2010 Recap

[fignewton]

I can't believe it's been over four years since I first started actively participating in SG-1 fandom! With another calendar year gone by, it's time for a look back.

In fandom

Still happily tagging for sg1_debrief, the best LJ resource for SG-1 fandom. ::shakes pom-poms at Julie and the rest of the team::

Then there's redial_the_gate, now midway through Season Eight. It's gotten a lot quieter there over the past year, as SG-1 moves with greater finality into closed-canon status and more people shift to different new fandoms. But it's still thriving, and Redial is fandom at its best: fun, inclusive, friendly, and full of squee. Abyssis and Pepper and Aurora, my fellow mods, keep everything ticking flawlessly!

There were four SG-1 Gen Fic Days and three Alphabet Soups this year: Vala, Jonas, and Team. SG-1 may be closed canon, but there's still an enthusiastic fandom out there -- when our Crossover Alphabet Soup goes live on February 1st, we'll have a total 100 different authors participating! (There's still room for claimants, if you're interested in taking part.) Considering that all this is gen fic, which can never really compete the shippy stuff, it's enough to make any Benevolent Dictatrix proud. :)

I've also joined gate_women and I wish I would see more members of my flist there. I certainly prefer the gen aspect myself, but all kinds of fics, in all kinds of flavors, are welcome there. Any comm with a tag "to celebrate the ladies of Stargate" deserves more love!

In recs

On the rec side of fandom, I made 113 recs this year in twenty different categories, bringing the total number of recs archived at figs_sg1_rec up to 650 exactly. (Huh, didn't even notice that milestone until now. Go gen fic, whee!) Thanks to the effort to rec those niches that are often overlooked, I created three new categories at stargateficrec: Moebius-related, Sam and Janet friendship, and Teal'c and Vala friendship. I also resurrected some long-neglected categories: Jonas recs (last recced in 2004!) and pre-series (last recced in 2006).

sg1genrecs is my DW baby, although I've been neglecting it of late. As of this posting, there are 127 subscribers. Being that DW is less gen-oriented than LJ, I'm pretty proud of that. :) Here's hoping the coming months see the comm grow more active!

In meta

Once again, I only managed two canon vs. fanon posts:

Canon vs. Fanon, part 21: Off-world fanon, part 2

Canon vs. Fanon, part 22: Goa'uld fanon

I have two half-finished essays languishing on my hard drive -- another off-world one and an on-world one -- not to mention several other topics that I think are worth analyzing further. We'll see how it goes. :)

In fic

Well, I did plenty of fic writing... but all of it was short. Where did my long stories go, exactly? Possibly they were drowned in drabbles, which I confess are delightfully addictive. 21 fic posts, just over 20,000 words.

Alphabet Soup fics

A is for Aspect. The Goa'uld might be snaky symbiotes, but it's the hosts' faces that Vala has always hated.

X is for X-Files. Sam learns that Jonas doesn't quite understand television programming.

D is for Duct Tape. Silly fluffy teaminess and a discussion on duct tape.

Team fics

Still my greatest love. :)

Checklist. Whatever happened to Jack's rule that the team should stick to rations off-world? Jack, evil Wonder Twins, and Teal'c pwnage.

Sports Night. Sam and hockey, with background Jack and Daniel silliness and Teal'c pwnage.

Where the Future Is Being Made Today. They were hoping to meet the Furlings. It would be nice to know which one was which. Shameless crackfic crossover with The Muppet Show.

Shake Vigorously for Best Results. When the team comes under attack, Sam uses any weapons she can get.

Better Luck Next Time. A Goa'uld thinks he has created the inescapable trap. He really ought to know better.

The Hunt. Team silliness, Teal'c pwnage. (Anyone noticing a trend here?)

Drabbles

A lot of these. They're challenging but quick, and wonderful for when I want to write but don't have the time to write in greater depth.

Softly Through the Seasons. Ten drabbles, ten women, ten years of Stargate.

Breathless. Four times Sha're caught her breath, and one time she didn't. These are actually double drabbles, at 200 words each.

All the Difference. Backstory for S10's Road Not Taken: four drabbles that highlight where the darker alternate reality diverged from the SGC's timeline.

Previously, on Stargate SG-1. Eight episode-related drabbles with the women of Stargate.

Previously, on Stargate SG-1 (Guys of the Gate). The sequel to the women's version, with five guy-related drabbles.

Happiness Is. Ten happy drabbles on a variety of subjects.

Character fics

Well Met at Midnight. Jonas Quinn dreams of Daniel Jackson, or maybe he doesn't.

Read Between the Lines. Pre-series. When Sha'uri discovers forbidden drawings beneath the tunnels of Nagada, she must decide whether or not they carry any meaning.

In Memoria. He owed it to them not to give up: five things Daniel did in Ancient Egypt to honor his team's memory.

Vested Interest. The geeks make good tac vests, but they're no help if they're not actually worn. Jack fic.

Motivation. Daniel's intense hatred for the Goa'uld runs deeper than others might expect.

Temper, Temper. Sometimes, a little crankiness comes in handy. A missing scene with Jack and Jacob from Reckoning.

Favorite fic bits

Here are some personal favorite snippets of writing, in no particular order:

He turns back in time to see the deadly beauty of the event horizon lash out in his direction, frothing entropy before settling back into cool blue serenity. He can't help but notice that despite the bright, shimmering light of the open Stargate before him, Doctor Jackson's shadow is cast in his direction, stretching over him. Jonas supposes that shadow will always dim everything he might say or do with the enormity of Jackson's presence... or absence.

"Look," Jackson says, stepping closer. "The SGC has a pretty decent track record with people who have to leave their homes and find a new place on Earth."

Jonas glances at him and keeps the bitterness out of his voice with careful deliberation. "How many other people come to Earth under circumstances like mine?"

Jackson's brows quirk up again, and his smile is quick and fleeting before his expression settles into something pained. "I did, when I first came back from Abydos. People died because of choices I made. General Hammond could barely stand to look at me the first time we met."

Jonas stares. "How did you gain their trust?" he asks, hearing the desperation in his own voice, the sheer hunger to know.

"I didn't give up," Jackson says simply. He reaches out a hand, but pulls it back before making contact. "Don't give up, Jonas."

"I..." Jonas starts, then stops, because he doesn't know what to say.

Jackson sticks his hands back into his pockets, gives Jonas a final nod, and dissolves into light.

- Well Met at Midnight



Every SG team that stepped through the Gate secretly harbored the unspoken fear that something would go wrong and they wouldn't be able to make it back to Earth. No one ever mentioned it aloud, but the surreptitious dread meant that they made sure, over the course of time, that each person was equipped with the basic skills to survive if they ever got left behind. Possibilities ranged from malfunctioning Stargates to inoperable DHDs, mysterious transportation beams to literal alien abduction, and, of course, the ultimate horror: Earth's destruction.

"Stranded 5,000 years in Earth's past" had never been listed among those possibilities, but it didn't change the basic facts: no way home, no hope of rescue, and the need to survive in minimal, primitive conditions. So when Daniel found himself alone in Ancient Egypt, his friends dead and the responsibility of righting the timeline falling squarely on his bowed shoulders, he didn't just rely upon his own archeological and anthropological skills. He also utilized everything his teammates had ever taught him, grateful for the pool of knowledge that had been so freely offered over the years.

Knowledge of Jaffa tactics helped his nascent rebellion evade patrols, and Teal'c's personal training saved his life on the occasions when he was forced to fight hand-to-hand. Jack's example of command guided his own efforts to lead Katep and the others; his dirtiest Special Ops tricks solved some particularly knotty problems. And while he never got the chance to use Sam's patient instructions in rewiring the DHD, the basic engineering principles she'd taught him helped Daniel cobble together some very basic machinery -- nothing that corrupted the timeline, but enough to stave off starvation during one particularly dry summer.

He wasn't just Daniel Jackson, making do; he was carrying SG-1's banner every step of the way. It was a small triumph, but he would take what he could get.

- In Memoria



Bastet was most obsessed, but the cat has always been a favored, cosseted pet among the Goa'uld. Teal'c remembers those sleek, arrogant creatures: long-haired, perfectly groomed, bedecked in jeweled collars and fed dainties from golden plates. He admired their grace, but cared little for them.

Now Teal'c considers a very different kind of feline -- a bedraggled kitten, small enough to fit in the palm of his hand. As he gently strokes between her ears, her mouth opens in a silent mew, pink tongue flicking a question.

"Yes," he tells her. "I believe we will suit one another quite well."

- Happiness Is



Kasuf once spoke with Sha're, demanding to know if Danyel's preoccupation with the chappa'ai caused him to neglect his duties as her husband. Sha're only laughed, assuring him that Danyel fulfilled those duties most assiduously.

In truth, she loved Danyel's fascination with the symbols and dust-covered relics of their ancient past. How could she not? It was those very markings on the wall that had led Danyel to them -- to her. His far-seeing eyes mirrored the endless skies he sought in his quest for knowledge, and she loved him for his zeal and for taking her along on his journey of wonder.

And if she sometimes needed to ground him in the sandy reality of Abydos...

"Will all be well?" Sha're asked as Danyel spoke of taking O'Neill to the vili ta'o'an.

"I won't be long," Danyel promised her, kissing her on the forehead.

Lip curling at this chaste dismissal, Sha're ignored the strangers from Earth and took matters into her own hands.

"Goodbye, my Danyel," she purred when she'd inhaled enough air to speak, then breathed a last kiss into his mouth.

Later, after her world had shattered, she remembered that parting and was glad of it.

- Breathless



There's a sudden scuffling, and Sam glances up to absently note that Jack has Daniel pinned in a headlock. Ah -- Jack lost the argument, then.

She ignores Daniel's squawk of protest and turns back to her work, tweaking one last formula before letting the computer analysis begin. Satisfied, she turns towards her friends in time to see Teal'c step forward and rescue Daniel with a single deft move that leaves Jack yelping.

"All right, T! Ow!"

Daniel brushes off his BDUs and gives a little huff of indignation. "And don't think I'm going to watch any hockey tonight, either!"

"I wasn't going to watch hockey tonight," Jack says a little sulkily, trying to maintain his dignity even as he surreptitiously massages life back into his right wrist. "I was going to watch curling."

Daniel rolls his eyes and looks ready for a new round of the Jack and Daniel Show, but Sam interrupts and suggests, "How about a night out instead, sir? O'Malley's, maybe?"

"That would be most enjoyable, Major Carter," Teal'c says immediately, and his eyes meet hers with amused understanding.

- Sports Night

Reviewing the recap

My favorite story this year (of my own): It's a bit of a toss-up between two angsty Daniel fics -- Motivation and In Memoria -- but in the end, Well Met at Midnight is probably my favorite. After a year of slowly learning to appreciate Jonas and his character arc, I very much liked writing Jonas for the first time and (I think) getting it right.

Story most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion: I have always been enormously appreciative of the enthusiastic feedback I get! I do wish Read Between the Lines would have appealed to a larger audience, though. Not everyone likes pre-series, and not everyone likes Sha're, so I understand that it got less readers and less response.

Most fun story: Where the Future Is Being Made Today: SG-1 meets the Muppets! :) Also, the entire Happiness Is experience was sheer joy.

Hardest story to write: Definitely Read Between the Lines, although Motivation was a close second. In both cases, it was a question of doing the subject matter justice. With Sha'uri's story, there was the difficulty of presenting a child's thoughts within the framework of a different culture without twentieth century phrasing.

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you'd predicted? Sigh. Much, much less. I want my longer writing mojo back!

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them? I explored a few more character POVs: Sha're, Vala, Jonas. I dabbled in AU writing for the first time -- it was a bit of surprise for me to realize that all my writing until now has been completely canon compliant! I like stretching the edges of my comfort zones, although I can't see myself wandering away from classic team anytime soon.

Did you meet last year's goals? Well, if you look at the bottom line -- I hope to revel in lots of fandom squee! -- then yes, I did! :) Otherwise, no, not really. No long fics, no shortening of my to-write list (although to be fair, I did finish several WIPs -- I just added a lot more!), no finishing of my first-ever SG-1 fic. On the other hand, I did do plenty of reccing, I finished S6 and watched two more eps of SG-1 I hadn't yet seen, and had plenty of Gen Fic Days and Alphabet Soups. And sg1genrecs, despite its relative quiet at the moment, continues to attract more readers.

Do you have any goals for the coming year? Other than shifting my goals from two years ago to this coming year...? :) Actually, yes. Aside from wanting to write longer stories and continue Gen Fic Days and Alphabet Soups and Canon vs. Fanon, I hope to finally finish that first WIP. It's a crossover fic, so the upcoming Crossover Alphabet Soup makes a great motivator! Other than that, I hope to have a new round of stories at sg1friendathon sometime this year and to keepsg1genrecs growing.

...And let's not forget: Lots of SG-1 fandom squee, particularly of the gen variety! :)

Previous yearly reviews: 2009, 2008, 2007