Femme Fic!

Remember the days when I used to sign up for 8-10 HP fests at a time and then wail about how much I had to write? Well, I'm a lot more restrained about my sign-ups these days**, picking only those that really intrigue me or that offer new and interesting challenges.

The intriguing fest I chose for this summer was femmeremix. I'm always excited by ways to highlight and celebrate stories about women, whether gen or romantic, and this multi-fandom fest seemed just the ticket. Plus, I love remixing and being remixed; as I've said before, a remix is basically a fanfic of your fanfic. It's like being JKR, except without the billions.

Anyway, femmeremix went live last weekend, and there are over three dozen women-centered stories to tempt you, including some excellent HP old-lady stories plus MY WONDERFUL GIFT! If you like thoughtful, well-written fics that explore the lives and psyches of older women, you'll love all of these.


Sadder and Wiser by Anonymous (Minerva; past Minerva/Poppy)

This story is based on Behind Layers by redsnake05 (which was one of the first OLSB stories I found during my early days in the fandom). The original looks at young Minerva and Poppy doing war work in the 1940s. The meditative, nicely bittersweet remix looks at the aftermath of their war work against Voldemort. The ending is just perfectly Minerva.


Perennial by Anonymous (Augusta, Neville)

This fic is a wonderful example of the pleasures and powers of remixing. It's based on a well-done drabble, Annuals, by miramiraficfic. To continue the gardening theme of both fics, if you think of the original drabble as a lovely, tight rosebud, the remix is the gentle yet pungent unfolding of the entire flower, ending with age, with the suggestion of petals about to drop, yet still beautiful. I love the characterizations here, the atmospheric details.


And finally, there's my gift, a real stunner that celebrates some of my favorite things: women, women's communities, a wide spectrum of gender presentation and of understandings of what "woman" is.

Well-Suited by Anonymous (Griselda, Rolanda, Wilhelmina, Millicent, Gabrielle Delacour, OFC)

I just love what my author has done with Bespoke, a story of mine that features butch Wilhelmina serving as mentor to baby-butch Millicent Bulstrode. Picking up on the notion of gendered mentoring, the new story offers a wonderful history of female community and tradition. . .plus a sensual romp through the tactile and visual delights of fabric and color. Each section focuses on a different, well-created character to give us a satisfying panorama of lived gender experience.

You're in for a treat with all of these stories. I hope you'll read and comment (especially since comments are rather thin on the ground in this fest so far).


**Yes, I am more restrained about the number of fests I undertake, but I still wail and whine and procrastinate. Surely that's part of the fun?