queenslayerbee: Lisa simpson dressed in a multicoloured baggy shirt, with a sideways cap and sunglasses, and a disaffected look on her face. (lisa simpson (the simpsons))
Snowflake Challenge: A close up shot of an owl ornament hanging amidst pine boughs..

Challenge #14
In your own space, create a promo and/or rec list for someone new to a fandom. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it and include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.


I compiled recs for a few of my fandoms for challenge #4, but I wanted to do something slightly different.

My main fandom right now is, and has been for a while, DC comics. The world of DC is vast and pretty much everyone knows one corner or another within it, but a lot of people find comics specifically hard to get into. So I thought I'd make a list of some runs or story arcs I enjoyed!

These aren't comprehensive, or a How To Get Into Comics primer. I'm not an expert, and I have read more of certain group of characters (Bats) than others, even if I want to expand. Here I've mostly tried to make a lists of comics you can read on their own without getting too turned around.
  • I keep recommending Wonder Woman: Historia, but it's for good reason. It has only three issues (there were supposed to be more, and there might be at some point, but as it is, the story stands on its own). It tells the story of the Amazons, how they came to be, how Hippolyta became their queen, and how Themyscira was born. It does a lot of interesting thing with the concept of narratives (who they serve, how they're twisted), with a solid feminist stance that often feels missing from Wonder Woman comics, especially recent ones.
  • The above rec stands on its own, as I said, but I personally think my experience was enhanced by reading Wonder Woman (1987) #1, another Amazons-origin story that clearly inspired. And although I hesitate to recommend ongoing stories, and I don't trust that the universe this one is set in won't become its own mess sooner rather than later lol, Absolute Wonder Woman is pretty good and feels like it's in conversation with Historia. If you like the miniseries, you might want to check it out.
  • Another Wonder Woman comic I'd recommend, since I'm here, it's Wonder Woman: The Once And Future Story by Trina Robbins. It's a one-shot that deals with domestic violence, and it's very 80s at times, but solid, and impactful. 
  • Webtoons are a very accessible way to get into comics, and maybe I should've started with these xDD. A lot of people know Wayne Family Adventures, but it's not my favourite, and in recent years it's abandoned their vignette structure in favour of year-long plots in a way I feel does it no favours. The ones I REALLY liked were Zatanna & The Ripper and Vixen: NYC. They have a plot tying them together but they're complete, and they are about less-known characters and include some secondary ones that really shine. In the first one, Zatanna is thrown into the 19th century and has to fight the mysterious, famous serial killer, and in the second one, Mari moves to NYC for college and discovers a lot about her heritage and her powers. The first one includes Constantine, and the second one has Anissa Pierce and Grace Choi as supporting cast (they might sound familiar if you watched Black Lightning), as well as Beast Boy, for example.
  • Far Sector (#1-12) by N.K. Jemisin is another good rec. I feel I know just the basics of Green Lantern lore, but this comic works at being self-explanatory, putting us in a new world and showing us its specific rules. It does some interesting things with its sci-fi setting and with its lead character, who I hope I read more about sooner rather than later. Sojourner "Jo" Mullein, the lead, is the Green Lantern in the Absolute universe, as far as I know, but I have my misgivings about that 'verse outside of Wonder Woman and I haven't jumped into it.
  • Greg Rucka is one of the most solid comic authors out there, and one that's easier to recommend than my other faves because it feels like SOME of his work is more approachable/self-explanatory lol. There are a lot of things I could rec but for this purpose, I'll go with Gotham Central. It's longer than the recs above (40 issues), and sometimes it touches on events surrounding it at the time, but I think it can be read on its own because the whole point of it is that Batman is in the background, a looming thread or suspicious ally, and not a central figure. It focuses on the police force, with all it entails, but it's good writing and it has some amazing story arcs, especially for Renee Montoya.
  • Oracle: Year One (in Batman Chronicles #5). If you never read a Bat-related story other than this one in your life, that'd be fine by me lol. This should be longer than one (1) story, not even full-length, in an anthology series, but alas, DC is DC. Still. An absolute must-read, with Barbara coming out of the other end of the Joker's attack. As we all know what happens in The Killing Joke (and that barely focuses on Barbara, lbr), it's unnecessary to revisit it in order to read OY1. 
  • Barda by Ngozi Ukazu. It's a YA comic, auto-conclusive. I have not read much (yet) about New Gods, Apokolips and so on, and yet that never detracted from it. It feels like a good way to dip your toe into that side of the comics, which sometimes feels intimidating, and it has a very moving storyline featuring both love and resistance, with a couple that has caught my eye before due to how they seem to defying the usual gender roles.
  • Green Lantern/Green Arrow (#1-7). This is the "Hard Traveling Heroes" arc some people might've heard about, where the two characters embark on a road trip across the USA and deal with The Issues plaguing it at the time. It is VERY 70s, in many ways, but I appreciate its candor and its gumption. It includes the introduction of John Stewart, which would be pretty fucking revolutionary today (as comics now are very defanged about racial issues in particular, IMO), and Roy Harper's addiction backstory.
  • Devin Grayson is one of my favourite comic authors, but I'm bad at sussing out how accessible she is, as her stories are deeply entrenched in What I Know Best lol. I feel like her Gotham Knights series might be a better fit for this list, but I haven't read it as a run, instead picking specific issues that crossed with one story arc or another. So I will instead recommend her Catwoman run, which stands on its own and indulges in my favourite version of the character --not the more heroic one, but the weirdo misanthrope thief with commitment issues who thrived when challenged LOL. The specific issues you'd have to read are from Catwoman (1993), #54-71. She also wrote the Annual #4 (before issue #54) and #1000000 (before #63), but those are separate from that run and its plots. One thing I really appreciate from this run is how largely absent Batman is from it, allowing Selina to develop outside of that romance.
  • Black Lightning: Year One. Only six-issues long, it show us the origins of Jefferson Pierce. It's a light, enjoyable read, and I'd recommend it on its own (+ it has a good portrayal of Talia al Ghul absent in most other comics of its time, which I appreciate!). But I admit I have an agenda when I recommend it... it's because I think it'll make the next installment on the list more understandable for beginners xDD
  • The Other History of the DC Universe. This 5-issues mini-series is not a really good fit on this list, but it's one of the best and bravest comics written in this decade and I must recommend it because of it. It expands on important events in the main continuity of comics, specifically those of the post-crisis era (1987-2011), aka my preferred continuity. But with a big difference: it centers the perspective of heroes of colour, giving them voices (and quite critical at that!) and portraying them as complex, full people, with their own shades of grey. It makes a lot of people uncomfortable for it, and for how it doesn't shy away from criticising fan-favourite white heroes, but that's precisely why I love it: it's not trying to appease people or to flatten events and characterisation. The first issue is narrated by Jefferson Pierce, aka Black Lightning, and the last issue by Anissa Pierce, his lesbian daughter. #4 is about Renee Montoya. As you see, some of the previous rec will make you more familiar with them, but I only know the other characters (Mal and Karen in #2, and Tatsu in #3) more superficially and I still found those issues impactful, so YMMV.
  • And because I am who I am, I must close this list recommending something about Jason Todd. One day I will make a list featuring ALL the Jason comics I think are worth reading, in the order I'd personally think best, full of asterisks and amendments. But for now, I'll settle for what I think ought to be the first thing one should read about him: Batman #408-411. AKA, his origin story in the post-crisis continuity. Everything else ought to come after that. And it's a good starting point not only for him, but for the Batman mythos at large, as it sets the tone for that new continuity and gives us information about backstories/where the characters are at now. 

Challenge #15
How Did the Fandom Snowflake Challenge Go? Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it.


Well, the part of me that struggles to be Organised, something that doesn't come easily LOL, is a bit miffed that this year I didn't manage to post every entry on its "correct" date xD, but I'm trying not to listen to that part! I did complete the challenge, and I got to talk to a lot of people and add new friends thanks to it. I'm not asking for anything more. Hopefully, even if it won't be as active after the challenge, I'll still find those things in DW!
queenslayerbee: Lisa simpson dressed in a multicoloured baggy shirt, with a sideways cap and sunglasses, and a disaffected look on her face. (lisa simpson (the simpsons))
Snowflake Challenge: A close up shot of an owl ornament hanging amidst pine boughs..

Challenge #13.
TALK ABOUT A COMMUNITY SPACE YOU LIKE. It doesn’t need to be your favorite, or the one where you spend the most time (although it certainly can be). Maybe it’s even one that you’ve barely visited. But talk about that space and how it helps support fannish community.


In my last entry I got a bit into why I like dreamwidth, and wish to use it more / have more people around. 

Storygraph is another site I want to use more this year, taking full advantage of it & all its amenities. Once I get back to reading problem in... a month or so, hopefully, after I've crossed some bridges IRL that are taking most of my time at the moment xD

Goodreads is thee book review site, and I still visit sometimes (or plan use it to boost some stuff, indie writers and the like), but there are a lot of reasons why it never quite worked for me and every other week there seems to be some huge drama on that front, sometimes resembling a social media site more than a book review archive. I use storygraph for what it's meant to be used and it's a much more relaxed environment, which again, I appreciate. And I like all the options it offers -more exacting star rates, tags, a set of options to help describe the book's characteristics and help others find it (i.e. is it character centric? Plot-focused? etc.). It's quite useful and intuitive.

If you guys have storygraph, feel free to let me know your username and befriend me there! If not... I recommend getting one and playing around with it ^-^
queenslayerbee: Isabelle Adjany as Lucy Harker in 1979's "Nosferatu the Vampire". She's surrounded by darkness, looking over her shoulder while she wears a white nightgown and a cross as a necklace. A hand with long nails like a claw is reaching for her neck from the darkness behind her. (Default)
Snowflake Challenge: A close up shot of an owl ornament hanging amidst pine boughs..

Challenge #12
Make an appreciation post to those who enhance your fandom life. Appreciate them in bullet points, prose, poetry, a moodboard, a song... whatever moves you!


A lot of My Fandom People are disseminated in other sites, most prominently tumblr and discord. Though I do try to get them into dreamwidth, trust me xD. The environment here is one I prefer, frankly: it's slower, and feels calmer, less prone to the kind of drama that plagues those others. In some cases we follow and talk to each other across all platforms, taking advantage of the benefits of each (curse discord as I might in many areas, in terms of direct messages, it's definitely the best one, for example).

I don't think of myself as a gregarious person; I get exhausted quickly by large crowds, especially. In fandom it's much of the same: I feel more comfortable in small fandoms, and whenever I join a larger one, I set to find a small corner of it where I'm in my element. 

My preferences often make this easier, because they're rarely in alignment with fandom majorities. Thanks to that I've found My People in numerous corners, from the chill group I gathered while The 100 (a large, wank-prone fandom) was airing, to the buddies I've made in the DC fandom (Even Worse xD), to the ones I met in the tiny environment of writeblr, when I was still around those parts, or that I'm meeting now with Pluribus, for example. My oldest fandom friends, I met in the Shadowhunters fandom, my first active one. A trainwreck, but again, I met a lot of people there that I'm still friends with today :D

In many cases we've followed each other through several fandoms, sometimes meeting, sometimes diverging for a while. Sometimes following each other beyond fandom, taking interests in each other's professional pursuits, in each other's personal lives. Some of the people I've met here know things about me that I wouldn't tell those I personally know off-line, and with their mere presence, support, and engagement, have helped me through Some Shit. 

I'll always be glad that I took the leap from lurker to active fandom participant (and creator). I genuinely don't know how I would've stayed sane through my early twenties without the people I met around here. Some of them, I no longer talk with; some just follow me on tumblr and we only sporadically like each other's posts. But others have become lasting friendships that sustain me to this day, And I'm extremely grateful for that!
queenslayerbee: the white silouettes of three women in a circle on the grass with the sky behind them, with their arms raised to it and their heads thrown back, as if performing a summon. the image blends with black smoke that raises from the ground. (coven (the wicked witches of trickstown))
Snowflake Challenge: A close up shot of an owl ornament hanging amidst pine boughs..

Challenge #10: Big Mood (Board).
CHOOSE SOMETHING YOU LOVE AND CREATE A MINI MOOD COLLECTION OF THREE (or more) ITEMS THAT EVOKE YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT IT. You don’t have to limit yourself to visual media, or collect the items into a special format like a square (though you can if you’d like).


I love putting on music to set the mood while I'm writing. Among other things, but I get a bit more involved with Writing Playlists than with Studying Playlists or Workout Playlists (where I often just download a instrumental blues/trap youtube playlists respectively and call it a day LOL). I download my music instead of using spotify or similar services, so I can always drag the few chosen songs I want for a while, switch it up, add and remove songs, have them on repeat if that's what's working at the moment... And I always use instrumental music, because it's great for building an atmosphere without distracting me. 

I thought I'd share the songs I've been putting on to write lately! Although other than some outlining/looking over WIPs, these days I've mostly just done a handful of [community profile] threesentenceficathon prompts lol (you can see them here, alongside my own prompts in the first post of the event. #selfpromo).
I would love to hear your favourite instrumental songs, albums, film or videogame soundtracks... More to add to the list :P

queenslayerbee: Lisa simpson dressed in a multicoloured baggy shirt, with a sideways cap and sunglasses, and a disaffected look on her face. (lisa simpson (the simpsons))
Snowflake Challenge: A close up shot of an owl ornament hanging amidst pine boughs..

Challenge #9.
Talk about your favorite tropes in media or transformative works. (Feel free to substitute in theme/motif/cliche if "trope" doesn't resonate with you.)

I'm one of those people whose mind goes momentarily blank when asked "what are your favourite X?", so normally it'd take me a little while to think of this LOL. Luckily, because I signed up for a few challenges this year (most recently [community profile] seasonsofdrabbles , still open for sign-ups for one more day), I had a list of tropes ready to be copypasted and, why not, expanded upon!

-Amnesia
. I am a sucker for a good memory loss plot. Especially when you add angst and manipulation to it. I.e. what if someone did it purposefully? What if someone takes advantage of a character's lack of recalling of XYZ event that would've otherwise make them less trusting? And so on. I have a WIP in the works (so like, maybe for 2028 lol) that centers around such a premise, specifically in the DC fandom, with Jason and the bats. It starts with a Jason who, after being on the wrong end of a psychic attack, had Bruce heal his mind... and take some creative licenses while he was at it. Shortly after I first started developing the idea, Gotham War came out. My story would work very differently, but for a moment there, the coincidence was hilarious. 

-Time travel/loopEspecially when it doesn't fix anything, when it offers you a view of a past you can't fix, or that you can't keep. Unsurprisingly I do have some ideas involving that trope in DC, most notably one inspired by a post about Damian traveling in time and meeting a younger, carefree Talia (the time travel would be part of a larger story where I would reimagine and rework a lot of what canon does with the al Ghuls and that I don't care much for, but still).

And, well, time loops just have GREAT potential for character exploration. You can really get deep inside a character's fears with one!

-Exploration of canon historical settings, lore, worldbuilding, etc. I love it when fics explore what real events in a particular era would've been like in canon, when they get deep into the intricacies of the setting's world, etc. It really enriches the experience, and I hope my future fics can do that, at some point.

-Canon divergence. In general, I love reading and writing stories that explore "what if" scenarios, sticking close to canon up to that point so that we get to see what would diverge... and what wouldn't. When those steps are done with care and forethought, it can be incredible.

-Adapting to disability. I joke about how I love hitting characters with the stick of disability, and I do LOL. I have WIPs in the works (also, again, mostly with DC xD) where I blind characters, paralyze them, cut off their limbs, give them chronic illnesses, terminal illnesses... Or explores the ones canon gave them, too. I love stories that are... less about whump (though that too, sometimes; it's just that I feel it's not a balanced phenomenon, tbh), and more about how the character deals (or doesn't deal) with the changes

-Angst. I'm here to suffer. I want to read stories that leave me melancholic, despondent, shaking, crying. There's nothing like a well-written bittersweet or tragic ending.

-Unusual forms of fics (epistolary, outsider POV, interactive, etc.). It's incredibly fun what people can do with it! I still think about the minesweeper Murderbot fic...

-Adventures, heists, escapes, etc. It's just FUN. And it's plot. I love a navel-gazing character study as much as the next gal but sometimes I want to read and write A Story Featuring My Blorbos.

-Lovers to enemies. Incredibly underrated trope because nothing hits like this, IMO. Again, I obviously like to get my heart broken by fiction xD

-Betrayal. Another angsty trope that hits just right. I love especially to see the aftermath of it: how do the characters move forward? Can they move forward? Should they move forward? It's easy to see why Black Sails is one of my favourite shows lol; I've never seen it used so extensively and yet so differently and so well every. single. time. And I don't watch Doctor Who (I've tried, multiple times, it just doesn't stick), but every once in a while I think about this scene between Twelfth and Clara I've only seen out of context (used masterfully in a Silverflint gifset here btw).

-Mourning. Loss is a terrible and I want more stories that deal with the full scope of it, that truly make you feel itPluribus has certainly done it well, in depth, and in all manner of ways, and it's one of the reasons the show stole my heart as quickly as it did.

-Mind control. And specifically characters fighting it, navigating it, having to deal with the consequences of it. In general, stories about compromised agency and how the characters deal with it are my favourite thing in the world.

-Abuse aftermath. The above relates to this: characters with compromised, diminished, and stolen agency and how they fight, fawn, confront, deny, heal, stunt... all of that is catnip to me.

-Role reversal. A particular form of "what if" that can be fascinating if done right! If everything was the same except with this two characters swapping places... what would happen? What would change? What wouldn't? I don't have plans to write it, but I have thought about a role reversal AU for Jason Todd and Mia Dearden (Jason becomes the second Speedy; Mia becomes the second Robin) a lot, ever since a mutual talked to me about his (as yet unrealised, sadly) version of the idea. Even explored it a little bit here.

I could continue, but I feel that the list is more than long enough :P

queenslayerbee: Isabelle Adjany as Lucy Harker in 1979's "Nosferatu the Vampire". She's surrounded by darkness, looking over her shoulder while she wears a white nightgown and a cross as a necklace. A hand with long nails like a claw is reaching for her neck from the darkness behind her. (Default)
Snowflake Challenge: A close up shot of an owl ornament hanging amidst pine boughs..

Challenge #7.
LIST THREE (or more) THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF. They don’t have to be your favorite things, just things that you think are good. Feel free to expand as much or as little as you want.
 
  • I am good at improvising, at coming up with solutions and at dealing with sudden unexpected turns.
  • I value the fact that I'm honest and straightforward with people, and I value when others are the same way. I rather someone deal with the awkwardness of telling me an uncomfortable truth than try to appease me or protect my ego, and I try to be as honest (yet never cruel) with both others and myself. Sometimes it's not worth it and you might wash your hands off it, sure, but if you want to maintain a relationship, in any form, with a person in the long-term, it's necessary.
  • I have a good ear for music.
  • I am a creative, imaginative and competitive writer, and while I think there are many aspects of writing where I definitely have room for improvement, I'm willing to put in the work and confident in my ability to get better.
  • I'm really fucking funny, if I can say so myself. 
  • I have a good memory and I write a really good essay. This, along #1, greatly helped in university LOL.

Challenge #8.
Talk about your creative process.


This is something I've tried to fight, but it's high time I came to terms with the fact that I'm not a long-term planner LOL. Not an outline writer, at all, in either fiction or non-fiction (essays, as I said). There's a reason why I love writing drabbles[1] and short-form in general: I'm great at those burst of creativity, getting the story out in one sitting, and then going through it and refining it, changing it if needed, until it's exactly in the shape I want it to be.

Of course, this is a bit more challenging with long-form stories, of which I have many in my folders. I'm still learning, through trial and error, what works for me and what doesn't on that front. But trying to overplan and decide on things ahead to stick closely to a plan was never it. I need that room for sudden, in-the-moment inspiration to take me away and see where it leads. Only when a draft is complete through this method, instead of getting caught up in it or trying to stick to a schedule, can I then approach it as my harshest, first alpha reader LOL. Seeing it as a whole, kill my darlings when needed, tightened the loose threads, tweak and reinforce what works.



[1]Speaking of! Sign-ups for Season of Drabbles (and nominations for the tag set) are open until this Sunday. Be sure to check it out, if you're interested!

Also, fandomtrees is almost ready, with (at the time I write this, it's changing quickly) only three gifts left to complete it before reveals (tomorrow, if that goes well). Take a look, and see if they might be of a fandom you're in!. 
queenslayerbee: peitho and astrea by thegodfather. one girl with eyes closed, illuminated by sunshine, wearing a sunray gold crown. another woman, obscured by shadows, behind her surrounding her neck with one hand and lightly touching her chest with another, with bright red nails. (trapped (house of providence))
Snowflake Challenge: A close up shot of an owl ornament hanging amidst pine boughs..

Challenge #3
Write a love letter to fandom. It might be to fandom in general, to a particular fandom, favourite character, anything at all.


There is a lot of things about fandom that deserve praise, as much as it can get frustrating sometimes. For this particular post, though, I want to give a bit of a shout-out to a small, often overlooked part of fandom: the femslash corners of it <3

In some particular fandoms those corners are pretty huge and active, which is delightful to see, but in general f/f has a smaller presence than other categories. However, the creativity that buzzes in said corners is always beautiful to see. The people who feel passion for it are truly dedicated and put their all into their creations.

I love writing it myself. I'm looking forward to the next instances of the [community profile] threesentenceficathon or [community profile] seasonsofdrabbles for that very purpose, because I know those kinds of events are great sources of inspiration for myself (and hey, maybe if I'm lucky, I'll receive some small f/f gifts myself :P). I'm also going to keep an eye on [community profile] 100femslash and see if I can complete the challenge myself.

And... I was simply going to mention my plans, but I went ahead and dived into the deep end of the pool and created [community profile] dcfemslashevents , exactly what it says on the tina community to host and organise (and boost) femslash events for DC characters! As the sticky post says, there are some plans for this year underway, and I'll likely talk more about it during the Snowflake Challenge, if I get the chance.

Challenge #5
In your own space, create a list of at least three things you'd love to receive, a wishlist of sorts.


Let's keep it to the theme!
  • Give me your best femslash recs! In fic or any other form. Those that you think are truly good, that stayed with you, that you want everyone else to experience.
  • Tell me about your favourite femslash ships, the first ones you liked, the F/F books, shows, films etc. you're obsessed with, the ones you write about yourself... Anything femslash!
  • I would welcome someone who'd want to help with the DC Femslash Events community, but no pressure :P
Challenge #6
Top 10 Challenge.


For this, I'll post 10(ish) femslash ships I wish to see more of, in general.
  • Maxanor, aka Eleanor Guthrie and Max, from Black Sails. Do not get me wrong: I love Maxanne, the clear fandom favourite, but I'm hungry for more Maxanor. Fics exploring their doomed romance, what-if scenarios, things about how they begun... anything!
  • Rosewaves, aka Rosita Bustillos and Waverly Earp, from Wynonna Earp. Oh, that ship absolutely ensnared me way back when! I'd love to see more creations focused on it (and only it, because the canon f/f ship was just... fine, to me LOL).
  • I made that community for a reason, so, yeah, more DC rareships. I'm particularly charmed by the idea of Cass Cain/Kate Kane, though I know it's difficult for it to match what I want for the ship LOL :P. Same for Stephanie Brown/Selina Kyle, another ship I feel has a lot of potential.
  • The Buffyverse fandom definitely has a lot of femslash going around! But I would really appreciate more of it including Kendra Young. Buffy/Kendra or Faith/Kendra, of course, but also Willow/Kendra... and some fucked up Drusilla/Kendra, especially in AUs where she turned her.
  • The 100 is another fandom where I'd love to see some rareships that get less attention, and I will continue to prompt them LOL. Octavia/Diyoza, Echo/Clarke, Clarke/Josephine (those are the only two Clarke ships I like LOL), Echo/Gaia, Raven/Indra... 
  • Last year I reread Emma, by Jane Austen, and well. I will always root for Emma/Jane Fairfax, in my heart :P
  • Legacies also had some great ships, and Hizzie reigns in my heart, but Lizzie/Aurora, Lizzie/Ablah, Lizzie/Jen, Lizzie/Alyssa... all ships I'd love to see more of.
  • More femslash in Reign, my old beloved fandom. Especially among/featuring the ladies in waiting: Greer, Lola, Kenna. Either between them, or with other characters.
  • Femslash fic in Foundation! I know they're bio mother and daughter, but welp, Gaal and Salvor technically share a kiss on screen and their dynamic is unusual, to say the least. We all know if these were two white men it would've sparked a juggernaut ship lol. And the female characters in this show are all fascinating, I'd love to read more about them, for the fandom to have more fics!
  • June and Athena's dynamic was the most fascinating part of R.F. Kuang's Yellowface, and I'd love to see a bit more of it.

I'd like to put my money where my mouth is and post (some more, in a few cases) fics for at least some of these ships on 2026!

Aaaaand that's all. I'm all caught up now :P
queenslayerbee: Lisa simpson dressed in a multicoloured baggy shirt, with a sideways cap and sunglasses, and a disaffected look on her face. (lisa simpson (the simpsons))
Snowflake Challenge: A close up shot of an owl ornament hanging amidst pine boughs..

 
 
I haven't had a lot of time for the Snowflake Challenge (or little else) since the year begun, but I wanted to dedicate a moment to it this weekend, at least. Skipping over #3 for now...

Challenge #2: Pets of Fandom.
Loosely defined! Post about your pets, pets from your canon, anything you want!


I've had too many pets growing up to post them here without forgetting some, likely. Mainly dogs, and ferrets, but also birds, wild rabbits rescued and released back, cats we took care of due to various circumstances but couldn't keep because my father is allergic... Some wounded birds we also kept until they healed. A few days ago while I was at my parents' I thought I might end up adding another one to the list LOL, but after a couple hours the little thing managed to fly again (it had crashed against my window LOL).

Dogs have always been my favourite pet to have thoughThe fun you can have with them is unparalleled. And my two favourite fictional pets are dogs, as well: Ace in Batman Beyond, and Bear in Person of Interest. And I suppose they have quite a bit in common: older dogs with a harsh past taken in by a gruff man LOL. If you haven't watched it, I especially recommend the episode "Ace in the Hole" from Batman Beyond, if you want to get some of those Dog Film Feelings in under 30 minutes. 

Challenge #4: Rec The Contents Of Your Last Page
Any website that you like, be it fanfiction, art, social media, or something a bit more eccentric!


I am going to be lazy, and link back to all I recommended for rec-cember last month :P

I posted four master lists (+ a bonus mini-list on the last day of December). Each included fanfiction, fanart, and meta analysis, with one fandom being the focus but with plenty of random recs of each category for other fandoms. I truly recommend checking them out!
  • Recs for The Murderbot Diaries. The bonus include a Barbie/Dracula crossover you won't regret taking a look at. Crack taken seriously at its finest. 
  • Recs for The Locked Tomb. Speaking as someone who's really not into modern AUs, please do check out the abortion story.
  • Recs for Black Sails. It was great to have an excuse revisit this fandom and catch up on my to-read list for it :P. Make sure to check the fanart!
  • Recs for the DCU. It's a huge fandom, which means so times you have to really dig to find some gems, so I saved you the trouble :P. The extras include one of my favourite fics read last year, a sickening post-Endgame one-shot focused on Steve and Peggy.
The last mini-list was basically focused on fanvids (half of them from Black Sails), with a few extra recs (one Murderbot fanart, a couple Yuletide fics from Carmilla and Hitchcock's Rope) that didn't make it to the other lists due to timing. 

I think between the fic/art/meta etc. and the variety of fandoms there'll be something for everyone in them.
queenslayerbee: Isabelle Adjany as Lucy Harker in 1979's "Nosferatu the Vampire". She's surrounded by darkness, looking over her shoulder while she wears a white nightgown and a cross as a necklace. A hand with long nails like a claw is reaching for her neck from the darkness behind her. (Default)
Snowflake Challenge promotional banner featuring a purple candle surrounded by pine cones, pink berries and snowflakes. Text: Snowflake Challenge: 1-31 January.

Your top 5 fandoms for 2023 were:

I started this year still continuing my sui generis rewatch of The Vampire Diaries. It was inspired by "stacked natural", this thing started by Supernatural fans where they rewatched the episodes of the show in the anniversary of their airing date, instead of in order. I decided I would do it with MY favourite problematic, cynical, seen-as-silly-due-to-genre-conceptions-but-quite-sharp-about-human-nature CW show. AND I had a blast doing it. It's all on my tumblr under the tag "stackediaries".

After that I had a very brief love affair with Yellowjackets. I binge-watched the first season just as the second started airing. I loved it. The second season... eh. It didn't quite land for me. I still haven't watched the season's finale and I don't know if I will. I'd have to hear great things about season 3 from my trusted dash.

IIRC it was around the same time when I started dipping my toes back into the DCU, which is definitely my star fandom of 2023 (and will predictably be the star fandom in 2024). I finally caught up with Young Justice, I started to read comics in earnest again (with a focus on Jason Todd, determined to read all the appareances I hadn't read or missed since I dropped comics, but I inevitably expanded my interests), I watched and rewatched some films, I rewatched Gotham (or what I call The Baby Batcat cut. Which means I kind of skip/half-watch scenes of subplots I don't find as interesting. Tbf that doesn't mean I only watch Bruce and Selina because there WERE other parts of the show I loved LOL, but they are my main focus)... and so on.

I think this fandom counts by at least 5 all by itself, so I'll stop counting here. Especially since I haven't really participated in others, with the exception of a couple I'll mention in a moment.


Your top 5 fandom spaces in 2023 were:

Tumblr remains my number 1. It has its downsides and it's not as active as it used to be, but I make do. Especially when I put in some effort. It's where My People are, it's where I keep finding more. I can post pretty gifsets, AND more involved meta posts (although those get the least attention lol), AND my random bouts of bitchiness :P

Discord has been a nice one as well. I'm not in a lot of groups because I struggle keeping up, but the ones that I participate in are small and filled with my writer friends.

Reddit has been one I've used more this year! It can exasperate the HELL out of me but it can also be pretty fun. And I don't mind getting into an argument with a troll once in a while. I have my fun trolling back LOL.

Other than thatt I didn't really use other spaces much. I didn't post any fic, although I did read & comment in some in ao3. I commented in some author's substacks and ko-fis. I have platforms like twitter and so on but I rarely if ever use them tbh. They just don't work for me.


The top 5 things you did to contribute to fandom/top 5 most appreciated fandom contributions in 2023 were:

 
stackediaries was definitely fun. I was doing it by myself lol (minus a mutual who did watch a handful of episodes), but I met a lot of other fans that way and we had great combos thanks to it.

I had so much fun that I went and did it with another problematic CW fave this year: stacked100, aka The 100. It's me and a handful of mutuals from back in the days the show aired, because I REALLY didn't vibe with the fandom at large and as consequence, I ended up finding My People, with whom I could enjoy the show with, without getting sucked into all the drama.

And since as I said, I didn't finish any story in 2023... I went to see my tumblr stats so I could link to my most popular posts LOL.

1. The Silly Shitpost (cannibalism edition). Because those are ALWAYS the ones that get the notes lmao. 1.798 as of now.

Screenshot from a tumblr post from laufire (with an icon of Caroline Forbes smiling and putting in a fluffy birthday crown). It shows an image from Yellowjackets where Mari, a bit deadpan, expressionless, says "I guess... no one wants breakfast.", the morning after they all ate Jackie's corpse. After that in text it's added "she is so me for this. funniest person in the wilderness, likely future victim of the cannibal cult for the foot-in-mouth disease." The tags say "and also for that moment where jackie used her to make shauna jealous, which i would've been totally there for, i know shauna still thinks of that, yellowjackets, yellowjackets spoilers, yellowjackets 2x03, mari yellowjackets, part of me wants her to be a secret big bad i think she has the range, love her xDD, id in alt text, captioned, cannibalism mention". It was posted 9 months ago on April 7, 2023, at 4:39 pm.

2 & 3. My Best Friend Wolfgang. Again, silly live watching is what does numbers there lol. 905 and 752 notes, respectively.

Screenshot of a tumblr post by laufire. The text say "whispers pulling the “I know you’re not going to harm us, will, it’s not in you, you’re not a killer” card only for him to go “lucky for me one of my besties is :)” before a wild wolfgang appears ready to crash into a helicopter if necessary is one of the best moments in the show. wolfgang brings a real “always down to go on a righteous murder spree even if it ends me” energy into the group project and everyone loves it.", The tags say "also he killed his own father as a kid. cold blooded. premeditated. burnt his corpse too. he's gr10 is what i mean, talking to the void, my thoughts, sense8, sense8 thoughts, i'm just skipping scenes here and there, wolfgang bogdanow." It was posted 9 months ago on April 20, 2023, at 6:48 pm.

Screenshot of a tumblr post by laufire. The text says "everyone else: sun maybe think twice before murdering your brother?  wolfgang: god forbid women do anything 🙄". The tags say "A Duo, talking to the void, my thoughts, sense8 thoughts, sense8, sun x wolfgang, a friend like wolfgang and a girlfriend like amanita. what more could one ask for, wolfgang bogdanow, sun bak". It was posted 9 months ago on april 20, 2023, at 10:57 PM.

That's my fandom wrapped!


PS: I'm also borrowing a meme I've seen from [personal profile] charlottenewtons and [personal profile] senmut : FEMFEBRUARY,

B
asically: send me a fandom (you can check my sticky post for inspiration) + a female character + (optional) an specficic topic about her, and I'll write meta about her in February!

queenslayerbee: marble statue of empress livia seen from the chest up with a raised arm, looking ahead, over a black background. it's edited to look like blood is dripping on it from above. (blood (underground elysium))
Snowflake Challenge promotional banner with image of ice crystals formed on a dead flower on a bright blue background. Text: Snowflake Challenge January 1-31.

Try something new. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

Today I posted a new entry of my author's newsletter. This time it's a short story (around 5k) that could serve as a "prequel" for one of my ideas, "Underground Elysium.

A visionary vampiress, belonging to a matriarchal society of vampires with praying mantis-like habits, saw the apocalypse as an opportunity to subjugate humanity and elevate her species in a new world order, after the outside world became inhospitable to humans. Between the choice of risking falling prey to the walking, rotting corpses that roam the exterior, and a life of servitude under the civilised blood-sucking monsters underneath, many submitted to the second option. Nonetheless, there’s those even among her own that don’t appreciates living under Lucretia’s iron fist; around every corner a conspiracy against her brews, right as election season approaches.

The story offers a window to the beginnings of Lucretia’s dynamic with Dana, the main antagonist, and I really enjoyed writing! It's also the first time I share something longer / self-contained of my original writing, so I am excited about that as well.
Picrew of a black woman with ashen skin and a youthful appearance. She has red eyes and painted red lips, and her hair is black, long, in relaxed waves. She's wearing white, and she has a silver sun crown adoring her head, as well as a light golden moon behind it, and a paper with faded writing in the background. Picrew of a pale young white woman with freckles over her cheeks and the bridge of her knows. She has red eyes in spiral shape, and very dark red, short curly hair falling over her forehead and ears, around her face. Her lips are painted dark red, and she wears two fangs as earrings and a white half moon as necklace, as well as a blue dress that shows off her shoulders. Her background is an old ocre paper, and her head is framed by the shape of golden arrows coming out of it in a circle.

To finish this off, I'll let you with some picrews I made of the characters. I posted Lucretia's (left) in another challenge, and ended up making Dana's (right) afterwards.
queenslayerbee: Isabelle Adjany as Lucy Harker in 1979's "Nosferatu the Vampire". She's surrounded by darkness, looking over her shoulder while she wears a white nightgown and a cross as a necklace. A hand with long nails like a claw is reaching for her neck from the darkness behind her. (batcat (batman returns))
Snowflake Challenge promotional banner with image of gingerbread Christmas trees, a silver ball, a tea light candle and a white confectionary snowflake on a beige falling-snowflakes background. Text: Snowflake Challenge January 1-31.

Make a rec list! Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

I fear you'll get tired of me reccing things (I feel I have done nothing but during this challenge!), but I'll obey the challenge,so, here: a few more! Exclusively comics, this time, and I'll try to pic some mini-runs and self-contained issues that I haven't talked about yet (that I remember lol).

  • Oracle: Year One. This criminally short story can be found in "The Batman Chronicles" #5. It should be AT LEAST four issues long, on par with other "Year One" arcs (the Joker is getting THREE FREAKING ISSUES this month smh), but it is pretty damn near perfect as it is. A love letter to Barbara Gordon's character and a look into how she rebuilds herself after TKJ. The perfect un-fridging.
  • JLA/Titans #1-3. Mainly a Titans story and a precursor for Titans (1999). Very, very interesting, seemingly like everything Devin Grayson writes, one way or another.
  • The Enigma of the Amigara Fault by Junji Ito. Just read it. I won't spoil anything, just embrace the creepiness.
  • Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #1-6. If you know and love Kara Zor-El, read it. If you're only vaguely aware of who her character is, READ IT.
  • Dark Knights of Steel #1-12 (+ Tales from the Three Kingdoms). A "medieval" AU of DC. Quite interesting concepts. Might inspire you.
  • Batman '89 #1-6. A must if you liked Burton's Batman. It's set after Batman Returns, it's only six issues long, and it has a great (and very different) Barbara, AND a new Robin character that I feel for almost immediately.
  • Waller vs. Wildstorm #1-4. A reddit comment described its writers as “a de facto communist and a diversity hire grifter”, so it had to be at least interesting. Also, it has a better Waller than the one in canon rn.
  • Batman: Son of the Demon. A classic. Great Talia, great Brutalia, and the original inspiration of Damian.
If you have a short run/one-shot comic you'd like to recommend, feel free to leave a comment!
queenslayerbee: Isabelle Adjany as Lucy Harker in 1979's "Nosferatu the Vampire". She's surrounded by darkness, looking over her shoulder while she wears a white nightgown and a cross as a necklace. A hand with long nails like a claw is reaching for her neck from the darkness behind her. (Default)
Snowflake Challenge promotional banner featuring a snow-covered green bench in a snowy park. Text: Snowflake Challenge January 1-31.

Tell Us about a Personal Win. Share whatever wins you’re comfortable with telling us all about. Found a new fandom that makes you light up? One of your creations has earned more kudos than you dreamed of? Wins from life, new job, new school, new adventure? You have a couple of wins you want to celebrate, we want to hear about them. Share a win or two so we can cheer for you.

I have mentioned this in another entry, but one personal win I had recently was last year, when I finally finished my degree(s) (although the certificates haven't arrived yet Because Bureocracy LOL). Due to some external factors I really struggled for a few years on the academic side of things, and it was such a relief to finally accomplish what I set out to do there. Things are far from settled for me in my professional life, but that was a huge step in the right direction.

Another thing I feel proud about is having started an author's newsletter, something I had wanted to do for a while. So far there's only one newsletter out, but there are two upcoming ones coming soon: another one with updates in February, and one with an original short story before the month is over. After some years floundering in the writing department -since sorting things out in academia took priority-, I also feel like I'm back on track on that front, too.

queenslayerbee: Isabelle Adjany as Lucy Harker in 1979's "Nosferatu the Vampire". She's surrounded by darkness, looking over her shoulder while she wears a white nightgown and a cross as a necklace. A hand with long nails like a claw is reaching for her neck from the darkness behind her. (batcat (batman returns))
Snowflake Challenge promotional banner with image of snow-covered mushrooms and green moss. Text: Snowflake Challenge January 1-31.

In your own space, create a fanwork. Post your answer to today's challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

I decided to make a few icons! They're all from DC comics I've read (or reread) the last month or so, seventeen in total.

Bruce & Talia - Detective Comics #411, Batman #244 )Bruce & Talia - Detective Comics #411, Batman #244 )Bruce & Talia - Detective Comics #411, Batman #244 )
Steph & Tim, Detective Comics #648 )
Dick & Helena. Nightwing/Huntress #2 + #4 )

 

Barbara & Cassandra. Batman #567, Detective Comics #734 )
Dick & Jesse. Titans #11 + #12 + #19 )
Jason & Kara. Batman/Superman Annual #1 )
Zatanna. DC Speechless! #4 )
Damian & Talia. DC's 'Twas the Mite Before Christmas )

ETA: let me know if you use them! They're 200x200px, so adjust them if you need to.

queenslayerbee: Isabelle Adjany as Lucy Harker in 1979's "Nosferatu the Vampire". She's surrounded by darkness, looking over her shoulder while she wears a white nightgown and a cross as a necklace. A hand with long nails like a claw is reaching for her neck from the darkness behind her. (Default)
Snowflake Challenge promotional banner with image of a hollow ice ball sitting on ice crystals on a dark blue background. Text: Snowflake Challenge January 1-31.
 

Five Things! The five things are totally up to you. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

In one of these challenges I asked people to send me questions about my top fives, whatever they'd wanted.

This time I want to ask one myself: what are your top 5 female characters?

They can be from anywhere: books, films, shows, an OC you've created and nurtured for years... go nuts.

To break the ice, I'm gonna go with five female characters from my own original stories, Just Because. Not necessarily a definite Top 5 (I love them all, your honour), but a Top 5 RIGHT NOW :P
 

  1. Captain Latoya. She is and probably will always be number one in my heart. Space pirate, alien-human hybrid, daughter and grandaughter of tyrants. Arrogant, idealistic, ruthless, sharp, brave. A killer, a history savant, a natural performer and a hopeless romantic.
  2. Lady Vela. Years ago Vela requested the fairies' aid to free herself from the monsters raising her at home. Now, the fairies want to collect the debt. Vela is a young woman of deep, hidden melancholy with a trickster streak of her own, with a very tragic past and little hope for the future.
  3. Sadie Maxwell-Arriaga. A young, self-trained witch of immense natural talent, in love with magic above all things. Scrappy, greedy, kind, risk-prone, of easy-going manners broken occasionally by righteous anger. And murder suspect!
  4. Fanny. Seductive, deciteful femme fatala playing opposite to Giulietta, a lovelorn private investigator, both human woman (with a few extrasensory talents, in Giulietta's case) navigating a noir city of supernatural creatures. More than meets the eye 😉
  5. Imperatrix Lucretia. Visionary (or dictatorial, depending on who you ask) thrice elected leader of an underground society where vampires rule humans in exchange of protection from the outside world. Lucretia rose from the lowest depths of her society to the very top, fighting for her vision. She's calculating, paranoid, and pitiless, and would die before relinquishing power.
I added some images using this picrew, in order, from left to right:
Picrew of a light brown skinned young woman, with dark frekless over her nose and cheeks, red eyes with black scleara, and short black hair braided close to the scalp. She's wearing a white and golden outfit that leaves her shoulders uncovered, and has black wings. Her background shows the silouette of a sun framing her head, over a celestial sky.Picrew of a young asian woman, with light skin, green eyes, and a beauty mark under the right eye. She has black hair, braided down, and a white start on her forehead. She's wearing a sleeveless, high top with geometrical folms in ocre over maroon colour, and has pink and silver earrings. Her background is light, with drawings of eyes, moons, and stars.Picrew of a young, dark skinned, curvy black woman with grey eyes. She has thick, volouminous, curly black hair adored with two light yellow roses, and wears a soft yellow that shows off her shoulders, and an ocre relaxed ribbon as a necklace.Picrew of a pale white woman with big, dark brown eyes and plump limps painted red. She has long, styled, voluminous brown hair. She's wearing an open, long sleeved light blue shirt with small purple flowers in the colar, a light silver chocker, and earrings with a drawn grey eye. Her background is in sliding golden and dark brown, with the golden sillouete of a crown of laurel framing her head.Picrew of a black woman with ashen skin and a youthful appearance. She has red eyes and painted red lips, and her hair is black, long, in relaxed waves. She's wearing white, and she has a silver sun crown adoring her head, as well as a light golden moon behind it, and a paper with faded writing in the background.
queenslayerbee: Lisa simpson dressed in a multicoloured baggy shirt, with a sideways cap and sunglasses, and a disaffected look on her face. (lisa simpson (the simpsons))
Snowflake Challenge promotional banner with image of snow-covered trees and an old barn in the background. Text: Snowflake Challenge January 1-31.
 

Rec Us Your Newest Thing. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

I feel like all I've been doing during this event is recommending things LOL, but why not continue? I do like talking about my new shiny interests.

  • Titans (1999) #1-20. I just finish Devin Grayson's run in this volume and I really, really enjoyed it. It's definitely unpolished in some parts, heavy-handed in others but a.) the plot is solid and traps you, b.) the characters are MIGHTY interesting in this, and c.) the dynamics involved between them are JUICY AS FUCK. And the art is peak comic-book art. I really don't ask for more.
  • "Lud-in-the-Mist" by Hope Mirrless. This book has been on my to-read list for a long time now, after a friend's recommendation. I've just started it, I've only read a few episodes, but it's been a while since a book ensnared me so quickly. The jist of the premise is as follows:
Lud-in-the-Mist, the capital city of the small country Dorimare, is a port at the confluence of two rivers, the Dapple and the Dawl. The Dapple has its origin beyond the Debatable Hills to the west of Lud-in-the-Mist, in Fairyland. In the days of Duke Aubrey, some centuries earlier, fairy things had been looked upon with reverence, and fairy fruit was brought down the Dapple and enjoyed by the people of Dorimare. But after Duke Aubrey had been expelled from Dorimare by the burghers, the eating of fairy fruit came to be regarded as a crime, and anything related to Fairyland was unspeakable. Now, when his son Ranulph is believed to have eaten fairy fruit, Nathaniel Chanticleer, the mayor of Lud-in-the-Mist, finds himself looking into old mysteries in order to save his son and the people of his city.
But really, what has captured me is Mirrless' prose. It's vivid, whimsical in the best way, and utterly, utterly beautiful. Prose that is just functional has its place, don't get me wrong, but I do often feel that prose itself -beyond characters, tropes, ships, whatever-, receives very little appreciation. Craft matters!! And I love it when I'm before a book where the writer obviously gave it their all, where they thought long and hard about it, where every word is well-placed and produces a nearly musical effect. I want to write like this, damn xD

To close this, I wanted to link to the ficlets I've received in response to my prompts in the three sentences ficathon, so far
And that's all for now! But I encourage you to share your recs here, especially if you know any book with beautiful prose.
queenslayerbee: Isabelle Adjany as Lucy Harker in 1979's "Nosferatu the Vampire". She's surrounded by darkness, looking over her shoulder while she wears a white nightgown and a cross as a necklace. A hand with long nails like a claw is reaching for her neck from the darkness behind her. (batcat (batman returns))
Snowflake Challenge promotional banner with image of ice covered tree branches and falling snowflakes on a blue background. Text: Snowflake Challenge January 1-31.
 
 

Talk about a current fannish project (fic, art, vid, crochet, funko pop village) that you are creating or enjoying.

A chance to ramble about my current WIPs? I'll gladly take that.

This month I went low effort, to ease myself into what's going to be a veeeeery busy week. The fics I'm tackling are two, and only one of those will be (hopefully) finished this month. Both are DCU fics, following my current obsession.

The short one is a 5+1 one-shot type (although I guess there's a chance I'll divide those in short-ish chapters). I've labelled it "Immortal Jason" because it's precisely about that lol. There's an argument to be made about new earth!Jason having some resurrection capabilities -or, maybe more accurately, about how the ~universe~, corrected by Superboy-Prime's punch, just... rewrites itself and puts Jason back alive, as he "should" have been. So I thought it could be interesting to write about different members of the Bat Clan finding out about it! At first it was a more diffuse project, but at the beginning of this month I set it on a definite timeline: all post-UTRH, pre-Countdown/Batman R.I.P, (ymmv on whether those would still happen after the fic; not my problem xD). With a more stretched out period than the comics allowed, because they can't allow any breathing rhythim, of course (technically right after UTRH there's a one-year time skip). I've roughly decided that a period of three years goes between those events, for this fic's purpose, and that works out great for the fic. So far, I have rough drafts of (in order), Tim's, Cass', and Dick's scenes. Next would be Damian's, Alfred's, and Bruce's.

The long project is... well, a long one lol, and I'll be tackling it for the next few months. It's a long fic set in Young Justice, the animated show, set after the last season and focused on briging Jason back to the fold, and introducing Damian with it. It takes a little inspiration, among other comic timelines (even a little of pre-crisis!Jay), from the DCAU version of Jason that was written into a comic a few years back; just a little bit, because I found the treatment of his character there fucking atrocious LOL, but there were a couple elements that I found interesting (mainly, Jason having an older sibling that dies before Bruce takes him in. A brother, in the comic, but I've genderswapped the character). Other than that, there's a lot of Jason, a lot of the Bat Clan and the al Ghuls, a lot of flashbacks visiting Jason's time as Robin Because I Love It, and a lot of secret identity shenanigans, because Jason conceals his true identity for a long part of the story.

I'm still working out the kinks -seeing what characters to include and how prominent they'll be, what events I want to show in flashbacks, key events I want to include, etc.-, and I've written a lot of the flashbacks and a handful of scenes down the line. I'm really enjoying it, because this is a huge passion project of mine that's been floating around my head for years, and it's now finally crystalising.

I'm also enjoying the three sentence ficathon. I've received some fills and I've written a couple myself; I'll publish a masterpost about it later down the road, in case I write or receive more ^-^

Finally, I've mentioned this before, but other than that, this month I'm focusing on an original short story, telling the backstory of the protagonist and antagonist of a slightly longer tale: two vampiresses that veer for control of an underground empire in an upcoming election. I aim to publish that in my newsletter by the end of January.

queenslayerbee: Isabelle Adjany as Lucy Harker in 1979's "Nosferatu the Vampire". She's surrounded by darkness, looking over her shoulder while she wears a white nightgown and a cross as a necklace. A hand with long nails like a claw is reaching for her neck from the darkness behind her. (batcat (batman returns))
Snowflake Challenge promotional banner featuring an image of a fir bough with a white ball ornament and a glass vial. Text: Snowflake Challenge January 1-31.

Make a list of fannish and/or creative resources. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

I tend to think everyone knows about The Submission Grinder, a site for fiction and poetry writers to keep track of open submissions. But if you didn't know about it, or you're just starting to get your stories out, it might be useful!

And if you're on tumblr, check out Writeblr Graduates, to promote your published (be it traditional, indie, online, etc.) original writing.

Recently I found out about PostyBirb, a site that helps you speed up the process of posting to multiple sites and schedule posts, which can be useful for artists or writers trying to promote their work.

For my fellow DC fans, I wanted to post about the DCU guide, which I often use to track down characters appearances, chronologies, etc. (very useful for a completitionist like me lol). Although I mostly read batclan-related comics, and for that I tend to go for this regularly updated google spreadsheet of characters appearances and mentions.

Finally: if you haven't seen it, the three sentence ficathon is out! Go post your prompts! I posted a few myself (all about the dcu, of course), in case anyone's looking for inspiration 😉
queenslayerbee: Isabelle Adjany as Lucy Harker in 1979's "Nosferatu the Vampire". She's surrounded by darkness, looking over her shoulder while she wears a white nightgown and a cross as a necklace. A hand with long nails like a claw is reaching for her neck from the darkness behind her. (Default)
Snowflake Challenge promotional banner with image of cofee with over a cozy blanket. Text: Snowflake Challenge January 1-31.

In your own space, share a favourite piece of original canon (a show, a specific TV episode, a storyline, a book or series, a scene from a movie, etc) and explain why you love it so much. . Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

A while ago I started doing posts with a few recs that got sidetracked when I stopped using this journal for a little while, so I thought I'd do one of those!
  • ONE SHOW: yesterday I decided to watch a few episodes from the first season of "Batman: The Animated Series" and was once again overtaken by how much I love that show. I haven't really watched the other seasons, but from what I've seen new adventures didn't quite land that... baby's first gothic vibe season one had going on. Season one though? Superb. The Cat and the Claw and the first meeting between Bruce-Batman and Selina-Catwoman, the utter heartbreak in Heart of Ice, the melancholy It's Never Too Late, the tragic bent in On Leather Wings and ESPECIALLY Feet of Clay, the catharsis in Joker's Favor... this show had hit after hit after hit.
  • ONE FILM: "The Lion in Winter". If you enjoy a good story about an immensely fucked up royal family, this one is my favourite of all time. No character leaves you indifferent. And although we're already halfway through January, I love to watch it in winter. Really gets me in the spirit of the holidays!
  • ONE COMIC: I recently read "Nightwing/Huntress" (written by the infamous Devin Grayson, whose writing I'm just getting familiar with). Loved it. It's a take on Dick not everyone will enjoy, but I dig it, and the dynamic it presents between the characters is fascinating. Also, it's only four issues long, the art is gorgeous, and Helena should always wear that version of the suit.
  • ONE BOOK: "The Sanguine Sorceress" by Camilla Andrew. I don't get tired of recommending this book and this author, someone who I consider both a friend and a remarkable artist. I love a good tale of revenge starting an imperfect victim, with opulent descriptive prose and a detailed fantasy worldbuilding, and this novelette has it all. The paperback edition (still available for purchase) finally arrived in the mail, and it has gooooorgeous illustrations (ETA: forgot to add credit to the artist, Rachel Bostick). If it sounds like it could be the story for you, I wholeheartedly recommend it.
three pictures. The first one shows a book opened on its first page, with an illustration on the left. Over a black background, there's a maiden dressed modestly, in white, drawn as in inside a white guilded cage; over her, the red shadow of a butterfly obscures her. The middle is a book cover for "The Sanguine Sorceress", with red vines over a black background that form the shape of a ribcage, with a dagger insearted in the hard encaged in it. On the left there's another illustration of the same woman, now dressed in black, inside black vines, with the same butterfly shadow; this time, she seems to have blood on her mouth.
queenslayerbee: Lisa simpson dressed in a multicoloured baggy shirt, with a sideways cap and sunglasses, and a disaffected look on her face. (lisa simpson (the simpsons))
Snowflake Challenge promotional banner with image of vehicle going under a bridge during snowfall. Text: Snowflake Challenge January 1-31.
 
 
Search in your current space, whether brick-and-mortar or digital. Post a picture (a link to a picture will be fine!) or description of something that is or represents:

Very well!

Read more... )
queenslayerbee: Isabelle Adjany as Lucy Harker in 1979's "Nosferatu the Vampire". She's surrounded by darkness, looking over her shoulder while she wears a white nightgown and a cross as a necklace. A hand with long nails like a claw is reaching for her neck from the darkness behind her. (Default)
Snowflake Challenge promotional banner with image of horse drawn red coach in snowfall. Text: Snowflake Challenge January 1-31.
 

IceBreaker Challenge! Tell us about yourself. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

I'm gonna cheat just a little bit, because really, I find talking about myself extremely difficult. But! Lucky for me, I already had to do such titanic effort when I had to introduce myself on January 1st for my brand new author's newsletter (#selfpromo). So I'm just going to borrow from that section. If you want to read the rest (writing updates, an excerpt from an upcoming story, recommendations), you'll have to click the link :P

Read more... )

As for an ice breaker... ask me a top 5 [insert anything here] in the comments, and I'll reply!

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queenslayerbee: Isabelle Adjany as Lucy Harker in 1979's "Nosferatu the Vampire". She's surrounded by darkness, looking over her shoulder while she wears a white nightgown and a cross as a necklace. A hand with long nails like a claw is reaching for her neck from the darkness behind her. (Default)
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