Over on Ao3 (Archive of Our Own), I have been putting many works of fanfic, mostly in the Avengers fandom. Over the past two years, I had been working on two extended AU stories that had ended up in the 40k+ word count range. But at the end of 2013/2014 I stalled out on them for multiple reasons. My husband and I were in the process of starting to get our house on the market. We were looking for a house to buy. I was going to a bi-weekly writer's group with the eventual intention of taking a short piece of original fiction and turn it into a novel with intent to publish. I took a promotion at work, becoming the shift leader for my work group. My fanfiction writing, as a consequence, took a hit. Two multi-chaptered stories with plot arcs and loving care went into limbo. I did shorter pieces for a while, but finally decided to set myself a deadline. Before the clock clicked over to 2016, I would update and finish these two stories.
And, by gum, I have! As of my 35th birthday on the 28th of December, Iron-Hard Man and Recovery are finally finished. They couldn't be more different in tone, and I think I was working on them simultaneously for some balance. Both are Tony Stark-centric Avengers stories, both are AUs, but there the similarity ends.
Recovery is an ABO rape-recovery, following the fairly harrowing Addiction. After Steve forcibly turned Tony into an omega in Addiction, Recovery chronicles the immediate and short-term aftermath and the consequences. It's a damn dark fic, and despite some light shining through, I would not recommend it for those feeling down. This was my exploration into some of the darker twists an ABO world would take.
Iron-Hard Man is a canon-character background AU. Tony Stark, instead of creating weapons for most of his life, instead chose to become the world's premiere sex-toy mogul. As the CEO and chief researcher for Stark Naked Industries, no one would ever suspect that behind the doors of Tony's private workshop, he's been working on a suit of armor to fight against the weapons of his father's legacy... While most of the other Avengers cleave close to canon in this one, Tony gets to be both more innocent and gleefully snarky. He's a virgin the battlefield, but can recommend 1,001 ways to get you off. Also, JARVIS is a sex machine and Bruce uses all of Tony's toys. This was a hoot to write because Tony got to approach everyone differently than he would have with his canon background, and I had a God-given right, nay, responsibility, to write filthy sex scenes in every chapter.
I have achieved deadlines, broken through my year-long writer's block, and I'm feeling like 2016's going to be a damn fine year! :D
And, by gum, I have! As of my 35th birthday on the 28th of December, Iron-Hard Man and Recovery are finally finished. They couldn't be more different in tone, and I think I was working on them simultaneously for some balance. Both are Tony Stark-centric Avengers stories, both are AUs, but there the similarity ends.
Recovery is an ABO rape-recovery, following the fairly harrowing Addiction. After Steve forcibly turned Tony into an omega in Addiction, Recovery chronicles the immediate and short-term aftermath and the consequences. It's a damn dark fic, and despite some light shining through, I would not recommend it for those feeling down. This was my exploration into some of the darker twists an ABO world would take.
Iron-Hard Man is a canon-character background AU. Tony Stark, instead of creating weapons for most of his life, instead chose to become the world's premiere sex-toy mogul. As the CEO and chief researcher for Stark Naked Industries, no one would ever suspect that behind the doors of Tony's private workshop, he's been working on a suit of armor to fight against the weapons of his father's legacy... While most of the other Avengers cleave close to canon in this one, Tony gets to be both more innocent and gleefully snarky. He's a virgin the battlefield, but can recommend 1,001 ways to get you off. Also, JARVIS is a sex machine and Bruce uses all of Tony's toys. This was a hoot to write because Tony got to approach everyone differently than he would have with his canon background, and I had a God-given right, nay, responsibility, to write filthy sex scenes in every chapter.
I have achieved deadlines, broken through my year-long writer's block, and I'm feeling like 2016's going to be a damn fine year! :D
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I will say that for myself, on long fics, after I finish them there's not only a feeling of accomplishment, but often a feeling of ... resentment, or sorrow, as I sort of grieve the story that's no longer flowing and building in my head. I've heard that other writers have experienced the same thing, so be kind with yourself.
Always be kind with yourself.
2016 is going to rock! You're right about that. :)
Also, Iron-Hard Man sounds incredible!
I sometimes get that wistfulness of no longer being able to expand a certain world. I felt that way with a series I did called Being Human. Despite the name, it was an Avengers-fandom series - Loki gives Jarvis a human body, and then Tony has to deal with a new person he essentially created. I did eleven stories in that one, ending with a big bang, and I still kind of wonder where I could go with it. But I wouldn't want to do it in a way that would diminish what had come before, you know?
Recovery I likely won't come back to - I was glad to have done it, but man that was a downer of a fic. It was interesting, because I got to do worldbuilding, which I love, but the premise was extremely dark. I dabble there, but not often dwell.
Iron-Hard Man I have been considering doing an epilogue of sorts, just because it's sort of an origin story of a slightly askew Avengers. Also, I think I can cheerfully come up with more sexual humor to throw around. It was super-fun to write because of the comedic elements I got to blend with the character-building and plot.
But even if I end up not doing a thing more, I think I'm in a good place, mentally, with all these fics. I'd feel all right letting them lie while I work on others I haven't updated in a dog's age, and that's a pretty good place to be for me.
I took a break from fan fic and wrote original for the last few years, too. Then kind of hit a writing slump there, got so involved in world building, I one day realized no more words were getting put down, and I was getting out of practise. It's been weird trying to get back into the swing of fan fic, and I can tell my writing is different, in good and bad ways, lol.
Anyway, nice to see you back. Tons of people have returned to LJ in the last few months. I think it's great. Cheers!