#mark Gatiss birthday drive

[markgatissbirthdayproject]

Hello!!!!! It is quite past the time to think about the Mark Gatiss birthday drive for 2023! Mark’s birthday is 17 October and I’m excited to see how much money we can raise this year! Last year we raised £515 for Switchboard LGBT+.

This will be the 8th year that we have done this!

You do not need to donate an item or purchase an item to take part. There will be a JustGiving page that you can donate to, which will be set up within the next week.

We will once again be having an auction for fan works and goods. If you'd like to donate a fic or an item please email mgbdaydrive at gmail dot com. I’m going to give people until ~the 30th of September to contact me and depending on the amount of items/fan works I may leave this open a few days after. I do hope to be hearing from more of you over the coming days! 

If you have any questions you can ask them here or at @antheas-blackberry

[antheas-blackberry]

My Mystrade Advent/Christmas piece.

[frailtyofgenius]

i wish i'd saved the shitty johnlock screencap edits i made for my crush in 2015... baby's first fan content :')

[vulpesmellifera]

WIP Wednesday

I am posting something new this Friday!

At least, that’s the plan! 👍🏾

My Mark Gatiss Birthday Auction Fic is 99% done. Get ready for snappy but vulnerable Mycroft, and a pining, caretaking Greg. Bonus: Mycroft has an angsty past and Greg is a natural service top who wants to help soothe some of those old hurts. 😭🔥

Meanwhile, Written in Skin awaits its turn for editing. I plan to start editing on Sunday!

And Taking Flight edits are happening! I’m 36 of 347 pages in. Greg seems so naive and innocent in the beginning of the story, or the perhaps the story itself seems that way. It’s so interesting to read it with fresh eyes, even though I know what happens down the road.

I’ve been thinking a lot about The Hue of Loss (part 3 of the Craquelure series). And today, while driving, this scene slid its way between my ribs like a thin blade. Oh, the angst! But also, oh, Mycroft takes that blade and uses it against his oppressors. Still reclaiming his personal power, Mycroft is a force!

I was going to share a snippet today of one of these things, but it’ll have to wait until next week!

Cheers,

Vulpes

[panzertorte]

Good Omens (Amazon Prime)

As many others, I'm delighted and amazed by how good Good Omens actually was - not just the Aziraphale & Crowley parts, which face it is all everyone actually cares a great deal about, but the whole cast. I started reblogging gifs before I actually watched it, but once I did I (for once) paced myself to truly savour it and then watched all the A/C parts again. Absolutely loved Michael Sheen as Aziraphale, basically every scene he was in was my favourite part :)  Some further comments follow: 

Some of my favourite tiny moments from the series

ep 2 - Crowley walking across the lawn, while Aziraphale follows the path ep 3 - The way Tennant goes "Hello, Aziraphale!" in Noah's Ark scene. ep 3 - "Crowley!" Aziraphale delighted smile during French revolution segment ep 3 - Aziraphale's scandalized "ahh?!" in WWII ep ? - Aziraphale's utterly crestfallen look when Gabriel goes "win it" ep ? - Famine's intro was hilarious ep ? - the dancing on the head of a pin was prizeless, especially the disco atrocity ep ? - "you... you... bad angels!" call it like you see it, Aziraphale ep ? - Crowley's drunk grieving face ep 6 - the whole bit with raising the sword in a vaguely threatening manner but immediately then faltering.  "Or I'll never speak to you again!"

Criticism: 

Not a fan of some of David Tennant's choices as far as weird body language goes, but then again I enjoy some other moments just fine. Series!Crowley is a great deal more genuinely suave than book!Crowley, of course (because that guy is a complete mess), but tbh I don't mind that too much. Book!characterisation might be more theoretically interesting, but I also find it a bit annoying to read in practise...

Madame Tracy was in general my least favourite major character in the series, she worked a bit better in the book IMO. Her whole thing with Shadwell, too, didn't age too well... don't put up with this bullshit, lady! Séance scene was doubtlessly my least fave in the whole series, but as a Les Mis musical fan it was fun to randomly encounter Jenny Galloway :)

Notables I was delighted to recognise in the ensemble: 

The aforementioned Jenny Galloway, Ben Willbond from Horrible Histories, Tivik from Rogue One (had to look him up on imdb tbh, because not remembering where I knew him from was driving me crazy), Mark Gatiss and Derek Jacobi of course, David Morrissey from S&S and DW. Recognise  Anna Maxwell Martin’s name from West End musical theatre though I haven’t actually watched her in anything. Paul Kaye apparently had a tiny role, I just watched him in Vera and recognised him by his headshot on imdb. . 

---------------------------------

Personal background:

I've always enjoyed the book (have it as four stars on goodreads), but I haven't read it since my mid-teens. Actually still own two identical copies; my original one from when I was 15ish and a personalized copy I received from some classmates for my 19th birthday. Been actively planning on selling the oldest one (obviously), I should get on that as soon as possible!

Never finished the radio play thingy from a few years back, should probably give that another go now. I do remember randomly reading and enjoying a long-fic at some point, despite not technically having joined in the fandom, maybe I'll find it somewhere among my ffnet faves...as it is, I have indeed dipped my toes into the highly rated AO3 fics these last few days.

Terry Pratchett: I like the parts of Discworld that I've read, especially the parts with DEATH, but I'm not heavily invested. Vaguely planning on finally reading the Vimes stuff next, since everybody seems to love that. Read non-Discworld "Nation" at some point, it was okay but not very memorable. (Pretty sure my goodreads is lacking some entries, as I've surely read more Discworld than listed there. Those are the ones I remembered off-hand when I created my goodreads profile in 2010, I guess)

Neil Gaiman: I've given a good bunch of his most popular books a go at some point, but never managed to finish anything other than GO,Stardust and the Sherlock Holmes short-story "A Study in Emerald". I rated the latter highly at the time, but I'm sure I've seen that exact premise done better in fic later on. And in the case of Stardust, I loved the movie so much yet was hugely disappointed with the book. Not a fan. Might give American Gods a third go at some point...

[elizadoolittlethings]

Sherlock - The Abominable Bride

the dream come true for Conan Doyle lovers

let us celebrate the Genius Mark Gatiss’s Birthday Drive and Fundraiser

donate by bidding here for the auction which closes at midnight on Wednesday BST

[aikainkauna]

Movie meeeehm

Thanks to @nitrateglow for these!

1: A movie you enjoyed as a kid that you don't now

-Probs some comedy I'd find awfully sexist/racist/homophobic etc. now. But of course, I can't recall a specific one, probs because the experience is so deeply squicky and traumatic. Oh, wait, I know. I adored The Great Mouse Detective as a kid, but have heard so many "bleh" comments about it later that I don't want to ruin it by rewatching it as an adult. Why take a happy, cherished, pure and joyous memory away, especially as there are so few of those in my life anyway in proportion to the bad memories?

2: A movie you disliked as a kid that you like/love now

-Not a movie, but I was literally too fucking terrified to watch Doctor Who as a kid on cable, because the Tom Baker repeats they were showing terrified me with the title sequence alone. That empty stare and howling, diddly-duming music were enough to give me nightmares. So I only got into Who in my late teens!

3: Your favorite movie as a kid

-Define "kid." I went through several. I loved the Disney Robin Hood, of course, and at puberty, Wayne's World (yes) and The Princess Bride were my own cult movies, before I had anyone to fangirl them with. Ah, the pre-Internet era.

4: An actor/actress it took you time to warm up to

I remember being weirdly terrified and disturbed by Jeremy Brett as a kid, but then I felt the same about Bowie, and... well. Clearly it was my baby self not knowing WTF to do with all this stirring, restless energy that later turned out to be my skinnyandrogynousbisexualguy orientation thingy. And while I'd first seen Caligari and Casablanca as a teen in the early 90s, I wasn't ready for Connie until he pounced me in 2012. I would not have "got" him the same way and as hard until I was a grown-up, with a wide variety of experiences from many areas of life and a boatload of books/learning behind me. Just... no way.

5: A director it took you time to warm up to

-If anything, I've cooled off various directors I was impressed by when younger. So much of the auteur stuff gets wanky and self-imposing, in this Arrogant Artist Guy "look at my GENIUS big VISION and also insecurity about my penis size" kind of way. I like directors who can be warm and have fun and who show some real humanity (not wanky anvilly/kitchen sink-y sort of "humanity" either). Maybe Branagh? I found him a bit annoying as a kid, but now fap all over his stuff because now I'm old enough to Get It. He is the best kind of fanboy director; his geekiness is catching. Listening to his Thor commentary was a real eye-opener into my realising just how massive a nerd he is, and in a good, "one of us" kind of way.

6: Top five favorite soundtracks of your favorite movie composer

-There isn't just one! But Clint Mansell and Debbie Wiseman turn to gold everything they touch. Debbie especially is hugely unknown still, but she has this most amazing, swellingly Romantic music full of sweeping emotion that I just can't rec her enough. Do check her out; she'll give you goosebumps.

7: Three movies that defined your teen/childhood years

-I think I mentioned those already! But as a teenager, Bram Stoker's Dracula, La Reine Margot and Heavenly Creatures were formative. There were others I obsessed about way more than those, but they weren't as influential--it's more like they were massaging buttons I already had.

8: Sci-fi or westerns?

-Blake's 7! AKA "The Dirty Dozen in Space."

9: Are there any movies you own more than one copy of?

-Ahhahaha. AAAHHAHAHAHA! Of The Thief of Bagdad, I own: The Criterion clusterfuck with the awful clumsy cover someone had their 5-year-old draw, the Nordic DVD, the German Blu-Ray because I live on the edge (what with those Veidt Eye Closeups in HD being a hazard to any uterus) and at least three different digital copies. Because I'm me. I also own two digital copies and one DVD of Casablanca, three digital and one DVD of A Woman's Face and don't get me started on the British telefantasy I have on both DVD and VHS. I have spare copies of both the Caligari Masters of Cinema release and the ITV DVD of The Spy In Black, so I guess I should throw them at somebody.

10: Physical media or streaming?

-Neither. Video files firmly saved onto and run from my hard drive. Fuck streaming with its choppiness (ruins the viewing experience for me) and physical media are usually beyond my budget (unless I save up for a Connie DVD). Besides, I rip my favourite movie discs onto my HD anyway. I want to be able to gif that shit, dammit!

11: Are there any movies you watch on special occasions every year (Christmas, Halloween, birthdays, your mother's aunt's wedding anniversary, etc.)

-Used to do Nightmare Before Christmas on Halloween, but not any more. I still attempt ToB every Christmas. And I used to do All Through The Night with wine on my birthday, but as I can't tolerate alcohol anymore, the experience of Watching ATTN Drunk is no more. Someone start a Halloween tradition with me where we watch either The Student of Prague or Eerie Tales (or both) every year?

12: What movie do you most associate with your best friend(s)?

-Gosh, so few have stayed, so it's more like "movie that reminds you of a broken friendship," yay...?! I've learned to try and not associate movies with people that way any more, because it's more painful than it's worth. Connie is my best friend. He's like Krishna that way.

13: Name a movie adaptation you thought was better than or equal to its source material.

-LOTR put in more facial features and characterisation than Tolkien ever did, and did the tales far less fucking tediously. Imagine if you'd had to sit and watch hobbits walking through the countryside for 6 hours with barely anything happening?! Yeah...

14: What genres do your favorite movies tend to be?

-Historical, fantasy, Gothic Romantic, just Romantic stuff on the whole. More old than new movies these days. Why watch shitty modern chick flicks when I have far better characterisation and far less narrowly defined female lives in old-timey "women's pictures?" And guys who actually fucking shaved, dressed in clothes that were tailored for them instead of rented and saggy, whose bodily expressions weren't frozen for fear of "fagginess," and who weren't pumped full of 'roids.

15: Are you a fan of period dramas and if so, what era do you enjoy best?

-Yes. I love me some costume dramas, but I am seriously picky about them--most post-90s ones have been fucking awful and tend to feature shitty costumes and unkempt hair that would've sent real historical people to Bedlam, wobblycam from hell, vomit-inducingly excessive modernisation to be "edgy", and that one painfully skeletal bint they shove into every period drama ever these days, so it's... slim pickings for a history nerd, these days. There aren't many good ones set in the 17th century/Baroque era, which I love the most: the two Baroque dramas I wholeheartedly love are both series. (The Devil's Whore and By The Sword Divided.) The Angeliques and Musketeer adaptations are riddled with flaws, but there are some glowing bits within. As for The Golden Age of Islam... bloody hell, there really aren't that many good ones out there, are there?! ToB and Jodhaa Akbar and Disney's Aladdin, obviously. La Reine Margot isn't "my" period but it's great, as is Dangerous Liaisons (also not my period)--those are so fucking perfect. And the Connie period dramas, well... I think of them as primarily "silent movies" or "old movies," actually. Of those, The Student of Prague, ToB and The Wandering Jew are the best "costume" ones, IMHO. (I'd probs enjoy Lucrezia Borgia and Carlos and Elisabeth way more, were the copies we have not so smudgy.)

16: Name a movie you love that you would recommend to just about everyone.

-Ah, but we know there are always cynical cunts out there who'd give even Casablanca two stars, so what's the point? I'd still recommend it, though. And The Lion King, I guess.

17: Name a movie you love that you consider an acquired taste.

-Honestly, I'm thinking of telly rather than movies again. You will pry my cherished copy of The Time Monster from my cold, dead hands. Does The Devil of Winterborne count as a movie or TV? That's how far back my love for Mark Gatiss goes. Um... Don't Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood makes me fucking cry with laughter (the comedic timing is what does it. *beat* "Ain't dat some shit!"). Of Connie's oeuvre, yes, I know Bella Donna is rubbish, but Connie and Mary are SIZZLING and horny and juicy and it's Valid as a BDSM porn movie. And the novel is actually good.

18: Name a film you like directed by/starring a filmmaker/actor you normally don't care for.

-Not so much actor/director, but I did *not* expect to love Thor as much as I did, because I expected a dumb popcorn movie but got great adventure cinema with a touch of Shakespeare instead. I really am not the right audience for regular Marvel features at all, before or after. Fuck Marvel up its dumb macho Republican ass. But Thor is fucking beautiful and operatic and poetic and majestic and Pagan and shit. Branagh knows what I like.

19: Name a movie that blew your mind.

-A Woman's Face (1941). Because. Holy. Fuck. How can I keep on finding yet more details in it six years after first watching it, having watched it countless times by now?! And obvs all the other stuff, like the shockingly good female POV, amazing and complex woman protagonist, amazing writing, amazing ensemble cast, amazing direction, amazing lighting, amazing evil Torsten Slinkypussy Barring and The. Goddamn. Attic. Scene.

20: What genre mash-up would you most love to see that either hasn't been done yet or hasn't been done enough?

-Feminist-savvy historical romance with fantasy elements and hot explicit sex that's not shit. Basically, like the stuff you see in my fics, but better paced and woven into coherent adventure movies.

21: The coolest movie you've ever seen

-Too, too many. But Bogie was the coolest. And Claude Rains had the best acting skills. And Conrad Veidt was Conrad motherfucking Veidt. So what with those three mountains of coolness all converging under the Moroccan sky, I'm sure it's safe to say "Casablanca."

[gessvhowarth]

Things To Do In London This Weekend: 14-15 January 2017

Things to do in London this weekend is sponsored by The Big Issue Foundation. All weekend The Prince Charles Cinema is screening Labyrinth this weekend. PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE HORNIMAN: It's your last chance to check out the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Horniman Museum in Forest Hill, showcasing the natural world's beauty and diversity. Free, just turn up, until 15 January DUTCH LANDSCAPE MASTER: Enjoy the last weekend of Adriaen van de Velde: Dutch Master of Landscape at Dulwich Picture Gallery, the first exhibition devoted to the Dutch painter. The exhibition explores six sides of van de Velde, telling the story of his short life. £12.50/£11.50/£7, book ahead, until 15 January BOWIE AND YOUTH: From Ibiza To The Norfolk Broads is a solo show following Martin, a young boy with an illness that no one understands. After receiving an unexpected gift for his birthday, Martin goes on journey of self discovery, all set to David Bowie's music. Takes place at Greenwich Theatre. £15/£12.50, book ahead, 14-15 January ROALD DAHL: In honour of Roald Dahl's 100th birthday, illustrator Sir Quentin Blake has drawn special portraits of Dahl's most famous characters.  Celebrate this phizz-whizzing anniversary at the British Library with Quentin Blake: The Roald Dahl Centenary Portraits. Free, just turn up, until 21 May LONDON AND PUNJAB: The V&A launches Lockwood Kipling: Arts and Crafts in the Punjab and London this weekend. A tale of the life and work of John Lockwood Kipling, the exhibition explores his impact on the Arts and Crafts movement. Free, just turn up, until 2 April Saturday 14 January Dame Nature - The Magnificent Bearded Lady is showing at Wilton's Music Hall. COSY AND CRAFTY: Enjoy hot chocolate and other treats as you knit, craft flower crowns and relax in the storytelling corner at this family-friendly Hygge themed event at Southbank Centre. Free, just turn up, from 11.30am CREATURE CREATIONS: Head to the Grant Museum of Zoology for a family-friendly art afternoon. Create artworks inspired by some of the weird creatures in the museum's collection. Free, just turn up, 1.30pm-4.30pm DICKENS WALK: The Museum of London leads a Charles Dickens themed walk, exploring the Victorian London of the author and his characters. £20, book in advance, 3pm THE BOX: This play at Draper Hall in Newington Butts is about a man's struggle for survival in his prolonged isolation. The Box explores the psychological consequences of solitary confinement. £10/£8, book ahead, 7.30pm-10pm BEARDED LADY: Moisturise. Oil. Comb. Repeat. Now you are ready for Dame Nature - The Magnificent Bearded Lady. Join Dame Nature for an evening of characters, stories and laughter at Wilton's Music Hall. From £8, book ahead, from 7.45pm (10-14 January) MASQUERADE BALL: Pull on your best threads for Prince Charles Cinema's Labyrinth Masquerade Ball. Join Sarah as she goes on adventure to rescue her brother from the Goblin King, played by David Bowie. Prizes will be awarded for the best costumes. £13.50/£11, book ahead, from 8.45pm Sponsor message Sign up now for the Big London Night Walk If you’re looking for a new physical challenge in 2017, or just want something different to do with friends, why not take on the Big London Night Walk on 3 March? Run by the Big Issue Foundation, the 12 mile walk through the city after dark will show you a side to London that few people see. The charity trek is open to all ages, and is £25 per person or £100 for a team of five (a pledge to raise a minimum of £220 to take part is asked for), with all profits going towards ending homelessness for the country’s Big Issue vendors. Setting off from 9pm, you're likely to hit the finish line anytime between 2am-5am, depending on your speed. There’ll be snack and toilet stops along the way, not to mention support and good vibes to get you to the end. Take on a challenge with a difference, and make it a night to remember. Sign up here. Sunday 15 January Barbican Conservatory is open on Sunday. Photo: Londonist DICKENS HOUSEMAIDS: Step back into 1839 and discover the secrets of the young Charles Dickens and his growing family. The Housemaids Tour at the Charles Dickens Museum in Bloomsbury is a tour of the author's last surviving residence in London. £15/£12/£8, book ahead, 10.15am/11.45am CLUB YOGA: Take part in an house of power yoga at Drink, Shop & Do's Club Yoga. Don't worry if you break a sweat, you'll get a bottomless brunch of bagels, bloody Marys and champagne afterwards. £35, book ahead, noon-1.30pm BARBICAN CONSERVATORY: Deep in the concrete jungle of Barbican Centre sits a real jungle, of sorts. Barbican Conservatory only opens to the public on Sundays, and is home to all manner of tropical flowers and plants, as well as fish and terrapins. Don't miss the cactus room upstairs. Free, just turn up, noon-5pm MYTHICAL BEASTS: Become one of the many mythical beasts in John Keats's poetry. Make head dresses and tails from natural materials in this family day at Keats House in Hampstead. Free, book ahead, 1pm-4pm DAVID BOWIE: Celebrate the life of Brixton native David Bowie with the David Bowie Tour. Singing his classics en-route, tours begin outside Brixton Underground Station and take visitors through the singer's hometown. £10, book ahead, 2pm-4pm SHERLOCK: Enjoy the series four finale of BBC's Sherlock at Rich Mix, with an introduction by writer-star Mark Gatiss and a featurette. From £8, book ahead, from 8.15pm Funzing Fun things to do with our friends and sponsor Funzing. Funzing Sessions || Fly First Class for Free Anyone can travel the world in style for next to nothing. You just need to know how! Our friends at Funzing UK are organising a unique talk with Nicky, aka The Miles Mogul. He's a music lawyer, photographer, traveller and most importantly air miles Guru. Come along and hear stories from Nicky's first class adventures and leave knowing how to do it yourself on a shoestring. This is a unique chance to learn the secret hacks and tips he's gathered over the years on how to travel in the ultimate style without breaking the bank. Get tickets TickTheBucket Invites You to Dream Hear crazy true stories from the people who've probably done everything on your bucket list. Be inspired by tales of marathon running, exploring the Arctic at 16 and driving to Mongolia. Get tickets Hidden London Tour Dive deep into the history of ancient London down forgotten alleyways and mysterious tunnels. Untangle the truth from myths and legends, as you explore the history of figures from Sweeney Todd to the Knights Templar.  Get tickets

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/londonist/sBMe/~3/DN4ACbEiFrE/things-to-do-in-london-this-weekend-14-15-january-2017

[markgatissbirthdayproject]

Hello everyone!

Don't forget to submit your fan works and goods to me ASAP! Looking forward to seeing what people are interested in doing for this year's auction!

Please submit to: mgbdaydrive@gmail.com

[antheas-blackberry]

Fanfic End of the Year Asks

Well @conduitstreetcat asked for more of the answers, and since I’m procrastinating on the next chapter of In the end, only kindness matters  . . . . 

Reflectionfavourite fic you wrote this year

And the shadows they burn dark - it was fun to write and I really enjoyed doing it. It also helped how popular it was!

2.    least favourite fic you wrote this year From antiquity- I wouldn’t say it was the least favourite. I would say it’s the one I would go back and write again or fix as I went one way and then abruptly took a turn and I wish I hadn’t been in such a rush to post it.

3. favourite line/scene you wrote this year The first chapter of And the shadows they burn dark

4. total number of words you wrote this year Ummm good lord. If I add up all of the new works from this year (not including the ones I wrote with @lavenderandvanilla, I get 36,435. This doesn’t include WIP’s that haven’t been posted to AO3, chapters I’ve added to WIP’s started in 2018 or before, or works I’ve written for work. Not counting work, I am sure that makes about 50k if not more

5. most popular fic this year And the shadows they burn dark.  I still can’t believe it has over 800 kudos. I never thought I’d see such a number, if I’m honest!

6. least popular fic this year That’s much easier! The little Good Omens baseball fics and the The Pomegranate Rooms

7. longest completed fic you wrote this year

Forever I've Known- which is a collection of short pieces/drabbles/vignettes 

8. shortest completed fic you wrote this year

30 before 23, which is one of the little Good Omens baseball fics. It’s only 217 words!

9. longest wip of the year

See number 7

10. shortest wip of the year

The Pomegranate Rooms

11. fandom you enjoyed writing for the most this year Good Omens, obviously

12. favourite character to write about this year

ummmmm????

13. favourite writing song/artist/album of this year

Uhhhh?????

14. a fic you didn’t expect to write

Hearts Attach- it was meant to be something entirely different! 

15. something you learned this year

Well, I guess I learned a lot of things about myself, most of it from fan fiction- if I’m honest. I learned that I am not the person I thought I was, and that there’s quite possibly a real, actual reason I am the way that I am. That it’s not just Anthea being Anthea here, and going all in when she likes something. It looks like this is something a bit more, and I’m trying to make my peace with it.  I don’t want to go into details quite yet, as I’ve not really got my head around it all, but it does make things so much more clear for me and well, maybe if I had known this years ago I’d be a different person.  Or at least would have been able to say that there is an actual legit reason I act like this. I don’t know. Maybe I’m just desperate. 

I’ve been very angry at myself for quite a long time, and I’ve gone from long periods of time of not writing to wanting to delete everything I’ve ever authored to trying out new things. And it’s not always been great. I’ve not always had the feedback (or comments or kudos) I thought I would. And perhaps I said some things, I maybe shouldn’t have said . . . . . 

And I’ve had some things said to me as well that were not very nice. I’ve also had some very nice things said to me. It’s been tough, especially with work pressures it’s meant I’ve not been able to write as much as I would have liked, and when I have been able to, I’ve been very hesitant to post or to put my name on things that have been co-authored. 

16. fic(s) you completed this year

Hearts Attach, And the shadows they burn dark, Birthday cake, Good times never seemed so good, From antiquity, Reflection, 101 RBIs, Re-evaluate in six weeks, For the love of crêpes, 30 before 23 and In the end, only kindness matters will be done by the end of the year.

17. fics you’ll continue next year Forever I've Known, possibly One moment in time, but I might move it to Forever I’ve Known, The Pomegranate Rooms

18. current number of wips

3 that have been posted, maybe a few more that have never seen and may never see the light of day

19.  any new fics to start next year I’m sure there will be, but I’ve not thought that far ahead

20. number of comments you haven’t read

0. I read them all and do try my best to reply to them all

21. most memorable comment/review

I recently had a lovely set of comments from someone which really made my day and they encouraged me to continue on, and that was really very kind, especially as it is on a piece I’ve had to set to the side as it was taking a lot out of me emotionally. 

22. events you participated in this year

31 days of ineffable advent, Fandom trumps hate with @lavenderandvanilla and the Rupert Graves birthday celebration. I still owe @lavenderandvanilla one for the Mark Gatiss birthday drive

23. fics you wanted to write but didn’t Occasionally, I might get an idea, and well if I didn’t note it, it’s lost.

24. favourite fic you read this year

Oh, good lord. <insert Aziraphale in the Bastille gif here>

Just to name a few:

The Coffee, Wine, Texbooks verse by @toby-zachary-ziegler

Four Cups of Wine by borealowl

Slow Show by mia_ugly

Secondhand Smoke by PaintedVanilla

Ink Blots and forget me nots by gutsandglitter

And oh so many more.  Check out my bookmarks, which I am slowly updating!

25. a fic you read this year you would recommend everyone read

Again, see my bookmarks

26. number of favourites/bookmarks you made this year

A lot! 

27. favourite fanfic author of the year

Literally impossible to say, there are so many brilliant authors out there- to say that one is better than another is really unfair IMHO

28. longest fic you read this year

Shit, I’ve no idea. 

29. shortest fic you read this year

Again, not a clue

30. favourite fandom to read fic from this year

Duh.

[hippocrates460]

Empty Threats

Who does the British Government call when they're hurting?

“Perhaps the same Mycroft that took two years to smile at Greg, the same Mycroft that only started using his name after five years, actually trusts him. At the hospital it becomes clear that there isn’t anyone else, so Greg applies for a week’s leave, packs a bag, and lets Sherlock have enough cold cases to keep him out of the way. Mycroft gets home with loud complaints and angry threats, but when he’s settled he thanks Greg with the offer to use his movie room whenever he wants. When Greg wakes up for the umpteenth time to help Himself to the bathroom, Mycroft quietly suggests that he could take care of his mortgage.”

For the @markgatissbirthdayproject , an amazing incentive! 

1001 words. First kiss. On AO3.

[markgatissbirthdayproject]

Are you interested in participating in this year's drive?

[markgatissbirthdayproject]

Hello! My apologies for not actually explaining what we are doing!

This is the seventh year running now, and each year we (at the very minimum) support Switchboard LGBT+ by having a fundraiser and auction. 

You do not need to donate an item or purchase an item to take part. There will be a JustGiving page that you can donate to, which will be set up within the next week.

We will once again be having an auction for fan works and goods. If you'd like to donate a fic or an item please email mgbdaydrive at gmail dot com. I’m going to give people until ~the 30th of September to contact me and depending on the amount of items/fan works I may leave this open a few days after. I do hope to be hearing from more of you over the coming days! 

This year we will be supporting Switchboard LGBT+. Mark is one of their patrons and they do excellent and inspiring work supporting those who call in and have been doing so since 1974. I had thought about having a secondary fundraiser, but TBH I am trying to keep things simple this time around, so there will just be the one charity this year.

If you have any questions you can ask them here or at @antheas-blackberry

[markgatissbirthdayproject]

Hi everyone!

If you have written a piece of fan fiction for the auction, there is a collection on AO3 for this purpose.

You can find it at: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Mark_Gatiss_birthday_collection_2022

[markgatissbirthdayproject]

Good morning! Please see the list of auction items. Items that have bids on them will have the high bid listed. In order to bid for those items you must bid more than the high bidder. I will try to keep this updated regularly.

Click on the link of the item you want to bid on. The items have all the specifics including any images of the items if relevant.

Add your email and the amount you want to bid to the form.

I will update the post with high bids periodically and let people know if there are duplicates, etc. 

****Please let me know if something isn’t working!****

Auction items for 2022

1 fic, 2-5000 words, Mystrade or Mycroft-focused, none of: explicit, non-con, character death, heavy angst. Donated by @johannadc. https://archiveofourown.org/users/trillian_jdc/pseuds/trillian_jdc Link to item 1 HIGH BID £20

 1 Mystrade fic 3-5K, no non con, underage, graphic violence, MCD donated by @lavenderandvanilla Link to item 2 HIGH BID £10

A set of Sherlock themed holiday cards from Redbubble designed by redscharlach donated by @lavenderandvanilla Link to item 3 HIGH BID £5

A tote bag with Mycroft Holmes and zipper case with Greg Lestrade from Redbubble designed by bluebell42 donated by @lavenderandvanilla Link to item 4 HIGH BID £10

1 2023 Mystrade calendar magnet (4x6 inch) donated by @eys93 Link to item 5 HIGH BID £15

1 Mystrade grab bag (an assortment of at least 12 items including note cards, magnets and stickers all featuring Mystrade, MG or RG) donated by @eys93   Link to item 6 HIGH BID £10

1 Mystrade grab bag (an assortment of at least 12 items including note cards, magnets and stickers all featuring Mystrade, MG or RG)donated by @eys93 Link to item 7

1 signed program from A Christmas Carol (please note the signature is a bit difficult to see, but it is there!) donated by @copgirl1964 Link to item 8

A lot of 3 flyers: 1 from A Christmas Carol, 1 from the Boys in the Band and 1 from Three Days in the Country  donated by @copgirl1964 Link to item 9

1 fanfic 5k, mystrade, or any other of Mark's roles (check with the author first), no bdsm, no rpf. Donated by @jaybeefoxy Link to item 10 HIGH BID £10

5k – 10k fic based on winner’s one-sentence prompt. (No Mystrade or explicit) donated by https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rector/pseuds/Rector Link to item 11 HIGH BID £30

1 fanfic donated by https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phlamingo/pseuds/Phlamingo Link to item 12 HIGH BID £15

2 Jack the Lad magazines with interviews with Mark. One still in its plastic covering. Please note these items are for domestic UK shipping only due to postage costs. Donated by @antheas-blackberry Link to item 13

The Radio Times magazine that Mark produced. Donated by @antheas-blackberry Link to item 14

A random assortment of playbills, postcards, stickers and a Sherlock notebook (missing the first few pages). Donated by @antheas-blackberry Link to item 15 HIGH BID £12

[markgatissbirthdayproject]

Good morning! Please see the list of auction items. Items that have bids on them will have the high bid listed. In order to bid for those items you must bid more than the high bidder. I will try to keep this updated regularly.

Click on the link of the item you want to bid on. The items have all the specifics including any images of the items if relevant.

Add your email and the amount you want to bid to the form.

I will update the post with high bids periodically and let people know if there are duplicates, etc. 

****Please let me know if something isn’t working!****

Auction items for 2022

1 fic, 2-5000 words, Mystrade or Mycroft-focused, none of: explicit, non-con, character death, heavy angst. Donated by @johannadc. https://archiveofourown.org/users/trillian_jdc/pseuds/trillian_jdc Link to item 1 HIGH BID £10

 1 Mystrade fic 3-5K, no non con, underage, graphic violence, MCD donated by @lavenderandvanilla Link to item 2 HIGH BID £10

A set of Sherlock themed holiday cards from Redbubble designed by redscharlach donated by @lavenderandvanilla Link to item 3 HIGH BID £5

A tote bag with Mycroft Holmes and zipper case with Greg Lestrade from Redbubble designed by bluebell42 donated by @lavenderandvanilla Link to item 4

1 2023 Mystrade calendar magnet (4x6 inch) donated by @eys93 Link to item 5 HIGH BID £15

1 Mystrade grab bag (an assortment of at least 12 items including note cards, magnets and stickers all featuring Mystrade, MG or RG) donated by @eys93   Link to item 6

1 Mystrade grab bag (an assortment of at least 12 items including note cards, magnets and stickers all featuring Mystrade, MG or RG)donated by @eys93 Link to item 7

1 signed program from A Christmas Carol (please note the signature is a bit difficult to see, but it is there!) donated by @copgirl1964 Link to item 8

A lot of 3 flyers: 1 from A Christmas Carol, 1 from the Boys in the Band and 1 from Three Days in the Country  donated by @copgirl1964 Link to item 9

1 fanfic 5k, mystrade, or any other of Mark's roles (check with the author first), no bdsm, no rpf. Donated by @jaybeefoxy Link to item 10 HIGH BID £10

5k – 10k fic based on winner’s one-sentence prompt. (No Mystrade or explicit) donated by https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rector/pseuds/Rector Link to item 11 HIGH BID £20

1 fanfic donated by https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phlamingo/pseuds/Phlamingo Link to item 12 HIGH BID £15

2 Jack the Lad magazines with interviews with Mark. One still in its plastic covering. Please note these items are for domestic UK shipping only due to postage costs. Donated by @antheas-blackberry Link to item 13

The Radio Times magazine that Mark produced. Donated by @antheas-blackberry Link to item 14

A random assortment of playbills, postcards, stickers and a Sherlock notebook (missing the first few pages). Donated by @antheas-blackberry Link to item 15 HIGH BID £12