SwissMiss' Creativity Outlet

Once again, this was a bumper year for fan fiction in the Sherlock BBC fandom*, with a few very long-anticipated fics coming to completion alongside some recent smash hits from established authors and even a couple of newer and lesser-known writers hitting it out of the ballpark. My picks are all, unsurprisingly, long, plotty, angsty Johnlock fics, featuring in particular post-series 4 fixits and Parentlock along with AU’s, especially other professions and fusions/crossovers. What they all have in common though, is being of absolutely stellar quality not just in the technical aspects of the writing, but also the handling of themes, the character work, and the emotional impact. Any one of these could be a published book, and perhaps in the near future, some actually will be!

* (I also snuck in one ACD series because it’s my list and I can.)

My caveat as always: this list is obviously skewed toward my own personal preferences and reading habits. There are plenty of other fics that I loved, and even more that I simply didn’t get around to reading (yet), so it’s not a judgment if your favorite (or one you wrote) isn’t on here. Think of this as a sampling rather than a definitive list. I hope this will help you to re-acquaint yourself with fics you loved, give a chance to others you may have skipped the first time round, and possibly discover something entirely new and astonishing.

So here they are, in descending order of length:

( Read more... )

Yes, I did beta read this, but that's not why I'm reccing it. It's just that would probably never have read it otherwise. What I particularly like about this is how it gets into Dean's mind. This is slash without being voyeuristic and sensational. It's very organic, progressing realistically and naturally. The characters feel real, not like caricatures, or mere figures acting out the author's fantasies. I also very much enjoyed the characterization of Seamus as flamboyant yet not campy, self-assured but still sensitive. If you're worried about the rating, there's not really anything graphic until the last section. Give it a whirl! 

Title: Confessions and Epiphanies of a Gay, Black Wizard.
Author: authoress_girl 
Word count: ca. 19,000
Main pairing: Dean/Seamus
Other pairings/characters: Dean/Ginny, Ron/Hermione, Harry/Ginny, Seamus/Blaise
Rating: NC-17
Fair Warnings: Het, fair bit of language, non-chronological timeline, sex and angst.
Summary: Dean’s Hogwarts career and beyond, as seen through the twin lenses of race and sexuality.
Disclaimer: Wait, this story isn’t canon? No, I don’t own them.
Author's Notes: I was thinking about writing a really comprehensive essay on race and sexuality in Harry Potter, but then I realised how hard it would be to write a full-length paper on a handful of minor characters and one old man who likes knitting patterns, so this story was born. Also, it’s my first fanfic, so thorough and honest concrit would be much appreciated :) My eternal gratitude goes to swissmarg for her amazing and incredibly comprehensive beta skills. All mistakes are mine.

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six

I just wanted to put in a pimp for hp_fringeart, a Harry Potter fanart community. The quality of the work there is generally very high, and most of it is rated PG-13 or less, with a good portion rated G.

This is the most recent posting, and the one that inspired me to rec:

Artist: akatnamedeaster
Titles: Time for Tea
Characters: Severus Snape
Rating: G
Media used: Colored pencil and acrylic on wood
Concrit?: yes
Warnings: none
Notes/comments: I found this decrepit cutting board while out thrifting yesterday and thought it needed Snape having a big ol' cuppa on it. Forgive the not so fantastic photos, the art is too big for the scanner.

Yes, a cutting board. It's worth it.

This was submitted as a gift in the recent hd_fan_fair and I am totally blown away. It's an animated story consisting of 14 scenes, each scene with multiple frames. I can't even imagine how much time and effort must have gone into this. This is probably the most elaborate fanwork I've ever seen. Best viewed with a high-speed connection.

Title: Hot Pursuit
Artist:  naadi 
Prompt Number: #149 (second) by themostepotente
Travel Destinations: England, France, Russia, Egypt, India, China, Japan, Australia, Easter Island, the United States, and somewhere unplottable.
Rating: PG-13 (I'd actually rate it G... not sure why it got a PG-13)
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco
Summary: Caught in a dark alley in Wizarding London by Auror Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy Disapparates with Harry in hot pursuit. The resulting game of hide and seek takes them completely around the world.
Warnings: None.
Medium: Photoshop, GIFAnimator

This was written for me on the sshg_exchange and it is a winner. If you are a fan of either vampire!fic, SS/HG, creature!fic, AU, or at least are not put off by any of the same, then clear your calendar for the next hour or so and settle in for this treat. It's just shy of 30,000 words and is a real page-turner. Don't be put off by the mention of Twilight or marriage law in the prompts, neither of them come into play at all, or at least not in the literal sense. They were more of a jumping-off point for the author to let their imagination run free.

Title: Blood Sex Love Magic
Author: Temporarily Disillusioned
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: none
Summary: Snape has to marry to save his life. Who can help?

Original Prompt: SwissMiss gave three great prompts and I was so inspired that I combined two of them. I was at a disadvantage in that I haven't read any Twilight books or seen the movies, but I hope I am allowed some artistic licence!

1. Marriage law twist. Snape is the one who has to get married (make up a reason why) and decides he absolutely must have Hermione. She is not entirely willing. Can be canon-compliant or AU from any point.
3. Twilight-similar scenario: Snape is a vampire, but is hiding it so that he can stay and teach at Hogwarts. When Hermione reaches the age of maturity, her scent becomes irresistible to him. How will he react?

Don't forget to review to show the author your appreciation!

This month's PlayWitch was full of hott art, mostly of Ron. My favorite? This Cover Art of Ron by emzlovesharry . Rated soft R for full rear nudity, but it's really quite tame. What I love is that this is really line art, but still very three-dimensional. The freckles and scars show a thoughtful attention to detail and realism.

My fic pick from this edition is Five Sexy Things You Didn't Know... by bendleshnitz1 . Unrated, but I would put it at a soft R. Very clever, and yes, I really didn't know those things about Ron, Marcus, and Terry!

You can find the full May 2010 PlayWitch issue here. (Table of contents only, work-safe... well, as long as you don't read too closely ;)

The April issue of the_playwitch is posted here. It's quite a full issue this time. Here are my personal recs:

Title: Lucius Reveals All (+ exclusive mini-interview)
Artist: ducolacuna
Characters: Lucius Malfoy
Rating: R
Media: Photoshop
Warnings: Nudity, the Malfoy Smirk (TM) that stuns
LINK

I would actually rate this NC-17, as it has full male frontal nudity (but it's 'tastefully done', as one says). Just imagine it's one of those Greco-Roman statues. I'm reccing this because I particularly like the face on this piece (yes, that's really the reason!).

Title: Letters to the Playwitch Forum - April Edition
Author: mugglemama 
Rating: NC-17 (includes one photo of a very nice arse)
Characters: References to Viktor Krum and Lucius Malfoy
Warning: Threesome involving twins (but no twincest) and light bondage
A/N: Thanks to redheadsarehot  with helping me get this posted! (Once again, please remember, inspiration for this piece was taken from the tone and style of "Letters to Penthouse," which are not always known for their literary quality.)
LINK

The NC-17 this time is for the text, not the image. I mean, I'd say bare butt is only PG-13 actually. ;-) No, this one gets my rec because as the Author's Note says, it perfectly mimics the style of those 'Letters to Penthouse'. It's just a fun, over-the-top, completely unbelievable, trashy fantasy.

Recs from the_playwitch community, where the March Wizard of the Month was Seamus Finnigan:

Title: Gryffindor Girls' Friday Night Revision Sessions (where the most important things are learned)
Author: luvscharlie
Rating: R
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Draco Malfoy/Seamus Finnigan (sort of—it's really far too complicated to explain—I know, weird, but true)
Prompt: None
Warnings: Crack and Voyeurism (once again sort of)
Word Count: 1,620
Summary: Gryffindor Girls' take their Friday night revision sessions quite seriously. Don't dare to interrupt them! They're learning important stuff.
Notes: I started off attempting a 100 word drabble with the word "x-rated" and "Boom," here this was. I have no idea, but I'm embracing my own depravity at this point. Oh, and I'm proud of myself for learning that studying in the UK is called "revising" so I was "forced" to include it in the title. *nod, nod*

and

Title: The Third Wheel
Written for the March 2010 Prompt of 'DD's birthday,' where we were supposed to base our work on previously posted work in the community.  
Author: ozma_katiebell 
Inspired By: Gryffindors (NSFW)by the_playwitch  (kath_ballantyne  )
Characters/Pairings: Dean/Seamus, Seamus/Neville, Dean/Seamus/Neville
Rating: R
Summary: What really happened in the Gryffindor boys dormitory during Deathly Hallows
Content/Warnings: could be construed as cheating
Author's Notes: I wanted to make this more filthy, but Neville got shy. Besides, I wanted to let the gorgeously porny art speak for itself.

It's been over for a while, but I thought I'd make a rec list of my favorites from the fandomcommerce Winter 2009 exchange.

Art:

Unbarred by noneedofcrepe . Rated G. This is a beautiful set of portrait and letters written by Lucius and Narcissa. The emotions are strongly portrayed in both writing and images. It won't take you long to look at this, but the impressions will stay with you a long time.

Family Reunion by noneedofcrepe . Rated PG. Really amazing portrayal of the physicality of emotions in Tonks' death scene.

Fic:

Love, Trust, and Feet by naturegirlrocks . Rated R. Slytherins and shoe fetishes. Very fun and creative. Slash warning.

Walk the Line by annabtg . Rated G. Lily/James, but not annoyingly so. Interesting insight into OCD, sort of humorous but without making fun of it.

My very first exchange fic written for me has been posted at the rarepair_shorts winter fic exchange:

Author: ceirdwenfc 
Recipient: swissmarg
Title: Oil and Water
Pairing: Oliver Wood/Lavender Brown
Rating: R
Word Count: 1985
Summary: Like oil and water, Oliver and Lavender need to strike a balance.
Author's Notes: Thanks to my beta, F. I actually love this couple, but they just would not cooperate. It was either attraction or hostility, but not both. I hope we struck a happy medium and you enjoy your fic, swissmarg. I hope it is everything that you have wished for. Happy New Year!

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Please comment over on rarepair_shorts if you enjoyed this!