Date: 2007-10-07 23:28 Subject: Ironman postmortem Security: Public Tags: challenge: ironman7, meta: narcissism, meta: writing process

...Whew!

Alright, okay, that was a lot of work. And some of the things I produced I'm still pretty dubious about. But! I also produced some things that I am quite happy with. And since a lot (most?) of the time I spent on Ironman was time I otherwise would have spent not writing, I think I came out ahead, even in the material sense.

( Writing process musing... )

Basically, hopefully after this challenge I will be better at producing ideas I'm excited about, and thus producing more fic that I am excited about!

( Fun stats... )

And now I have time to do whatever I want. OMG. Probably most of this will be spent playing Persona 3. Definitely some of it will be spent on "Opening Gambits" and other things I've had in progress for forever, because a side effect of Ironman is that I've been really wanting to work on them. ♥

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Date: 2007-10-07 22:29 Subject: Ironman week 7 - writer's choice Security: Public Tags: [all fic], category: f/f, category: gen, category: m/f, category: m/m, challenge: ironman7, character: balthier, character: ikkaku, character: light, character: raul, character: rianna, character: soi fong, character: vossler, character: yoruichi, fandom: bleach, fandom: death note, fandom: final fantasy xii, fandom: magna carta, length: 200-500 words, pairing: light/mikami, pairing: light/misa, pairing: yoruichi/soi fong

Woo! Done! \o/ Will probably have a reflection post up in a bit, because I like analyzing myself after the fact.

This week was surprisingly hard. I'm not sure I do well with lots of options. ^^;; Also, I've been exhausting my idea pool pretty thoroughly. But! Nevertheless, completed! \o/

god prefers an atheist
Death Note, Light/pretty much everyone in one way or another. 500 words. Significant spoilers for much of the series. Not worksafe.
( Preferences )

I'm impressed -- don't like you, but I'm impressed
Magna Carta, Rianna & Raul. 400 words.
( Steady Enough )

walk around me, not before me, I'll pretend not to ignore ye / but I'll compromise when I realize you can do something for me
Final Fantasy XII, Vossler, Balthier. 400 words. Spoilers through Leviathan.
( A Distasteful Price )

only cowards stay, while traitors run
Bleach, Soi Fong->Yoruichi. 300 words. Backstory spoilers, I suppose.
( Coward )

I get knocked down, but I get up again / you're never gonna keep me down
Bleach, Ikkaku and others. 300 words. Warnings for 2nd person POV and randomness. >_>
( Disruptive )

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Date: 2007-10-06 21:52 Subject: Ironman week 6 - Kink/cliche Security: Public Tags: [all fic], category: m/f, category: m/m, challenge: ironman7, character: balthier, character: basch, character: ffamran, character: jules, character: mello, character: raul, character: reddas, character: rianna, character: vaan, fandom: death note, fandom: final fantasy xii, fandom: magna carta, length: 200-500 words, length: 500-1k words, pairing: basch/vaan, pairing: jules/ffamran, pairing: reddas/balthier, pairing: rianna/raul

Don't be fooled; these are last week's fics, which I realized I hadn't reposted here yet. This week is the last week, but I still have two more fics to post this weekend before I am done, done, done.

The thing about some of these is that they were written while my brain was foggy from my cold. I'm not sure what overall effect that had - at the very least, it seemed to act like writing fics while really tired in that it took a level of apprehensive "Can I pull this off? Does this make any sense?" off my cognitive processes, so they ended up somewhat more... adventurous. ^^

Overall not worksafe; see specific warnings on each fic.

I will be the one to hold you down, and kiss you so hard, I'll take your breath away
Final Fantasy XII, Basch/Vaan. 400 words. Not worksafe, breathplay.
( Inhale )

these boots are made for walkin' and that's just what they'll do / one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you
Death Note, random mafia man->Mello. 300 words. Probably mild spoilers.
( Some Kid )

I didn't want to fuck you, but you're pretty when you're mine
Magna Carta, Rianna/Raul. 200 words. Not worksafe, bodyswap.
( Until Recently )

Luck, if you ever were a lady to begin with, Luck, be a lady tonight
Final Fantasy XII, Reddas/Balthier. 400 words.
( On the Table )

don't hesitate, I won't kiss and tell / no need to worry cause I'm a professional
Final Fantasy XII, Jules/Ffamran. 700 words. Not worksafe.
( Flamboyant )

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Date: 2007-09-24 22:02 Subject: Ironman week 5 - Humor Security: Public Tags: [all fic], category: crossover, category: gen, category: m/f, challenge: ironman7, character: ashe, character: basch, character: fuu, character: ikkaku, character: jin, character: mal, character: mugen, character: raul, character: reno, character: rianna, character: river, character: rude, character: yumichika, fandom: bleach, fandom: final fantasy vii, fandom: final fantasy xii, fandom: firefly, fandom: magna carta, fandom: samurai champloo, length: 200-500 words, length: 500-1k words

The hardest week yet! Harder than angst week, harder still than fluff week. Humor on demand five days a week is killer. -_-

The other problem, which I realized the other night, is that it's also particularly hard when the pieces are short. When you only have 200 or so words, there's not much space for anything more than a short buildup and a punchline. And if the punchline fails, it's not particularly funny. With longer things you can throw in lots of snarky comments and smaller funny things, and even if some of them fall flat you can still achieve overall funniness. ...But it's hard for me to write that many words between 9pm and midnight on the day I need to post something, particularly when the first hour is often spent going "Dammitdammit, what can I write?" >_> Sunday's was posted at 11:57pm, and that was safely early compared to Saturday's, which made it in at 11:59:46 or so.

Anyway. Another odd set of fandoms this week, which I once more blame on the genre. All worksafe (in fact mostly gen), no spoilers to speak of.

I can't picture you with him, his future looks awful dim.
FFVII, Reno, with Rude->Tifa and perhaps hints of Reno->Rude. 600 words.
( Have a Shot )

If I seem a little strange, that's because I am.
Firefly, River and the crew. 200 words.
( Spinning Clay )

I thought you might have some advice to give on how to be insensitive.
Bleach, Ikkaku & Yumichika. 200 words. Cracky, based on this.
( The World Is Not Enough )

Anything is possible with a little love and a pretty face and some time to waste.
Magna Carta/FFXII, Raul, Rianna, Basch and Ashe. 400 words.
( Proper Mercenaries )

Anything passes, when you need glasses.
Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Jin and Mugen. 300 words.
( The Only Way )

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Date: 2007-09-16 17:07 Subject: Ironman Week 4 - AU Security: Public Tags: [all fic], category: au, category: gen, category: m/f, challenge: ironman7, character: ashe, character: balthier, character: drace, character: ffamran, character: fran, character: gabranth, fandom: final fantasy xii, length: 200-500 words, length: 500-1k words, pairing: balthier/ashe, pairing: fran/balthier

My ironman fics this week came to 3k words total, you guys. I don't know how this happened - I fail at writing AUs! I think my category: au tag has exactly one other thing in it at this point. I guess I have a tendency to want all the details before I write something. And most of the time that means I never write anything AU, and for these it just meant that I tried to hash out the environment more than I probably needed to.

Also, to aid in ideas by restricting the field of possibilities - and also because I am paranoid about keeping characters recognizable - these are all FF12, and in fact are basically Fran and Balthier Do Everything. ^^

everybody wants to rule the world
Balthier/Ashe, 400 words. A canon-but-slightly-different AU.
( Easily Divided )

you want to know one thing I advise? shoot when you see the whites of their eyes
Various judges, gen. 500 words. Another canon-but-slightly-different AU.
( A New Technology )

though the rain weighs down your wings, still the caged bird's got to sing
Drace and Fran, gen. 700 words. Prison AU.
( That Much Focus )

I drive a Rolls Royce 'cause it's good for my voice
Fran/Balthier, 900 words. Mobster AU. This one's my favorite. :D
( Enforcer )

on the screen there's a diagram of you, and the disk where I saved it holds your name / there are those who believe our love's untrue, but I still adore you all the same
Fran/Balthier, 500 words. The Fran-is-a-sentient-computer-program AU. Whut.
( Nanosecond Blink )

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Date: 2007-09-11 12:34 Subject: Ironman week 3 - Fluff Security: Public Tags: [all fic], category: m/f, category: m/m, category: m/m/m, challenge: ironman7, character: baralai, character: basch, character: gabranth, character: gippal, character: haruhi, character: nooj, character: soi fong, character: tamaki, character: vossler, character: yoruichi, fandom: bleach, fandom: final fantasy x-2, fandom: final fantasy xii, fandom: ouran host club, pairing: basch/gabranth, pairing: basch/vossler, pairing: nooj/gippal/baralai, pairing: tamaki/haruhi, pairing: yoruichi/soi fong

Summary post up late, half because the week's fics were actually finished late (well, by my rules, not the contest rules - I am supposed to try and get them up weeknights, but I am allotted one day slip for Circumstances, and thus the last one should be posted Saturday and the repost should be Sunday), half because last night was eaten by this week's fic.

As far as writing-process goes this week was more painful than painfic week. I don't know why. Clearly I fail at fluff. >_>

No warnings, except for generally likely spoilers and potential awkward prose.

they said our love would fade, but it gets stronger every day / they say that beauty fades, well, you're more beautiful than ever
Bleach, Yoruichi/Soi Fong. 200 words.
( Shaken )

whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am home again
Final Fantasy XII, Basch/Gabranth. 100 words.
( As Simple )

we talk about it all night long / we define our moral ground / but when i crawl into your arms / everything comes tumbling down
Final Fantasy X-2, Nooj/Gippal/Baralai. 400 words.
( Moral Ground )

On the continent of your skin, wandering, wandering, I could spend my life traveling the length of your body each night.
Final Fantasy XII, Basch/Vossler. 400 words.
( Weather of Your Country )

My heart can't stop beating faster, every time I hear your name or your laughter.
Ouran Host Club, Haruhi->Tamaki. 200 words.
( Arrhythmia )

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Date: 2007-09-02 20:54 Subject: Ironman week 2 - Smut Security: Public Tags: [all fic], challenge: ironman7, character: cidolfus bunansa, character: ffamran, character: jules, character: lust, character: orihime, character: reddas, character: tatsuki, character: venat, fandom: bleach, fandom: final fantasy xii, fandom: fullmetal alchemist, pairing: jules/ffamran, pairing: reddas/balthier, pairing: tatsuki/orihime, pairing: venat/cid

So I accomplished very little of my to-do list yesterday except for those things which were already accomplished when I posted it. >_> ...Oh, and Ironman!

Insights for this week: 1) Yeah, looks like it was just angst week digging up weird fandom ideas - this set is much more the sort of stuff I expect from myself. Though FMA still snuck in there. 2) It is one thing to think "ha! werewolf sizekink porn!" and another to actually find a concrete idea and write a few hundred words of it in a night. 3) The problem with "I might like you better if we slept together" as a prompt is that most of the pairings I thought of were people who decidedly would not like each other better if they slept together, or even claim to.

...Anyway! On with the porn! Kinda. The level of pure smuttiness varies. Definitely not worksafe, though.

Full full moon and that same sad nature / wanna cover every inch of you like ink on paper
Final Fantasy XII, Reddas/Balthier. 200 words. Backstory spoilers.
( Old Habits )

The world was on fire, no one could save me but you / Strange what desire will make foolish people do
Bleach, Tatsuki/Orihime, 400 words.
( Present and Solid )

I like the song you'll sing for me, when I touch you
Final Fantasy XII, Jules/Ffamran. 300 words.
( Sing For Me )

keep on whispering in my ear, tell me all the things that I wanna hear
Final Fantasy XII, Venat/Cid. 300 words.
( To Plan Their Folly Thus )

every time I scratch my nails down someone else's back I hope you feel it
Fullmetal Alchemist, Lust/unnamed male. 200 words. Violent and generally creepifying.
( Unmoved )
.
..
...I still have things I want to get done. I decided to ignore them today in favor of watching House and starting Suikoden V. ♥

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Date: 2007-08-26 16:28 Subject: Ironman week 1 - Painfic Security: Public Tags: [all fic], category: au, category: gen, category: m/f, category: m/m, challenge: ironman7, character: cameron, character: light, character: martel, character: mikami, character: misa, character: squall, character: zell, fandom: death note, fandom: final fantasy viii, fandom: fullmetal alchemist, fandom: house md, length: 200-500 words, pairing: light/mikami, pairing: light/misa, pairing: zell/squall

This... is a really weird set of stuff. Not objectively weird - okay, maybe the Light/Mikami one is objectively weird - but weird for me. I mean, the prompts screamed at me for most of these, but seriously: FF8, it's been nine months since the one time I wrote it before. Death Note is a bit more standard except that they're both late-series, which I haven't written and had no plans to. FMA - it's been a while and it intimidates me. House I have no excuse other than that I've been watching it and it was hard to come up with another idea around kittens.

I guess we'll see next week if the weirdness is because of the format or just because of it being the Week of Woe. Anyway, it made it probably a good thing that I didn't set myself a list of fandoms to write. As it turned out, my only extra rule for myself is that I must write in multiples of 100 words.

All ficbits carry warnings for woe, probable spoilers and possible rough writing.

The path that I have chosen now has led me to a wall, and with each passing day I feel a little more like something dear was lost.
Final Fantasy 8, Zell->Squall. 400 words.
( Something Dear )

The pain of war cannot exceed the woe of aftermath.
Fullmetal Alchemist, Martel (and Law, Dorochet). 300 words.
( Stone Cold )

Don't ask me what I think of you, I might not give the answer that you want me to.
House MD, Cameron->House. 100 words.
( What did you expect )

Ain't it hard when you discover that, he wasn't really where it's at, after he took from you everything he could steal. How does it feel?
Death Note, Light/Misa. (Or probably really Misa->Light.) 200 words.
( Give Up )

All of this temptation, you know it's turned my faith to lies. Till I couldn't see the danger, or hear the rising tide.
Death Note cyberpunk AU. Light/Mikami. 500 words. (And probably not the same Death Note cyberpunk AU as I'm writing for y_c. ^^;)
( Fall to Your Knees )

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