2024 Fic Writer End of Year Roundup
Answer and then tag three or more creators to keep the game going! Tagging @copperfirebird @alltoowellread @alittlegirlwaitinginagarden @siobhanbooks because I don't think I saw any of you do this, but no pressure!
Thank you to @caeli0306 @alexandia03 @yanny-77 and @lizardsrunfast for the tags! I admire each and every one of you and am flattered to even be mentioned in your posts!
I'm not on Tumblr a ton, and yes, I know it's already 2025 but it's a good reflection on the last year.
How many words did you publish on AO3 in 2024?
672,654 - I...cannot believe how much I wrote in 2024. I started writing in August 2023, and published only a single fanfic that year (Xaden's Year 3), and I clearly became addicted!
(Add another 200,000+ for my original works!)
How many fics did you complete this year?
Xaden Year 1 - Fourth Wing fanfic of Xaden's first year at Basgiath.
The Odessey of Imrrick - Fourth Wing fanfic of Garrick and Imogen's love story for the Riders Quadrant summer fic exchange (for @alexandia03).
Amuse Bouche - Fourth Wing fanfic for the Riders Quadrant winter solstice fic exchange (for @siobhanbooks).
Here for the Video Games - a Fourth Wing modern AU short featuring Bodhi and Liam (Bodhiam).
Contract Conversations - a Game Changer hockey series fic featuring Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, AKA my book boyfriends.
How many in progress or ongoing fics did you start this year?
Nine fanfics. And if we count original stories, we're up to 13!
Xaden's Year 2 - Fourth Wing fanfic - a continuation of my Xaden year 1 story, which follows Xaden Riorson into year 2 of his time at Basgiath. I'm on the final 5-6 chapters and hope to finish before Onyx Storm (this may be optimistic, but we'll see)!
Garrick Tavis - Companion Chapters to Year 2 - Fourth Wing fanfic - a compilation of a moments from Garrick's POV / Garrick's year 2 that go with Xaden's Year 2 story.
Imogen Cardulo - Companion Chapters to Year 2 - Fourth Wing fanfic - a compilation of moments from Imogen's POV / Imogen's year 1 that go with Xaden's Year 2 story.
Bodhi Durran - Companion Chapters to Year 2 - Fourth Wing fanfic - a compilation of moments from Bodhi's POV / Bodhi's year 1 that go with Xaden's Year 2 story.
Game On - a modern AU Fourth Wing fanfic that details Bodhi Durran and Liam Mairi's falling-in-love story.
Under Cover - a modern AU Fourth Wing fanfic set in the same world as Game On. This is Xaden and Violet's story, and is a modern take on Fourth Wing / murder mystery. This overlaps with the events of Game On.
The Hollanov Story - Game Changer hockey series fic. Shane and Ilya give their first post-outing interview. Bonus chapters include social media reactions.
Centaurs Undercover - Game Changer hockey series fic. The Ottawa Centaurs go "under cover" in various ridiculous scenarios trying to trick fans, teammates, and opponents.
The Hollanovs Take On Disney - Game Changer hockey series fic. Shane and Ilya post-retirement take their kids to Disney World.
Original hockey romance series - I'm currently working on a hockey romance series featuring both M/M and F/M couples all set in the same world. I have two books completed in draft form and a third in progress, with a total of 10 books plotted (5 M/M, 5 F/M). Hoping to publish at least book one in 2025!
Original Fantasy - this is my least developed, and frankly, the world building intimidates me. I only have around 10 chapters written, but I have the first book fully plotted and the series loosely plotted. We'll see.
What was your favorite thing you wrote?
This is a tough one. I like all of my works for different reasons. I am partial to the Fourth Wing fanfics because it's where my writing journey began, particularly the Xaden POV works. But I LOVE my Bodhiam story in Game On because it's so different from anything else I've written, and I sort of adore them.
I am obsessed with the Game Changer fanfics because it's the series that made me fall in love with sports romance and inspired me to write my own. It also introduced me to Shane / Ilya, who may be the cutest couple I've ever read.
But I think my favorite thing I've written are my original hockey romance stories, because it's all mine, something I created from scratch, and I'm so incredibly proud of myself for doing it. Plus, I'm kind of obsessed with my first two couples!
What piece was your most experimental or different from your usual style?
This is a tough one because I feel like my "style" has changed over the past year. But I think I'll mention The Odyssey of Imrrick because I wrote it as an ode to @alexandia03 and I didn't want to disappoint her. It wasn't something I ever saw myself writing, but I had just so much fun with it.
Otherwise, I'll say Game On (again) because it was really my first time writing something NOT based on canon of a fic (it's a modern AU and other than the characters themselves, it's all pretty much new material), and it was my first time really writing a M/M relationship and I loved exploring that.
Did any fics surprise you - either while writing or their reception?
I've been amazed and incredibly flattered at the comments on some of my fics. I don't feel like I have a "huge" following on any of my fics, but the comments I get are so sincere and so incredibly supportive, and it constantly blows my mind that people are saying those things about MY works. It feels surreal, and knowing there are people out there that enjoy the words I've written is the best feeling in the entire world. I cannot express how grateful I've been to receive those supportive words, likes, and views.
Do you have a fic you wrote and loved that went under the radar? (This is your sign to reblog/repost it!)
This is a tough one for me. I don't feel like I have a "right" to say that one of my fics deserved more attention than it received. People want what they want. Sometimes it surprises me which fics are "popular" and which are not, but I respect that not everyone wants to read what I wrote or what I'm interested in because I'm not writing the "popular" pairings or tropes, and many of my fics are dark and messy. I've certainly had many, many moments of self-doubt, but I write what makes me happy. All I can do is put it out there, and if people read it, I'm flattered.
If you really twist my arm, yes, there is one fic that comes to mind for this question, but I have my reasons for staying mum (IYKYK). But those that have read it gave it so much praise, and that's enough for me.
Who is an artist that inspired you?
Hmmm this is a tough one for me because I'm not sure I know a ton, but special shouts out to @essjaywrites for her Imrrick work and @copperfirebird who has given so many of the RQ authors some amazing artwork/gifts/merch for their fanfics and it's absolutely adorable.
Who is an author that inspired you?
I have met some incredible authors this year in the Fourth Wing fanfic fandom through the RQ Discord Server. I have to give a special shout out to @yanny-77 because her fic The Underpants Heist is the first M/M fic I'd ever read, and it inspired me to read more LGBTQIA+ fics and then write my own, and I can never thank her enough for that because it eventually led me to my original works.
Otherwise, I want to give a shout out to the people that have supported and inspired me on the RQ Discord server. There are too many to count, and I know I am not the most prolific poster, but I appreciate every comment, every word of support, every like I have received, even when I go into hibernation and disappear for a bit. Thank you all for welcoming me, inspiring me, and supporting me.
Who is a new author you discovered?
This is such a tough one because there are so many on the RQ server. I think I have to say @essjaywrites because I adore her Divine Fault Line so much. I also have to mention @tegantales because she shares my love of Shane/Ilya and I will devour every fic she writes about them.
Special mentions here that I have NOT mentioned elsewhere in this post (and apologies if I've forgotten anyone, some of you have different names here than in the RQ!): @overjoyedisland @lizardsrunfast @saranova @fantasywithkassidy @thoughtsaboutshows @suebswrites
Did you do any collaborations? How did it start?
I have not. I'm actually really sad about this, seeing how many others have collaborated, and it looks like it's a ton of fun. It's something I would love to do one day.
What accomplishments are you proudest of?
I have three things I'm proud of this year:
I expanded what I'm comfortable reading / writing. I started reading Fourth Wing in August 2023 having never read a smut scene before, and then I WROTE my first smut scene later that year and it intimidated me so much (although it was just Xaden's POV of the FW chapters, so I pretty much had the material written for me). Since then, not only have I wrote my own scenes from scratch, but I've now expanded to writing M/M relationships as well, and I now am no longer terrified to write those scenes.
I finished fanfics that, while set in the Fourth Wing world, the plots are all of my own creation other than the characters / world building that I borrowed. My first fic was Xaden's POV of Fourth Wing, so it didn't really feel like I "added" much. Getting to create stories of my own for these characters and make up the plot was eye opening, so much fun, and really helped me grow as a writer.
Writing my own original works was something I've dreamed of doing since I was ten and fell in love with reading, but never thought I'd be able to do. But guess what? I did it, and I'm so proud of myself!
What did you learn about writing or creating this year?
It's okay to step away from a fic that isn't inspiring you. When I started writing, I kept to a rigid timeline, published at scheduled times, and continued on until I finished the fic. Yes, that worked for a while, but I was burnt out writing like that, and I think my work suffered. Stepping away and writing what inspired me in the moment made my writing better, and those fics I came back to? They turned out much better for that break.
I also learned I don't have to write things in order. Know that end scene? Write that, and build your story around where you want to go. Inspired mid-chapter by a scene that takes place in four chapters? Draft it in whatever shape it is so that you don't lose those ideas. They might change, but it's better than forgetting that really great idea that came to you in the middle of the current chapter you are writing!
Write what makes you happy, and don't worry so much about what you think the fandom thinks (I know, I know, easier said than done). Likes and comments are amazing, but they aren't the only metric to measure your works by. Being proud of your work is just as important!
Have fun! If it's not fun, it's not worth it. Trust me on that.
Mental health, mental health, mental health. I've had to take breaks for weeks / months that are hard for REASONS, and yes I felt like I was disappointing people to take that break, but I learned I can't be what I need to be if I'm not taking care of myself first. People WILL understand.
What are your creative goals for 2025?
Finish my current fanfic WIPs in the following order: Xaden Year 2 (plus the three companion pieces), Game On / Under Cover, Game Changer fics.
Publish at least ONE of my original works. I need to heavily edit it, and then most likely I'll try for self-publishing because I have NO idea what I'm doing. I doubt anyone will read it, but I need to prove to myself that I can do this.
Write, write, and write. I've grown so much as an author in a year, and I know I'll continue to grow so long as I keep writing.
