Aless Nox

Ten Years ago, I was definitely a fan, but I was not a member of FANDOM. I entered slowly when I was in a hard place emotionally, physically,and financially. I had watched the TV show Sherlock and I really liked it. I started a personal blog, joined tumblr, and a few month’s later, I had written my first fanfic. I became part of a community. After one of the purges on FanFiction,net, I started moving copies of my fic over to the newly formed Archive of our own.

Fandom urged me to really stretch myself and become incredibly creative. I went from a homebody afraid that someone might suspect that I read fanfiction, to creating blogs, fan videos, fan fiction, podfic,podcasts, and even to maintaining the Snowflake Challenge Community on Pillowfort!When I look back at the last decade, I am amazed at all the first that I have done since joining fandom. Because of it and you, I have grown into someone I never imagined that I could be, all for the love of fanworks.Thank you all for joining me in that love. Please enjoy some of my firsts and faves!
( Recs follow )

Day 7:

In your own space, create a love meme for yourself. Let people tell you how amazing and awesome and loveable you really are. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so. Surf the comments and find people to give love to.


I never found it easy to take compliments well. I learned long ago that a simple thank you usually suffices, but due to the early harsh criticism that I got as a child, compliments that were too strong often felt false to me, as if someone were making fun or mocking me. It took me years to realize that people were being honest when they said that they appreciated me. I realized then that the person who had the most trouble loving me was myself.

So when I started writing fan fiction, I resolved to not do it for the acclaim of others, but for myself. I try not to take hit counts too seriouly, or to get upset when people don’t rec or read my fic. So putting up a post to ask for love actually scares me. Somewhere down there is the feeling in my heart that no one cares, and no one will love me. This is followed by the feeling that people will post because they pity me, or not post at all which I can’t tell if I would prefer or not.

So I decided to charge right in and be the first to say what I love about my fandom self.

I joined the Sherlock fandom in 2012. I was being kicked out of my workplace, and my health was very poor. My failures were getting me down, and so I escaped by watching fan music videos and reading fanfiction. I had dreamed of being a writer since the age of 12 but I was always afraid to show my work. Part of the reason I married my husband was that he took me seriously when I told him about my writing dreams. But I couldn’t write then! I wasn’t good enough. I hid my books, unfinished under my bed and talked of them to no one.

But after I read some, I had a strong desire to tell my own version of the story. I wrote a romance without a simple happy ending. I wrote one where John chose Mary, and I got comments. People loved it. People hated it. People said it was well written, and I learned that I was a writer because I was writing. I became a writer when I allowed myself to write.

That first story was Moving (https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8284344/1/Moving) which had two sequels and began my prolific writing streak that has resulted in over 100 works including a complete rewrite of the moving series on AO3 with a different ending (http://archiveofourown.org/series/36036 ).

I try to be inventive, and always write a fic that I would want to read. I have enough stories now that I have forgotten some of them, so I have the joy of reading them as I do other people's fan fiction. I find that I am much less critical when I look at them with other’s eyes. I have often thought of making a reading guide to my stories, but then I think of how narcissistic that would be. One day I might. Then hopefully people could find something they liked among the chaff.

Thanks for listening to me rant. I love fandom, and I love you all for being here with me. Thanks for making fandom fun.

HELP!
Have you ever had an idea for a fic that is so horrible that you know you are likely to write it.
One just hit me today, and I just need one person to tell me NO! so I won't.
Please.

It is Holmescest, but it is a triangle.

Jealous of Sherlock and John's domestic bliss, Eurus decides that she wants a baby as smart as her. She decides that the only way to get it is if one of brothers is the father.


The fic's title is:
Eurus always gets what she wants

Please stop me. Stop me now before it is too late.

In an effort to increase respect for fanfiction, Sherlock BBC Fic Recs and Fuck Yeah teenlock are presenting the first ever HOLMSIES award for Sherlock fanfiction. Voting continues until September 1, 2014
http://sherlockbbcficrecs.tumblr.com/tagged/the%20holmsies
(Please spread)

I found that my mike was making lots of noise that interfered with the podficcing.
Now, I still have an over loud fan on my computer, and I can't find the balance between canceling the noise with a noise filter and the ringing that it produces. Even so, my podfic projects are not dead. I just may have to start over from scratch.

Crossing my fingers that this works.

In Your Name
by Bohemia
Fandom: Merlin
Words: 153,802
Chapters: 38
Location: http://archiveofourown.org/works/554551/chapters/988721

Now, most of the time I stay firmly in the Sherlock fandom, but I will stray into other fandoms, especially if a story is recommended like this one was. I started it, and I fell in love with it. It took a bit of time for me to realize what exactly this story is about. The frame story is obvious, "A modern day Merlin gets interviewed about his relationship with Arthur, Prince of Wales," but the understory is what makes this so compelling to me.

After the end of season five, most of the Merlin fandom was left out in the cold. There was just a promise of a future meeting, and a picture of a bearded Merlin in the modern day. We also have the words, "The once and future king". What exactly does this mean?

In this story, it means reincarnation.

The major characters are reincarnated into an alternate present day England. Uther is King, and a bratty Arthur is hounded by the press. When a chance meeting leads to Merlin saving the prince's life, a rocky romantic relationship is initiated.

I liked the fact that you could almost just make this into a future season of the story. In some parts, the language of the characters is good enough that you can just hear them saying it in your head. Some of the stories are recycled, but in the modern setting, they sound new. As in the original, just hearing the names of characters leads to anticipation of how they will fulfill their role in the story. It is a good read.

CHARACTERS

The main characters are Merlin and Arthur. Merlin is our POV character, and we are unsure of Arthur's feelings for him. As in the original, Merlin hides his magic from him. Merlin is a compelling character, if not a bit 'girly' at times.(Here I mean, blushy, hesitant, prize-like). All of the Royals fall for him for no apparent reason except his humor, engaging conversation and his charming manner. Oh and there is his bravery. I can't believe that it is his looks. I've seen Colin Morgan in a suit, and I did not think that he wore it well. He is an interesting character, however, and you can't always predict him except to know that he will always selflessly try to save Arthur.

Arthur here starts spoilt and rude and progresses to Shy-ish and misunderstood. His "I'm just Arthur" speech really helps explain a person bounded in by expectation who tries very hard to do what is expected of him, but at the cost of his own heart.

Gwen makes a nice confidant, although in this story she has no relationship with Arthur. Lance is brave but not well developed. Gwaine is a treat as the playboy who might just win Merlin for himself. Uthur is, thankfully, mostly a background character, but I feel that he is much more sympathetic than in the show because I get the feeling that he knows more than he is saying about Arthur's love life. Morgana is warm and charming.The playul, warm Morgana from early in the series that we all miss. I wanted her to stay this way and not turn into the evil Morgana, but...well we shall see.

The original characters Owain and Leon are a treat, especially Leon who I wanted to see much more of. I wondered about his relationship with Morgana, and would not be averse to reading a short with his version of the story.

ROMANCE
I think that for the most part, the obstacles to the romance are clearly stated. Most people don't expect a gay crown prince, so they aren't looking for it in their relationship at first. Of course, a coming out is in order if Arthur is turning down marriage prospects because of it.

I found it interesting how Arthur wanted to wait before consummating the union, although I didn't know for what? Marriage? A more private venue? It was sweet in its way.

They have a sweet, angsty, mostly nonexplicit relationship with lots of kisses and sleeping together with sex implied later in the story.For the most part, I could deal with their on again off again love, but near the end I was starting to get tired of it and wanted to say "Just get it over with will ya?"

Episodes were chronological within the frame story of an interview, and most of what happened were never reported to the interviewer who we could tell was not sympathetic to their union.

STORY
I liked many things about this story. I liked the details of the life of Modern Arthur, such as how he would put on ratty clothes to go "slumming" but still had suited bodyguards following him everywhere. I liked how Merlin felt a bit put out that royals seemed to want to appropriate him as their personal (plaything) buddy without even asking a by your leave. I also liked how Morgana was affectionate to Merlin and Arthur and tried to help them find each other.

I also like how perils from the original series, and dialog were tossed in to add continuity and deepen the repeated destiny aspect of it.

I didn't like the abrupt change when the frame story started to move again. It confused me. I wasn't sure of everyone's location. I didn't like how some characters were a bit poorly developed like Owain and Percival (Percy),or how sometimes Arthur seemed very 'one note', but I can't help but be awed at the scope of the work. Retelling the story in modern day from first meeting while trying to keep true to characters and story. It is an awesome undertaking, and for the most part it is done remarkably well, therefore I highly recommend this work.

4.5 out of 5

Check it out!

Mycroft Confessions, Truth, and Lies
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8392958/7/Mycroft-Confessions-Truth-and-Lies
AO3 copy
Being a steward of the British Nation is hard work, but not, it seems, as hard as taking care of his wild-child younger brother Sherlock. When his loner brother suddenly takes a flatmate, Mycroft wonders what is happening, and who is this Dr. John H. Watson.