Challenge #13: In your own space, create a fanwork.

I would love to participate in this challenge, but I legitimately do not have the time nor headspace to create something at the moment. BUT, what I do have are a handful of non-HP multi-fandom recs that I've been meaning to post, and I figure creating a reclist is definitely a fanwork of a type, so here are some random recs!

( The Avengers )

( The Avengers: Thorki )

( The Dresden Files )

( Supernatural: Destiel )

( Supernatural: Wincest )

( Supernatural: Benny/Dean )

Challenge #14: Share your love for a trope, cliché, kink, motif, or theme. (Or a few!) What makes it particularly appealing for you? What do you like in fanworks featuring that trope?

Your girl LOVES a trope, let me tell you, and I could honestly wax poetic about any number of tropes, but one of my absolutely favorite ~category~ of tropes, if you will, is forced proximity.

I love this one because it has so much sub-tropes that fall within its larger umbrella (bonding!fic, shared bed, forced/arranged marriage, working together, roommates, cuddling for warmth, trapped on an island, etc.) but basically I just love when two characters are smushed together (generally not entirely happily or voluntarily) and then FEELINGS HAPPEN. I'm not a fan of every single sub-trope for all of my pairings or fandoms (for example, though I loved forced/arranged marriage fics, I don't like them at all for Harry/Draco) which I why I tend to say more generally that I loved forced proximity because there is always at least one sub-trope within that category that I love for any given pairing.

Challenge #11: In your own space, recommend a fannish or creative resource.

'll recommend three because that seems like a nice number! Two HP-specific ones, and one that is more broad.

Harry Potter Resources

hp-lexicon: This website, which describes itself as: "The most compleat and amazing reference to the wonderful world of Harry Potter" is my go-to when I want to confirm some detail in my fics (and don't want to spend ages combing through the books themselves. It's accurate, detailed, and super useful!

potterwords: this is an old LJ community that has curated the canonical spellings/capitalizations of the various words used throughout the Harry Potter series. If I'm ever unsure if a word should be capitalized in particular, this is where I go to double check!

General Resource

writingwithcolor: This is an awesome resource if you are writing characters of color. As they put it: "We are dedicated to writing and resources centered on racial & ethnic diversity. We share Q&A-style writing advice, guides, book recommendations and more"

Challenge #12: Commit an Act of Kindness (or two or three ♥)

Done! ♥

Challenge #9: In your own space, promote at least one canon that you adore (old, new, forever fandom).

I really debated going with Harry Potter on this one, as it feels so obvious, but it really is my forever fandom. And the entire reason I got into this fandom, was because of the books. They are certainly not perfect (and neither is their author) but they really are wonderfully crafted, beautifully inspiring, immensely captivating, and just all-around magical. One thing I've noticed in a lot of more recent fics and fans is what feels like a like of knowledge, understanding, and/or respect for canon, and while I can absolutely understand how and why we might want to push back against some aspects (lack of POC representation, the retconning and extra canon stuff, etc) it does sort of baffle me how people can immerse themselves in a fandom without really knowing or enjoying the rich canon tapestry we've been given with HP. When I read fic, I want to recognize the characters and the setting and the magic that made me fall in love with the series, and I never fail to geek out when it's clear that authors share that knowledge and love of canon through the little references and details in their fics. I'm actually planning on doing a low-key re-read of the series later this year with the idea of reading one book a month. I did this a couple of years ago and I figured its time for a refresh, as it's always super interesting rereading the books now with all of my experiences reading and writing fanfiction.

Challenge #10: In your own space, talk About A Creator/Someone Who Inspired You.

There are SO many amazing creators who have inspired me over the years, and I was struggling to think of how to possibly narrow it down. But then I thought about the realization I've come to over the past few years that one thing that I find particularly inspiring is when I beta. I'm blessed to be friends with a number of amazing people who, beyond being wonderful humans, are also insanely talented. Getting to work with them on their ideas is so much fun, and seeing their passion for their stories reminds me why I love fandom and writing so much myself. Part of the reason why these friendships formed in the first place is because we tend to share similar headcanons or enjoy the same kinds of themes/stories/content, which makes the process extra enjoyable. I think I'm a fairly decent alpha/beta, and it also gives me the warm fuzzies to be able to provide feedback to help bring their visions to life. Many of the people below I beta'd for multiple times throughout the year, and all but one of them had a fic in hd_erised. So while I was betaing for them for that fest (and proofing and doing other Erised modly duties) I was also writing my  Advent Fic which is the second longest fic I ever wrote. And part of that was possible because I was so excited and inspired by the content I was betaing. 

Thank you so much to the lovely, wonderful, talented: dracospungen, firethesound, icarusinflight,kedavranox,nerdherderette,shiftylinguini,thistle_verse, &writcraft for allowing me the pleasure of betaing your fics in 2019 and for inspiring me! 

♥

Challenge #7: Promote/Rec/Sing the Praises* of Yourself!

I was actually tagged on tumblr recently to "Choose your 5 favorite works you created in the past year and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2019" so I thought I'd sort of combine this exercise with that one! <3

( 2019 Self Recs! )

Challenge #8: Rec at least three fanworks that you didn’t create.

MY FAVORITE! I actually have a number of HP recs that I've been meaning to post and just keep forgetting about... SO, excellent opportunity to make things right! We've got stuff in here from hp_nextgen_fest, hpdrizzle, sirius_blk

( Jeddy Recs (+ a Bonus Cross Gen Pairing)! )

( Prongsfoot Rec! )

( Drarry Recs! )

Challenge #5: Comment to someone you haven't ever interacted with before or introduce yourself to someone you've briefly interacted with and friend/follow them.

Done!

Challenge #6: Make a list of things that you wish existed in fandom or elsewhere, or that you'd like someone to make for you.

For myself:

1. Art based on my fic: Every writer pretty much puts this one down, but that's because it's amazing! I've been blessed to have several artists create art for my fics in the past, and it continues to be one of my absolute favorite things. ♥

2. Collab Buddy: One of the things I've never done and have always been a bit curious about is a collaboration, either with another artist or another author. I've worked with artists before for Big Bangs, but that was after I'd already come up with the idea and written the fic, and I'd love to try a more collaborative creation process. :D

3. Rarepair Beta: I write so many pairings, and I have a number of betas I rotate through, but I'd love somebody who's specifically volunteered so I don't feel so guilty asking people to beta my Harry/Firenze weirdness. The key here is, I really, really, really prefer betas who will provide more in-depth concrit and analysis of my fics. I love a good squee comment, and if you see SpaG issues, please do correct those, but I want somebody who will tell me if the pacing is off, if a character reaction doesn't quite fit the scenario, if I didn't manage to fully capture the nuance of a situation, etc.

For Fandom:

1. More Recs: I'd love for more people to consistently rec, and not just with a reblog with not content, but actual recs that tell me why you enjoyed the fic. It doesn't have to be paragraphs! But I'd love to see more reccing.

2. More Comments: I get that not everybody has the spoons to consistently comment, but it has generally felt like there has been a decrease overall in commenting. I'd love if more people consistently made an effort to comment on what they're reading and enjoying, especially for rare pair ships which tend to get less love.

3. More interaction on Dreamwidth: Journals are just my preference when it comes to fandom engagement, which I know is not the trend. But I find them so much more fufilling, and I'm really hoping that a lot of the faces I've seen around this month will stick around throughout 2020. <3

Will likely continue to combine these challenges and post every couple of days, just because there are a number of them I've done before! :D



Challenge #3: Pimp Your Favorite Communities, Fests or Challenges!

I could pick a whole host of options, but I'll go ahead and stick with fests/comms that I don't personally mod, as obviously I'm a bit biased. ;) I'm also limiting myself to just five, otherwise I'd be here all day!

daily_deviant: I know a lot of people have mentioned this in their favorites, but that should tell you how awesome it is! Some of my very favorite fics that I've read and written have been for this community, and I love that it provides a safe space for boundary pushing. You will see every kind of kink and pairing under the sun there, and everybody is super open and supportive and nobody thinks you're weird for writing Centaur porn or Sirius having sex with his motorbike... Super excited about the comm migrating this year to Dreamwidth, and I'm really hoping it will lead to increased participation!

hp_goldenage: One of the fests I make an effort to participate in every single year! Both because I think it's really well run and modded, and because I think it's a fest that is really filling a gap in the community. I'll admit, I don't write a ton of older characters, which is definitely influenced by my own age, but I love the chance to write something different for this fest. There's always a lot of variety as well, so there's something for everybody!

bbtp_challenge: I've loved this challenge for years and it continues to be a favorite! It's a multi-fandom, one-day smut "fest" where the only rule is to post a smutty fic on September 1. It's very chill and open to everybody (who writes porn) and I love it as it's the perfect excuse for me to prioritize and actually write one of the smutty little plot bunnies that are hopping around in my head!

hpfemslash-minifest: One of my personal goals for 2019 was to write more femslash (be the change you want to see in the world and all that) and this comm was SUCH a great, low-stress way to do that! They release a trio of prompts every two months, but you can also write for any of the past challenges whenever you'd like! I've written for every month/bi-month they've had prompts, and it's really helped keep me consistent with my femslash content.

getyourwordsout: This is an awesome community centered around making a writing goal (either in WC or number of writing days) throughout the year. There is lots of accountability and support, and it's a really wonderful, encouraging place for writers! Sign-ups are open until January 15, so there is still some time if you're interested! You can learn more about it here!

Challenge #4: Set some goals for the coming year. They can be fannish or not.

I've actually already done this as part of my 2019 wrap-up! You can read about my 2020 writing goals HERE!

Challenge #1: In your own space, introduce yourself!

*waves hello*

I'm Grace! You can find me:
gracerene
gracerene09
gracerene09

I'm a multi-fandom, multi-shipper, but my first and primary fandom is Harry Potter, and my OTP is definitely Drarry! I've been active in fandom for over 7 years, lurking for a bit longer. I first started out as a reccer, which is still something I very much enjoy doing. You can find a bunch of my rec lists across a broad variety of fandoms here!

In addition to reccing, I'm also a (fairly prolific) writer! All of my fics can be found on my AO3, linked above! I mostly write in the HP fandom (though I've been known to dabble in others!) and I write a lot of Draco/Harry fic, though I also post quite a lot of rare pairs. Mostly slash, though, and mostly explicit. :D

I've also done my share of modding throughout the years, specifically for hp_crossenfest, hp_nextgen_fest, & hd_erised! I've also modded harrydracobang which so far has only run once, though we might be bringing it back for 2021.

Challenge #2: In your own space, talk about your fannish history.

If you want to read my long winding post about my fannish origin story, you can find it here (post is f-locked). It's not a complete history, really just how I got started, but I think it does the job and I posted it 6 months ago, so it's still pretty relevant. :D

I recently finally made the plunge and read Starfighter (thanks, firethesound) and then immediately had to go and find fic. I've only read a bit so far, but I figured now was the time to post.

Though, can somebody please explain to me the sex appeal of Deimos? I honestly thought his character was a girl until Chapter 3 when Cain calls him a "he" and he reads like a limp fish to me, so I was surprised to see how much fic there was with him and Cain and/or Abel. I don't see it. Am I the only one who finds him negatively sexually appealing? On the flip side, I thought there would be more Abel/Praxis, because Praxis can get it.

In the Warnings section of each entry I have different tags, so if you are looking for something specific (like "underage" for example) just ctrl+f and enter your tag and it should highlight the relevant entries!

♥ = favorite

updated January 14, 2015

( Abel/Cain )

( Abel/Praxis )

And the bitch is back in action! I managed not only to hit my WC goal for the day yesterday, but I also made up the deficit from Saturday. But I'm just barely on track, which means I've got to be on it tonight! I think I may switch gears away from my ATF for a day or two though, since I think my brain needs to switch gears for a bit. The question is....gift!fic or kinkfest....

I'm about to head into hd_writers srsbzns Chatzy chat room, if anybody is around and wants to join me for some sprints. I should be there for a few hours!

Total Monthly Goal: 50,000
New Words Written: 2,356
Total Words So Far: 12,933

Monthly Goals: draft & finish gift!fic, claim & write fic for hp_kinkfest, Auror Training Fic!
Projects Worked On: ATF + drafted my gift!fic + I picked the prompt I want to write for hp_kinkfest!

I'd love to hear how y'all are doing with your writing endeavors as well, so please feel free to comment on this post and any future posts with your writing progress!

Fell behind yesterday. :( I still managed some words, but do to a few different factors, I wasn't able to start writing until later and then I just couldn't muster much inspiration. Hoping to do better today, as I need to hit today's word count + make up the difference from yesterday.

Speaking of, I'm about to head into hd_writers srsbzns Chatzy chat room, if anybody is around and wants to join me for some sprints. I should be there for a few hours!

Total Monthly Goal: 50,000
New Words Written: 795
Total Words So Far: 10,577

Monthly Goals: draft & finish gift!fic, claim & write fic for hp_kinkfest, Auror Training Fic!
Projects Worked On: ATF

I'd love to hear how y'all are doing with your writing endeavors as well, so lease feel free to comment on this post and any future posts with your writing progress!

Had a pretty crap writing day yesterday. But I still managed some words, and as of right now I'm still on track for my goal. But I'm hoping to get hella words this weekend to make it all up. Getting a late start today, but I'm planning on making the most of it.

Speaking of, I'm about to head into hd_writers srsbzns Chatzy chat room, if anybody is around and wants to join me for some sprints. I should be there for a few hours!

Total Monthly Goal: 50,000
New Words Written: 323
Total Words So Far: 9,782

Monthly Goals: draft & finish gift!fic, claim & write fic for hp_kinkfest, Auror Training Fic!
Projects Worked On: ATF - drafted three chapters & a little bit

I'd love to hear how y'all are doing with your writing endeavors as well, so lease feel free to comment on this post and any future posts with your writing progress!

The words, they keep a'coming. Still on track, which is AWESOME, but seeing as how I need to keep up an average of over 1,600 words a day to stay on track, I know it'll be far too easy to fall behind. Still, things have been going well, and it's been great having sprint partners in chatzy. <3

Speaking of, I'm about to head into hd_writers srsbzns Chatzy chat room, if anybody is around and wants to join me for some sprints. I should be there for a few hours!

Total Monthly Goal: 50,000
New Words Written: 2,324
Total Words So Far: 9,459

Monthly Goals: draft & finish gift!fic, claim & write fic for hp_kinkfest, Auror Training Fic!
Projects Worked On: ATF - drafted three chapters + outlined future gift!ficlet + went through beta notes/finalized separate H/D ficlet

I'd love to hear how y'all are doing with your writing endeavors as well, so lease feel free to comment on this post and any future posts with your writing progress!

( Snowflake Day 6 - Wishlist )

I managed words yesterday, but just barely. Luckily I'd built up a bit of a buffer, so I'm still on track for the month, but it means I'll need to get my ass into gear today. I've been feeling really just blah lately, so I took a mental health day from work today, and spent the morning making cookies. IDK. But now it's time to write!

I'm about to head into hd_writers srsbzns Chatzy chat room, if anybody is around and wants to join me for some sprints. I should be there for a few hours!

Total Monthly Goal: 50,000
New Words Written: 552
Total Words So Far: 7,135

Monthly Goals: draft & finish gift!fic, claim & write fic for hp_kinkfest, Auror Training Fic!
Projects Worked On: ATF - drafted two chapters, part of chapter three

I'd love to hear how y'all are doing with your writing endeavors as well, so lease feel free to comment on this post and any future posts with your writing progress!

( Snowflake Day 5 - Recs )

I was really worried about getting enough words yesterday, since it was my first day of my 50k challenge where I had work, which means less word time. But I actually had a realy good writing session. The section I worked on last night came easier than the previous bits I've been working on, which I am hoping is a sign for the rest of the fic. Thanks so much to all you lovely people who came and joined me in chatzy! It's always fun to have writing company. :D

Speaking of, I'm about to head into hd_writers srsbzns Chatzy chat room, if anybody is around and wants to join me for some sprints. I should be there for a few hours!

Total Monthly Goal: 50,000
New Words Written: 2,045
Total Words So Far: 6,583

Monthly Goals: draft & finish gift!fic, claim & write fic for hp_kinkfest, Auror Training Fic!
Projects Worked On: ATF - drafted two chapters

I'd love to hear how y'all are doing with your writing endeavors as well, so lease feel free to comment on this post and any future posts with your writing progress!

( Snowflake Day 4 )

Day 3 of my 50k Writing Challenge and things continue to go at pace. I actually managed to write a little ahead of schedule yesterday, which is good, because work started back up again today, and I have less time for writing.

I'm about to head into hd_writers srsbzns Chatzy chat room, if anybody is around and wants to join me for some sprints. I should be there for a few hours!

Total Monthly Goal: 50,000
New Words Written: 2,866
Total Words So Far: 4,538

Monthly Goals: draft & finish gift!fic, claim & write fic for hp_kinkfest, Auror Training Fic!
Projects Worked On: Finished a chapter of ATF + almost finished another section

I'd love to hear how y'all are doing with your writing endeavors as well, so lease feel free to comment on this post and any future posts with your writing progress!

( Snowflake Day 3 )

Heading into Day 2 of my writing challenge and so far so good. I need to hit an average of 1,613 words per day this month to hit my target and I made that yesterday. Today's goal is to get a bit ahead of that so I have some cushion going into the weekdays, when I have less writing time. I also have laundry, cleaning, and some cooking to get through today, so wish me luck!

I'm about to head into hd_writers srsbzns Chatzy chat room, if anybody is around and wants to join me for some sprints. I will probably be there most of the day, so feel free to drop by if you have some time!

Total Monthly Goal: 50,000
New Words Written: 1,672
Total Words So Far: 1,672

Monthly Goals: draft & finish gift!fic, claim & write fic for hp_kinkfest, Auror Training Fic!
Projects Worked On: Finished a section of ATF

I'd love to hear how y'all are doing with your writing endeavors as well, so lease feel free to comment on this post and any future posts with your writing progress!

( Snowflake Day 2 )

Hello and welcome to day one of Grace's January 50k Writing Challenge! *throws confetti*

This is also Day 1 of Grace getting her shit together, so I will be spending the day prepping healthy meals for the week, cleaning my apartment, and, of course, writing!

And, seeing as how I'm planning on doing the Snowflake Challenge again, and I want to avoid spamming everybody's feeds, I've decided to combine them for the time being. :D

( Day 1 - Self Recs )

Anywho, I'm about to head into hd_writers srsbzns Chatzy chat room, if anybody is around and wants to join me for some sprints.

But first:

Total Monthly Goal: 50,000
New Words Written: 0
Total Words So Far: 0

Monthly Goals: draft & finish gift!fic, claim & write fic for hp_kinkfest, Auror Training Fic!
Projects Worked On: None so far, planning on working on my Auror Training Fic today

I'd love to hear how y'all are doing with your writing endeavors as well, so lease feel free to comment on this post and any future posts with your writing progress!

Day 13

In your own space, post a rec for at least three fanworks that you did not create.

It just so happens that I've got exactly three Percy Jackson recs from Razielim's Merry Smutmas 2015. :D





Title: Everyone Has a Tequila Story
Author: razielim
Pairing(s): Jason/Nico/Percy
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 3,500
Content/Warnings: drunk!sex, dub-con, threesome, spit-roasting, bottom!percy, dirty talk
Summary: Percy’s not sure how the other two sons of the Big Three talked him into this, but here he is- a dick in his mouth and a dick in his ass. Remind him to drink less tequila.
Super hot drunk!sex fic, with a needy Percy and some fabulous spit-roasting.

Title: Are You Implying That Opposites Attract?
Author: razielim
Pairing(s): Jason/Percy
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 4,534
Content/Warnings: dirty talk, D/s dynamics, bottom!percy, drunk!sex, first time, *my prompt
Summary: Now that they’re both single and retired from monster hunting, Jason and Percy are spending a lot more time together. But when they get completely trashed one night, things get a little out of hand, and they discover just how well they fit together.
Super freaking hot with Percy and Jason getting drunk, and of course it devolves into sex. Super desperate for it Percy, which just gets Jason hotter. Loved this.

Title: I'm Here For You
Author: razielim
Pairing(s): Jason/Percy
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 6,303
Content/Warnings: sex toys, bottom!percy, first time, hung!jason
Summary: Percy has a problem. Annabeth wouldn't help him. All his other brief girlfriends or one night stands wouldn't help him. Luckily, his bro Jason is willing to step up to the plate and ensure that Percy is having all of his needs met.
Super hot fic with Percy wanting some specific experimentation, and Jason being more than willing to help a bro out! :)

Day 8

Comment to someone you haven't ever interacted with before or introduce yourself to someone you've interacted with and friend/follow them.

Done!

Day 9

In your own space, set some goals for the coming year. They can be fannish or not, public or private.

I pretty much already did this on my New Year's Resolutions post. F-locked, since there are personal goals as well.

Day 10

In your own space, post a rec for fannish and/or creative resources and spaces.

crack_broom: Super awesome HP reccing community. Each month, people sign up to rec different pairings/categories, and then they post four recs throughout the month. It's an awesome resource for people wanting to get into new pairings and a great place to share the love for your favorite fanworks.

Day 6

In your own space, create your own challenge. What’s something you want to see more people doing in fandom? Is there something you’ve tried that you think other people would enjoy if they gave it a go? Dare your friends to try it out, and have fun with it.

I challenge all of you lovelies to create a post with your fanfic likes and dislikes, if you haven't already.

This may be cheating somewhat, as I issued the same challenge last year. BUT it is still relevant, because so many of you on my f-list don't have a likes/dislikes posts, which makes it VERY difficult when one wants to be sneaky and gift something to you... Plus, they are just super fun to create, and even more fun to sift through. I love seeing where our likes and dislikes are similar and where they are different. :D

Here's mine, as an example, but there are a million ways you can configure and organize.

also

I come to you all with yet another desperate plea for beta services. This time the pairing is Charlie/Harry, WC is about 2k, and it's explicit. I'm supposed to be posting on January 9th, so I'd need a pretty tight turn-around. Comment below or send me a PM if you're available. THANK YOU! <33