Happy 2020 and Yuletide story

[byslantedlight]

I seem to remember that it's traditional to do a Yuletide reveal post - or at least I remember lots of people doing that in previous years *g* - and a couple of people have asked about my story, so, it's this one:

One Not Far Distant Day
by Slantedlight

It's from the Charm of Magpies series of books, which I've written about before because I love them. They're Victorian paranormal m/m books, and I very much recommend them if you've not read them yet! The books actually have new covers now, because KJ Charles has self-published after the whole Samhain Publishing faff, and I think they also include the short stories/snippets that she's posted online/to Fb too, or at least some of them.

Anyway - it was my first time writing for Yuletide, and my first time writing for another fandom without even a hint of Pros in it, and my hope in doing so was that it would kick-start me into writing more, because it was just barely happening last year, and I hated that. I was quite worried about the story, mind, because it sounded right in my head, but that doesn't always translate to other people's heads, so I kept an eye on it... but it seems to have been okay! In fact, I've actually had such nice feedback about it (and even a rec on the Yuletide rec site, from someone whose fics I really enjoyed in Torchwood fandom, which was just wow *g*), given when I was still anonymous, that it's encouraging me to make just one New Year's resolution for 2020. Usually I say I'm going to be better at posting and replying and so on, and will be healthier and exercise more and all the usual stuff (and I still am), but this year I'm going to make one: I am going to write. Write anything. I'll get on with my own stories, especially the one that's over 50,000 words long, and with Pros, and maybe some more Charm of Magpies if I get the urge, or perhaps Astreiant or Mathey and Lynes, which I also love, but just... write again.

So - we'll see how that works out... *g*

And now I'm off to go and see somewhere different for my last day before work starts again. Not sure where yet - maybe I'll head off Stonehenge direction. Mind you, I'd better get a move on - it's not the lightest of days out here...

Comments

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

I really do need to get around to reading these books. I have all four on my Kindle, so don't really have an excuse not to. So I will save your story, because it has to be good, and set it aside until the day when I've read the books.

And, yeah, writing has really dropped off for me, too. Wishing you lots of luck on that account!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh, you should read them - and I hope you adore them as much as I do! *g* (And wow, what a fab thing to say about my story - cross fingers it will work for you when you get there!)

I hate that I've not been able to write - as you can probably tell from all the whinging I've done about it over the years. I hate that it's years since I felt this way! Really I think it means that things in my life have to change... But then I'm always saying that, too...

[milomaus.livejournal.com]

I love, love, love your Lucien/Steven story and agree with the one you've written for wholeheartedly!
And I even started to comment, but then we decided to go outside and do some walking in the woods, which was fabulous!

I hope you're able to enjoy Stonehenge /near Stonehenge at least half as much. And YAY for writing!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Yeay and yeay and yeay again - I'm soooo glad it worked, because I really worried that it would only work in my own head, you know?! Or at 5.30am in the morning when all I needed to do was stop fiddling with it and go to bed... *g*

I went to Avebury in the end. I should post pics... *g*

[cloudless-9193.livejournal.com]

Great story, a perfect addition to the books! :-)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm so relieved that it works for people who've read the books! *g*

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

What a great response you've received!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

It's a wonderful response actually - I was so worried when I wrote this too... *g*

[msmoat.livejournal.com]

I am going to write.

Yes! This is exactly what I found tends to happen if you shake things up and write something entirely different. You just get the juices flowing and then everything gets easier. I bet you will write more Pros this year along with other things. You go!

I'm so glad Yuletide was a good experience for you!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Well it's twelve days later and I haven't actually written more yet, but I'm still hopeful... Hope you felt similar inspiration. *g*

The Yuletide experience was interesting - and the writing was cool in the end, I just wish I didn't always leave it until the last minute. Or that I could make my peace with the fact that I always leave things to the last minute...!

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

I love these books. I have put your story on my laptop and I hope to get to it soon! Thanks.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

They're great, aren't they! Only her Society of Gentlemen books have lived up to them since - and maybe Band Sinister, which I liked. Oh well, perhaps Simon Feximal... and actually I did just enjoy Proper English, when I wasn't at all sure that I would. But the Magpies books and Society of Gentlemen stand out far ahead, if you ask me. *g* I hope you like my fic when you get there!

[sunray45.livejournal.com]

Love it. Lucien/Stephen, Merrick and Saint on their travels. Yours is the first fanfic about K J Charles books I have read, although I believe there is a special page on AO3 where others have posted.

Yes, you must keep writing your wonderful stories.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Thank you! You've made me smile! *g* And I really really want to keep writing... it's just time... I have to make time somehow...

There is indeed a page of Magpies stories - it's here! There's not as many as I would have expected when I realised there was fanfic for the books at all, only 23, and as many Jonah/Ben fics as Lucien/Stephen fics. Oh, and there's a Charm of Magpies vid, which is quite clever! Oh, I can embed it!

It's not at all the Lucien that I imagine (way too young) but Stephen's pretty good, and I'm just impressed that someone's managed a vid at all! *g*