Yuletide ponderings

[marycrawford]

Yay, the Yuletide challenge is on again! Now it feels like autumn.

Since there was such a humongous fandom list last year, the organisers are defining 'rare fandom' this year as a fandom that has less than '500 stories at any online archives *combined* (including ff.net)'.

I'm not quite sure if Hercules: the Legendary Journeys can reach 500 stories. The fandom feels tiny to me, but it was bigger once: a lot of writers and fannish attention drifted away from it before I even entered the fandom. Most of those stories are still online. And I don't read all the various pairings: I've no idea how many Ares/Joxer stories there are, for example.

So I was a little sad, thinking of my tiny wee fandom perhaps not being wee enough for the yuletide challenge, and then I got a grip and realized that while there was Hercules fic for yuletide last year, it consisted of me writing a last-minute story for ltlj and ltlj writing a story for therienne. Which...we could do any time, really. I mean. I know who you guys are. *g* Perhaps a small Solstice challenge for the hxyh_challenge comm?

But then, if I want to join in the Yuletide challenge, I have to find other fandoms I dare write for, which is a puzzler. I'm not sure if I can find something as challenging and as fun to write as Fafhrd & the Grey Mouser or the Wee Free Men. I hope the fandoms being suggested will spark ideas.

Comments

[elke-tanzer.livejournal.com]

Perhaps a small Solstice challenge for the hxyh_challenge comm?

Never a bad idea. :-D

[ltlj.livejournal.com]

The challenge is a good idea. Should the stories just be Solstice-related, or maybe any holiday-related?

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

Yay, a potential participant! *eg*

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I was thinking more along the lines of the Yuletide challenge, with everyone asking for and offering stories. But now that I think about it a little more, it would be very tricky to match everybody up in such a small fandom, so that nobody got left out - what with all the different pairings and things. Argh.

Well, let's see if H:tLJ makes the grade for Yuletide, and then figure something out. :-)

[falzalot.livejournal.com]

But ... but ... shouldn't Ares/Joxer count as Xena?

I don't think I'm going to do it this year. Unless I can trick myself into feeling creative. :->

[elke-tanzer.livejournal.com]

*leaves out carrots for the Winter Solstice Bunnies*

[halimede.livejournal.com]

Part of the fun of the popslash Secret Santa is that you don't know which pairing you'll be assigned. And really, you can hear the wailing and gnashing of teeth for miles. As you know. *whistles innocently* But it *is* fun to write something outside your normal comfort zone. And to have a story written especially for you to 'unwrap' on the day. :)

[mythdefied.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately I think our fandom can reach 500 stories, surpass it, probably. Most of them were written back between 98' and 2000 or so, but you're right, they're still, for the most part, floating around the net. Even if you do split the fandom into Hercules and Xena and call all Ares/Joxer stories Xena fic, you still have to count all the Deimos and Strife stories (Cupid/Strife, too, and the AJCS archive alone probably accounts for a few hundred stories), all the Herc/Iolaus ones from way back, the Autolycus ones, etc. It adds up.

Personally, the Yuletide challenge scares me because I'm only qualified to write in two fandoms, so that takes a lot of the fun out of it. A challenge over on hxyh_challenge, however, sounds kind of fun.

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

I did think of some of those, but oh man, I forgot the AJCS archive...You're right, of course. I guess that means we'll have to make our own entertainment. *g*
Will keep you posted on any challenge plans!