AO3 meme

[ariadnes_string]

Second day home with a sick child (third day total this week). Must be time for this meme!

Sometimes this meme depresses me, because none of my fics has ever broken the five figure mark for hits, but since so few of the things I've written lately have even broken through to three figures, let alone four, I'm nostalgic for the times when I wrote more popular stuff.

I'm doing the version where you post lists of both hits and kudos because the difference between the two lists cracks me up.

Hits:

1. I get by with...: (Sherlock, Lestrade and sick!John; gen h/c): 7816
2. Your Voice Along My Spine (Benedict-Martin rpf, voice!kink): 6801
3. Catching Waves on Dry Land (Steve/Danny gun!kink): 6435
4. Nothing Between Us and the New World (Holmes/Watson) : 6427
5. Like Death and Taxes (Steve/Danny nc-17): 5790
6. The Khyber Knife (John/Sherlock, knife!kink): 5603
7. Something for the Weekend (Benedict/Martin UST, shaving!kink): 5251
8. And the heat goes on…(where the hand has been) (John/Sherlock): 4754
9. A Graceful Retreat (Benedict-Martin, h/c): 4680
10. You give me... (John-Sherlock h/c): 4656

Kudos:

1. Three Continents Watson (John/Lestrade): 249
2. I get by with...: 235
3. Pelekane: Or The English Visitor (H50/Sherlock xover): 189
4. The Khyber Knife (John/Sherlock knife!kink): 148
5. Dancing on the Legs of a Newborn Pony (Harvey/Mike): 136
6. The Sleepover (Benedict-Martin): 118
7. As Holy Palmers Kiss (Lewis/Hathaway): 114
8. A Catch (Sherlock/White Collar xover): 111
9. Four Times Sherlock and Lestrade Danced Together Without Touching (and one time they did) (Sherlock/Lestrade; Jewish!Lestrade): 111
10. A Very Delicate Mission (The Unreal City Remix) (John/Sherlock, Sherlock/OMC): 108.

And the (navel-gazing) takeaway from this?

*Don't get me wrong, I like "I get by with," it's just what I mostly remember about it is dashing it off, then posting it unbeta'd at about 5am one day before leaving for vacation. It languished for a long time, then someone rec'd it or something and lots of people started reading it. Which is a good thing about AO3, I guess.

*People, myself included, come to AO3 to read rpf and the heavier kind of kink (gun, knife and wax play all feature in fics)--both of which are harder to find on lj/dw, maybe. (I don't post rpf to my journals).

*Only two stories make both lists--is this unusual?

*This seems like and important lesson for me: my top 3 kudos-getters are all, to some degree, funny stories. I myself like my writing better when I can work in some laughs, but I often kind of fall into more angsty stuff, which I don't think is as successful/enjoyable. Note to self: be funny.

*I'm glad there's a Lewis fic in that second list, and something I finished recently (the Jewish!Lestrade pice)--not sure why the only Suits fic I've ever written or am likely to write is up there, but not complaining.

Comments

[thirdbird]

arrrrgh to the sick kid, do they have great timing or what?? I hope he's better by now and that you stay well.

Interesting stats! The discrepancy between hits and kudos is kind of fascinating - I imagine it's mainly because you posted most of your Sherlock fic and RPF before the kudos function rolled out. (dang, I do love those Cumberbatch + Freeman stories. But then I love your Lewis fic even more...glad to see that's up there, too!)

[ariadnes_string]

They have exquisite timing! But he seems okay now, and so far so good for the rest of us. *crosses fingers*

I think you're right about the timing thing (and the ones people still seem to read--"I get by with" and "The Khyber Knife"--have gradually accumulated kudos). Weirdly, when I sort by highest number of bookmarks, it's a different list again--with a lot more H50 fic. I have no idea what that means, except there's a certain kind of fic people like to kudo.

Thanks for the kind words about the Lewis fic--I'm glad it's up there, too. One of the very few romantic "first time" fics I've ever written, but one I like.

[garryowen]

Sorry about the sick kid. :(

I'm glad you're writing in more marginal fandoms! I've been overwhelmed by Sherlock and Trek lately.

[ariadnes_string]

Thanks! He's fine now, but has passed it on to me--breaking my five year streak of never catching their bugs (or throwing up). Week from hell, yeah?

I feel the same way. I only way I can deal with Sherlock fandom is to pretend that most of it doesn't exist. Trek I like to read in, but not write, so it's not so bad.

[garryowen]

Oh, no! Feel better.

[ariadnes_string]

Thanks--I already feel better than I did first thing this morning. If son #2's experience is anything to go by, it's a brief thing. Not preventing me from feeling sorry for myself, though, so sympathy is appreciated!