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noqueenbutthequeeninthenorth · 5 years

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A 2018 Fanfic Retrospective

Since it’s the end of the year, I thought I’d look back on the past year of fanfiction that I’ve written, read, and loved. The past year has been my most active fandom year since.... almost a decade, probably. So thanks to everyone who’s made this fandom such a great place to be. Here’s to 2019 and to Jonsa totally becoming canon.

Writing in 2018 I wrote so much this year, it’s unbelievable. I’m usually not just a slow writer but one who doesn’t produce much of anything -- a one-shot or two a year has been my tendency. But this year’s been totally different. Not only am I writing more, I’m writing multi-chapter stuff ...... and actually finishing it.

In July, I finished up A Heart That Offends, which had become a huge pain in the ass at that point because I’d never intended it to get so long. It was supposed to be a oneshot! And then it was supposed to be two chapters at most! It just kept growing (this is a recurring theme in 2018). There’s a lot I’d change about that fic now, including breaking it into more smaller and more digestible chapters, but I’m proud of myself for finishing it and seeing it through to the end. Except for the epilogue.... which I swear is coming.

I also posted all of Winter in My Blood, a fic that had its beginnings nearly a decade ago when I idly starting writing a Queen in the North AU with next to no plot. In the end I think you can tell that this was a story conceived of at a totally different point in my fandom of GOT/ASOIAF, but I honestly love this fic and feel really proud of it. I think it’s got a few of my best bits of writing in it.

And now I’m in the midst (8 chapters in!) of The Seasons of My Love, a fic that began as a fun Harry Potter AU that I could work on when I couldn’t get myself to write A Heart That Offends. Now it’s definitely become something else. It’s my most “traditional” chapter fic, and it’s ended up being a lot more about the emotional toll of all the shit Sansa’s been through, but I think it’s been valuable trying to work through that. I also love writing UST that I just stretch out for as long as humanly possible.

My writing goals for 2019 are to finish The Seasons of My Love and the A Heart That Offends epilogue, but also to go back to my roots and start writing more one-shots. I’ve got a couple in the works already. I’ve also got a list of AU ideas a mile long that I might just start doing tiny excerpts from because there’s no chance I’ll actually have the patience to sit down and write an entire Legally Blonde AU.

Reading in 2018 I’ve read so much fic this year and I’ve been consistently terrible about keeping track of it, which is why I’m trying to use my new sideblog @the-lords-kiss to write up recommendations and all that jazz. However, I thought I’d give out a few superlatives for fics that have really stuck with me this year (and if I’m being honest probably mostly from the latter half of the year).

Most delicious slow burn: But She’s a Forest Fire by Shippershape. I love this WIP with a passion and can only pray that it continues to be updated. The tension between Jon and Sansa is truly killing me in the best possible way. I also just LOVE how Sansa is written in this fic, and I love how it handles her working through her trauma.

Hottest sex scene: Chapter 24 of and no net ensnares me by @athimbleful. Look, we all know that thimbleful is an incredible writer whose plotting, characterization, and dialogue are all on point. She’s a superstar. But somehow, in addition to all that talent, she’s ALSO outrageously good at writing smut. This sex scene was so hot I sent my friend @wishwars who wasn’t even reading the fic a link. And, unsurprisingly, her response was, “Wow that was hot .... and also that was a really good chapter. What a good writer!”

Most surprisingly delightful update: Saskatoon Berry Pie by @justadram. This was one of the earliest Jonsa WIPs I read, but I’d sort of forgotten about in intervening years ... so imagine how excited I was when I got the notification that it had updated! I reread the whole thing again and the prose is just as gorgeous and subtle as I remember it. A warm, domestic gem.

Cleverest use of Alayne Stone: The Blood of Winterfell by @captainbee89/Queenofthebees. I just love this AU, and every time it updates I do a little happy dance. I love Alayne Stone fics and this is one of the best out there. The moral quandary at the heart of it is genuinely difficult, and the romance between Jon and “Alayne” is understandably and deliciously complicated.

Most evil (in the best way) use of Alayne Stone : the ghosts followed by home by @junsnow and ayuminb. Every time I read this fic I laugh to myself the entire time with pure glee. The concept is just so good. The reveal is just soooo good. I don’t want to diminish the fact that it’s a really well-written fic with real emotion behind it, but it’s also makes me cackle with delight because of how fucked up everything gets. I love it.

Most “awwww”-inducing: Spring Floods by @athimbleful. Yeah, thimbleful made the list twice. I can’t help it. I have gushed about this fic about a billion times before but it’s so intimate and warm and sweet and gentle and romantic. It just makes me so happy. It’s so simple and yet the emotion it packs in there is incredible. I don’t know how she does it.

Most promising new WIP: Totally Clueless by @jeynesgreyjoy. I think most of Jonsa fandom knows about this one by now, but if not, jump on it! It’s a Clueless AU and yet it does a remarkable thing, where tonally, it also has the ability to be incredibly thoughtful and serious. The way it’s handled the abuse in Sansa’s past, as well as Jon’s dysfunctional family issues and grief over losing his mother, while maintaining a snappy, sexy style is really incredible.

There were so many good fics I read this year so seriously, to every Jonsa writer out there, you’ve made my life better in all kinds of big and little ways. Thank you for all your hard work and creativity! Keep writing, keep fighting, keep making our babies fall in love!

Hopefully I’ve linked/tagged everything correctly -- let me know if not!

Also, if anyone else feels moved to do something like this, please do! I won’t tag anybody specifically but if you’re a fanfic writer/reader, I’d love to get your end of the year takes. Tag me if you do it so I can see what you write!

#jonsa #jon x sansa #jonsa fic recs

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