2019 word count closed at:

The year too busy to remember.

This year I wrote and posted:
13 stories for an approximate total of 76,000 words.

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d predicted?
This year writing became more of a priority in my daily life. Doing so was especially difficult without the advantage of running/participating in routine challenges like McSpirkHolidayFest. I had to motivate myself with personal goals and deadlines which ultimately means it came down to my willpower to remain a writer. I found my groove again, as this the first year in several that I managed not to drop more than 10% in overall word count from the prior year. That’s definitely worth celebrating.

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in January?
I returned to reflect on the melancholic atmosphere of Christopher Pike’s loss from the movie Into Darkness in That Cold Place.

What’s your own favorite story of the year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest?
Triangle in the Sky. I don’t know where this plot idea came from but for once the muse was very vocal that this one was not to be lightly dismissed. I had such fun writing the Enterprise family sans Kirk, Spock, and McCoy and yet still making it a McSpirk love story AND a family story. Just the memory of that warms my heart.

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them?
Not really. I stuck to my tried and true McSpirk/Triumvirate stories. Action, adventure, humor, romance. When one doesn’t have much time for a hobby – or the brainpower, frankly – it seems easiest to do what comes most naturally. Funny how stories like these have become natural for me, though!

From my past year of writing, what was….
My best story of this year:
Difficulty Engaged. See my next comment.

My most popular story of this year (based on comments/kudos):
Difficulty Engaged. It isn’t finished, of course, but the whole McCoy-in-dire-straits never gets old – not for me or for readers apparently!

Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion:
Fortunes Aligned. Jim Kirk in a kitchen! Baking disasters with friends! McSpirk! I mean, isn’t that supposed to be an enjoyable read? :)

Most fun story to write:
Ghosts We Know. This is basically some supernatural fun that doesn’t try to upset the beauty and balance of McSpirk. How rare is that!

Story with the single sexiest moment:
Destiny for Three, if cringe-worthy science-centric pickup lines from a Vulcan be considered sexy. LOL.

Most “Holy crap, that’s wrong, even for you” story:
None. My writing is too tame these days, sorry.

Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters:
Honestly, none of them. I’ve written these characters (Kirk, Spock, and McCoy) for so long and in so many varied forms that there’s no standard perception for them. They are gloriously multi-faceted and I hope I can continue to showcase that.

Hardest story to write:
Judge and Jury. I wanted to something a little different with this time by showing that Kirk may be the best of the best in Starfleet but he still has room to grow and his superiors think so too, rightfully so.

Biggest Disappointment:
Difficulty Engaged, which is also ironically my best and most popular story. I didn’t finish it before the end of the year. So the disappointment is in myself, I guess, not the story?

Biggest Surprise:
Who Wants to be a Doctor? When I initially thought up the premise, I started laughing. I laughed all the way through writing it out even though I didn’t think words could do the mental image of many tiny Vulcans somewhat aggressively learning from an unusually patient Dr. McCoy could be accurately depicted. Turns out… yes it can!

Most Unintentionally Telling Story:
Remember When. It’s only a quick look into the crossing of paths of two people who didn’t part on the best of terms. Time has gifted them both some perspective on why. When I think about that, it could easily be a wish of mine buried deep down. TMI? :/

Fic-writing goals for 2020:
To keep writing. To finish my WIPs. Sometimes one only needs the simple (and reasonably attainable) goals in life. 2020 is my tenth year of joining the Star Trek fandom and writing in it. If I make it to May, then all is golden!

Related Posts:

• 2021 Fic Recap – from October 28, 2022
• 2020 Fic Recap – from February 24, 2021
• 2018 Fic Recap – from January 5, 2019
• 2017 Fic Recap – from January 19, 2018
• 2013 Fic Recap – from January 4, 2014