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[st_aurafina]

Only ninety days of summer left! *starts the countdown* Last night there was something very scary screaming out in the wilderness beyond our back fence. It might have been a baby animal crying for its mother, it might have been that weird heron thing that's been hanging around, but I think most likely it was a carnivorous plant luring us out with false cries of anguish. Australia is full of lulz like that.

newredshoes tagged me for this sometime mid-NaNo, and I'm just cogent enough to do it now.

The Rules: Sometimes it's ok to pimp yourself out. Post a list of your top five fic-favorites you've written, regardless of fandom or the reason you love them. This isn't about the BEST things you've written, but what you LOVE most. Then tag five other people to do the same.

The Other Rules: After each story, add a little something about what you learned about writing in the process. Or, if you didn't learn anything, add something that fits contextually with the time of writing the story.



1. Sirena (X-Men movieverse prequel fic, Charles/Erik, R)

Set in 1965, behind the Iron Curtain in an unnamed Soviet nation. This was one of the very first things I wrote. I was almost mid-sentence with lilacsigil, explaining how I would never write Charles/Erik because it was just too hard and I wasn't that kind of thinky person, when this plot bunny hit. It was wracking to write, I had no idea what was going on, I empathised with Charles to the point where I was nauseous when he was nauseous, and I've learned so much since then.

Why I love it: I love the incorporation of mythology, the dark fairy-tale mood of it, and the fact that the conflict isn't resolved, and yet the fic is finished. I really do love this fic, though it nearly killed me writing it.

What I learned: Hm, it was so early on, I was still getting a handle on grammar and punctuation. I wrote it, and was amazed that it was over 3,000 words. I really didn't believe that I could do this writing thing, so I suppose that I was finding my voice, learning what my tools were for story-telling.

2. The Grieving Process, (X-Men movieverse (set between X2 and X3), Charles/Logan, R)

This was for xmmficathon, 2006.

Why I love it: It's an unusual pairing, that's because of ion_bond's awesome prompt, but I'm proud that I wasn't scared to grab the unusual pairing and really reason out a way that they could be together. I love the sensory detail, and I like that the hard work of integrating Logan and Charles' mutant powers into story-telling has brought that sensory detail to the fore.

What I learned: Don't be afraid. Be bold, take chances, because the pay-off is extremely satisfying. I learned that I really like to write telepaths, and Logan, and that the specifics of mutant powers are fun to explore.

3. Silver Lining in the Sky (X-Men AU, Scott and Logan, gen, PG)

Written for a challenge called brains_in_a_jar, this is about a boy (Scott) and his plane (Logan), set in post-WWII Omaha.

Why I love it: THIS WAS THE MOST FUN THING EVER! Seriously. It's pure Boy's Own crack, it was a blast to research, it was great fun to interlace X-Men canon into my AU. And for real, plane!Logan was the best fun to write. I loved writing about all his mechanics, and working healing factor in, and adamantium, and Alpha Flight. It was so much fun to write. *hugs self with joy*

What I learned: Have fun! Don't be ashamed to indulge yourself, but remember to wrap it up properly. It took a few goes to get the ending right - when I re-read it, what happens at the end seems so natural and instinctive, but it definitely wasn't, and there were a couple of variant endings that thankfully died timely deaths. This is why lilacsigil is a great beta - she has a broad hand for headslapping.

4. The Seventh Wave (Aeon Flux movie, PG, Aeon/Oren)

A stocking stuffer for yuletide, written hours before the deadline.

Why I love it: I think it catches the weird beauty of the film, I like the language, and the way that Oren doesn't really believe in his own existence anymore. I got the nicest feedback for this fic: that it helped make the movie make more sense to the reader. I really like the Aeon Flux movie, but I'm not blind to its many problems. It feels good that someone got something out of my fic that could help them enjoy the movie better.

What I learned: There's a lot of freedom in writing hard and fast close to a deadline, and that kind of abandon makes you try things you might not dare to with more planning. This is an idea I've learned more about in NaNo, also.

5. You Can Never Go Home Again (Doctor Who/Harry Potter, Ten, Sirius Black, Albus Dumbledore, Donna Noble, PG)

This is a pinch-hit for dw_cross, writen for a fairly brief prompt.

Why I love it: It leapt, fully formed, from my forehead and onto the screen. Well, maybe not, but it was very easy, and lots of fun to write. I love it because it has spawned all sorts of sequal ideas that I really want to write.

What I learned: Go with the crackiest idea that springs into your mind when you read the prompt. I figured out some stuff about writing Ten: you have to have casual mention of quite weird things because he likes to show how comfortable he is with alien situations. I learned that crossovers of this kind need a lot of work to make them smooth, like dough, you need to knead them a bit so the intermingled parts aren't lumpy. Also, Ten is awesome fun to write, even though he's not my favourite Doctor.



I suppose I should tag some people. wizefics? kattahj? and if you're around LJ at the moment, ion_bond, mabye? If you'd like to, of course. No obligation.

Venus and Jupiter are getting together with the moon tonight to make a smiley face. But not Pluto. Pluto is so not invited. We're hoping to see it - but in the last hour the sky has gone from completely cloudy to completely clear twice over, so I don't know what will happen tonight. We might get lucky and get to make smiley faces with the universe. Or we might get rained on. Because that's what summer is like down here.