Hours Gone By

Oh, god, I honestly can't believe it's 2017 already. Thank whatever powers might exist that the clusterfuck of 2016 is over - and that's honestly all I want to say about the past year. Pretty sure most people agree with me.

But! Snowflake is back! :D This is honestly one of the highlights for the start of the year and I'm grateful to everyone who stepped up as a new mod because I really needed this. That's definitely not a criticism of akamine_chan and co-runners! I understand they've had a tough year, and I also get that if you don't have the spoons, you don't have the spoons and need to step back and engage in some self-care. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that and whoever tells you otherwise is lying. *hugs for you all*

Day 1

In your own space, post a rec for at least three fanworks that you have created. It can be your favorite fanworks that you've created, or fanworks you feel no one ever saw, or fanworks you say would define you as a creator. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

I'm still pleased with The Longest Night, a LoTR fanfic I wrote in 2015 for the International Fanworks Day challenge over on lotr_community. It came in 2nd place in the Tree and Flower Awards 2015 for Favorite Story Featuring a New Author, which was a most pleasant surprise!

Honesty, an SPN fanfic that I really need to remember to post on A03, is one I think I include in this challenge every year but it's one of my favorites. It's a drabble based around Dean and Future!Cas' conversation in the truck during 'The End'. Future!Cas breaks my heart, he truly does.

Through the Gates, a Goblin Emperor fanfic written for smallfandomfest Round 19 and based on the prompt 'It's not quite love, but it's not just duty, either.' It's about Maia and Csethiro's developing relationship, because I wanted to see more of that, dammit!

Calling Frequency, a Dead Space fanfic also written for smallfandomfest Round 19 and based on the prompt 'Trapped on Tau Volantis after the events of Dead Space 3, an injured Carver has to rely on Isaac for help.'. This one was challenging because a) I've only played DS3 single-player and thus only really know Carver through cut scenes and b) it's mostly dialogue and I had a hard time remembering to include actions and descriptions and not wind up with something that read like, as How Not to Write a Novel says, two disembodied brains in a jar having a conversation. But I succeeded!

For the curious, previous versions of this challenge are at the following links: 2016, 2015, 2014.

11. Have you ever attempted an "adaptation" fic of a favorite book or movie but set in a different fandom?

No, but I've helped a friend plot out a few fairy-tale adaptations, and I've enjoyed adaptations others have done. A favorite is Of leaves of Gold and Petals Red by Ithilwen of Himring, a LoTR-style adaptation of Tam Lin. This one also goes back to the question about OCs, in that it features one used to good purpose.

In your own space, talk about a creator. Show us why you think they are amazing. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

WynCatastrophe and her Doctrine of Labyrinths fanfic Comparative Thaumaturgy. It's a WiP (I'm subscribed to it on AO3) but worth hanging around for! She has the voices of Mildmay and Felix down, and even the OC feels like they belong in the universe. It's set post-series, and really has that 'continuing the series' feel to it.

Fandoms are in alphabetical order. Ratings and summaries are per the authors.

Fanfic Recs

The Blue Castle, by L.M. Montgomery - 4 recs

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - 1 rec

The Doctrine of Labyrinths - 6 recs (fanfic), 1 rec (art)

The Goblin Emperor - 6 recs

The Kingkiller Chronicles - 2 recs

Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn - 2 recs

Tolkien's Works: The Lord of the Rings; The Silmarillion - 3 recs

Other Fanworks

Misc. fanworks recs - 2 recs

Day 9

In your own space, rec at least 3 fanworks you thought you wouldn't like (because they weren't your fandom or they pushed against your boundaries or you thought you just wouldn't be interested) but you ended up loving. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

Oh, good, this is so much easier than yesterday's! My psyche needs a break from all that extroversion.

Dark Prince ~ The Darkness Has Its Own Light by Spiced Wine.
"A half-elven OC who's the son of Sauron, and has purple eyes. Really." That was my first, doubtful, thought when I encountered a description of Vanimórë, the protagonist of Spiced Wine's Dark Prince series and 'verse. I didn't read it the first few times I saw it referenced, because I've just seen so many OCs of this type and generally don't find them to be interesting or unique. Then one night I had a few minutes to kill before bed and thought 'why not?'.

I ended up going to work the next day on about three hours sleep. It was nothing like I'd expected, and I'm so very pleased to have been wrong! You can get started at the link up there, but please do heed the chapter warnings.

Nightfall in Middle Earth by Blind Guardian
A power metal concept album based on The Silmarillion that just blew me away the first time I heard it. I had some doubts about reccing it since it's done professionally and commercially available, but then realized that was silly because those things don't mean it's not a fannish labour of love. I first learned about it when I was surfing through TVTropes (can't remember which trope) and found a link to the song 'Time Stands Still (At the Iron HIll)', about Fingolfin's duel with Morgoth. Metal, concept albums, and Tolkien are certainly all things I enjoy, but...Tolkien's work explored through power metal? Well...why not? So I listened to it.

Then I listened to the rest of the album.

Then I bought it. (OK, I listened to the rest of the band's work, and bought a box set containing Blind Guardian's entire discography up to they changed labels. And I have not regretted it.)

The Call of Cthulu
A short film based on the work of H.P. Lovecraft by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society. Now, films based on Lovecraft's work range from just bad, to entertainingly schlocky at best. Lovecraft's stories rarely describe the entirety of what the characters are seeing, and when they do it's something that would be difficult and/or expensive to include. His work is largely monologue, with very little dialogue making it hard to adapt to a modern film without lots and lots of rewriting - more, I think, than a major studio would be willing to put in to something they wouldn't expect to have much of an audience. With this in mind, I was not expecting great things.

BUT. It turns out that making a silent film eliminates a lot of the problems above! You watch the characters act and react, and what explanations and dialogue is needed goes on a title card. Adding to the feel that you're really watching an old silent movie are the scratches in the film, and a subtle hiss and pop to the soundtrack. It's surprisingly gripping, and does not feel like it's only 46 minutes long.

Day 4

Comment to someone you haven't ever interacted with before or introduce yourself to someone you've interacted with and friend/follow them. Afterwards, leave a comment in this post with the equivalent of "I did it!"

It doesn't have to be anything complex - it can be feedback for a fanwork or discussing something you might have in common or even simply admiring their icon. The point is to reach out to someone you normally wouldn't and connect with them, even if it's only for the briefest moment.

Er, so I did this one sort of accidentally? (And actually on the 9th, I backdated it because having the entries out of order would bother me.) I left a review on mangacrack's A Smear of Grey Across the Sky, which is a lovely fic about Fëanáro comforting one of his youngest sons.

Lord of the Rings

Return of the Key Series by curiouswombat (This link will take you to the series timeline so you can read them in order.)
Rating: Ratings as per story, General Audiences through to Explicit
Summary: The Hellmouth was closed, at the end of Chosen, by The Key. Dawn ended up in the Turok-Han's home dimension landing, unconscious, on a battlefield at the end of The Ring War. Not a '10th Walker', or a 'Legomance'! COA WINNER 2009.

The Silmarillion

A Smear of Grey across the Sky by mangacrack
Category: Gen | Rating: Teen
Summary: It was a wet and grey morning, on which Fëanáro had decided to surrender himself to the dull task of reviewing his students essays.

Dark Prince ~ The Darkness Has Its Own Light by Spiced Wine
Category: M/M | Rating: Mature
Additional Tags/Warnings: Non Consensual, Dubious Consent, Rape, Violence, Slavery, Incest, Alternate Universe - Canon
Summary: ~ Lúthien was not the only offspring of Maia and Elf born in the Elder Days, but Vanimórë's tale was never to be sung in glittering halls.

Betrothal Negotiations by atheilen
Category: F/M | Rating: Not Rated
Summary: The Emperor's nohecharei never leave him alone.

The Emperor's bride has her own thoughts on the matter.

Four Sisters by Alkallabeth (WiP, 2 of 4 chapters)
Category: Gen | Rating: General Audiences
Summary: Short scenes from the lives of four (half-)sisters, the unacknowledged daughters of the Great Avar.

Give My Hands True Purpose by nooziewoozie
Category: F/M | Rating: Teen and Up
Summary: "The morning of Csethiro’s wedding found her beating her nerves to death." Maia and Csethiro, post-book.

Learning the Rules by Brigdh
Category: Gen | Rating: General Audiences
Summary: Maia is still adjusting to the ways of Court, but now he has some help.

Service by atheilen
Category: Gen | Rating: General Audiences
Summary: Isheian was grateful to serve. But that didn't mean she did not want more.

Sufficient by atheilen
Category: Gen | Rating: General Audiences | Additional Tags: Deaged Character, Fluff and Crack
Warning: Implied/Referenced Child Abuse
Summary: As soon as Cala came out to the outer chamber and the door was shut behind them, Deret rounded on him. “This is thy fault,” he barked, knowing it for truth.

“My fault? What makes thee think—“

“I know thee, fool of a maza! I may not know how, or why, but I know this is thy doing, and I know that thou must fix it.”

A Mouse Gnawing in Her Chest by Thia (Jennaria)
Categories: F/F, F/M | Rating: Teen and Up
Summary: In a shameful, private little corner of her heart, Cecily raised up an altar to unbeautiful, skittish, kind Valancy Stirling.

Moonlight Shining by Amyfortuna
Category: F/M | Rating: Explicit
Summary: Barney remembers a night long ago, the first night after his marriage to Valancy.

Muskegee Twilight by Sangerin
Category: F/F | Rating: General Audiences
Summary: Secrets fell from each girl's lips to float out on the grey summer air.

Nor Custom Stale by slightlykylie
Category: Gen | Rating: General Audiences
Summary: Another look at Olive Stirling.