[writing] five stories I love

[escritoireazul]

I've kind of been in a mood lately (stress about school and the weather and money and my parents' health will do that), and in an effort to shake myself out of it before I go see my family for the holidays, I've been watching Harry Potter movies. (I dvred the first four when they spent a weekend playing them and showing previews for the Half Blood Prince - which, based on what I've seen, I've managed to forget every single detail about the book and should probably reread it at some point.) I've also been skimming through the fic I wrote this year, debating about doing the annual fic round-up (though, this year, I may actually post more fic between now and 2009, so I'd do better to wait) and absolutely shocked, still, that I wrote Twilight fic, because the source material is such crap and I don't actually want to promote it, but Rosalie! Emmett! Anyway.

(OMG. I'm watching Chamber of Secrets and the spider scene just made it hard to breathe. I haven't watched this scene since I saw it in the theater - I always fast forward or leave the room - and now I remember why. That's the scariest thing I've EVER seen in a movie. And the noise. WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE SPIDERS?)

So I'm not going to do the round-up just yet, but I wrote a couple stories which really make me proud, and which I enjoy, so I thought I'd talk a little about them, in an attempt to remind myself that I used to really like things and enjoy life and fandom, and there is more to my life than school, etc.

(Though I did just order Unwind and Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3) from Lexis Nexis, so school has some benefit.)

Some of my favorite fics I've written this year, in no particular order.

1. "We Live It, We Breathe It", Fast and the Furious/Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Letty/Faith, Letty/Mia, Letty/Dominic

Summary: She's a superhero now. Why the hell can't she save the world?

I wrote this for nikitangel's birthday, a direct sequel to the story I wrote for her birthday in 2007 (which was also a crossover, but of much more epic, cracktastic proportions - you can read it here: "Ten Slayers Who Never Were (The Of All the Women in All the World Mix)." I crossed over Buffy with nine other fandoms, and Wish!Verse Buffy to make ten. If you do read it, check the comments; thestalkycop added a comment drabble with an eleventh fandom). Though I'm not a fan of Buffy season seven, nor am I a fan of how it ended, I love how it opens up other universes for easy potential crossovers. It's practically begging to be crossed over, to write about who became Slayers then. So the first story set up Letty as a vampire slayer, working on Faith's team. This explores that dynamic more, as well as deals with the events of The Fast and the Furious.

What I like most about it is the way I capture Letty, no nonsense, strong, stubborn, and capable of loving very deeply. She's bisexual, and it's absolutely not a big deal to her. She loves more than one person at a time, and though she doesn't have enough time to give to each of them, she can't be everywhere at once, she doesn't regret loving them. It's awkward, sometimes, her two lives colliding (before vampires and after), but it's life, and she rolls with it. I really love all the ways, big and small, she's changed since becoming a Slayer, and the way it's most obvious when she's trying to be the same old woman for Mia and Dom.

I also love her impotency; here she's been given (forced into) all this power, and still she can't help the people she loves. She saves the world, or her little piece of it, every night, but she can't save her actual world. It's a blow, learning you can't fix things, you can't handle everything, and I like the way I explored that here.

There's also some nice Faith characterization, and some commentary on some of the plot threads of both Buffy and Angel.

Also, there's lots of hot in this story, and some of my favorite characters and pairings.

Mostly, I just love a successful crossover.

Speaking of successful crossovers.

2. "The Moon is on the Sea", Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Lilo & Stitch (I know!), Buffy/Nani (I KNOW!)

Summary: Nani Pelekai thought she'd seen everything when her sister's dog turned out to be an alien.

This was written based on something juleskicks said awhile ago, and it took ages to write for some reason, but I absolutely love it. It's Buffy and Nani, bonding over crazy younger siblings and weird lives and the oddness of the world.

I love some of the word choices, I think they're absolutely beautiful, and I really like how well Buffy fit into an animated Hawaii. Lilo is fabulous, sharp and smart and amazing, all the things I love about her, and Nani is an incredible woman. I love the parallels, two young women forced into too much responsibility too soon, and the way they deal with the unbelievable parts of their worlds. Vampires and aliens, oh my.

Mostly, I just love Nani here, with her desire to thank Buffy, and her inability to full communicate why she's so pleased she's made a new friend.

Speaking again of crossovers (did I write anything other than crossovers and apocalypse fic this year?), here's another one I love.

3. "Love is a Painful Thing (The Second Best Mix)", Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Faith/Dawn Faith/Buffy (unrequited); Blue Crush, Eden/Lena, Eden/Anne Marie (unrequited); Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants/She's the Man, Bridget/Viola, Bridget/Carmen (unrequited); Stick It, Haley/Mina

Summary: You love her beyond the telling of it, but she’s not for you. Until the one time she is.

I wrote this for pene for femslash08 and as soon as I got the assignment, I knew I wanted to write all the prompts. So I did.

I really love Dawn in this, the way she's trying so hard to be real, and the way she's trying to prove herself to Buffy. Faith is so steady, silent and calm, and the way she woos absolutely perfect. I love, too, how much it must suck to be Buffy's little sister, especially when she's an adult and Buffy isn't ready to realize that.

Eden's story is beautiful, too, how much she wants to love Lena instead of Anne Marie, how much she's trying to keep the world held together while Anne Marie is off competing, the way she's left with their house and Anne Marie's sister, and their little world.

Mostly, I love the ways love can hurt, and the way just because you love someone, it doesn't mean that everything will work out, or that you'll get your happy ending. But also, just because you don't get what you want doesn't mean it's the end of the world, or that you won't find love elsewhere, or that you won't have a happy, fulfilling life.

4. "Oh, the Inconstant Sea", Pirates of the Caribbean, Elizabeth/William, Elizabeth/Calypso

Summary: Oh, how Elizabeth loves the sea.

I wrote this for resolute as a pinch-hit for the 2008 apocalyptothon. It is the first (and only) POTC fic I've written, but I'm so glad I did. I love Elizabeth here, and her pragmatism, and her love of the sea. Loving it is loving Calypso, but neither are trustworthy.

Plus, this involves the walking dead, and arguing with a goddess, and trying to save her husband once he finally comes home. She's so strong, Elizabeth, and so determined. And, though she loves, she doesn't trust, and it's possible that love will be her undoing.

5. "Canaries in the Mines", Firefly/Serenity, River

Summary: River carries the names inside her thoughts, and whispers them like benedictions.

I wrote this for maharetr as a pinch-hit for the 2008 apocalyptothon, and I love the language, and the way River is still slightly crazy, but also knows so much. She carries secrets, she carries worlds, and at the end of the world, she is left alone with the ghosts.

There are little scenes, flashbacks, which make my breath catch and send a chill down my spine. The stars talk to her, and sing their songs, and she carries all she's ever loved into the end of the world.

So there you go. Five stories of 2008 I absolutely love.

Comments

[pene.livejournal.com]

As you are aware I too love number 3. So so so good. And I am looking forward to reading number 2 though I wonder if they'll be cartoons or real life in my head.

[escritoireazul.livejournal.com]

If you've read number 2, were they cartoons in your head? I'm not sure how I pictured them myself; I don't think it was as cartoons, but I'm not sure I really ever picture Nani as live action, either. It's an interesting thought.

[pene.livejournal.com]

damn it I read it and likedi an didn't comment. I FAIL! sorry. pictured them as cartoons for sure, when I visualised and wasn't just reading.

and I loved your Nani. And busy disaffected Buffy was spot on.

[escritoireazul.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it! And now I wish I could draw, because I'd love to see the cartoon Buffy with Lilo and Nani.

[revena.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I'm glad you did this. It was nice to read some of these again, and I didn't say the first time around how much I loved them, but I do. You = awesome.

[escritoireazul.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed them.