HLH_Shortcuts '22 recommendations

Saturday, January 14th, 2023 09:55 am
brightknightie: Duncan and Tessa embrace on the sidewalk. (Other Fandom Highlander)
The 15 new stories in this year's [community profile] hlh_shortcuts will surely all be someone's favorites! For example, I must admit that, after a few paragraphs, I backed out and chose not to read Killa's no doubt outstanding "Pleased to Meet You" because it's a crossover with Lucifer, with which I'm personally not super comfortable. We all like different things!

Here are a few stories that appealed to me, myself:

"The Jaded Journalist" by Hafital
(G, gen, ~10K words) (Randi, Duncan, Tessa, Amanda, the De Valincourts, Methos)
I already recommended this while it was anonymous. Read my recommendation. This is the "What happened to Randi?" that I've been waiting for. It starts with a missing scene from "Band of Brothers" and then runs forward, always intertwining with canon yet never changing it, with the focus always on Randi and her career. Well-written, canon-rich, unique, perfectly voiced. Fantastic!

"A Credit To Her Teacher" by Malinaldarose
(G, gen, ~5K words) (Amanda, Michelle, Duncan, Joe)
I love "What happened with Michelle?" takes, and this one is the first I recall wholly from Amanda's perspective. It explores how taking on Michelle as a student connects to Amanda's memories of Rebecca and Kenny and ensures that Amanda succeeds -- that her canonical return with no on-screen mention of Michelle just means that Michelle is doing fine and Duncan knows all about it. Rebecca would be proud.

"To Be Useful" by Adabsolutely
(G, gen, ~3K words) (Methos, Duncan, Joe, Amanda, Amy)
The main appeal in this dialogue-heavy approach is the charming conversations in familiar voices. There's also a charming throughline of helping a very confused, homeless, new immortal, and other side-quests of helping various people in various ways. Lovely theming.

"Wintersong" by Black_Dwarf
(G, gen, ~2K words) (Amanda, Methos)
If Amanda is a favorite, maybe check this out. It's an on-point Amanda voice blending flippancy and insight. Methos takes time to miss who he was when he was with Alexa and Amanda pulls him back to the present.

"The Crane and the Pine" by Mackiedockie
(unrated, gen, 13K words) (Duncan, Methos, Amanda, Joe, Mai-Ling, Connor, others)
A pleasantly sprawling modern western fully of that comfortably familiar genre, with some action, some history, and a lot of connecting. It's a crossover with Longmire, but, not knowing that series, I still had no problem reading it as pure HL.

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HLH_Shortcuts '22 story reveals complete; author reveals pending

Monday, January 2nd, 2023 04:44 pm
brightknightie: Charlie stands and Duncan sits on the dojo steps (Other Fandom HL Charlie)
It looks like all 15 stories are now available to read, though still anonymous, in the '22 [community profile] hlh_shortcuts exchange. Get them on the AO3.

I imagine that the moderator will put up the game's traditional author-guessing post in a day or two.

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FK Recently: What you all have been up to (12/01/22-01/01/23)

Sunday, January 1st, 2023 08:25 am
brightknightie: Nick on his couch, smiling. (Nick Amused)

Happy New Year! For the month of December, in my corners of social journaling, here are the Forever Knight items that I happened to see:

Ficathons, fests & communities that welcome FK

  • [community profile] snowflake_challenge is back with its annual January-long meta-prompt-fest and friending meme. No deadlines.
  • [personal profile] candyheartsex is filling in for the Chocolate Box exchange this year (focus on relationships (platonic or romantic), minimum 300 words). Sign-ups through January 7. Stories due February 7.
  • [personal profile] fensandmarshes announced a Discord/AO3 May Day fanfic exchange with nominations through January 8, sign-ups through January 23, and stories due April 20. Read the post.
  • [community profile] inkingitout, an annual writing challenge (75K words) support community, has sign-ups through Janury 2.
  • [community profile] swannee is hosting a "Fannish Fifty" annual posting challenge. Read the post.
  • [community profile] fandom_empire's January-April game is a "Monopoly"-style challenge with points. Sign-ups through January 14, posting weekly through April 9.
  • [community profile] whatif_au's December-January challenge is "circus/carnival."
  • [community profile] allbingo's January theme is "Public Domain Day."
  • [community profile] fancake's January theme is "women being awesome."

FK fanfiction & other fanworks
Archive of our Own (AO3) Summary: 12 of the 1,240 FK works on the AO3 show a posting date in this period.

FK news & conversation

  • [personal profile] erebusbeck mentioned being unable to find GWD's Black Harbour to watch and also having the NB movie The Family in queue to watch. Read the post.
  • [personal profile] erebusbeck commented on FK fic writing progress on December 10, December 18, and December 25.
  • I actually saw 3 other FK posts in December, but they were all locked/filtered. I stopped noting locked/filtered posts here some time ago for privacy (I felt I couldn't invest the time to earn permissions in every case). But just tallying them should be okay?


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The gift-story I received in HLH_Shortcuts '22 is just what I wanted

Friday, December 30th, 2022 05:33 pm
brightknightie: Tessa working with a chisel tool at her desk in the barge (Other Fandom HL Tessa)
The gift-story written for my request slate in this year's [community profile] hlh_shortcuts revealed last night. It's amazing. I recommend it to all lovers of early HL canon, anyone who has ever wanted more Randi in particular, and those who dote on the network of friendships Duncan gathers around himself.

"The Jaded Journalist" by [Hafital (name added after reveals)] (~10K words, G, gen)

The story is something I believe to be wholly new in the fandom even after three decades: a chronicle of Randi McFarland's career from "Band of Brothers" to the present. It's insightful and canon-compliant. She was there all along, every step of the way, but out of distance, out of the frame, this story posits. She was living her own rich life, not waiting for canon to keep up with her, yet though we didn't see her, our favorite characters did, from time to time. I don't want to spoil any more of it -- you can see the other characters with lines in the tags, including Amanda, the de Valicourts, and Methos, as well as Tessa and Duncan -- but it's thoroughly imagined and carefully built and touches on friendships, grief, remembering, second chances, striving for the right, and all kinds of things I like.

I'm on the way to adopting this premise as head-canon.

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Yuletide recommendations '22

Thursday, December 29th, 2022 06:33 pm
brightknightie: Nick and his remote control (Remote Control)
I think that I've read all the Yuletide '22 stories that I'll read on my own; from here on, I'll be following others' recs. Share 'em if you've got 'em!

Here are mine: ( 2 A Christmas Carol, 2 Dracula, 3 Quantum Leap, 1 Scarlet Pimpernel, 1 Equalizer )

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FK Recently: What you all have been up to (11/01/22-12/04/22)

Sunday, December 4th, 2022 11:59 am
brightknightie: Tracy at the railroad tracks with snow (Winter)

December already, gracious! For the month of November, in my corners of social journaling, here are the Forever Knight items that I happened to see:

Ficathons, fests & communities that welcome FK

  • [community profile] fandomtrees, a multifandom gifting fest, still has sign-ups through December 7. Gifting runs through January 4. (FK is not yet among the tags this year.)
  • [community profile] eventcentral has a challenge called "The Cocktail Hour," where participants get the name of a mixed drink as a prompt. Stories due December 30.
  • [personal profile] gdgdbaby is running an anonymous love meme for well-wishes and holiday cheer through December 31.
  • [personal profile] hogwartstoalexandria is running an 18+ "year end, year start"-themed prompt comment-fest through January 31.
  • [community profile] vocab_drabbles is a multifandom challenge community for small responses, either 50-1K words fanfic or 1 sentence meta.
  • [community profile] genprompt_bingo has started its 23rd round, which runs December-March. As always, the prompts are gen; the fills may be anything.
  • [community profile] whatif_au's December-January theme is "circus/carnival."
  • [community profile] allbingo's December theme is "wonders of nature."
  • [community profile] fancake's December theme is "amnesty."

FK fanfiction & other fanworks
Archive of our Own (AO3) Summary: 17 of the 1,232 FK works on the AO3 show a posting date in this period.

FK news & conversation


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FK Recently: What you all have been up to (9/1/22-10/2/22)

Sunday, October 2nd, 2022 08:24 pm
brightknightie: Screed, Bourbon, Urs and Vachon in the 19th-century saloon (Trio Vachon's Crew)

Wow! How is it October already? Well, for the month of September, in my corners of social journaling, here are the Forever Knight items that I happened to see:

Ficathons, fests & communities that welcome FK

  • [community profile] comment_bingo, a bingo challenge where you comment (rather than create), has opened its second round, which runs through January 2023.
  • [community profile] ladiesbingo, a bingo fic challenge focused on female characters' relationships, has opened its tenth round, with posting through March 2023.
  • [community profile] womansplace, a prompt fest focused on women characters, is open for prompts through October 30 and fills through November 4.
  • [tumblr.com profile] multifandompostcardexchange, a Tumblr/snail-mail community, has opened its annual "Holiday Cheer" event with recipient sign-ups through October 15 and sender sign-ups and submissions through November 7.
  • [community profile] allbingo's October theme is "Fall Fest," to "celebrate the motifs of autumn."
  • [community profile] fancake's October theme is "politics."

FK fanfiction & other fanworks
Archive of our Own (AO3) Summary: 6 of the 1,212 FK works on the AO3 show a posting date in this period.

FK news & conversation


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FK Recently: What you all have been up to (7/1/22-8/6/22)

Saturday, August 6th, 2022 07:58 pm
brightknightie: Natalie leaning over Nick's shoulder (N&N)

For the month of July, in my corners of social journaling, here are the Forever Knight items that I happened to see:

Ficathons, fests & communities that welcome FK

  • [personal profile] minutia_r is holding a sixth annual prompt fest for fan-poetry. Started 7/06; no end date.
  • [community profile] womansplace is holding a prompt fest focused on characters who identify as women. Open for prompts until 10/30. Fills due 11/04.
  • Hungry Ghost Challenge is a low-pressure challenge in which those who sign up receive, as a prompt, a random title from an old anthology horror series.
  • [community profile] fandomweekly is a multifandom weekly writing challenge community with prompts and voting.
  • [community profile] allbingo's August theme is "reel time."
  • [community profile] fancake's August theme is "fork-in-the-road AU."

FK fanfiction & other fanworks
Archive of our Own (AO3) Summary: 11 of the 1,199 FK works on the AO3 show a posting date in this period.

FK news & conversation
Looks like no one had anything to say about FK in July. Maybe in August!


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FK Recently: What you all have been up to (6/1/22-7/4/22)

Monday, July 4th, 2022 02:58 pm
brightknightie: Schanke in a Hawaiian shirt at the Dolph Inn (Schanke)

For the month of June, in my corners of social journaling, here are the Forever Knight items that I happened to see:

Ficathons, fests & communities that welcome FK

  • [community profile] fkficfest released 7 stories in June (following 2 in May).
  • [personal profile] senmut is hosting "July Jewels," a prompt/fill fest, through 7/31.
  • [community profile] vocab_drabbles is a new prompting community for fills of no more than 500 words, with 2 prompt words per week.
  • [community profile] iddyiddybangbang, the challenge for idfic of 5K+ words, has sign-ups 7/10-17, works due 7/12.
  • [community profile] pine4pine, the pining-themed exchange with minimim 1K words, has nominations through 7/13, sign-ups 7/16-23, and comes due 9/10.
  • [community profile] rarestofpairs, a fest/prompt meme for couples with <500 works on the AO3, has nominations through 7/14, with sign-ups/claiming through the end of the year.
  • [community profile] fandomgiftbasket is a gifting fest with sign-ups through 7/21, posting through 9/12, and reveals 9/13.
  • [community profile] allbingo's July events are "Body parts" and "Winterfest in July."
  • [community profile] fancake's July theme is "series," defined as 3 or more interconnected works.

FK fanfiction & other fanworks
Archive of our Own (AO3) Summary: 13 of the 1,189 FK works on the AO3 show a posting date in this period.

FK news & conversation

  • 6/01: [personal profile] senmut signal-boosted FKFicFest '22 and pointed out their contribution. Read the post.
  • 6/07: [personal profile] pj1228 shared a Toronto Guardian review of The Righteous, a now-in-theaters film in which Nigel Bennett appears. Read the post.
  • 6/12: [personal profile] thefruitbat had kind words for FKFicFest '22 and linked their contribution.
  • 6/21: [personal profile] senmut announced a new FK drabble. Read the post.
  • 6/26: [personal profile] pj1228 noted the 9 FKFicFest '22 stories and pointed out her contribution. Read the post.
  • 6/27: [personal profile] greerwatson discussed her FKFicFest '22 story and her archival design for it on her website. Read the post.


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FKFicFest '22 recap

Sunday, June 12th, 2022 10:30 am
brightknightie: Nick looking up. (Nick)
[community profile] fkficfest '22 shared 9 stories by 8 authors. We saw, of types, 5 gen, 2 m/f, 1 m/m, and 1 other; of audiences, 5 general, 2 teen, and 2 mature; across genres, AU, historical, post-series, policework, drama, missing scene, reflection, PWP, tragedy, romance, and crossover.

This year came through unusually light on appearances by Natalie (one starring and three supporting ), and also light on Schanke (three supporting) and Tracy (one supporting). Stonetree, Grace, and Screed didn't really come to play, but Reese, Merlin, Constantine, Cohen, and Vachon all got moments. This year seemed perhaps a little heavy on Lacroix (only three stories don't directly feature him, and they all reference him). Urs got a lead. And Janette got two leads and one very strong supporting appearance. Nick appeared in all but two stories, and played roles in those without appearing, which is expected. I feel that the scale seemed to tilt toward "dark" this year, with lots of vampirism in almost all stories.

As mod, I feel like I shouldn't have favorites or do recs. I do want to suggest that if you chose not to read "Limner" because it doesn't list its characters, please reconsider; the characters go unspecified because the reader gets to figure out who the characters are, which, in this particular story, I found very satisfying.

To find an FKFicFest story that you'd personally enjoy, out of this year's or all 13 years, either: (a) ask me for a personal recommendation, (b) sort and filter our AO3 collection, or (c) use our DW tags.


The story I wrote this year was "Amaranth (love-lies-bleeding)" (5,468 words). Yes, it's yet another Fleur story; you know I do that (Nick understands). But this one is different, I promise. I tagged it "mature" and "m/f," but that's in comparison to my own work, not AO3 norms; "Crimetime after Primetime" could have filmed it, no problem. I have a lot of feelings and reflections about this story and its history in my head and in my interpretation of FK through the years, but I did manage to keep that sort of thing out of the endnotes this time! My thanks to [personal profile] skieswideopen for her generous investment of time, insight, and reassurance in beta-reading it for me.

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