End of an era...

[lettered]

For the last year and a half my biggest fandom has been something I haven't talked about all that much.

I'll always be a part of BtVS and Angel fandom, not only because I love the canon but because the people there mean a lot to me. I still have a lot of fics I want to write in it, but I've slowed down a lot. But even when that was my biggest fandom, and many times since, I've had flings: Harry/Draco, Pam/Jim, BSG, Horatio Hornblower. My thing now is Gordon/Batman, and though I love it much, I suspect it is but a fling.

This fandom was not a fling.

That fandom is/was mistful's writing. Those of you that know are probably saying, doesn't she just write Harry/Draco fanfiction? Well, yes. And in some ways, you could say Harry/Draco has been that secret non-fling fandom for the past year and a half. I do love the ship for itself, and when I write fic for it, it is about what I bring to those two characters.

But though mistful does use those characters, I don't believe you have to like the ship--or even like them, or even know the canon--to love these stories, and be so, so glad you read them. They have been my fandom, not the source material. They've been the places my mind has wandered, when I have free time; they've been the things I wanted to write fanfic about; they've been the things I needed to talk about.

mistful isn't going to write any more fanfiction, because she's going to be writing profic. She's started a fantasy trilogy (the Demon's Lexicon); the first book is going to be published in 2009. I'm happy, and not just for her. I'm anticipating those books more eagerly than I ever anticipated Harry Potter, and as much as books by any of my favorite authors (most of whom are dead, so I don't really get that eager). Because I am a die hard fangirl, there's a comm where you can talk about her professional stuff here: marmalade_fish.

But that does mean she's finished all her fanfic, and will be taking it all down in a month or so. I...feel weird about that. I can't even read the final chapter of my favorite fic yet--I'm not sure why, but I think it's because it won't be enough for me, and I don't want it to be over. I've been reading and loving these stories for a year and a half. And now they're over, and in some ways I don't know what to do with myself.

So here's what I do. I want to share this with you all, for a myriad of reasons. They've been a part of me, and I want to share that with you. I want mistful to succeed in her professional work, so that she will get all that she deserves. But most of all, I want you to get the enjoyment that I got from these stories. Few things make me as happy as these do--talking to good friends, being with my family, walks in crisp weather with the leaves changing color, knowing you're making a difference, and a good story you can throw yourself into--these things make me happy.

This is a guide I gave to my_daroga, who wasn't a fan of Harry/Draco, or even Harry Potter, but she was interested in me and my opinions, so she gave it a go. And loved them too! So, if you're not a fan, but want to give it a try:

Here's the long, starter one:
Quality of Mercy: This is the one I recced first because it was the most "in character". It was possible to see how the characters from canon become these other people, and also how the story from canon continues in this way (this fic was started after Halfblood Prince, but before the Deathly Hallows came out, so it's an alternate Book 7). It's a simple, "what happens next?" without asking you to swallow much more than that at the get-go.

But again, I wouldn't read these stories as though these are the characters of Harry and Draco from Harry Potter. In some ways, the characters do have a lot in common with the canon characters, but they really become their own people--people I love far more than their canon counterparts.

This is the story whose last chapter I can't read. I love it too much and it makes me too sad.

Here's the crack to your veins one:
Drop Dead Gorgeous: This is the best, and most addictive. It's also completely crack--not only do you have to get past the fact that these are supposed to be Harry and Draco; you have to get past the premise, which is ridiculous, and wonderful.

The Way We Get By: Should be read in conjunction with Drop Dead Gorgeous. It's from another character's POV, which just makes me think, "Stephenie Meyer, lolwut?" But it's really amazing, getting inside this character's head--it's everything you'd expect, except also with a million things you didn't.

Here are short ones to get you started if you're not sure you want to commit:
Coda To The Epilogue: Twenty Years Later, or The Kids Are Alright: This went around a lot when Deathly Hallows came out--I think even some of you who are not fans on my list might have read it. It's a short piece that happens after Deathly Hallows. I think, like Quality of Mercy, the characters in this are conceivably in character, and that the plot is believable for the canon. But if you're not a fan of canon, I'd rec the bottom two over this one, which is mostly just a delicious romp.

Your Every Wish: This is short and dark with great concepts and writing. I'm not sure it's necessarily Harry, but it's what I think Harry should be had he been real, and even if you're not interested in Harry, the themes in this are so vital.

Dark Side of Light: This is my favorite shorter one, but like Drop Dead Gorgeous, I think there's a bit to swallow right at the beginning. It's all dialgoue, which I don't think works entirely, mostly because it has too much the feel of a trick. But the story of these two characters--no matter who they are--affects me so much, and means so much to me.

*

These fics won't be up for much longer. On October 6, they'll all be taken down and put on a PDF, which will be downloadable for one month. I'd rec reading them there rather than the links I've provided--some of the formatting on some of them is messed up. But get them while you can.

Okay, I'm done. Thanks for listening.

Comments

[alizarin-nyc.livejournal.com]

Wow. I'm sold sold sold. I've been skirting HP fandom for all the obvious reasons but looking for a way to make Harry/Draco believable for all the obvious reasons... you've made a great case (and I think your brain is pretty reliable from what I know!)

I'm out of the country until October 12... will the downloadable PDF be available at her site? (I shall email myself a reminder to get this once I return stateside.)

Thanks for sharing.

[scrtkpr.livejournal.com]

The end of an era! It really is. I was just telling someone this morning that canon has closed on my favorite fandom, because Maya's fic--DDG by itself even!--could be counted as its own fandom. So we've had the last of our Maya fic, but have SRB novels to look forward to. I imagine I'll still be rereading the fanfic for years and years, though. :)

[sarahtales.livejournal.com]

I just wanted to beam at you. That is all.

(Oh, oh, and some news: I got permission from my editor to put up chapter one next week! I am so excited.)

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'll be so sad to not have her around in a fannish capacity. She's So FUNNY. And she was totally my gateway drug into HP back when I first got around these parts lo these many years.

But that's so hopeful, her going pro. She's a terrific writer. (And you, Joy, are a terrific fan.)

[vaysh11.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for expressing all those things so wonderfully and to the point! *hearts* Yes, this is no fling. And yes, Maya's writing has become a fandom in itself.

[anelith.livejournal.com]

I've enjoyed her stories so much and I'm really, REALLY looking forward to her upcoming books. I was thrilled to see her picture looking out at me from a report on Readercon in the last issue of Locus magazine. If I didn't have two little guys who would be oh, SO bored at a con my husband and I could have been at Readercon! *wail* (It's very close to where we live.)

Anyway, I will download her pdfs and keep those fics forever.

[my_daroga]

What you didn't say was how DDG owned my soul for like a week while I was devouring all of it, and I couldn't get any work done and I was sneaking about reading more and more when I should have been doing other things. Curses!

I adore mistful's Harry and Draco, together or separate. Even the crack has amazing things to say about canon, too. How can you beat that?

[redbrickrose.livejournal.com]

I love her fic so much! I haven't finished Quality of Mercy or Drop Dead Gorgeous yet, but I plan to this weekend!

[essie007.livejournal.com]

Can I just ditto everything you just said about Sarah's fic being a fandom. You got me into it to begin with! And her fics are what got me reading H/D and reintroduced me to HP fandom as an adult, and after quite an absence.

I sort of feel the same way I did about the 7th HP book except not as huge but maybe more satisfied. Because, well I grew up reading the HP books so when they ended it was sorta like "whoa, my childhood just ended" Whereas Sarah's fiction is equally as good, if not better, (good in a different way?) but she's wrapped it all up EXACTLY THE WAY I WANTED. And she's being really nice about it, and she's publishing a book, which I am very very excited about (will there be midnight release parties? Probably not for a debut novel, but I WANT TO GO!) so I'm happy about all that, but also really upset, because yeah her characters are so rich and made me fall in love all over again. And then there's the problem that there isn't really a FANDOM for Sarah!fic. I mean there's a community but I can't expect to find DDG!fic pop up on the flist, so it's very final. Which makes me sad as well.

Woah sorry for the emotional run-on dump. I haven't even commented about the last chapter of DDG anywhere because I'm still trying to process.

Oh! Going back to the way way way begining of your post I am a fandom slut. Currently I'm having an affair with DW/TW fandom but Harry Potter and BtVS/AtS will always be my ture loves. The ones I come back to time and again. My ports in a storm. Well ok, you know what they say, any port in a storm right? If it pops up on my flist and looks interesting I'll read it. You got me thinking all about Batman recently, but I haven't cchecked out the fandom. And OMG I CANNOT be writing Batman/Gordon fic! I do not have the time! I've got hp_nextgen to write, and this Ten/Jack thing to polish and beta, and that H/D fic you betaed a billion years ago to post, and NaNoWriMo is next month, and I work/go to class six days a week! Stop attacking me with plot bunnies I tell you! Batman/Gordon goes in the vault of things I want to write because they would be AWESOME but simply cannot right now along with the Gwen/Martha, and the fantasy political romance novel idea that I accidentally wrote 15 pages of.

But I wouldn't object if you wrote some Batman/Gordon. ;)

I shouldn't be posting insane comments at 8 am.

[she-and-i-were.livejournal.com]

Hello! I've seen a lot of your posts in our lovely Sarah community, but rarely comment cause I'm the lurker exstrodinare.

I completely understand what you mean...I think she may have ruined Harry Potter fics for me all together for you know? Here I am reading a lovely fic that is nicely written but.. I get frustrated and yell "THAT'S NOT HARRY DAMN IT". A year ago the fic would have fine for me (my old bookmarks prove it) but that was before I found Sarah. She put so much work into holding onto canon while making it better that it's hard for me to settle for anything else. I adored the way her fics had that blend of angst and humor. I think that must stem from me being such a Joss girl...

Now I'm babbling. Well.. this comment kinda turned out to be one giant babel of doom. I meant to just come here and said hi and asked to be friended because I really enjoy having friends that love both of my main fandoms :D. Got a little off track when I saw this post though.

[spidermoth.livejournal.com]

Hi there...

I tripped into your journal checking a link for "Now The Shining Sun Is Up" which I hope to read soon, and caught this post. In so many ways I feel the same. mistful's Harry and (especially!) Draco are uniquely her own, and I'll so, so miss seeing them.

I wanted to add though, that two of her shorter works featuring Pansy Parkinson--Flame and Shadow and Loved Those of Great Ambition--are absolutely brilliant, and define that character like no other. Her Ron in Flame... is wonderful as well, and I love these fics with an unholy passion. I'd probably say they were character sketches more than plot-driven, but that's what I love, so they couldn't please me more. Maya has her hand around my heart when I read her works and she squeezes it oh, so perfectly.

There are so many pairings I love in HP fandom, and so many fabulously talented authors, but Mistful is, as you've said so well, in a class of her own. I know I'll be re-reading these for years to come.

[xenokattz.livejournal.com]

Hi there, completely random person here. *waves*

I had no idea the author was going to take all her fic down. I've been crazy busy this past term and really had started drifting away from the fandom but "Coda to the Epilogue" is one of my favourite fics. I'd love to have a copy of the PDF if you have it. If not, I'd really appreciate it if you could point me towards somebody who does. My email is xenokattzlj[at]gmail[dot]com.

Thanks ever so!