KJ

1. Tell us about your favorite writing project/universe that you've worked with and why.

My favorite writing universe is the first one that I created: fleshing out the Final Fantasy X universe for A Guardian's Legacy. In the process of giving Auron a backstory, I had to improvise details about Spira, its small towns, Yevon, the warrior monks, the other characters... And since half the story was written in Spira's future, I had to build the world in that direction, as well. I enjoyed the process a lot, and was quite happy with the world I came up with. Unless the idea I'm writing is incompatible with the AGL continuity, every FFX or X-2 story I write is, in my head, set within that iteration of Spira. (Aftermath is probably the most important example. I even re-used original characters.) I find it helpful, to have done all the world-building already, but also I think it's a pretty decent intepretation of the world we discover in the game. There are a few inconsistencies with Ultimania, but I can live with that.

An entry on my favorite projects would not be complete without a mention of the Death Shall Have No Dominion AU that I wrote with the late, great kunstarniki. Although I am proud of the story we created, my fondest memories are about the process: sharing ideas, the awesome clarity of being on the same wavelength with a collaborator, surprising and delighting one another as we fired snippets back and forth. Collaboration is an amazing creative high for me. The Confessional was a similar experience, and even more intense: I have never written a story that quickly before, and I don't expect to ever capture that kind of exciting creative madness again.

If we're talking more recently, I think my favorite is probably Political Considerations, the FFXII pinch-hit I wrote for the 2009 round of Final Fantasy Exchange. That story threw some pretty difficult political and character curveballs my way, and I was quite happy with the way I handled them. I was still getting the ground under my feet in that fandom at the time, too, so the fact that I got it all to come together under time pressure was something of a rush.

30 Days of Writing: Complete list of questions

As of yesterday, with the posting of a brief epilogue, DSHnD is now complete.

Happy, sad, accomplished, bereft, bewildered ("What do you mean, 'it's done'? How can that even be possible?"), grateful (to readers and cheerleaders and always, always Ikon), drained, content... too many emotions to pick just one.

I had been joking with various friends about throwing some sort of wrap party when the story was finally finished, but now that I'm here, various RL stresses have me too wiped out to even contemplate it right now. So I'll just content myself with this official marker entry (which should have been made yesterday, but, again, RL. Such a bore, that RL). And with thanking you all again. Thank you. Again.

The penultimate chapter of DSHnD is posted for your reading pleasure!

And yes, you did read that right. Unless something changes drastically, there's only one more chapter, and likely an epilogue, to go. I can hardly believe it myself.

Well, everyone who was wondering when DSHnD would wrap up can rest easy. Parron has written the definitive conclusion to our little AU tale.

A happy ending?

Ikon, I think we can stop writing now.

;)

As life returns to normal, so does the DSHnD posting schedule. The new chapter is up and ready for your enjoyment.

I think our regular readers will find that it contains something rather... unexpected. ;)

Last week's chapter was a day late. To make up for that lapse (and because we couldn't sit on it another minute longer!) this week's chapter is a day early.

Enjoy.

Another thrilling chapter of DSHnD is now available, in the usual place. Read, review, enjoy. :)

Considering that as recently as Monday morning I was telling Ikon that I didn't think I'd have everything written in time, I'm pretty damn proud of this one. ;) I'd like it regardless, but the fact that I got it done under the gun makes me feel even better about it.

DSHnD makes a triumphant return from hiatus (or a return, anyway) with this chapter, posted in its usual place. Read, review, enjoy!

We caught up and more over the break, so we hope not to have to pause in our posting schedule again, but given the unpredictibility of life who knows? I was glad for the break, though -- I ran afoul of some awful writer's block about halfway through, and it was much easier to work past it with the pressure off. (Not that the pressure is imposed by anyone other than myself. But having internal permission to skip a week was helpful.)

The next chapter of the ever-growing collaboration is posted as per usual. Read, review, enjoy.

So now we are in a new situtation for this endeavour: the next chapter isn't written. Like, at all. We have a couple of paragraphs and that's about it. We've mapped the whole thing out (actually we've mapped almost the whole story out now, which is a little scary because it means the end is sort of in sight, the first time I can really say that) so we know what needs to be done, it's just a matter of actually doing it. I don't doubt that we can, but this is the first time in a while that I've really felt the self-imposed Wednesday deadline breathing on my neck. (Not that I think anyone is so dying for each chapter that they care if we slip. But the discipline of a deadline has helped me a lot, so I want to stick to it as much as I can.)

Fandom: FFX/X-2
Rating: G
Wordcount: 300
Spoilers: None
Pairings: N/A
Request: Nooj. Auron. Yuna. A kitten. For iamleaper.
Notes: Set within the Death Shall Have No Dominion AU.

( Rescued )