FIC YEAR IN REVIEW - 2025

[jedibuttercup]

At some point I may just have to admit that writing motivation and energy is not the same in my late 40s as it was in my 20s and 30s. But not quite yet. My 2025 total was a tiny bit higher than the year before (by 1 fic and 1,600 words); and I have signed up for getyourwordsout yet again.

For the first time in quite awhile, I had no crossovers in the list; but I did manage to write three fic outside of exchanges. Three were slash, three were gen, four were poly, seven were het, and the plots included a lot of canon divergences, fix-its, soul mates, get-togethers and other tropey indulgences. Also, something I just noticed - all but one were movie fandoms this time. Huh.

Anyway, in March, it will be twenty-four years since my first published fic was finished; my goal for the next two years is to finish my last four WIPs before I hit the quarter-century mark as a fic writer. Might as well dream big!

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2025 Fanfiction Stats

(As a reminder, I always count Yuletide stories with the year following, in which the reveals happen; so 2025's count includes the Yule 2024 stories and not the Yule 2025 ones.)

Number of works posted: 17
Total words posted: 74,800

(For perspective: last year's numbers were 16 and 73,200. In 2011, my best year? 137 and 272,200.)

Most popular stories of 2025:
Serendipity Comes From Defying Expectations - Knives Out (2019), Marta Cabrera/Ransom Drysdale
An Unavoidable Meeting - Sense and Sensibility (1995), Colonel Brandon/Elinor Dashwood

Least popular stories of 2024:
Visualising Better Days - A Working Man (2025), Levon Cade/Gunny Lefferty
The Best Reward - Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023), Nathan Jasmine-centric gen

As usual, the top two are a romantic-focused longfic in a genre fandom and a popular non-canon pairing for a historical romance fandom. The lowest two, however, are both from recent Jason Statham movies, which does surprise me a little... except that neither fic is het, and writing fandom for macho action movies seems to be in a decline lately. A lot fewer people are showing up in AO3 exchanges requesting or commenting on them.

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Movie Non-Crossovers

An Unavoidable Meeting - Sense and Sensibility (1995), Brandon/Elinor, 11,400 words (fffx)
Serendipity Comes From Defying Expectations - Knives Out (2019), Marta/Ransom, 10,500 words (iddyiddybangbang)

Don't Let Go (I've Got You) - Twisters (2024), Kate/Javi/Tyler, 2,400 words (candyheartsex)
Hashtag If You Feel It - Twisters (2024), Kate/Javi/Tyler, 1,200 words (candyheartsex)
Like One Big Sunset (Please, Just One) - Bandits (2001), Joe/Terry/Kate, 3300 words (yuletide)
So It Has Always Been, So It Always Shall Be - The Mummy, Evy/Rick/Ardeth, 11,300 words (ficinabox)

the admission of promise - The Gorge (2025), Drasa/Levi Kane, 2,000 words (bitesizedfandomsex)
Finding Order in the Chaos - Dredd (2012), Anderson/Dredd, 5,100 words (rarepairexchange)
Take a Risk, Gain the Advantage - Ready or Not (2019), Grace/Daniel, 3,800 words (trickortreatex)
The Only Rules That Matter - Pirates of the Caribbean, Elizabeth/Will, 1,300 words (ficinabox)

The Question Ain't If But When - Expend4bles (2023), Lee/Barney, 4,700 words (raremaleslashex)
A Timely Interruption - Jurassic Park OT, Alan Grant/Ian Malcolm, 5,800 words (fandom5k)
Visualising Better Days - A Working Man (2025), Levon/Gunny (bethefirst)

Back to All the Brightness - Pitch Black (2000), Riddick & Imam, 2,200 words (yuletide)
The Best Reward - Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023), Nathan Jasmine-centric, 1,300 words (yuletide)
send not to know for whom the bell tolls - The Amateur (2025), Charlie & Inquiline, 200 words (bethefirst)

TV Non-Crossovers

Heart's Got Everything To Do With It - Tin Man (2007), DG/Wyatt Cain, 6,700 words (rarepairexchange)