Let's have an ask meme!

[oloriel]

Stealing the idea from independence1776!

From Tumblr user Riftlotor:

Since it's December, I thought I’d make a little end of the year ask meme for fanfic writers and readers! Reblog and ask away. Feel free to specify fandoms or a fic depending on the question.

1. favorite fic you wrote this year
2. least favorite fic you wrote this year
3. favorite line/scene you wrote this year
4. total number of words you wrote this year
5. most popular fic this year
6. least popular fic this year
7. longest completed fic you wrote this year
8. shortest completed fic you wrote this year
9. longest wip of the year
10. shortest wip of the year
11. fandom you enjoyed writing for the most this year
12. favorite character to write about this year
13. favorite writing song/artist/album of this year
14. a fic you didn’t expect to write
15. something you learned this year
16. fic(s) you completed this year
17. fics you’ll continue next year
18. current number of wips
19. any new fics to start next year
20. number of comments you haven’t read
21. most memorable comment/review
22. events you participated in this year
23. fics you wanted to write but didn’t
24. favorite fic you read this year
25. a fic you read this year you would recommend everyone read
26. number of favorites/bookmarks you made this year
27. favorite fanfic author of the year
28. longest fic you read this year
29. shortest fic you read this year
30. favorite fandom to read fic from this year

Like Indy, I only got one ask on Tumblr to this one, so maybe this here is a better place for it. I'll c/p the answers I gave to the one on Tumblr into the first comment, in case anyone's interested!
Questions that are struck out have already been answered.

(I reblogged this on Tumblr a few days ago and only one person asked me anything, so I figured I'd put it here, too. I'm copy/pasting my answer to the already-asked questions in the first comment.)

Comments

[oloriel]

(asked by starspray

14 - a fic you didn’t expect to write 

There were several fics that I didn’t expect to write, since a lot were the result of the SWG challenge prompts. Perhaps the most unexpected, though, was the completely frivolous Authority - a cracky little AU in which Nerdanel is present in Formenos, and uses her Mom Voice on Melkor.

16 - fic(s) you completed this year

None of my WiPs, I’m afraid. The only pieces I completed are two one-chapter one-shots that are vaguely related: Loving Úner and Loving Uinen, both about Tar-Ancalimë as the Númenórean equivalent of a teenager. Also my Tar-Míriel poem The Queen Comes To The Mountain, if poems count.

18 - current number of wips 

Oh no! If we’re counting only WiPs that are partially published, and not including collections of loosely connected stories, that’s easy: Going Through These Stages about Elrond’s reaction to the news of Elros’ death; The Embalmer’s Apprentice, my current opus magnum, currently at 30 chapters and showing no signs of stopping *tears out hair*; The Snakes and the Flowers, a Finrod and Amárië fic that still needs an ending that I don’t know how to write; and of course Golden Days, a fantasy of manners, pride, prejudice, love and craftsmanship about young Nerdanel and Fëanor that I really meant to continue this year, but the muses did not cooperate. >_>
If we’re counting the WiPs in my all too well-filled folder of fics I started for various challenges and didn’t (yet? haha) finish… uh… then… haha… wait, what’s that behind you? Gotta go...

[independence1776]

3, 13, 24

[oloriel]

3. favorite line/scene you wrote this year

Oof, it's actually hard to decide on one, but I'm gonne be self-indulgent and pick one from The Embalmer's Apprentice. I'm probably boring even my most dedicated readers with the endless conversations between Azruhâr and Lord Atanacalmo, but I love setting them against each other, and this completely unexpected scene turned out to be quite pivotal, so let's go with it:

He shook his head, slowly, incredulously. "That’s it? This is your cause, Azruhâr? You've come into… how did you say?… some modest wealth and some modest influence, and you're intending to waste it on the betterment of the unwashed masses?"
I sniffed. "I assure your lordship that they are not unwashed! They wash as often and as eagerly as anyone – with water. But soap is expensive, and if we have a choice of eating the lard or using it to make soap, then I'm afraid food comes first!"

His lips were now stretching into a smile that could almost be described as sweet, if his eyes hadn't still glinted so dangerously. "Well! It seems that little Azruhâr has grown a spine at last! I hope you came by it legally."
My hands clenched into fists before I could stop them. "It's always been there," I protested. "It's just been bent and beaten down for a long time."
Again, Lord Atanacalmo was shaking his head in what I assumed must be disbelief. His hands were now folded on the desk, the candlelight reflecting brightly on the precious rings on his fingers. On his right hand, every finger but the thumb bore bands of gold and silver, adorned with glittering jewels, making the single golden signet ring on his left hand look nearly paltry in comparison. I looked down at the two rings on my own fingers – the ring crafted by 'some lesser Noldorin smith' that I had been given by the King, and the narrow marriage band. My fingers were flexing nervously.
"A Day-talers' Guild," Lord Atanacalmo said, drawing out the syllables to make the words sound as ludicrous as he probably found them. "What's next? A Beggars' Guild? A Guild of Wives?" He chuckled at his own joke. "It is such a pity that you have never been properly educated."

13. favorite writing song/artist/album of this year

I don't have one. While I love imagining scenes while listening to music, I don't actually listen to it while writing. If it's too rousing or evocative, it makes me too restless to type! If there's too much noise in the room b/c the kids or the husband are watching TV, I may put on earphones and listen either to English countre-danse tunes (which are generally vivacious but repetitive), or to rain or waves on the beach-type white noise.

24. favorite fic you read this year

Tough question! Off the top of my head, Lingering in the Hither Lands by bunn was a lovely fic about Elrond (and Maglor) in the very early 2nd Age that I thoroughly enjoyed. Eris_of_Imladris' The Words You Left Me was a brilliant take on the relationship between Fëanor and Fingolfin, and mainecoon76's Slight Air and Purging Fire (Narvi and Celebrimbor return to Middle-earth in the Third Age; Celebrimbor's need for closure gets tangled with the quest of the Ring) is a gift that keeps on giving. There are probably more, but these three came to mind first, so I'm going to go with them.

Thank you for asking!

[independence1776]

I really need to catch up on "The Embalmer's Apprentice".

Ooh, I'm putting those on my to-read list. Or, rather in the case of Bunn's, get back to reading it.

[heartofoshun]

Oh, I loved that story by Bunn also!

[grundyscribbling]

17 and 23 please?

[oloriel]

17. fics you’ll continue next year

I very much hope I'll continue The Embalmer's Apprentice (God, Lyra, shut up about TEA already!) and Golden Days. There'll probably also be more chapters for Upon These Shores and/or The Book of Short Tales but they're collections rather than unified fics, so I'm not sure they count!

23. fics you wanted to write but didn’t

The sequel to The Tempered Steel. *facepalms*

[heartofoshun]

19, 25, 28, please!

[oloriel]

19. any new fics to start next year

The sequel to The Tempered Steel, I hope. I mean, in theory I've started it already (4 pages :P) but I'll probably have to scrap most of that, so it's pretty much a completely new start.
Other than that - who knows? Most of my fanfic these days is the result of the SWG challenges or B2MeM prompts, so they're not planned in advance.

25. a fic you read this year you would recommend everyone read

Ooof! It's hard to fix on something that everyone, no exceptions, should read. Aside from Lingering in the Hither Lands, which was such a good take on Noldorin politics (especially concerning family ;)) at the beginning of the 2nd Age, I'm going to take something completely unexpected, hhimring's Outsiders of Gondolin Mutual Defense League. I was not prepared to feel for either Maeglin nor Salgant, but now I do, and I figure the two can use it...

28. longest fic you read this year

Not counting my ego-stroking re-read of The Tempered Steel (112703 words) and the more frustrating look back at The Embalmer's Apprentice (now at a terrifying 207161 words and still unfinished, good grief), I think it was probably Slight Air and Purging Fire (54370 words and counting).

[heartofoshun]

The sequel to The Tempered Steel--that would be amazing!!

Oh, yes--Bunn's Hither Lands is original and a great read.

[la_samtyr]

13 & 27 please. :)

[oloriel]

13. favorite writing song/artist/album of this year

I actually answered that one already but failed at striking the correct number, so I'll just c/p what I told Indy:

I don't have one. While I love imagining scenes while listening to music, I don't actually listen to it while writing. If it's too rousing or evocative, it makes me too restless to type! If there's too much noise in the room b/c the kids or the husband are watching TV, I may put on earphones and listen either to English countre-danse tunes (which are generally vivacious but repetitive), or to rain or waves on the beach-type white noise.

27 - favorite fanfic author of the year

Some "old" favourites - Dawn, Himring, Oshun, Indy - have remained, and I really enjoyed discovering Bunn, Mainecoon, Eris of Imladris, Grundy, Ancalime and probably lots of others whose names I'm forgetting right now.

[heartofoshun]

Relate to these answers--especially relating to music/sound while writing. I have the ability to close my door and shut out Alex's noise making but prefer to have it open so I am still present for him, so earphones are useful with non-demanding instrumental music or white noise. I have actually used Gregorian chant!