Reads Randomly

Missed posting on Christmas, but didn't feel like posting on New Year's Eve like I have in years past. Fortunately, the first line of this particular song from Christmas Eve On Sesame Street (which you all know how much I love) is quite appropriate. I posted the video of it a few years back if you want to hear the whole song.


Keep Christmas With You All Through The Year


Happy Holidays, everyone!

So there was an attack on LJ on my 5th year anniversary. Seems a little ominous, don't you think?

Five years ago today, I posted my very first fic. Actually I posted three. (One of the few times I've ever posted multiple times in one day.) At first, this was nothing but a place where I dumped my West Wing fic, but little by little I started branching out into other fandoms (though I wasn't always successful) and experimented with other fani-sh forms of expression. I even started posting about my life off-line (though those posts are usually friend-locked at the very least). LJ is such a big part of my life now, it's hard to imagine what I would do without it. Twitter just isn't the same and you all know how I feel about Facebook.

So how do I celebrate?  Well, it seemed appropriate to go back to how this all began... with fic. I thought about offering DVD commentary or a fanwank Q&A, but I think new fic is the way to go. Lord knows, I'm a horribly slow writer, but I do seem to turn out 100 word drabbles pretty fast.  So...

In honor of the occasion, give me a fandom and a prompt (or two or three), and I'll give you a 100 word drabble in the next few days (or maybe weeks).

I don't mind branching out into a fandom I haven't written for yet, as long as I'm familiar with it. I actually enjoy trying something new. Though it's always nice to have the excuse to write West Wing too. Can't forget your roots!

Four years ago, right around this time, I posted my first fic and the legend LJ of Quag E. Mire was born. At first, this was just supposed to be an LJ for my fic, but things expanded a bit.  I've met knew people and got involved with new things and new communities.  But fic was the reason why I started this journal. Since I've been posting all my old stuff over at FF.Net, I've had a chance to go over everything I've written so far.  So for my anniversary, I thought I would do a top ten of my favorite fics. Not surprising, given the fact I've only recently branched out into other fandoms, they are all West Wing fic.  These are they ones that I really think hold up, even if I've improved as a writer.  Please forgive the arrogance. I'm mostly just looking back.


1) Less Traveled By
If I never write another West Wing fic (and I have since, so don't worry), I'll be able to say I went out on a high. I don't know if I'll ever be able to top this one.

2) Left Waiting
At first this started as a prequel to fix What Happens In Hospitals, but it became a strong piece in its own right.  This is one of those pivotal fics where I think my writing style leveled up.

3) Untitled Fic (I sometime refer to this as "Art Imitates Life" or "It Takes A Year")
It's actually pretty unfair of me to include this on my list, since the entry is friend-locked and I have no intention of changing that. I wrote this after my father died, basically borrowing West Wing characters to say what I couldn't on my own back then. I can't objectively judge whether or not it's the best thing I've written. But I like it and it has meaning for me, so it makes the list.

4) Regrets
Another one of those writing breakthrough pieces. Up until this point, I had basically been writing character studies. This fic showed me that I could mess with peoples emotions. (I was trying to come up with a less evil way of putting that, but in the end I decided to call a spade, a spade.)

5) In Bed
I don't know if I'm supposed to admit this about something I wrote, but this fic still makes me laugh.

6) Hobbesian
This is pre-series and I usually never stray from Season 7, but it took a life on its own. (Well, once I finally figured out what was wrong with it. Thanks again for the help, Amy!)  I spend so much time getting into characters' heads that the chance to look at everyone from an outsider's POV was a lot of fun.

7) Expecting
I'm not adopted nor is anyone in my family, but I still manged to make this resonate for a lot of people. That might be one of the things I'm most proud of.

8) Untold Plans
I will never write an opening line better than this one. End of story.

9) Outside Looking In / Inside Looking Out
These two really do have to be read together.  Maybe it was using the quotes and song lyrics, but I managed to dive deeper into Josh and Donna's head than I had previously.

10) Band of Brothers… and a Sister
A mostly un-shippy fic for me, but sometimes that's a good thing.


So that's it.  I thought about doing a separate list of my favorite 100 word drabbles, but I think my ego has been fed enough with this post, don't you?

When I look back at 2008, it feels like I lived for five years in these twleve months.  I just passed too many milestones and historic markers (both personal and universal) to really wrap my head around this year or to sum it up with a few words, so I'm not going to even try.

Normally this time of year, I quote song lyrics.  I didn't do so at Christmas, since I posted fic instead, but I would hate to abandon the tradition completely. So...

( New Year's Resolutions )

Happy New Year, Everyone!  May 2009 bring you happiness and this year be a little better than the last.