Friday Fics Fix - My Stand-Out Fics of 2020

 

It's December in a matter of days, which means that Friday Fics Fix will be going on its annual Christmas holiday.

...So what better opportunity to look back on the fics that've really stood out to me in 2020?

(Don't answer that. It's rhetorical. I'm gonna do it anyway. 😎)

2020 has been 2020.

So, I've totally been reading a butt-tonne of fanfiction as self-care. 

Because fanfiction is excellent for all the self-care purposes - whether you need deep and angsty, or sweet and fluffy, or you want to fulfil some very um, specific, tastes: fanfiction has it all!

(I don't judge. But if I never read another pumpkin sex fic, it'll be too soon. And yes, it happened again in October - how do they keep finding me?!)

Comics Wrap-Up - We're Drawbridges Closing

 

It's Thursday. Let's get some awesome-sauce comics-y, superhero-y goodness!

Nerd Church - Working From Home More? It's Time To Set Some Work/Life Boundaries

(Warning: I briefly discuss mental health problems in this post - it's not graphic, and is written about in the context of self-care and healthy work/life boundaries)

A lot more people are working, at least in part, from home this year - on account of 2020 and all the Lockdowns and everything 2020-ish.

I've actually worked from home for several years, and it's got a ton of advantages - but you also have to be careful to set work/life boundaries -

- especially if, like me, part or all of your income is coming from things which were once solely hobbies - it tends to blur the lines.

Disclaimer: This is the bit where I remind you that I'm not any type of mental health or medical professional.

Neither am I some kind of life or productivity coach (that would be scary!)

I only have first-hand experience of Depression/Anxiety, and using self-care to support myself - and hopefully my experiences can help other people.

Friday Fics Fix - Peter Parker Is Not OK

 

'Peter didn’t remind Mr. Stark of their plans, not after lunch, not after dinner and not when they were all sitting (or rather lying) in front of the TV later that evening.'

Fanfiction can make you laugh, make you cry, or make you go AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

...We're dealing with the third option here.

The kind of option where the feels are so complex that AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! is pretty much the best  descriptor available to you.

Month in Review(s) - October 2020

 

(Warning: this post discusses Coronavirus/Covid 19, and mental health problems)

Well... October was pretty much the same as the rest of 2020 - there were a couple of nice things in there, but overall it sucked.

(I'm still standing though! #ThePositiveSide!)

My local Lockdown became a Welsh national Lockdown, and the anti-Welsh sentiments in some parts of the media and the Interwebs were irritatingly loud. 

*Takes deep breaths* *Resists urge to rant*

(If you want to see me ranting for a whole blogpost against an ignorant RT from the Trumpkin, you can read that here.)

Nerd Church - 5 Things That've Kept Me Going In 2020 (So Far)

 

(Warning: this post discusses Coronavirus/Covid 19, Lockdowns, and Depression/Anxiety)

Since I'm once again in Lockdown, and now it's not just local but national for Wales, I figured I'd have a vague ramble about some of things that've been keeping me going through the weirdness that is 2020.

Month in Review(s) - September 2020

(Warning: this post discusses Coronavirus/Covid 19, Transphobia and JKR, and mental health)

September was weird. I think that goes for much of 2020, but September felt especially 2020-ish.

In August, Wales was down to a very small number of Coronavirus cases. We had it in control. 

By the end of September, over half of our population was in Lockdown, and remain in Lockdown. That includes yours truly.

Friday Fics Fix - The Detective's Dreams

  ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.

'The mirth drains from his eyes, his face. Lowering his mug, his eyes following it, Sherlock asks, “What if your worst days are your fault, and only yours? Would you deserve it then?”'

Ready for some semi*-emotionally-healthy BBC Sherlock fanfiction?

Well, whether you are or not, that's what you're getting. 😛😉

*Look, it's emotionally healthy compared to the series, but there's still a sh**-tonne of co-dependency and poor coping mechanisms, ok?

Friday Fics Fix - Padfoot and Moony's Guide to Raising Harry Potter (Ft. Diverse Representation!)

 

Note: For the foreseeable future the only Harry Potter fanfiction I'll be rec'ing will have Trans+/NB+ characters. 

I understand if you don't wanna read any posts about Harry Potter whatsoever, and I hope I'll see you when I'm rec'ing from a different fandom.

“Sirius, when is the last time you slept? Or ate a proper meal? Or took a bath? Don’t even bother answering that last one. You smell like something died in your hair..."

 

To rec this fic, I basically just wanted to go:

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...until you read it.

But I realised that's both exhausting and requiring of context. (Dammit!)

Friday Fics Fix - Klaus and Ben's Guide To The Parenting Of Dead Children

 

'Ben started laughing too. “What’s the matter, Klaus? Nonbinary ghost child should be right up your alley.”

That laughter was contagious, and Klaus gave in. “You know what? You’re right. Nonbinary ghost child is right up my alley. Good for you, kid!”'

Yes, we are talking Umbrella Academy...

But hang on a sec -

!! Please do NOT the SPOILERS !!

I'm only about half-way through series 2 of The Umbrella Academy, so please no spoilers! 

Diolch yn fawr iawn fy nghariadau!/Thanks v. much my loves!

Comics Wrap-Up - Traded My Honda For A Panther, I Just Got A Crib In Wakanda

  ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.

Whew! A whole month without any Comics Wrap-Up posts, dearest nerdlets! Didja miss me?

You know the drill: it's Thursday, the world is a dumpster fire, let's get some superhero-y comics-y goodness!

We got a whole bunch of stuff this week, due to online conventions/reveals/all that jazz!

Comics Wrap-Up - They Took A Photograph Of the Place You Hid

 ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.

It's Thursday, let's get some comics-y superhero-y goodness!

Friday Fics Fix - The Fifth Beatle of the Family

'Klaus blinks into the mug in his hands, shaking and in danger of spilling. The book sits between them on the couch, her own face looking up at her, searching, accusing.'

One of the many interesting thing about Netflix series The Umbrella Academy is the knowledge that this team of superheroes - these children - were famous as kids.

Fame is something that has to be handled very delicately when it comes to children - as the self-destructive tendencies, and generally poor mental health, of many former child-stars, shows.

Nerd Church - If I Had £1million...

Money can't buy you happiness, true. But it can buy you the time, freedom, and resources, to be happy.

Plus, not having to worry about how you're gonna pay for stuff is guaranteed to help your mood. #JustSaying.

So, though I doubt it'll ever happen, I felt like doing some day-dreaming of what I would do if I had £1million.

I picked £1million pretty arbitrarily - mainly 'cos it's a nice round milestone number, and because it's a lot of money, but not so much that you wouldn't have to think about what you were gonna do with it.

Friday Fics Fix - A Blanket Cocoon

'Dave was probably never going to get answers out of Klaus, but for right now, he was the designated ‘Coax Hargreeves out for Meals’ guy, so he was going to do his job.'

In some ways, fanfolks are just gluttons for punishment - and I'm no different, really. I love me some angst!

Part of that is because I am an emo child to the end of eternity, and the gothicky and/or angsty stuff is always going to appeal to my sense of Drama.

But another part is that actually it's emotionally healthy to give yourself some space to explore your darker and more angsty feelings in a safe environment - such as through media.

(...I don't know whether that last sentence was really smart or really b*llsh**, but I'ma go with it!

And this is where I remind you that I'm not a mental health professional! Just a chick with personal experience of Depression and Anxiety.)

Friday Fics Fix - Pride Fics Fest: The Love They Never Allowed On Screen (Steve x Bucky)

It's the last week of Pride Fics Fest!

I hope you've enjoyed the posts that I've done this month - I've really enjoyed writing them! 

It's nice, now and then, to mix-up and refresh a series of posts (Friday Fics Fix) which I've been writing for over 4 years now - I hope you liked it too, dearest nerdlets!

I'm sure a lot of my fanfiction posts will still be based around LGBTQ+ characters and contents going forward - partly because it's me, and partly because it's fanfiction 😉

This week's post is celebrating my OTP, Stucky - the greatest love story Marvel and Disney ever thwarted.

(Fangirling notes:

OTP = 'One True Pairing' - the couple you believe were destined to be together, and you will fight for 'til your (hopefully metaphorical) dying breath!

Stucky - a relationship between Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, and Bucky Barnes, aka The Winter Soldier)

Month in Review(s) - May 2020

(Warning: this post discusses the Coronavirus/Covid 19, and references the death of George Floyd)

May 2020... who wrote this film?!

Obviously, globally, May was a dumpster fire. 

(And Black Lives Matter. George Floyd deserves justice. If you disagree, you can eff off.)

Nerd Church - For Those Of Us Feeling Overwhelmed Right Now

(Warning: this post discusses Covid 19/Coronavirus, and references Anxiety and mental health problems)

This post isn't a magical solution to feeling overwhelmed, but hopefully it'll help a little.

Disclaimer time: I'm not a medical or mental health professional. I'm someone with my own personal experiences of Depression/Anxiety which may or may not be helpful to you. Always do what's right for you, k? K.

Sometimes it can be hard to keep moving forward. It can feel overwhelming as f**k, let's be honest. 

But to make it less overwhelming?

You have to take everything one step at a time - as goddamn irritating as that can be, sometimes. 

Month In Review(s) - April 2020

(Warning: this post discusses Covid 19/Coronavirus, and Anxiety)

April 2020.

Um... yeah... 

(I know it's the 13th of May - I'm disorganised, and you all know this.)

OK, plus side: I had fewer panic attacks this month!

I mean, I still had panic attacks, and a butt-tonne of Anxiety, but I had slightly less of it! Woo!

(Small victories, dearest nerdlets, small victories.)

Nerd Church - I'm SO Tired

(Warning: this post references Coronavirus/Covid 19 and Lockdown, and discusses mental health problems and Anxiety throughout.)


I'm so tired.

Like, SO tired.

Part of that is probably due to an existential tiredness related to the Lockdown and wanting things to go back to 'normal' - whatever normal is.

(Stay Home though, dearest nerdlets - STAY HOME PLEASE! It's so important!)