.
Through The Woods compared House and Wilson’s Thanksgiving (and Cuddy’s) with the newbies.
In The Beginning was another Clinic challenge, to deal with the newbies in the “First Impressions” challenge. (I’ll admit I suggested the challenge. I don’t think there’s enough newbie fic out there.) But I couldn’t think of how to handle it until I thought to frame it around House’s speech at the end of “Alone.”
And that brings up to my final fic for the year, The Thought That Counts which combines a very Housian aspect of gift giving -- namely regifting -- with Hanukkah.
So that’s it for this year, unless I come up with something short to set up the pre-New Year’s Bowl fic, though I’ve got about 9,000 words written so far for my Big Bang fic.
Thanks to everyone out there who’s commented or read during the past year. While I’d still probably write without that feedback, it does feed me and gives me new ideas. Concrit keeps me honest and is always loved.
The Big Bang challenge has reminded me how hard it is for me to write chaptered fic in a vacuum, without the constant feedback of posting chapters and getting feedback. (Speaking of which, anyone interested in volunteering as a first reader for the fic? I could use that feedback, even if I can’t post it in chapters here as I’d wish, I don’t think it breaks the rules to get sort of a pre-beta services of one or two people. I’ve got
silja_b providing medical beta services, but can always use another set of eyes, so to speak.)
Happy New Year, all. Happy writing.
This year, I’ve actually written 20 different fics, including multi-chapter fics, collaborative fics, drabbles, fluff, challenge fics, a touch of angst and a bit of humor. I didn’t believe I’d written that much until I went back and counted things up, as one does at this time of the year. A little more than 127,000 words in total.
Here’s a quick rundown, starting with one of those stories that appears almost fully formed, and almost write themselves: Dama, a profile of House from the POV of Wilson’s former maid.
The Guilty Parties was both my first real “casefic” and an experiment in workshopping a fic.
From there, it was Friends, Family and Other Complications (link is to the first chapter, with links there to later chapters), which began with the simple question of what House’s parents thought of Wilson, and what he thought of them.
Vacation Planning was a simple set of drabbles based on House’s non-vacation vacation spots from “Fetal Position.”
The Tolstoy Principle began around Mother’s Day, and played with the aspects of the fellows’ relationships with the parents and families.
So It Goes and Big Brains came from the meme to write drabbles based on the first line on certain pages of books. I opted to turn them into House POV drabbles for each episode of the season. Then I continued the concept (but without the first lines) in 100 Seasons for each of the other characters. Cuddy, Foreman, Chase, Cameron and Wilson.
Whew.
As the Fourth of July came around, I wanted to do a short fic marking House on the fourth, since I’d written one the previous year. The result was Five Fourths.
A “Day After” challenge from The Clinic prompted Tuesday which played with what happened the morning after the third season finale, in this case with Chase and Cameron.
Another Clinic challenge, “The Box” turned into Miss with Foreman pondering family, the changes in his life and a childhood game.
The Past Is The Present (It’s the Future Too) (link goes to the first of five chapters) began just because it was hot, and I wrote a few paragraphs with House being hot -- in this case feverish, when he was still in the hospital post-infarction. I didn’t know where to go from there, but tossed it out there for feedback and ideas, and
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The football fic series began very simply on the day after Appalachian State beat Michigan at its home opener, and I thought that Wilson would give House crap about that. Before I knew it, Michigan lost again, and there was another fic. Then another. So far, there’s Go Blue, Hail To the Victors?, Tailgating, College Game Day and Down The Badger Hole and Bowled Over (Come back on New Year’s Day for the conclusion during the actual bowl game.)
Forgiveness came out of the Days of Awesome community challenge, to write about Jewish characters, in this Cuddy as she ponders tradition, and battles House.
Disobedience was written for the Ficwriters_anon challenge, and began with the word “Don’t.” And everyone knew it was my fic. *sigh* I guess that means I’m either stuck in a rut, or have my own style. (I’ll take the latter option.)
By The Numbers took the newbies and their reactions to House’s stunt with the knife in “97 Seconds.”
The Great Escape was a surprise. I started playing with the idea that Steve McQueen had died, after coming across a mention of him on the Fox House website in which someone asked what happened to him. I posted it thinking it wouldn’t get much of a reception. I’m still surprised by how many comments I got on it.
Through The Woods compared House and Wilson’s Thanksgiving (and Cuddy’s) with the newbies.
In The Beginning was another Clinic challenge, to deal with the newbies in the “First Impressions” challenge. (I’ll admit I suggested the challenge. I don’t think there’s enough newbie fic out there.) But I couldn’t think of how to handle it until I thought to frame it around House’s speech at the end of “Alone.”
And that brings up to my final fic for the year, The Thought That Counts which combines a very Housian aspect of gift giving -- namely regifting -- with Hanukkah.
So that’s it for this year, unless I come up with something short to set up the pre-New Year’s Bowl fic, though I’ve got about 9,000 words written so far for my Big Bang fic.
Thanks to everyone out there who’s commented or read during the past year. While I’d still probably write without that feedback, it does feed me and gives me new ideas. Concrit keeps me honest and is always loved.
The Big Bang challenge has reminded me how hard it is for me to write chaptered fic in a vacuum, without the constant feedback of posting chapters and getting feedback. (Speaking of which, anyone interested in volunteering as a first reader for the fic? I could use that feedback, even if I can’t post it in chapters here as I’d wish, I don’t think it breaks the rules to get sort of a pre-beta services of one or two people. I’ve got
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
Happy New Year, all. Happy writing.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-30 09:22 pm (UTC)May you have an equally prolofic 2008, and more importantly an enjoyable one :-) Happy new year!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-30 10:14 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-30 10:00 pm (UTC)"Dama" is one of those pieces that wasn't big, but oh, how it shines. I really love that one, although it's actually kind of hard to choose. You've written so much and it's all so good.
I often wish I understood football just for a deeper enjoyment of your game stories. All I can do is drop in and appreciate the humor. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-30 10:16 pm (UTC)I just hope my plan for the Bowl Game fic works out. (I'll be updating the fic throughout the game, writing it "live," so to speak. That'll be scary.)
(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-16 12:14 am (UTC)Thank'ee's for all the loverly fics to be read. One time when it is delightful to be behind. :-P
*flies off to get work done so reading can occur*
-Katrina