ama epilogue

[pauraque_bk]

That AMA day was great. I loved reading everyone's questions and answers, and I keep going back to people's entries to find more. :D

I have one question left over that I didn't get to, from nearlyconscious: What's the fic you wrote that you like the most, and why?

This was hard to answer, mostly because it feels like bragging, and because I am actually pretty self-critical and have a difficult time liking my own writing. (It would have been easier to come up with the fics that I was the most disappointed in, but I'm not nearly enough of a masochist to make that post.) I don't think I can narrow it down to just one — I have posted almost 150 fics over 13 years, after all — but I'll name a few that come to mind, in no particular order


The Last of the Zeroes (Paradises Lost by Ursula LeGuin, OMC/OMC, PG-13)
This is a very obscure fic based on a sci-fi novella by my favorite author. Mine is the only entry for it on AO3. Knowing that there wouldn't really be an audience, I wrote it out of pure need to put the story down on paper, and I think that's part of why I like it so much. My opinion was the only one that mattered, and in my opinion, it came out well and said what I wanted to say. It was a turning point for me in learning to write without worrying about pleasing others.


The Wrong Story (Harry Potter, Harry gen, G)
Of the fics I wrote that were popular way-back-then (2004 in this case), I think this is one that holds up particularly well. I like that it's a complete story in a very short space, managing to introduce an elaborate AU, present an inner conflict for Harry, and clearly resolve it in less than 400 words.


The Secret Incantation (Harry Potter, Hermione/Sirius, NC-17)
I like this fic because it is deeply kinky and (to me) extremely hot, without sacrificing believability. That's a challenging balance to strike sometimes and I was satisfied with the results here.


Opening (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Tasha/Deanna, NC-17)
I've written a few fics that are not only kinky but also about Doing Kink (consensual and negotiated), and I think this one is my favorite. I like how their relationship unfolds, what delight they take in their kinks, and how Tasha's history as a trauma survivor is addressed while being neither overly dramatic nor too easily resolved.


Acted Over (Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, Brutus/Cassius, R)
I stretched myself and took a lot of risks in writing this (surrealism! fourth-wall breaking! daring to rewrite Shakespeare!) and it felt like it paid off.


If any of you would like to take on the same question, I'd be fascinated to read the answers. What are your favorite fanworks that you've created, and what makes them stand out above the rest?

Crossposted from Dreamwidth. Feel free to comment wherever you're comfortable.

Comments

[nearlyconscious.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, lovely! Thank you for answering in such detail, and I think I'll do the same!

[pauraque]

I look forward to it!

[nearlyconscious.livejournal.com]

:) Also, I remember that Hermione/Sirius fic! It had huge potential to squick me but it didn't. I really love your writing.
I think my favourite by you will always be "Two Can Keep a Secret" though. And it's definitely one of my all-time favourites, it really moved me deeply.

[pauraque]

If I'd kept going I probably would have included that one too, but I didn't want to name too many. It's definitely another one that I wrote without feeling like it "had to" be a certain way or meet other people's expectations, and I think that's why it came out as well as it did.