Request for self-recs, and a song about violet eyes: Sunshine Challenge, prompt 7

[paulamcg]

I've been struggling to find something violet in my fandom life.

Violet is a wizened, pale old witch in a portrait at Hogwarts, a friend of the Fat Lady's. And Yennefer of Vengerberg has violet eyes. Here's a scene from the video game Witcher The Wild Hunt: Geralt listens to Priscilla sing a song featuring the violet eyes -

Watch on YouTube

I've read all the Witcher books by Sapkowski and played that third Witcher game through twice (and it's the only video game I've ever played) and seen the first season of the show, but I still haven't got active in the Witcher fandom. And I think that besides Harry Potter, the Witcher is the only canon I'm truly familiar with among popular fandoms.

What could I offer as gifts? I wish I could share more of such things that you lovely Sunshine people enjoy.

Still hopelessly devoted to writing in a single "universe" – about one reality of some HP characters' lives – I'm not good at crafting fanworks as gifts. I have participated in some exchanges and recently written a tiny piece as a retirement present, but never asked for wishes. When signing up for a fest, I always check that there's a self-prompt option or a prompt fitting for such a fic which – while working separately – can be meaningful as part of the broader story.

On the other hand, I've realised – and repeatedly mentioned, too – that after returning to the fandom, I'm willing to read any fanfic: any characters, pairings, ratings, genres. I'm interested in writing comments on fic – and on any other type of fanwork, too – particularly when I know that the creator appreciates feedback. I guess I can simply assume that everyone likes comments, but I love getting self-recs. I've asked for some before, but perhaps through the Sunshine Challenge I'll get more.

Please tell me if you'd like me to read (or otherwise receive) and comment on a fanwork by you. It doesn't have to be in HP or in Witcher. I've already read and commented on some fic in fandoms where I don't know the canon at all. I'm a slow reader (and composer of comments), and it'll probably take several days before I comment in case I get several self-recs and/or recs of fics longer than 5000 words or so.

Comments

[enemytosleep]

Yenefer is my favorite. ♥ and her eyes are definitely a mark of her power.

If you feel like exploring new fandoms for reading, you are welcome to look over my stuff at enemytosleep and see if anything interests you there!

[paulamcg]

Yes, in Yennefer's case the unusual eye colour and the attention given to it make sense. I suppose the whole of her looks is achieved thanks to magic power. I love how Geralt focuses at least as much on her scent – lilac and gooseberries.

But you don't write about her? As for fandoms new to me, in January I still wondered if some Snowflakes would make me enter one, but now I don't think something like that will happen any time soon.

The point of my offer is to be an active recipient of such a transformative work that the creator would be (particularly) interested in getting comments on. If I enjoy the writing, I may read more by the same writer, regardless of the fandom. It could help if I'm pointed to something that can somehow work without knowledge of the canon. In your fandoms list I recognise only My Little Pony and Pokemon (and funny that I never thought it's Pocket Monsters)! The piece in the previous fandom is accessible enough and delightful even though it's a crossover!

♥

[oldtoadwoman]

I'll request one that I know you're going to do anyway: the firewhiskeyfic story.

If I pointed you at any of my fic now, I think it would make it too obvious which of the anonymous stories is mine. I may have already given it away with my pre-writing babble. (I went back and deleted a couple of comments from the pre-fest thread because I realized belatedly that they were dead giveaways when I was thinking out loud about what I might do.)

If you like the drunk fic *then* I could pick out another story for you to read.

The song is amazing. I didn't realize video games now had such long non-fighting content. I remember when they were all just smashing buttons to make swords clash with very short cut-scenes as the next level loaded. (And I'm soooo bad at video games. They aren't fun because I keep dying.) They seem to have progressed to having real storytelling now. It sounds like it's almost circled around back to the early, early days of those text-based games.

-There is a path to the north.

:Go north

-There is a tree growing in the middle of a meadow with mushrooms and wildflowers. You see a rusty sword.

:Take all

-Mushrooms taken.

-Wildflowers taken.

-Rusty sword taken.

-You cannot pick up the tree.

I was actually sad when computer graphics got good enough that they stopped making text-only games.

Re: ♥

[paulamcg]

All right. I feel tempted to go to your AO3 now, but I can do it after voting on the drunken masterpieces. You're right, I'm planning to comment on all of them, mine included... and now I'm not saying if it's easy or not to conlude which one is mine on the basis of what I usually write and don't write! :) I'm doing my best to forget any babbles. And please pick out a story for me next week in any case!

I'm glad you're impressed by this sample of Witcher Three! It's made me unreasonably proud I've been able to say that I've played this game, which is probably one of the very best with its graphics, the extensive open world, the characterisations, the side quests, the music, the novels it's based on... I've felt it's art as well as entertainment, and for me it's been (or it was in a couple of those years when I didn't write fic) a meaningful new way of being an active recipient (while I dislike being a "consumer of media"). And it's been fun, regardless of how often I die and how clumsy I am with the sword!

I never played those early games, but a friend just described them to me, and your example makes it all vivid. He says he's not interested in playing games now, and I suppose those text-only games may have been more enchanting to people who'd first got used to seeing worlds and events in their minds when reading fiction.

Re: ♥

[oldtoadwoman]

Yeah, those early text-based games were a trip. The easy ones were fun, but sometimes I'd get stuck and couldn't figure out how to move on and there was no one to ask for help. There were a whole bunch of really cheap ones that varied a lot in quality. (Being text-based meant people who knew how to code could write their own.) I am probably only nostalgic for them because they are some of the first games I learned to play.

Re: ♥

[paulamcg]

I can only try to imagine: not being able to search for hints online. I've heard some people now play with their eyes closed, but it still can't be the same experience as those old games.

Re: ♥

[oldtoadwoman]

I have followed your lead and commented on my own story so it's not identifiable by ommission. This has been so much fun and I can't wait for the next one. (Considering I bought way too much alcohol and have lots left over, I'll probably being doing a private round or two in the near future, but then I'll have to edit the damned things before I can post them. Which isn't nearly as much fun.)

Re: ♥

[paulamcg]

I haven't got through all the stories yet but I will. I do hope we'll get the next round before the end of the year, as sharing it all is the best fun!

[a_belladonna]

Self-recs are so difficult, I think!
But I recently posted a Szut/Haddock-fic, where I try to give Szut a bit more voice than just "the pilote with the broken French/English". :) In the blink of an eye (E/NC-17)

Whether writing fics as gifts works or not is very individual. I've mostly always liked writing/drawing gift fics/art for exchanges - at some point, the majority of fan works I made were for exchanges (or challenges), rarely just because I felt 'inspired'. Writing solely because of my own inspiration has mostly happened after I began writing fanfiction in Tintin.

[paulamcg]

Thank you for the link! After discussing Szut with you and falling in love with Haddock in A Fraternal Bond of Sorts, I should be ready to enjoy this one, even though I hardly know all of the canon. (I just need to get through some drunken smut first.)

Returning from the hiatus, I first wrote solely on the basis of my own inspiration, and while this year most of my fics have been for fests, since Christmas I've avoided exchanges.

[a_belladonna]

You're welcome! I hope you'll enjoy the story. :) But no stress - the story isn't going anywhere.

I think that in the long run, it is probably a bit better to be writing for oneself, even if challenges, fests and exchanges can be really useful for kickstarting one's imagination, if you feel a bit stuck.
I've only participated in one exchange since my return to fandom.

[paulamcg]

I've now enjoyed reading your story and composing a long comment. Now I'm in love with both Szut and Haddock!

I'd love to have more sharing in how I write and read fiction. But it's hard for me to believe that any story I write could become just what someone has wished for – to the extent that it would be a better gift than getting a comment on what they've written themselves.

[abyss_valkyrie]

Devoted to writing in a single universe,I get you on that one!XD
Oh,since you are offering,hehe, you can see these fanarts of mine which are obviously Remus/Sirius and comment on any one you like. I have fics but they're all bigger than 1000 words.

This one has a series of pictures to tell the story.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/12705345
or
This is just one picture.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/13527348

[paulamcg]

Oh, thank you – also once again for the icons! While I've offered to comment on anything, it's absolutely lovely to have a new friend who can link me to more of these beautiful depictions of my OTP! If there's a fic you'd like me to comment on, you can link to that, too, even if it's longer than 1000 words. But you do tell a story wonderfully also without any words!

[abyss_valkyrie]

Awww! You're welcome and yeah,I was not expecting to run into another R/S fan here. :D
*blushes* Hehe, thank you very much for offering to read.
I have this one where Sirius joins Remus for the Christmas holidays, they're adults now and Remus' grandfather doesn't really like the look of Sirius. Remus' family is superstitious,Sirius has bad luck and with Remus' mother's family involved, it's really a lighthearted fic with R/S getting together.Around 5850 words.
A little bit from it:
Charles’ face transformed as he patted Remus’ hand and smiled wide. “Now Remus here, drill instructor at that Scottish cadet school, eh?”

“I just teach self-defence techniques, Grandad,” Remus lied smoothly and the old man nodded approvingly.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13363623

Or
this fic is about Sirius knitting & eventually getting together but the main focus is more on Sirius & it's a bit more dramatic. About 3300 words.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/6615910

[paulamcg]

Thank you for the fic links! I've had a quick look at both stories, and been glad to see also some more of your amazing pictures of these beautiful boys. I hope tomorrow I'll have the time for composing comments on AO3.

[autobotscoutriella]

I feel you about being dedicated to writing in a single universe. I've been stretching myself a little bit lately, because it's good for me, but somehow I always end up back writing for the same Transformers AU that's been consuming my life for the last half-decade.

[paulamcg]

It's good to hear I'm not all alone in being dedicated to/addicted to/stuck in a single fic universe! I agree about stretching. Just starting to write sex scenes was a stretch for me, and I did it only last year, after my hiatus. Now I've written het, femslash, various viewpoint characters, asexual characters... but somehow my Remus sneaks into every fic, and they all belong to the big story of his life I can't stop writing – having started not five but seventeen years ago.

I've been to your AO3 and enjoyed reading Chameleon Species (the very first Transformer experience for me). If you don't mind, I could comment on it, even though you didn't ask me to.

[autobotscoutriella]

Oh, you're definitely not the only one! Writing sex scenes was a huge stretch for me (and I still don't stretch that particular writing muscle all that often), and branching out into a new fandom was terrifying. I keep running straight back to my beloved TF AU.

I'm so glad you liked it! You're more than welcome to leave a comment - no pressure, though. I love getting comments, but I'm just happy to know you enjoyed the fic.

[paulamcg]

It has sometimes seemed to me that everyone else is effortlessly multi-fandomish. Perhaps comments like yours here can help me start imagining that I could write a drabble in another fandom. (Yesterday I wrote one which could almost be a crossover but that's rather a joke.) And I've repeatedly ended up in such corners of HP fandom where it seems to me that smut is what everyone obviously likes best both when reading and when writing. Nowadays I wonder if I'd better refrain from including half-arsed sex when it's not the focus of my fic anyway. :)

I've now enjoyed composing a comment and posted it on your AO3. I wanted to check if it was all right to comment as someone who doesn't know the canon.

[silveradept]

I often have trouble recommending my own work because, well, if you look at my work, it's pretty well scattershot across fandoms, and also because it's almost all exchange fic, so it was written with specific people's ideas in mind.

And because I don't really think all that many of my works are the kind where I could say "even if you know nothing about this fandom, you can read this work and you'll enjoy it."

But if pressed, I will usually go to one of my older works, Around the Campfire: Pardon Me, Wife because I can rest most easily on the possibility that someone will have been exposed to the Canterbury Tales enough to remember and see what's going on.

If not that, though, if you haven't already read it, I do have something in the HP fandom that's recent and pretty neat, in my opinion, The Greatest Ambition.

[paulamcg]

I decided to read the latter fic immediately, as I couldn't resist seeing an interesting Luna-portrayal. Great title, too! And you definitely didn't disappoint. :) Thank you for telling me about your works.

[silveradept]

Yay, thank you for commenting and for saying nice things about the work. Luna always has such potential to show a different take on things.

[bemused_writer]

Yennefer is a great choice for a character with purple eyes; she's so neat. ^^ The tune is nice as well.

[paulamcg]

Thank you! I'm glad you liked my choices.