jadesfire: Bright yellow flower (Default)
[personal profile] jadesfire
*sings* Happy Birthday To Me!

(yes, [livejournal.com profile] travels_in_time, I know it's your birthday too - I've got a whole other post for you here)

Well, it's not my actual birthday, the date of which is cunningly and subtly concealed in my username, but it is the birthday of my LiveJournal. One year and nearly 300 posts later, there's no getting rid of me, however much that might disappoint you. So I felt the need to do something to mark the occasion. Okay, so I may spam your friends pages a little with fic and posts, what with one thing and another, but as that's not new, I thought I'd do something else to mark it.



This year, in addition to modding (intermittently) on 3 comms, I have written:

Housefic

11 stories in ~20,500 words, including everything from 50 (yes, 50) word drabbles, to writing the same scene, three different ways in one story (that one nearly killed me but I'm damn proud of it).

Criminal Minds fic

Much neglected, sadly. Just 4 stories in ~8,300 words. But one of them includes the world's most random word list, so I'm quite pleased with that one.

Jack fic

My stories centre on Jack, so they're both Torchwood and Doctor Who - I've given up trying to separate them out. There are 13 stand-alone stories in ~21,000 words, not including the nursery rhymes. They include everything from the craziest crack to the gentlest fluff, and on top of them, there are 42 drabbles, mostly written in the month of madness. To date, The Sic Transit Tempus ficverse currently stands at 2 series (total 21 stories/~52,300 words) and 4 stand-alone stories (total ~12,000 words). And that doesn't count the ones I'm going to post today.

Crossovers

I love writing crossover fics, and have 3 crossover stories (I don't think 'meta-crack-crossover' is actually a genre...) in 22,400 words. There's another Discworld one in the planning, just because I can't help myself.


So that's a grand total of 98 stories (including drabbles) and about 140,700 words in 7 fandoms (including crossovers). And it doesn't include the 4 half-started Torchwood stories, the 9 I have in plan form, the next Sic Transit Tempus series which is also in the planning stages and the 1 Housefic that's still waiting for its ending.

*blink*

And during that time I worked full-time, planned a wedding, found a flat, got married, moved house and changed jobs, not to mention doing a part-time MA.

Ahhhhh, so that's where my life went. The other half, [livejournal.com profile] major_jim (yes, he has one too ;)), is a remarkably patient man...


I'm not given to gushing, as it makes my inner-Brit get all hot under the collar, so you might want to make a note of this post. It may well be another year til you see the next...

I can't go round my whole flist and say how awesome you are, as I only have one lifetime and plan to do other things with it as well. I'm just hoping that those people I can't mention by name will forgive me, and be reassured that you make me smile on a daily basis. It cheers up a dull and often lonely job to know you lot are out there.

And if you can't remember why you're seeing this... I know there are some of you who probably groan at seeing my name come up again and are wondering how I ended up on your f-list anyway. No hard feelings, not a problem - these things happen - and I'm not going to be offended by being defriended - hope you have fun out there :)



In the beginning...

I have to start with my House-friends, who gave me the confidence to keep writing and generally held my hand through my first few months on LJ. [livejournal.com profile] pwcorgigirl, [livejournal.com profile] nightdog_barks and [livejournal.com profile] perspi helped me prod my work into shape, shared my enthusiasm, and provided a constant supply of touching, funny and wonderful stories to keep me going. Together with [livejournal.com profile] fallen_arazil, [livejournal.com profile] karaokegal, [livejournal.com profile] topaz_eyes, [livejournal.com profile] bironic (whose sestinas should be compulsory reading), [livejournal.com profile] mer_duff and [livejournal.com profile] deelaundry, and so many others, they write fanfic how it should be - intelligent, fun and crafted. I arrived in the fandom already understanding the basics of how writing worked, but these guys showed me all the other things it could be.

Everything Changes

Then, soon after I got back from honeymoon last October, I started to fall for a new fandom that has subsequently eaten my life. I'm happy to say that I think I have the best Torchwood and Doctor Who writers in the fandom on my flist, because they wouldn't be there if I didn't think that. They write all genres and lengths and all characters, constantly finding new ways to make me go 'oh!'

[livejournal.com profile] entangled_now writes crack!fic with a flair that's hard to match, [livejournal.com profile] laurab1 makes fantastic graphics and icons when I ask for them and as wonderful surprises, [livejournal.com profile] szm, [livejournal.com profile] seti_drd, [livejournal.com profile] dark_aegis and [livejournal.com profile] becky_writing make me smile, laugh and cry in equal measure, while [livejournal.com profile] cyberducks, [livejournal.com profile] aeshna_uk, [livejournal.com profile] hellenebright, [livejournal.com profile] nnwest and [livejournal.com profile] fajrdrako write recs, commentary and fic that make me think and/or giggle.

As I said, there are too many others to mention by name, for which I trust I will be forgiven. Have a scroll through my friends page to appreciate how fantastic you all are.

Gone but not forgotten

I know there are a few Criminal Minds guys out there, hanging on desperately as we wait to see what's going to happen after the recent earthquakes. You keep me in touch with what's going on, and I need to see S2 before I can get back into it properly, but I can promise you that I will be back...

Is this the real life?

And it's not just fic that I love reading. I love reading what you've all been up to, all the stresses and joys and fun that you're having. I usually filter my friends list to 'journals only' so I can keep track of everyone properly. And I love that when I'm having a bad day, so many people stop by to cheer me up. It works, every time.

I've cried, laughed and bitten my nails along with [livejournal.com profile] rivers_bend over the last few months, and it's been so good to hear how things are going, and read an intelligent, honest account of what happens when you turn your life upside-down. Her courage and ability to just keep going, while never pretending it's easy, leave me waiting eagerly for the next installment. And I always grin when [livejournal.com profile] terrylj/[livejournal.com profile] travels_in_time's name comes up - good humour and determination under trying circumstances are not easy, but she always seems to manage it.

Credit where it's due

Finally, everyone who works with regular betas knows how precious they are. Finding someone whose style of working complements your own is hard to do, and I've been incredibly lucky to find two of them. I can honestly say that without [livejournal.com profile] crystalshard and [livejournal.com profile] miss_zedem, my writing wouldn't be half of what it is. They have all my best ideas, they don't let me get away with anything and they patiently hold my hand through redraft after redraft without ever losing their minds, cool or senses of humour.

[livejournal.com profile] crystalshard single-handedly betaed the whole of "The Waiting Years", which deserves a medal, a round of a applause and a stiff drink on its own. She makes sure I stay within the bounds of the engineeringly possible, not to mention driving trucks through my plot holes; she writes everything from crack to action with the same flair and eye for detail; and she writes fluff on demand when I need cheering up. And she still talks to me after I tell her to go rewrite her whole story. She's even brave enough to put up with me in person on 4th August, so you might want to wish her luck. For consistent good humour and sage advice, I can't thank her enough.

And finally, finally, [livejournal.com profile] miss_zedem, with whom I recently seem to be sharing a brain (I'm definitely getting the better half of that deal). She kicked me out of my comfort zone and locked the door behind me; she always knows the answer to a grammar or character question, usually in the same amount of detail; and she's quite content to while away time with me on Yahoo!Messenger, taking apart characters, plot-lines and fandom generally to see how they work. She's made me pay more attention to the emotional lives of my characters, and writes with a tenderness and character-insight that never ceases to touch me.

Good afternoon, good evening and good night

So, to all of you, named or not, thank you for a great year - it's been fun, and here's to another!

May the continuity monster not eat your canon,
May all your loose ends be resolved,
May all your slash be pretty,
May all your stories be correctly spelled,
And may you have good fic, good fandoms and good friends,
Now and forevermore.


~Jades x

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 05:50 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fandom-me.livejournal.com
You are an incredible person. I'm glad I found you - or you found me, or whatever happened. The internet really is a beautiful place. Happy LJ birthday.

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 06:12 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
Aw, thanks *blush* Beautiful indeed!

I was actually just about to drop in on you... *goes to do just that*

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 06:22 am (UTC)
xwingace: (rogues)
From: [personal profile] xwingace
I can only admire your stamina in writing. I wish I had the energy. :-) Thanks for all the great stories, anyway.

XWA

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 06:28 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
Thank you so much! It's not stamina so much as desperation to make the plot bunnies and/or Jack shut up! I wouldn't do it if I didn't love it :)

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 06:57 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] entangled-now.livejournal.com
Happy first LJ Birthday! *offers balloon and cake*

I'm glad you're having fun! Looking back at everything I'd done after a year was very strange. A sort of 'did I do all that?' moment. But it's true the internet is an awesome place, with some awesome people.

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 07:04 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
Ooh! Cake! Yum!

It seems very strange that it's been a whole year - feels like I've been here forever and that I'm just starting to get the hang of it! And there's definitely a lot of 'good grief - all of that?' :)

*ties balloons to computer*

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 07:31 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] patch-tank.livejournal.com
Happy LJ-birthday Jades! Glad to hear you'll be writing more CM fic, I'm eagerly awaiting it :)

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 07:48 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
Thanks! I really want to get back into it, but need to see some more episodes first... :)

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 07:42 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] miss-zedem.livejournal.com
Awww bless you *hugs* Happy LJ birthday! *hands you bun with a candle in it*

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 07:50 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
*hugs back*

yay - I'm getting lots of cake here, all of the non-fattening kind. Even better! :D

*blows out candle*

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 07:43 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] crystalshard.livejournal.com
Happy LJ birthday! *gives party hats and cake and drinks*

Awww. You made me blush. Thanks for all the lovely stuff you said about me!

*bounces up and down waiting for 4th August*

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 07:51 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
It's turning into a proper party over here - ooh, more cake *munches*

All thoroughly deserved! Thanks, hon! :D

*bounces with you*

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 07:57 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dune-drd.livejournal.com
You're overrating my scribblings *blushes*

It's good to have you on the flist, fandom wouldn't be the same without you

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 08:09 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
No overrating, no underrating - you guys are great and I don't care who knows it!

Bless you - I'm not sure about fandom, but it's nice to think my friends would miss me :D

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 08:45 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dune-drd.livejournal.com
You're so good, you made me read and care about fics with 'OCs', usually I run from those ^^

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 08:35 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pinkamethyst.livejournal.com
Oh, this was like reading a truly wonderful Oscar speech. I admit, I shed a little tear. All this emotion really ruins my stiff upper lip and all that...

Happy LJ birthday!

x

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 08:53 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
Does you good to get it out sometimes :)

*offers tissues*

thanks!

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 09:23 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bright-thunder.livejournal.com
Well, I've only just met you, but I'm very glad you found your way to DW/TW! Not only are you lovely but I've realised I'm going to need a while to read your fic and appreciate it as it deserves. Happy LJ birthday.

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 09:42 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
Thanks :) There's more fic than I realised - those numbers are scary! Hope you enjoy...

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 09:30 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] szm.livejournal.com
Happy LJ birthday!

Thank you very much for all your help and support with my writing. *hugs*

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 09:41 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
*hugs back* It's a pleasure!

Thanks :)

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 11:51 am (UTC)
ext_2047: (Default)
From: [identity profile] bironic.livejournal.com
Happy anniversary/early birthday!

Such a lovely acceptance speech, too. :) It's been a pleasure to get to know you and a real honor to receive your detailed, intelligent feedback -- those sestinas wouldn't be the same without your comments. Here's to another year! I may have to watch a few eps of Torchwood to appreciate what you and others are writing about.....

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 01:07 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
The best thing with this type of acceptance speech is that it's my journal, so they can't start playing to music to kick me off the stage :)

I think Torchwood is an acquired taste - worth giving a go, but it gets much better later in the season.

Here's to another year indeed! Thanks :D

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 12:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rachel68620.livejournal.com
Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hope you have a great day. And I'll have to see what I can do by way of fic, so check my journal tomorrow. As I unfortunately have to dash out to work now.

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 01:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
Bless you, thanks :) I'm stuck at work, which could be worst - at least it's not management text books...

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 12:33 pm (UTC)
unfeathered: (Default)
From: [personal profile] unfeathered
Wow, you have been busy!

I still have to find time to catch up on all your longer fics, but I've really enjoyed all your drabbles and shorter ones :-)

Here's to the next year!

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 01:14 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
Very busy! But it keeps me out of trouble. Apart from when it gets me into trouble... ;)

Thanks!

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 12:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com
*tosses confetti into the air and hands around the funny party hats*

Whee! Happy LJ anniversary!

And good heavens, you've been busy. That's a very impressive body of work, both in fandoms and out in the real world. Girl, when did you last eat or sleep? :)

It always makes me smile to see that you've been up and around on LJ, either writing your wonderful fiction or just talking about your day.

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 01:16 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
Eat? Ten minutes ago. Sleep? As opposed to nap or have nightmares about deadlines? Um.... I'm waiting for September...

Thanks. The numbers scared me actually, but I'm quite proud of them all the same. LJ gives me a great forum to ramble and rant in, reassured that everyone else out there is doing the same. ;)

*puts on hat and fished confetti out of drink*
Cheers! :D

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 03:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rivers-bend.livejournal.com


I still remember seeing your post about lightbulb changing in the library and thinking, I need her on my flist! And I've never regretted it. You are one of the joys on my friends page, and I'm very glad to still have you around!

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 03:15 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
*giggle* I'd forgotten that. With October coming (too soon!) there'll be plenty more stories like that, I'm sure - I don't post about the library nearly enough now.

It's been a great year! Here's to more of them :D

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 03:48 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hellenebright.livejournal.com
Happy LJ birthday. Gosh you have been a busy little bee - to have achieved so much in real life, fic and cyberspace. Have you got the Energiser bunny working for you?

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 04:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
Thanks! Oh, I wish! More like large doses of caffeine and ability to do 4 things at once.

Plus, there's encouraging friends to keep me going :D

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 03:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] travels-in-time.livejournal.com
Happy LJ Birthday! Very convenient day you picked there. :D And I'm glad you pointed out your birthday-username thing, because every so often I'd wonder what those numbers were, but because they're US-backwards I'd never connected them to a date. You learn something new every day...

I think we're all happier that you're in fandom than you are, because we get all the benefits of the several zillion words of Jack-fic (and otherfic) without any of the work!

And there's not only the considerable amounts of fic and the funny library stories, but the editorial poking and encouragement, which is invaluable all on its own. So, yeah, I for one am happy you're here. :D And through your journal I've met several other very nice people, so it's all good!

Hmm, you seem to have the cake and funny hats and confetti and etc. all wrapped up, so the only thing left for a good party is...*picks up phone, sends JB over to do a stripping/singing telegram ('cause you KNOW he would!)*

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 04:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
*falls off chair giggling* Now that's what I call a birthday present...

Sometimes I think I prefer editing to writing, just because it's so much fun! I love doing it - make someone else do the work for a change ;)

*bounces* It has been a great birthday - have a good one too! :D

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 08:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] viola-jen.livejournal.com
Aw, Happy LJ Birthday!
*squishes*
I very much enjoy reading your stories and your journal and I hope to be congratulating you again on your second birthday, following another 140,000 words of fic!
I like your 'may the continuity monster...' thing. Genius, as ever.

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-18 05:26 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
Another 140,000? I'm just going to take it one story at a time!

I'm not entirely sure the continuity monster was my idea...after 'Last of the Time Lords', [livejournal.com profile] miss_zedem, [livejournal.com profile] crystalshard, [livejournal.com profile] szm and I were chatting on MSN and it just sort of came into being. :)

Thanks! *squishes back*

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-18 06:35 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] viola-jen.livejournal.com
Ah, the meeting of minds is a wonderful thing!
You never know you might end up with even more words than that! One story at a time, as you say, but you know you love it. There'll be millions in no time! ;)

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-17 08:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] aoife-8.livejournal.com
Happy LJ birthday!
The TW fandom is a better place for having you in it. Thank you for all your wonderful stories, they make the world a better place.
I hadn't quite realised that your real life year had been so hectic. No wonder you're looking forward to that holiday doing nothing!

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-18 05:29 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
The holiday seems like a distant dream at the moment, so I'm hanging on in there - with a picture of Menorca as my wallpaper!

Thank you! *blushes*

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-18 12:12 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jpgr.livejournal.com
Wow, you have been one busy girl in a year! I only decided to start a fic journal this year and I'm still working on a backlog of fics!

I will let you know that I friended you because of Waiting/Wandering Years and I've hung around to read your other stuff.

Congrats on one year!

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-18 06:17 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
No matter how much you write, there is always more... ;)

Thanks so much!

(no subject)

Date: 2007-07-18 10:03 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deelaundry.livejournal.com
Congratulations on a great year! LJ-wise, and real life, too!

Here's to another great 365 -- Dee