Of epics and shorties....

[mad_andy]

There really is something going around at the moment.

And it's affecting the writing of people I really and truly respect and like and all that good shit.



See, to start with, we have isilrandir writing Kai/Dirk (that's Gamma Ray for y'all that have not reading my journal for ever) and making a seriously superb job of it. Even if you don't like the pairing, I recommend you go and read for the sheer exuberant excellence of her prose. Maybe Tomorrow and Alarm Call are just... love them to pieces.

Then we have duffnstuff. Not only has she written a cracker of a Maiden story she's been jumped by Edguy bunnies - and the result is bloody amazing. Kings Of Fools is just...wah. No words, go and read it.

There's rdyfrde. I've been working with her for a while on her fic, and her technical skills are coming along nicely; she's always had the ideas, and watching her begin to trust her own ability to write them down is a marvellous thing. I can recommend all her work, but the latest just floored me: Discord is a departure from her usual style, and seeing her spreading her artistic wings (so to speak) makes me want to jump up and down and cheer.

Yes Fred, it really fucking is that good!

I have, mind you, saved the best till last. Now, at the time of posting it isn't actually up anywhere - but as soon as it is I shall put up a link.

arrys_girlie, take a bow!

She often shows me bits and pieces that she's working on - if you like high adventure and AU stories, I can highly recommend the High Seas adventures on fiendess_fic - because I really do enjoy her writing, and we bounce ideas back and forth, that sort of thing.

The one she showed me the other night, though, blew my fucking mind. If you've tried her fiction before and haven't liked it (for whatever reason), I really urge you in the strongest terms to read this one when it hits the archive. It's...fucking marvellous. I didn't want to like it.

I didn't want to enjoy it.

Once I realised what it was about, I wanted to hate it, and be able to tell her that we-ell...you know, nice idea but...not working that well, to be honest....

I'm a rotten liar.

Thus. I really really really think you should read it when it gets posted, because it's mind-blowingly good.

ETA: It's here. Deliver Me. Go and read it. If you don't like bandfic, you should still sign up to Rockfic and get the two day free pass, because it's just *that* good. mjules, take note - I think it would be right up your alley.

Of course, just because I haven't mentioned you specifically in this list, dear reader, doesn't mean that I don't think you aren't a positively awesome writer. Since the beginning of this year the archive has been positively stuffed with good fiction - we've had up to three pages of new releases on a lot of weeks, and out of that enormous number the amount of stinkers has been few.

sidewinder has an epic I've begun but have yet to finish, and it's bloody brilliant. tasyfa has several, which are on my reading list - one night the damn thing is going to rear up and throttle me in my sleep, I swear. rockfic and her much-neglected NiN boys has produced some cracking stuff, and now she's writing poetry which I like.

I hate poetry, brah.

So no matter what else is going on in 2007, it's a stonking year for creativity!

As for my own work, well.

I've produced a hell of a lot of stuff so far this year, and while none of it is crap it's very far from my best work; but oddly, I don't feel too discouraged by all the amazing stuff that's going up around mine. I'm just consolidating my position, polishing my craft, so to speak. I know that there'll be a bunny around the corner that I can jump on and produce something that'll rock everyone back on their heels with a WOW!

I am reluctant to do more epics; the emotional involvement is so great that it's hard not to be disappointed by a perceived lack of feedback. Note the use of the word 'perceived', please, before any bollockings get handed out. People do read and enjoy my work and I am grateful - like I said, the emotional involvement is too wearing, so I'm going to try and stick to shorter stuff for a bit.

But then, it doesn't tend to have the same impact so...well....

*Shrug* Who knows what tomorrow will bring, right?