I've seen some of you do the Fandom Snowflake Challenge (here at snowflake_challenge ), and it looks like a fun way to get myself to post more here. It's been hard for me to re-engage, so I'm hoping this (and my recent posts about my adventures in glass) will help. Based on what I saw for previous years, there will be 15 challenges; I don't know that I'll do them all, and I'm starting out of order, but hey. It's something, right?

Challenge #4

Since this is the start of a new year, this challenge will be to set your own goals! Of course we can all make large or ambitious goals, remember that small and/or short goals are also good!

These are all BBC Sherlock-related (others in the replies included non-fannish goals, but that's a separate post for me, if I choose to write it), and what I hope to achieve in fandom over the course of the year.

1. Write the sequel to my 221b ficlet Snagged, a Whumptober 2021 (don't laugh) fill for 'barbed wire.' Snagged was high on the hurt, so I want to write another 221b that focuses more on the comfort. It'll be another Whumptober fill (for either 'recovery' or 'aftermath'), and it will also be a 221b ficlet. There was enthusiasm in the comments for it, so hopefully I'll make some people happy once I get it posted. I'm still working out the hook, but once I get that sorted, the ficlet should come together quickly.

2. Finish another Whumptober WIP for the prompt 'dread'. It's a one-shot set during the disappearance of little Victor Trevor, with 13-year-old Mycroft coming from home from school to help with the initial search and check in on little Sherlock. It takes place in one evening and by the end, Mycroft has a terrible realization about Eurus. 

My current draft is about 1400 words; I started it well over two years ago and have been picking at it ever since. It's mostly completed but is in rough shape after the first few paragraphs. I doubt it'll be over 2k by the time it's cleaned up and ready to share, but we'll see. The dynamic between Mycroft and Sherlock is just so much fun to write, whether they are young kids, or young(ish) adults, as in my most recent fic A Small Request, or weary, battle-worn adults.

3. Finish gift fic #1 (first announced in 2022...sigh): Sherlock and John go to an amusement park 'for a case' and conveniently get stuck on the ferris wheel long enough for confessions and first kisses. Totally silly and self-indulgent, yay! This is also mostly written, but needs a lot of filler and a lot more editing. I've toyed with adding some angst- I know the recipient would be in favor- so I'm still playing with that angle.

4. Finish gift fic #2 (also announced in 2022): Yet another Reichenbach reunion fic, because why not? This one will be a quieter, gentler reunion for Sherlock and John. God knows I love the angst, but I'm in the mood for something softer. I think it's fairly impossible to have Sherlock come back from the dead to an unsuspecting John without some angst, but there will be a lot more tenderness in this version. I've got a pretty solid first half written but have rather lost the plot for the second half. I need to decide how it ends so that I can sort out the middle.

5. Leave more fic comments. I love to receive them, so I want to be better about leaving them for others. More engagement keeps the circle of fanfic going, yeah?

6. Fused glass and fandom: how I combine the two? What kind of fanart can I create? I'm thinking of the door to 221B Baker Street done in powder, or maybe an abstract portrait of Sherlock and John in shards of glass. It would be fun to come up with something that clearly shouts Sherlock.

I think that's enough to be going on with. It's a lot, but by stating these goals clearly and putting them out into the universe, I feel more intentional about completing them. Of course I thought that back in 2022 when I shared the two gift fics (with banners, even...), but hey. You fall down, you get back up again.

I'd love to know what fannish goals, if any, you all might have (those of you who haven't already shared, or even if you have, share again!).

RIP Una Stubbs. Such heartbreaking news, but what a full life. In my optimistic worldview, we'll have more Sherlock someday, but Una Stubbs as Mrs Hudson is irreplaceable.

Happy Anniversary, Sherlock! Nine years ago today, the BBC first aired A Study in Pink. It might have taken me over a year to see it for myself, but falling into fandom changed my life in many happy ways. I know most of you thanks to this show and it doesn't matter if we've not (yet) met in person- I am thankful to have so many good people in my life. Even if you're no longer a fan, the show likely brought us together in some way and that's a very good thing.

Friends new and old, who wants to chat about The Great Game? For those of you who are new here, I've hosted a series of discussion posts that are very casual and geared for people who want to pop in and out as they desire. I started doing these after Series 4 and we had so much fun that we've gone back to the start. Here links to the previous posts if you want to get an idea of how they've gone:

The Six Thatchers
The Lying Detective
The Final Problem

A Study in Pink
The Blind Banker

Feel free to comment on any of the older posts; I will get notifications and I think one or two others will too. I would love to go back and talk more about these eps. It's been a small group of us chatting, but the more the merrier! What I've really enjoyed are the different perspectives and opinions that have been shared. We're a passionate, but respectful, group! 

We're up to The Great Game now and I'm thinking January 26 is a good day to start talking about it. That should give anyone interested enough time to watch the episode in advance. I'll post reminders before then and I hope to see you all there! 

I know I said I would post this tomorrow, but I'm too excited to wait! (Not to mention I won't have time to post this in the morning. I'll be on my way up to camp for the first time this year to be sure it's still in one piece.)

Time to flail over A Study in Pink! For most of us, this brilliant episode was our introduction to Sherlock. And what a start! This is still the episode I've watched the most and it's still the one that gives me the most joy (but is it my favorite? HMMM). I can't wait to dive into this one with all of you!

To quote myself from a previous post: this is meant to last as long as there is interest. Come and go as you please! I will be doing so myself (in fact, I still have things I want to say in the TFP discussion post). Hopefully that will take any pressure off to participate NOW if you don't have the time or energy. Once again, I've created some threads I think might help generate discussion, but they're only suggestions and you all can add as many new ones as you wish or just leave free-standing comments.

My wish is that we have as much fun with this as we have with previous posts (I've created a 'discussion post' tag to make them easier to find, if you are interested in revisiting them). We all have varying levels of interest/investment in the show and in fandom these days, but I hope you all can take yourself back to the start to squee over what you loved (and cringe over what you didn't). I'll meet you in the comments!