Annual Writing Self-Evaluation 2023
Thank you for tagging me @allwaswell16! I am so happy every year that this (I believe) brainchild of @juliusschmidt's from 2016 still exists in various forms! hehe I apparently missed doing this in 2021 and 2022, and I was determined not to miss it again so here we go!
List of works published this year:
My Other Half Was You
Gemma's Dad (Could Use A Guy Like Me)
Quite the Pickle
Livin' In A Daydream
(Gimme a Solution and) Watch Me Run With It
You Are A Song
Did You Know I Fit In A Dryer?
Were You There On That Christmas Night?
Team Gaelic FTW
No Constraints
Odds Are That We Will Probably Be...
Damsel in Christmas Distress
Snow In Love
Work you are most proud of (and why):
Oof. This is always such a hard question to answer. Almost as hard as the next one, and the next one and the next one....... hah honestly though, I think... I'm honestly sincerely proud of most of my fics from this year simply because I got them written. I'll go more into that later, I'm sure, but maybe... I think maybe My Other Half Was You or Odds Are That We Will Probably Be... and for very different reasons. My Other Half Was You was written based on artwork by @moon-sun-thyme for @1dreversebang and the moment I saw her artwork I had these vague ideas coming to mind and I am quite proud with how I was able to bring them to life so closely resembling what I originally thought of when I saw the art. And for Odds Are, I wrote that for @1dtrickortreatfest so it had to be exactly 666 words and that's always a trick (heh), but in this case I had to completely world build and set up the situation and lead everyone to the conclusion within that word count while making it somewhat compelling... and I think I was able to manage it. I hope I was, anyway haha
Work you are least proud of (and why):
lmaooooo usually this answer is really hard for me to answer, but this year it's not haha i have a few fics that I literally wrote to just remind myself that I could. That not everything has to be thought out and polished and pretty, sometimes it's just a matter of getting words on paper and putting them out into the world immediately, hoping for the best, and they absolutely served their purpose! I'm fond of them still, but that doesn't mean I'm proud of them necessarily haha So I would have to say Damsel in Christmas Distress (which I still love dearly, simply for how self indulgent that silly thing is for me haha) and Quite the Pickle. Again, my darling Stylinshaw fics getting the brunt of it here, but they did as they needed to for me. I'll maybe try to write them a longer, more polished fic with some thought behind it this year, as they clearly deserve.
A favorite excerpt of your writing:
GAHHHH I hate this question every damn time! Okay, I don't know if this is my absolute favorite thing I wrote this year, BUT it immediately came to mind, and I do very much like it so, here's an excerpt from Gemma's Dad (Could Use A Guy Like Me). I just adore Harry being a fumbling idiot around a pretty boy hahaha
Ever since he had dug up his garden, he preferred to start in the back where the job was a lot more complicated to work around and then move to the front, which was far easier.
Now, though, Harry was wondering if this was the right decision because Louis was also mowing his lawn. That wasn’t a problem, of course, except he was shirtless and that only defined for Harry the fact he really had grown up.
Louis used to try to show off for the neighborhood by mowing any number of lawns shirtless in middle school and high school, but he had been a scrawny kid with little to no meat on his bones and Harry had thought it adorable back then.
Now, on a sweltering day like it was, he was probably shirtless just to be as cool as possible as the sun beat down on him, and Harry’s vision wasn’t as good as it used to be, but he could still tell that Louis had filled out since going to college. He was still a thin man, but as he pushed the mower through the tall grass, Harry could see the muscles he clearly put effort into. Add to it the chest hair that was only growing darker as he continued to sweat and the smattering of tattoos he’d gotten since he turned eighteen and it was clear he had grown up.
Harry couldn’t help it when the glint of the sun off Louis’ sweaty skin made him lick his lips without even thinking.
Clearing his throat and thankful it was obvious Louis was too focused to notice Harry ogling him from his own yard, Harry pulled the starter and began to work on his own yard.
Share or describe a favorite review you received:
I've got three that immediately came to mind, so excuse me while I mention all three as quickly as I can manage lol
First was from @allwaswell16 for Gemma's Dad. I'd had a lot of difficulty with a someone reading motivations and meaning in the characters and story that I took a lot of care in ensuring were actually avoided as I wrote it. There were a lot of pitfalls I could have fallen into when writing the fic, but one person just kept asking over and over again for things I thought I had already done and my beta assured me I had sufficiently covered etc, but I still worried so when Anitra gave the review she did of it on her podcast, it literally made me cry a little bit lol
Second was @londonfoginacup in response to (Gimme a Solution and) Watch Me Run With It when she commented "Ah so you really just tore your chest open and picked out your beating heart and handed it to me here, didn’t you" because... well I hadn't really considered it when I'd been writing the fic, but I guess I kind of did exactly that, yeah. haha
And then lastly I want to thank @tommokat for their lovely comments on Snow In Love regarding the Michigan geography and freak lake effect snow that can be experienced there because I tried my very best to describe the absolute chaos that is that region in the wintertime and they basically affirmed that I had accurately captured it. Genuinely, the best gift I could have gotten haha
A time when writing was really, really hard:
Excuse me while I laugh a bit hysterically until I cry alksdhglskfja The last year or two have been incredibly difficult for a whole host of reasons, but the ones that most affected my writing were my lingering (and seemingly unending) burnout combined with an absolute lack of time/energy available to write. There were so many times this year that I thought I wouldn't be able to do it or thought I'd have to pull out of various fests and just... cut down on things, but I kept pushing and kept trying and I did it. I'm so fucking proud of myself, honestly.
A scene or character you wrote that surprised you:
Jordan North in Did You Know I Fit In A Dryer? Well, honestly, Louis in that fic too. And the entire premise of the fic. Really all of it surprised me lololol I never expected to write Jordan in a fic. Ever. hahahaa And as I've barely dabbled in a couple of weed candies is all, I certainly did not anticipate ever writing someone as THAT HIGH. sooooo...yeah just all of it hahaha
How did you grow as a writer this year:
Psh. Bold of you to assume I've grown as a writer this year when I was merely doing what I could to survive haha if anything I kind of wonder if I went backwards in my writing abilities but who the fuck knows, really haha
How do you hope to grow next year:
I just... I dunno man. I just kinda hope I'm in a better place this time next year so I'm just not so fucking tired all the time and so I have actual time to write, you know? lol continued good vibes are always welcome here, folks haha
Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc):
Like... everyone. hah I'm getting a little emotional thinking of everyone who helped me keep going this year. but the greatest? probably @londonfoginacup again. She was the biggest influence in actually getting my Big Bang finished because I didn't want to disappoint her (even though?? I know I won't??? like.. anyway) haha and then I wrote like three fics for her/dedicated them to her just because... like. she keeps me going some days honestly so yeah. Emmu. You're the bestest always babes. Love you.
Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year:
Listen, all I'm saying is in one of my fics it hits a little too close to home. Like I kind of wrote Harry's starting place... and kinda where he is for a lot of the fic... pretty much exactly how I was feeling, and still pretty much am, though for very different reasons. So it's maybe a little too much of my real life emotionally speaking in there yeah
Any new wisdom you can share with other writers:
New? Not so much hahaha just don't give up!
Any new projects you're looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year:
YES. I was just talking with @moon-sun-thyme this morning that I started the year by posting a fic based on her art, and I'm going out of this year focusing on the fic we will be collaborating on together for the @onedirectionbigbang hehe so I'm very very excited to get started on that one. It's a fic I've been wanting to write almost ever since I first heard the song Satellite, so I am READY to delve in and lose myself to it, honestly. In the whole... one night every week or two I have to write. hahaha Here's hoping I make the deadline haaaaa
Tag three writers whose answers you'd like to read:
MAN I have no idea who has and hasn't done this yet! So maybeeeee @justanothershadeofblue, @hellolovers13, anddddd @quotefromthatshow and @louandhazaf if you haven't done it already and want to! And shh I know it’s four but who cares lolol
*All answers should be about fics posted in 2023
Past Years: 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 and 2020 | 2022(ish)
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psst hey king champions body swap au think of all the chaos
Omfff yeah chmdndn hahaha
So I imagine them swapping for the first time it went like: Hau > Lance, Lance > Steven, Cynthia > Wallace, Wallace > Cynthia, Iris > Geeta, Diantha > Leon, Leon > Diantha, Geeta > Hau
No but, immediately, I know in my heart, Lance's League would figure out it's not him hahaha
I know his League would immediately know it's not him, bc for one, Lance has a resting bitch face, and the Lance that's in front of them rn is smiling at them so softly and so awkwardly and I know Clair's there looking at em all "okay, so, I'm not the only one freaked out by this, yeah?"
After their meeting, they all left except for a few, maybe Clair and Silver, since "Lance" just stayed in the meeting hall, pacing, muttering under his breath, looking around, he's like stimming honestly, and ofc that's odd for Clair and Silver, Lance wasn't like that. In fact, during the meeting he was so quiet, and it's always him who does the talking. Either way, they'll find out what's really going on w him
Imagine the first time they swapped, Steven was exploring a cave in Hoenn, and then the swap happened, and Lance is there in the middle of a dark as fuck cave going "where the hell am I?!"
Oh Cynthia would be fucking vibing she's in Wallace's body now fr, like imagine her waking up, going to the bathroom, looks at herself in the mirror and she just fucking screams. Lisia runs in, almost kicks the door open, panicking, asking what happened. Cynthia had to force herself to calm down and give Lisia a not so convincing smile going "n-nothing's wrong! Don't worry!" Laughing nervously while waving her hand, but Lisia didn't buy it ofc, tho maybe her uncle just wanted some time for himself, and she said he should call her if there's smth wrong, and finally left. Cynthia called Steven in a hurry after that, only for Lance to be on the other end. This was not her day.
Wallace is honestly the same w Cynthia tho, like Cyn's sister running to her room in a hurry too, only for Wallace to try and play it cool, going "I just saw a, uhh, Spinarak crawl by, that's all!" And ofc, he knows abt Cynthia's small fear of bugs, he just hoped her sister would buy it too, fortunately it did, w her sister saying she shouldn't scream like that, shaking her head going, "you scared gran and gramps, you continue to take years off their lives, Thia, I swear" and she finally left.
The Paldea kids also immediately figured out there's smth wrong w "Geeta" bc there was no way in hell Geeta knows a lot abt fandom stuff. Iris was horrible at this, like she's really trying to make the most of it, but she relented bc hey, they really were looking at her weird, so she just "I.. yeah, I'm not Geeta. I'm Iris, the Unova Champion."
"champion Iris??"
"yep, I don't know what happened, but I was in a middle of eating breakfast and suddenly I'm at Geeta's office."
The four of them do help her out, they've trained for this, they always impersonate the league members behind their backs bc they thought it was funny, so they taught her how to act like Geeta and make it less suspicious. It still failed, Rika knew Geeta doesn't know abt this really obscure Unovan show she watches
Geeta was also figured out quick, bc the Alola kids just noticed "Hau" walking upright with his hands folded behind his back all the time. The way he talks too, it wasn't like Hau, ofc it wasn't Hau. Geeta was calmer, quieter, more observant, really the opposite of Hau. They did ask her abt it, and she ended up just telling them the truth, that she really isn't Hau, "I don't know, perhaps this is a pokemon's doing, hopefully you'll have your friend back soon." She said, and it's so weird for the Alola kids to hear it in Hau's voice, to hear his own voice sound so monotonous, they were so used to him being so lively and upbeat.
As much as I want Dia and Leon to ruin each others reputation, I also wanna say that they realized their lives are almost similar yknow.
Diantha woke up in Leon's room, at first ofc she panicked, the place was unfamiliar to her until she looked into the mirror. But hey, she's a seasoned actress, she knows how to play the part, even if it's a role she doesn't like. So she went on her day, got dressed, and went downstairs to have breakfast w his family. And idk, idk I want her to like,, have this lil moment bc yknow, she found out Leon was still w his mother, together w his brother, the three of them having breakfast together, and it reminds her of the times when she was younger, Drasna and Augustine w her on the dining table, eating breakfast too, telling each other about their days and such, and those days were the ones she treasured the most. It actually made her cry, Hop and his mom were worried, asking "Leon" was wrong, but Dia just smiled, "it's nothing, I'm sorry.. I just.. it's nice being with you guys." And it was nice, yknow, maybe when everything's normal again, she could have a normal breakfast w her family at home again too
And on Leon's end, he realizes how lonely Diantha was. She was staying at the League, none of the Elite Four were there, just her, just him. He looked around her room, neat and pristine, ofc, what did he expect, then he got dressed too, preparing for what kinda day he'd have. He should message the other champions, but like, none of them messaged their group chat yet, so maybe this only happened between him and Dia. So hey, he's roaming around the League yknow, it was quiet, it was empty, like his own office at his tower, how lonely it was, how isolating it was. He went out the garden, looking at the statue in the middle, at the fountain, at the Pokémon who were sleeping within the trees. It was quiet. Too quiet. He didn't like it, it reminds him too much of his tower, being on top of everyone, alone on his pedestal. He sighed, "this is what you wake up to everyday..?" He asked, knowing he won't get an answer, he sighed, "no wonder you don't like being alone too."
Ofc, maybe after they all decided to actually message each other abt what's going on, and it's a relief yknow that it's not just a certain pair, but it's also concerning for them bc how did this actually happen?? They ended up having an impromptu meeting, in case they won't return to their own bodies, they'd know what to do at least. But yeah, maybe they did return to their bodies, or maybe it took a while before they did, idk that'd be interesting, that they get to experience how the other champions go on their day, and they find out more abt them too hahah
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@crinklytinfoil Ask and ye shall receive ;)
What do you mean this isn't what happened
Not pictured: White shoving his entire spooky ghost self into Brown's suit because How Dare anyone ignore him
That being said, WHITE'S BACK WHITE'S BACK WHITE'S BACK, I shoulda known this fucker wouldn't stay gone for long!!! White, my guy, you died like SIX YEARS AGO, have you been haunting Brown this WHOLE TIME??? I'd say get a life but I wouldn't want to give you any ideas - no, NO, I don't CARE if possession is nine-tenths of the law, that isn't what that even MEANS D:<
In other news, I am 100% convinced White has been perving on Brown by watching him whenever he gets it on, but is really bored and annoyed at how Brown always tops now, so every time it happens, White just keeps yelling dumb shit from his Boring Ghost Limbo like 'put a fukken dick up your ass already! >:['
Brown and Co. in upcoming chapters, probably:
I don't know how they think those knives are gonna help. Guys. Guys. He's already DEAD. What are you doing
the amazing alien ghost cube is so amazing that it can be whatever size is most convenient for the joke to work
Got one more doodle incoming soonish (plus a five page comic uhhhh In Time - look, it's a big project, okay???), but in the meantime, I actually have been working on my own original stuff, too, I promise. See, I have this doodle of Shio sans headcovering here and- why is it under a read-more? ...No reason :]
Aren't they beautiful? :3c
Fun fact, Shio doesn't even have to look like that, they could literally shear off the fucked up bits and spend a few months regrowing it, but NO. They just- choose to be horrifying. (It is very useful for scaring the bejeezus out of unsuspecting humans, after all...)
I don't know how to end this post BYE
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Hey Nick! I just wanted to say I really enjoyed your performance as Ayden in Downfall. You were really wonderful in portraying those softer sides of the Dawnfather that haven't gotten to see in campaign 3! As a long-time Pelor fan, I loved seeing the positive representation! And the way you bounced off the other players at the table was just amazing! Not to mention Ayden's absolutely insane build. I can only hope to become as good of a player as you are!
There's two things I really wanted to ask that I unfortunately missed during the Beacon AMA:
One, What would Ayden's perfect day look like?
Two, If Ayden/Dawnfather and Asmodeus were forced to wear the metaphorical (or literal, I guess) "get along shirt" for a day, what sort of shenanigans do you think they would get up to?
Thank you so much, and I hope to see more of you at the CR table!
These are amazing questions that no one else asked so I am glad you did so here! And thank you I'm so glad the Dawnfather is getting the love I think he deserves!
Wake up and watch the sun rise. Take Gilly out while you tend to the fields and plants. Play with Haylie and Topher and the other students before school. Help Trist teach. Have a nice family dinner. Watch the sun set with Gilly. Look up at the stars and know that the rest of my family out there somewhere can see them too.
HAHAHA I think they would get up to all sorts of stuff ala Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Bug the other gods, get chased out of the wild mothers forest, I think they would have so much fun and be so heart broken when it was over. Ugh what a brief glimpse of hope it would be.
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