Instead of just doing a holiday exchange roundup post, I'm doing one for my whole fannish year. 2007 wasn't terribly productive for me, but what the heck. (Also, this is almost entirely fanart, with just the one piece of fanfiction for yuletide.)

I was going to wait for the go_exchange reveal, but it's still not up and I'm impatient. Anyway, anyone who is the least bit familiar with my art would recognize my piece in a second.

( My fannish year in review:Collapse )

Well, that's that. Although, the holiday exchanges aren't over quite yet: yuletart just started posting today, and new fanart will be going up all month! Check it out, it's sure to be fantastic. I'm already the recipient of a rather lovely gift, and I can't wait to see what else the challenge has in store.

As for this year, I want to do more fanart. (For one thing, I must draw something Avatar-related! Gah!) Unfortunately, I won't have anything new for a bit (maybe a month or so), as I'd like to earn a few paychecks before purchasing a new copy of Photoshop (thank goodness for my dad's academic discount, also).

I'm having a bit of a fresh start this year, what with a new job in a new city. Maybe I'll add to that by making this the first year I write for the New Year's Resolution challenge as well. ;)

The reveal is (almost) upon us, and I just wanted to say . . . I cannot wait to find out who you are, so I can thank you both personally! But, I wanted to let you know that I'm actually moving on the morning of January 1, so it's possible I might not get a chance to do that right away. As soon as I'm able, though!

A holiday exchange round-up post should go up sometime this week too, but possibly with a slight delay, for the same reason.

Well, here's a first set of brief yuletide recs! I've been reading whenever I get a chance the last day or two, but now I probably won't get to continue much for awhile. I'm moving on the 1st, and there's so very much to do before then.

Mostly but not entirely alphabetical. (As in, these are fandoms A-F, but there's a random H and a J in there as well . . . anyway, yeah.)

( 26 recs in 17 fandomsCollapse )

Also, I've been getting some lovely responses to my own story, which is quite unexpected, as usual. (Someone smack me next year.) Man, I can't wait for the reveal . . . to find out who my awesome Santas are, and to thank everyone for commenting!

Whew. Time to get back to packing, now. (All I want to do is read!)

I am such a lucky fangirl today! I received not one, but two fantastic Yuletide stories: a lovely lengthy fic, and an adorable little Treat as well. I must rec them!

Parklife
Fandom: From Eroica With Love
Pairing: Klaus/Dorian
Category: preslash
Rating: PG
Description: "Klaus gets assistance from Dorian on a mission, and appreciates it about as much as he ever does."
Comments: This story is rather fantastic. It's beautifully in character (how I love cantankerous Klaus and breezy Dorian!), with a fun plot and lovely style (it's half banter, half meandering description). It's a bit . . . relaxed? in comparison to the manga, but honestly, that's something I look for in fic. ;) Plus, a bonus: titled after a blur song! Which makes me wonder if my author was just lucky, or really thorough. I love this story so much.

The Lady and the Dragon
Fandom: Excalibur (1988 comic)
Pairing: Rachel/Kitty
Category: gen (or very subtle femslash, if you like)
Rating: G
Description: "The Cross-Time Caper continues apace, and Kurt has a thrilling tale to tell Kitty and Rachel."
Comments: So adorable! This fits right into canon, and really brings to mind everything I love about the classic Excalibur tales. It's zany, slapsticky, and a bit touching all at once. The characters are just right: Kurt's dashing but inevitably trips up a bit, Kitty is a bit geeky and grumbly and young (I miss her like that), and Rachel, as always, a bit haunted. The central conceit of the story was appropriately bizarre and hit-you-over-the-head symbolic, and just, awwww. I love them. :) Bonus: yay Lockheed!
Quote: "Blech! Why do I always have to be the princess? This is, like, the third time! Don't any of these dimensions need, I don't know, computer programmers? Or superheroes? Or theoretical physicists?"

While I'm at it, there's also my sweet little go_exchange story, though it was already posted awhile ago:

Father Christmas, Father Time
Fandom: Good Omens
Characters: Agnes Nutter, Anathema Device, Newton Pulsifer
Category: gen
Rating: PG
Description: "Holiday traditions, whether forbidden or irritating, don't change."
Comments: I never expected to actually get an Anathema-centric story--she's one of my favorite characters in the novel, and tragically underused in fandom--so I was thrilled to receive this. It's a sweet, slightly wry little look at family traditions in two different generations, with neat parallels. :)

Well, I have more family things to attend to. I can't wait to sink my teeth into the yuletide archive, though I probably won't have much leisure to do so 'til after the New Year--I'm moving at the end of the week!

Damn. Had a story idea percolating in my head all through mass tonight, but by the time we got home it was already 11:30, so there was no way. My yuletide total is a solid one, which makes me feel kind of like a freeloader(with the way things have gone this year, wow).

I mean, the way things have been in my real life--starting job, frantic last-minute apartment search, plus the usual tasks--I will give myself a pass. But I want to do better next year. And maybe actually do some NYR this year. (I do have a whole bunch of intriguing prompts listed already that I pulled of the Treats page, after all.)

Still, though: so excited. Cannot believe we topped 2,000 stories this year. How much do I love these people?

So a very Merry Christmas to any and all of you who celebrate it! I have a whole lot of wrapping left to do now. And I plan to have willpower and not look at the archive 'til I wake up in the morning . . . even if it opens before I go to bed.

Whew. Got my yuletide story uploaded last night, a whole week later than originally planned. (But still: with 23:23 to spare, not 00:05 like last year, ahaha). I have no idea how I feel about my story, of course . . . and I think my choice of title was probably not the best ever. But. Done.

And now I have my first day of the new job--the real job--and then more apartment hunting. No rest 'til Christmas itself, probably.

I kind of have to finish and post my yuletide fic before I leave for Boston tomorrow afternoon. So, of course it insists on being longer than 1,000 words.

This is a bit of an adventure: I've never written for a fandom/pairing that I was essentially unfamiliar with before. I think it's going reasonably well, although . . . it's definitely a bit different. Takes the source material in a different direction, that is. Story kind of insisted. (Well, that's better than writer's block, anyway!)

Not thinking about all the other stuff I still have to do!

Well, I'm not sure if people looking for yuletide betas generally check their journals before emailing them, but just in case! This is a notice that I'm not going to be able to take on any more stories, unfortunately. I have a couple to work on already, plus my own to finish.

I might be available for post-deadline pinch-hitters, if I don't pick up a pinch hit of my own. (So far there hasn't been one for me; sadness! Last year I wanted every other one posted.) We'll see, though.

Every year I beta-read sweetvalleyslut's yuletide fic. I really enjoy betaing, and would like to do it more. (I used to be regular beta for two Labyrinth writers, but both moved on to other things.) Last year I beta'd for another Yuletide writer, and I'd like to do that again!

Here is a list of 70+ fandoms ( I can beta very closelyCollapse )

I'm also quite happy to do a general beta for just about any fandom. I can be as harsh or light as you need me to be, on both style and grammar.

So, if you need a beta, you can contact me at fairiesbite at yahoo dot com. I'd be more than happy to help. :)

One note: I mean to do some pinch-hitting this year, so I probably won't be available for last-minute betaing (though feel free to check, I could surprise myself).

Yay!

I got my yuletide assignment! And, it's a doozy. As it should be. ;) I shall be quite challenged this year, though I hope I'll be able to pinch-hit as well.

I'm about to make two separate yuletide-related posts. Please bear with me, non-participants.

( Dear Yuletide Santa of AwesomenessCollapse )

Here is some optional extra information about my four fandoms, with some resource links. By the way, I have no preference amongst the four of them; they’re all rather beloved.

Beware: I’m going to ramble, and I can talk endlessly about things I love! (Seriously, if you combine all four posts, I blather on for at least five pages here. Again, please feel free to skip or skim! This is extra info provided for your use, only if you want it!)

My thoughts on comics, let me show you them:
Desert Peach
Excalibur (1998 comic)
From Eroica With Love
Strangers in Paradise

Yay! So excited! I can't wait to get started on my assignment!