Friday, December 2, 2011

FFn updates for the month of 11/11

Firstly, I'd like to apologize for my last blog post getting published multiple times.  I'm not sure how that happened, but I just noticed & corrected it.  Anyway, on to my FFn profile updates for last month:

11/27/11 - Rant of the Day: Is Facebook really just a weapon that could be used against you?

11/24/11 - Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers! :) FYI, I plan on having my next TWP update posted no later than tomorrow, Friday. Since I left you guys on such a cruel cliffhanger, I figured it was only fair if I updated fairly quickly.

11/18/11 - Rant of the Day: Don't Be a Flamer

11/17/11 - Posted the final chapter of Coming to Term. I'm thrilled to be through with that one so I can concentrate on The Waiting Place! Anyway, THANK YOU all for your continued support and your motivating comments!

Posted my final three Fanfic Pics from CtT's author's notes on my blog, including reviews of "Almost Everything I Wish I'd Said" by hey-torch, "One More Time" by veritaserumkills, and "And I Swear" by jesrod82.

11/11/11 - Moved my profile's updates for the month of October to my blog, where I also post fanfic recs, book recs, the occasional movie rec, and other randomness: Musings of a Fiction Fanatic
By the way, happy Veteran's Day to all those who've served! I salute you!

Also, I wanted to give a shout-out to all of my male readers for having my back concerning Ron's behavior in my fic, The Waiting Place. It's reassuring to have my version of Ron's POV validated from the perspectives of men. ;)

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Rant of the Day: Is Facebook really just a weapon that could be used against you?


Rant of the Day: Is Facebook really just a weapon that could be used against you?

Today’s rant has nothing to do with fanfiction or even Harry Potter (gasp!), but a topic I’ve been thinking about a lot lately, thanks to my sister, who’s a (very) young, single mother, whom we’ll just call “Allison.” So lately Allison has been having issues with her child’s father, whom we’ll call “Douchebag.”

I would like to begin by explaining that while Allison is by no means the epitome of maturity and rational decision-making (she’s a baby with a baby, what do you expect?), Douchebag is a 23-year-old loser living from couch-to-couch, doesn’t own shit—not even a car—yet he somehow manages to get to the mall (right across from Allison’s apartment, FYI) to buy himself new clothing, to go to the gym, & to show up at Allison’s work with a gaggle of underage girls; yet he somehow can’t manage to find a means to get to Allison’s apartment to see his own daughter—and the few occasions that he HAS seen her, Allison had had to physically pick his sorry ass up.  Now, the most ridiculous part is that Douchebag claims that Allison is keeping him from seeing his daughter when Allison refuses to pick him up, and when she responds by pointing out that he can somehow manage to find a ride to the mall, the gym, & Buffalo Wild Wings, his response is always the same: “Bitch.”  (Apparently his vocabulary is very limited.)  I'd also like to add that he has a criminal record & has become physically violent toward her.

Anyway, so some more drama ensued; Allison said he wasn’t to bring girls around the baby since she doesn’t bring guys around, & his response was to threaten to take the baby, claiming that she’s a bad mother because she “leaves the baby every night to go party.”  While it’s true that Allison does go out on occasion, she’s also working seven days a week to support herself & her daughter, with no financial support whatsoever from Douchebag (the one time he helped her, he expected sex in return), but now because her friends “tagged” her on Facebook as being at a club last week, Douchebag is apparently claiming that she’s an unfit mother & is going for full custody (although, I’m finding that hard to believe, since that would actually require some EFFORT on his part).

My response when Allison told me about all this?  Either stop going out until after the custody hearing, or delete your fucking Facebook account.  But does she listen to me?  Of course not.  If she listened to anyone she wouldn’t have ended up with a baby to begin with: I warned her about what boys her age are after (& apparently boys in the bodies of supposedly grown men), & I told her that partying leads to fucking, fucking leads to pregnancy, & pregnancy leads to baby, but she just had to learn the hard way—and now she’s a young girl trying to live the life of an adult because she got knocked up by a random pathetic excuse for a man.

Don’t get me wrong—I certainly don’t think the internet or Facebook is evil (or men, for that matter, since I snagged me a great one who happens to be an EXCELLENT father).  I think it can be a great way to keep up with friends, but people should also be aware that Facebook & other social networking sites can be used to spy on you or to portray you in a negative light by people who would seek to use it against you.  Take Allison for example: After her friends tagged her as being at the club, she ran out of diapers (again, there’s an example of her poor judgment, but that’s beside the point), & when she wanted our dad to buy her some more, his response: “You went out last night while knowing you were out of diapers, so ask your baby’s father.”

My sister’s poor decision-making aside, I think people need to be a bit more wary about Facebook & other social websites, & to watch what they post online & who their “friends” are—unless you’re okay with having a “window” into your life that allows others to spy on you, make judgments, & use it as a tool against you.  (Also, I’ve heard of employers checking out their potential employees’ profiles, & I’m not even going to get into the potential of being targeted by a predator with truly evil intentions.)

Rant over.

-Kari

Friday, November 18, 2011

Rant of the Day: Don't Be a Flamer


Rant of the Day: Don’t Be a Flamer

First of all, I’d like to put a crucial disclaimer here: This rant is NOT about any of my own readers in any way, shape, or form.  Quite the contrary, in the HP fandom I’ve never received a single review that I would consider a “flame.”  I mean, sure, I’ve had a few comments from disgruntled readers who weren’t pleased with some of my writing decisions, but I try to handle them as graciously as possible by clearing up any points that I might not have gotten across in my writing.  In general, though, my experience in the HP fandom has been a positive one, and most of my own readers have been supportive or, at the very least, civil. (This wasn’t the case when I wrote for the Twilight fandom.  I actually encountered a lot of extremely rude people there; admittedly, I probably didn’t always respond to them in the best manner possible, but at least it was a learning experience.)

All righty, now that that’s out of the way, I was recently looking at the profile of a fellow reader/writer, faultybooster, and came across a rant about flames, which I’ll quote here, since I feel she says it better than I could:

“I've been fortunate to not have received any 'flames' in my very short-lived experience as a fanfiction writer. Well, not yet anyway. Now I'm all for reviews, whether they be light OR critical OR a combination, whatever the case may be. However, I recently came across a flame in a story that was so incredibly RUDE that it actually filled me with undiluted rage, and it wasn't even my story! The reviewer insulted the author time and time again, spewing out pure venom. You'd think the reviewer was a bloody senior editor for some posh publishing company, or some multi-award winning author, the way they were carrying on… I don`t claim to be a professional writer, and I`ll never say that my work is perfect because I`m human and I make mistakes. But if you`re going to shit all over somebody`s story in regards to their `lack of originality, poor grammar skills, improper spelling, etc. etc.`, then you had best make sure that your story is perfect as well and not write like a fucking child. It irks me, it really does. It`s not an easy thing to put your work out there, and expose yourself. And while some need to hone their skills more than others, it doesn`t give anybody the right to belittle a fellow author. We`re all here for the same thing - to read about and/or write about the characters we love. If you like the story, share the love. If you do like the story, but feel it lacks a certain something, then offer some constructive criticism. If you don`t like the story, be critical but kind. And if you can`t handle the latter, then keep your fucking mouth shut. End rant.”

I liked what this person had to say so much that I PM’ed her with this:

“Totally agree, 100%. I'm all about honest feedback (after all, you're not helping an author if you just rave over them when there are areas where a writer could use improvement) but there's no reason not to use tact & to not treat other authors with dignity, especially since a lot of writers on this site are young & inexperienced. I mean, writing isn't like singing, where you just either have it or you don't; it's a skill that's honed & improved with time & experience, so blasting younger/inexperienced writers is inexcusable.”

Curiosity got the better of me, so I decided to ask her about the fic & the flame in question, & I discovered that while the fic in question was a bit…threadbare, in all honesty, there was no true reason for the reviewer to be so cruel in his/her delivery.


Unfortunately, there are a lot of people out there that use the anonymity afforded by the internet to bash others in an effort (I can only guess) to make themselves feel better.  Of course everyone is entitled to their opinion, & this is a writing community, so obviously some people are going to be more critical than others—myself included, since some of my own reviews are bordering on brutally honest, especially if I feel that the story/writer has potential; conversely, if I think something is an absolute piece of garbage with no redeeming values, I usually keep my mouth shut unless the piece is obviously a “troll,” intended to garner a negative reaction from readers. 

However, there's no excuse not to retain civility in the spirit of community.  All this to say that, in my opinion, flaming is straight-up bullying, except that it’s possibly even more cowardly because the bully in question is hiding behind a screenname.

(I might get flamed for speaking out on this matter, but that’s okay because it’ll only prove my point.)

-Kari

An example of CONSTRUCTIVE criticism that isn't necessarily all praise, as opposed to a flame (The following was submitted in regard to my own fic, Coming to Term, and I actually agree with some of what this reviewer has to say, since it reflects my own thoughts - or at least what I thought some readers might think -  as I was writing in regard to my own work.  Hey, we're all our own worst critics, right?  I certainly don't think my own writing and storytelling prowess is the shit.  Anyway, note the tactful delivery & the fact that the reviewer actually contributed something that she LIKED about the fic in question, making it a well-rounded review.):

"Hermione was rescued (not that there was ever any doubt about that LOL) but also it turns out that Ron wasn't actually raped, and Snape's only purpose was to prove it. It was a bit too convenient. Which goes back to my original question, of why go there in the first place? And then Hermione and Ginny giving birth at the same time, AND then getting pregnant again at the same time was a bit much, even though it's probably canon LOL It just feels like you started out writing one story that was funny, sexy, and sweet, and then you went super dark, and instead of following through, you just went back to the previous story. And I think a fluffy story could have been great, as well as a dark story, but when they got put together it kind of messed up the flow.

All that said, I still think you are a great writer, and I still enjoyed the story. I don't think there are any other stories of Rose's birth that are in any way the same quality as this one. And I admire you for taking risks with your writing. If you aren't experimenting and trying new things, you aren't growing as a writer."
An example of a flame:
"I could wipe my ass with this piece of shit: The writing doesn't flow, the story is contradictory, you put no thought into the plot, which is full of holes, and your writing stinks."

I totally just made up the above, but you get the point: Although it's honest, it offers nothing constructive at all and is intended specifically for the purpose of hurting the author.  A comment like that would sting an adult writer, so I imagine it would be down-right traumatizing to a young first-time writer.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Fanfiction rec: "And I Swear" by jesrod82, rated M for strong sexual content and language, Ron/Hermione, humor/romance, two-parter, complete, listed under my favorites.

The following recommendation was originally posted in the author's notes of Chapter 28 of my fic, Coming to Term:

Fanfic Pic: "And I Swear" by jesrod82, rated M for strong sexual content and language, Ron/Hermione, humor/romance, two-parter, complete, listed under my favorites.

Author's story summary: When Ron's vulgar language goes too far will he be willing to give it up in order to have a happy wife? Will it help their marriage, or will it backfire? Rated M for language, obviously, and sex.

First of all, I want to say that jesrod82 is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors on this site. This actually makes the third story of hers that I've rec'ed as my Fanfic Pic (& I plan on rec'ing a fourth; I was merely waiting for her to post a few more chapters of "Look at Me" so I could see how it progresses first). She's an extremely talented and versatile writer, and her smut is seriously some of the hottest I've read—amateur OR professional.

Not only is "And I Swear" a ridiculously hilarious (I literally LOL'ed throughout the whole thing) story about what happens when Ron performs an incantation to help curb his swearing in order to please Hermione, but it's also incredibly sweet & sexy. The entire thing was just an absolute pleasure to read, and a favorite for life. I encourage all of my readers to check it out & to leave a well-earned review for this talented author! Note: This fic most definitely isn't for the kiddies, so if you're underage, shoo!

Happy reading, writing, & reviewing!

-Kari

Fanfiction recommendation: "One More Time" by veritaserumkills, rated M for sexual content, Ron/Hermione (and sort of Charlie/Hermione), angst/romance, incomplete (currently 10 chapters posted), listed under my faves.

The following recommendation was originally posted in the author's note of Chapter 24 of my fic, Coming to Term:

Fanfic Pic: "One More Time" by veritaserumkills, rated M for sexual content, Ron/Hermione (and sort of Charlie/Hermione), angst/romance, incomplete (currently 10 chapters posted), listed under my faves.

Author's story summary: Hermione tried accepting Ron's death. She even married Charlie. When she finds she may not have to, will she risk her marriage and repeating a horrible branch of history to be with Ron, or accept it and move on? Post DH. Full summary inside, kinda AU?

While the author definitely has her critics for having Hermione marry Charlie several years after Ron's supposed death, I'm personally enjoying this story thoroughly. I've gotta admit that I'm torn on some of the plot devices, such as Hermione cheating on her husband with Ron (even if it IS Ron, her true soul mate, I have trouble stomaching infidelity). Even though I'm rooting for Ron & Hermione, I'm not looking forward to poor Charlie inevitably getting his heart broken!

Nevertheless, this story is well-written, it has an interesting plot, and I find myself looking forward to its updates more than any other story I'm currently following, with the exceptions of, perhaps, "Almost Everything I Wish I'd Said" by hey-torch & "With Me" by TMBlue (the latter of which I'm expecting an update sometime in the next…well, never, lol). Oh, and don't tell anyone, but I actually cried during the first several chapters of this story (something I rarely do!).

Happy reading, writing, & reviewing!

-Kari

EDIT: The above review referred to the first 10 chapters only.  Currently, although this story remains one of my favorites, I am not pleased with the manner in which the author has chosen to have Hermione handle her "break-up" with her husband; Hermione actually comes off as a bit heartless, and the newly reunited couple have no qualms about flaunting their relationship in front of his parents.  Likewise, Molly and Arthur don't seem to have too much of a problem with the fact that Ron effectively ruined Charlie's marriage.  On the one hand, I understand that they're just happy to have him back alive, but the story would have worked better for me personally if the author had chosen to just have Hermione & Charlie merely dating, rather than being an actual married couple since the author hasn't adequately handled the emotional strife that should have been involved.  Anyway, that's just my opinion on the matter.

Fanfiction rec: "Almost Everything I Wish I'd Said" by hey-torch, rated M for dark themes/subject-matter including implied torture & rape, incomplete, angst/horror, Ron/Hermione, Deathly Hallows AU.

The following recommendation was originally posted in the a/n of Chapter 23 of my fic, Coming to Term:

"Almost Everything I Wish I'd Said" by hey-torch, rated M for dark themes/subject-matter including implied torture & rape, incomplete, angst/horror, Ron/Hermione, Deathly Hallows AU.

I'll keep it short & sweet: Once I got past the first few chapters, which were riddled with misspellings & typos, it developed into an AMAZING story. Seriously. I'm even ignoring the fact that the dialogue is punctuated incorrectly. It's simultaneously angsty, horrific, sweet, suspenseful, and a ton of other things. It's listed under the genres of "angst/horror," but I personally think "romance/hurt/comfort" would be more fitting; "suspense/drama" would also work. Anyway, you have to check out this fic when you have the chance, but be warned - it's quite dark, and poor Hermione experiences horrific abuses (mostly implied). It's listed under my favorites. Read it. And then be courteous & leave a well-earned review. And then PM the author to beg for an update as quickly as possible. (I actually woke up with an update notification for this story in my inbox this morning, & it took a LOT of will-power not to drop everything in favor of reading it.)

Happy reading, writing, & reviewing!

-Kari

Friday, November 11, 2011

FFn updates for the month of October

10/26 - I just wanted to thank everyone for the reviews I've received for my prologue of The Waiting Place! Truly, I'm overwhelmed & flattered by the response, & so excited about continuing - especially knowing you all are so eager to read more! FYI, I've begun re-reading The Half-Blood Prince so that I may seamlessly interweave TWP within the canon text, much as I did with my fic Hallowed Hearts, which I created as a Deathly Hallows subplot. I hope to have chapter 1 of TWP up within the next week, so keep an eye out for it!

To all my Twilight fans that happen to still be lurking about my profile - I just wanted to let you know that after a year of Coming of Age being on hiatus, I decided to take it down since the chances are slim-to-none that I'll ever finish it, seeing as my interest in the fandom has dwindled to non-existent. I know that may come as a disappointment to some, but I thought that leaving it up any longer would be unfair, as it offers false hope that I might pick it up again in the future. Also, even though I've previously announced it, I wanted to add for those who missed it that the reason I removed my completed Twilight fic, In Pursuit of Normalcy, is because (in addition to writing my HP fics) I'm actively transforming it into a completely original paranormal romance novel.

Lastly, I re-edited my Fred/Angelina/George oneshot, Double the Pleasure, Double the Fun, for some minor errors that I previously noted. If you haven't checked it out, I hope you'll do so now & let me know what you think!


10/12 - New blog post: "Rant of the Day: Writers who start multiple multi-chaptered fics."

10/10 - I'm actively working on Coming to Term Chapter 25 today & hope to have it up in the next day or two. To those awaiting my new fic, I'm still not sure whether or not I'll start it before completing CtT, but we'll see. :)

10/7 - Just wanted to let my readers know that I've had a super-hectic week (not much time for fanfic'ing - reading OR writing), but rest assured that I've been thinking about the remainder of Coming to Term (I have it all outlined out) & my new story that I'm uber excited about starting! I actually have pretty much the whole thing planned out in my head & plan on hashing out an outline early next week. Thanks for your patience & your understanding! :)

10/4 - Happy big 3-0 to my hubs, aka Studly Love Muffin (on the off chance that you might be reading my FFn profile)! Congrats! You're almost as old as me! :)

Oh, & if you're not reading "Look at Me" by jesrod82, you should be! (It's listed under my faves.)

10/1 - New blog post: Harry Potter inspired by Star Wars?

9/30 - Moved my profile's updates dating 8/13 - 9/23 to my blog, where I also post fanfic recs, book recs, the occasional movie rec, and other randomness: Musings of a Fiction Fanatic

Read all of the posted chapters of "Pictures" by Athenais777, rated T, a clever, well-written collection of snippets from a wide array of characters' lives (from the Marauders to the next generation) centered around, as the title suggests, pictures. While, as I said, it features various characters, it's heavily Ron/Hermione-centered. I've enjoyed it thoroughly - definitely worth a read! It's listed under my favorites.

Also, as I announced in my final chapter of Skimming Stones & Skinny-Dipping, I have a new fic project in the works, which is going to be a Ron/Hermione Half-Blood Prince-era AU-subplot type of story, so if you enjoy my writing then don't forget to put me on author alert!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Rant of the Day: Writers who start multiple multi-chaptered fics

Why is it that some fanfiction authors start new fanfics when they already have a couple in the works? I mean, writing the occasional oneshot during the course of a multi-chaptered story, or even starting a SECOND multi-chaptered story, isn’t so bad, but any more than that & I start to wonder if you have ADD & can’t stick with an idea. After all, it’s difficult for most writers to commit to just one WIP & see it through to completion, so if I see that an author has more than one or two WIPs out at a time, quite frankly I’m going to question whether or not you’ll burn yourself out and not complete ANY of your fics.

Don’t get me wrong, I often have multiple ideas jump into my head at once, but I’m disciplined enough to only concentrate on an idea or two at a time rather than attempting to commit to multiple ideas at once.

C’mon, authors, let’s not set ourselves up for failure - not to mention make your readers wait an absurd amount of time between updates because you’ve decided you just HAVE to write multiple stories.

-Kari

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Harry Potter inspired by Star Wars?

Harry Potter inspired by Star Wars?
 So I’ve been sick lately & out of boredom I decided to watch the original Star Wars trilogy, & I couldn’t help but notice some similarities between my childhood favorite and my obsession for the last eight years (HP, of course). Let’s take a look, shall we?

Harry Potter/Luke Skywalker - Both orphans whose fathers were betrayed by a friend & consequently murdered (never mind that the “friend” who betrayed Luke’s dad was, well, Luke’s dad); raised by an aunt & uncle; both possess a special “talent” that their uncles tried to hide out of fear that they’d follow in their fathers' footsteps; both mild-mannered heroes with a sense of modesty; both go on to marry fiery redheads (at least, if you count the “extended universe” Star Wars novels to be canon).

Ron Weasley/Han Solo - Both have a sarcastic sense of humor that conceals a fierce sense of loyalty and a heart of gold. And, hello? Their names rhyme - Han & Ron.

Hermione Granger/Princess Leia - Both feisty, quick-witted, passionate brunettes who like to fight for what’s right. (Hermione joined the Horcrux hunt at great personal risk to fight against oppression & ended up tortured under Voldemort’s regime. Leia joined the Rebel Alliance at great personal risk to fight against oppression & ended up tortured under Vader’s regime.)

Han/Leia, Ron/Hermione - Both couples are seeming opposites who constantly bicker, who then become lovers & end up married with kids (again, if you count the “extended universe” Star Wars novels as canon).

Luke/Leia, Harry/Hermione - The former pair are actual biological brother & sister, separated at birth; the latter pair are LIKE brother & sister, according to Harry himself.

And if that’s not enough, how’s this to convince you? - Lord Vader/Lord Voldemort; wands & magic/lightsabers & the Force; and Dumbledore is like Obi-Wan Kenobi & Yoda all rolled into one!
I suppose we should all just be thankful that it didn’t turn out that Voldemort is Harry’s father, & Hermione is his secret twin sister who was hidden at birth!

“Either I’m gonna kill ‘er or I’m beginning to like ‘er!”
-Han, about Leia, Star Wars

Friday, September 30, 2011

FFn profile updates Aug 14 - Sept 23. 2011

9/23 - Hoping to have chapter 23 of Coming to Term up tomorrow at the latest! Sorry for the delay! :)

9/14 - Discovered an amazing talent, TMBlue (listed under my favorite authors), and have looked at a few of his/her stories, including "Black" (only one chapter posted so far) and "With Me," both fabulous Ron/Hermione fics. Also, I highly recommend "Moments" by Armaysha, a series of missing Ron/Hermione moments from the book series, & I'm LOVING this side of their relationship that Harry had no clue about.

Added the remainder of my posted "Fanfic Pics" to my blog: Musings of a Fiction Fanatic

Oh, yeah, for shits & giggles I added a new poll to my author profile (see above). Be sure & vote for the fun of it!

 
9/11 - Wow, it feels weird writing that date. I can't believe it's been 10 years! I was actually in bootcamp when 9/11 happened; shock of a lifetime there.

Anyway, I had another all-night reading binge. This time it was "Almost Everything I Wish I'd Said" by hey-torch. Once I got past the first few chapters, which were riddled with misspellings & typos, it developed into an AMAZING story. Seriously. (I'm even ignoring the fact that the dialogue is punctuated incorrectly.) It's simultaneously angsty, horrific, sweet, suspenseful, and a ton of other things. It's listed under the genres of "angst/horror," but I personally think "romance/hurt/comfort" would be more fitting; "suspense/drama" would also work. Anyway, you have to check out this fic when you have the chance, but be warned - it's quite dark, and poor Hermione experiences horrific abuses (mostly implied). It's listed under my favorites.

 
9/9 - Decided to start blogging again, since I need a place to post my random thoughts & opinions. Plan on adding all of my "Fanfic Pics" there soon, but in the meantime you can check out my previous posts: Musings of a Fiction Fanatic

9/8 - Stumbled upon an "oldie but goldie" that I stayed up half the night reading: A Ron/Hermione fic called "Inhibition" by wacky-tarz, now listed under my faves. (It would be at the very bottom of the list since it was written in 2005.) It's a sweet, hilarious, well-written little story about our favorite couple. Definitely worth a read!

Also, chapter 22 of Coming to Term should be up (hopefully) at the first part of the weekend - I'm shooting for Friday or Saturday!

 
9/6 - Been reading a fic called "One More Time" by veritaserumkills, listed under my faves. There are only a handful of chapters posted so far, but it's beautifully written and engrossing. I'd definitely recommend giving it a chance!

Oh, & chapter 7 of Skimming Stones will be up later today! :)

 
9/5 - Decided to close my "Glimpses" series, possibly permanently. I'm really not sure yet. I won't go into a long explanation, but I'll just say that while I'm not one to hold chapters ransom or to beg for reviews, it IS disheartening when, as a fanfic writer, you put quite a bit of effort into something that you believe will bring enjoyment to audiences & all you're met with is the chirping of crickets...and a few scattered reviews. If I don't think people give a rat's fart one way or another, I'm probably not going to feel inclined to continue it. I guess sometimes as a reader you have to give a little if you wanna get a little.

Anyway, I'm not trying to tell readers to go review that fic - not at all. In fact, at this point it won't make much of a difference. If I decide to write any more post-Deathly Hallows Ron/Hermione oneshots, I'll probably post them as separate stories.

 
8/22 - Cleaned up my favorites list, leaving only those stories that I found to be particularly entertaining and/or well-written. You may notice that I don't have any novel-length Ron/Hermione fics listed, and the reason for that is that all those stories that I've looked at have had major cheese infestations (See "Hold the cheese, please," below under "Pet peeves in fanfic") or else I felt were a tad OOC.

Newest addition to my favorites: "The Unwinding of Percy Weasley" by JustAudrey07. I've stayed up half the night the past two nights reading on this, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. I never thought I'd be so entertained by a story about Percy, but that probably has a lot to do with the author's fabulous storytelling abilities. (I feel in love with her story "Dirty Little Secret" & had been meaning to check out this author's other works for a while.)

 
8/19 - I stayed up most of the night reading "Say What You Need to Say" by librawriter when I should've been catching up on my sleep! Guh, I am in love with librawriter's ability to write angst! I'm now also more than a bit in love with George & Angelina! Check out this fic if you have the time - It's listed under my story faves. Also, please note that even though the author never marked it as complete, it is, in fact, complete. (I hesitated to start it at first because I thought it had been abandoned.)

Another fic I'm enjoying right now (also listed under my story faves): "Harry Potter and the White Van Man" by queenoftherandomoneandonly.

 
8/16 - New favorite talent: wonderTWINpowersACTIVATE (see my favorite authors). You have to check out their work!

 
8/14 - If you are not reading "Always & Forever" by librawriter (listed under my favorites), then you should be! Seriously, this story is my crack, and it does NOT get enough love. I encourage all my readers to check out this fabulously angsty fic (yes, it IS very angsty/dramatic, but it's also deliciously romantic) & to leave the author some encouragement! This story is just - guh! :)

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Fanfiction rec: "The Unwinding of Percy Weasley" by JustAudrey07, Percy/Audrey, rated T, complete

The following review was originally posted in my author's notes of Chapter 20 of my fic "Coming to Term":

Fanfic Pic: "The Unwinding of Percy Weasley" by JustAudrey07, rated T for language, some violence, & non-graphic sexual content, Percy/Audrey, romance/drama, completed, listed under my favorites.
I first fell in love with JustAudrey07's writing & storytelling prowess when I was rec'ed her Draco/Astoria fic, "Dirty Little Secret," by one of my own readers. Like wonderTWINpowersACTIVATE, JustAudrey07 is one of the rarest, most natural talents I've stumbled upon on this site. After reading all the posted chapters of DLS, I'd been meaning to check out the author's other posted works, and I am so thankful that I finally got around to it.

As the title suggests, "The Unwinding of Percy Weasley" is the story about how Percy meets and falls for his wife, Audrey. Believe me, I know what you're thinking: "A story about Percy? Sounds so…blah!" And also believe me when I say that if this story had been written by anyone other than JustAudrey07 I probably wouldn't have given it a chance, but it was, hands-down, the best fic I've read in…well, possibly the best fic I've read, period. Like in DLS with the character of Astoria, the author creates an unforgettable character in Audrey (who is, amazingly, so different from Astoria!) and weaves an intricate, well-thought-out storyline with just the right amount of angst, drama, romance, and humor.

The author's grammar/punctuation isn't always perfect, and, like in DLS, I noticed numerous incorrect word usages, such as "defiantly" rather than "definitely," "than" rather than "then" and vice versa, and even "foreword" rather than "forward." Also, the writing is notably…American. I'm American myself, and I'm certainly not claiming to be some sort of expert on British slang/terminologies, but I couldn't help but notice that the author uses the American "mom" rather than the British "mum" and numerous other blatant "Americanisms."

However, considering the over-all quality of the writing, those mistakes are, for the most part, forgivable and relatively easy to overlook. Truly, this is fanfiction at its best, and I absolutely adored this story. If the author decided to write a Ron/Hermione or George/Angelina story, I'd be a happy camper indeed! (Hint, hint, nudge, nudge.)

Happy reading, writing, & reviewing!

-Kari

Fanfiction rec: "'Miones and Broken Tongues" by jesrod82, Ron/Hermione, rated M, oneshot

The following review was originally posted in my author's notes of Chapter 19 of my fic "Coming to Term":

Fanfic Pic: "'Miones and Broken Tongues" by jesrod82, rated M for strong sexual content and language, Ron/Hermione, romance/humor, oneshot, listed under my favorites.

Kiddies, cover your eyes: This one is NOT for you. What can I say about this delightfully smutty oneshot except that it's the hottest damn thing I've read in a long time? J.R. Ward has got NOTHING on this. ;p
I suppose I could also say that the characterizations were refreshing. I've read too many Ron/Hermione fics with over-the-top cheese infestations, so I just loved the idea of one of their heated arguments escalating into an angry fuck-fest. I also enjoyed that Hermione was rather violent in this, because I haven't read that too much in fanfic—but she WAS rather violent at times in the books, and Ron brought that out in her more than once.

Plus, there was a smidgen of fluff at the end to remind us that they do, in fact, love each other. :) So check it out & leave the author some love! Definitely a fun little read!

Happy reading, writing, & reviewing!

-Kari

Fanfiction rec: "Harry Potter and the White Van Man" by queenoftherandomoneandonly, Harry/Dudley, rated T, incomplete

The following review was originally posted in my author's notes of Chapter 18 of my fic "Coming to Term":

"Harry Potter and the White Van Man" by queenoftherandomoneandonly, rated T for language and mild violence, Harry/Dudley, friendship/humor, incomplete, 5 chapters posted, listed under my favorites.

I've been following this fic since the first chapter was posted a month or so ago, and I've thoroughly enjoyed it so far. It's based on the premise of what would happen if Harry and Dudley met again by happenstance in their adult life and proceeded to form an unlikely friendship.

While the writing itself isn't just stellar (but then, considering that the author is only seventeen, the writing is comparatively very good), it is, nevertheless, clean and easy to read with minimal technical errors—that is, if you don't count the fact that the author consistently punctuates her dialogue incorrectly, which is a major fanfic pet peeve of mine. Ordinarily, that would irritate me enough to propel me to drop the fic, but I'm enjoying the story so much that I'm actually managing to ignore it.

Anyway, for the most part the story is lighthearted and humorous, but the most recent update (where Vernon and Petunia were brought into the mix, combined with an angry, pregnant Ginny) was quite dramatic/angsty—not that I'm complaining, since I love me some angst. In short, it's well worth a read!

Happy reading, writing, & reviewing!

-Kari

Fanfiction rec: "Say What You Need to Say" by librawriter, George/Angelina, rated M, complete

The following review was originally posted in my author's notes of Chapter 18 of my fic "Coming to Term":

Fanfic Pic:

"Say What You Need to Say" by librawriter, rated M for sexual content, George/Angelina, romance/hurt/comfort, complete, listed under my favorites.

I fell absolutely in love with this author's page-turning angst when I stumbled upon "Always and Forever," so when I looked at her author profile and discovered that she has a completed (even though it's not marked as being so) George/Angelina fic, I knew I had to give it a try, and I was NOT disappointed.

It was just as angsty as A&F—perhaps a little TOO angsty at parts, particularly the parts involving George's infidelity at the start of their rocky relationship, but it made the fic that much more powerful. I've never felt so many emotions while reading one fanfic piece: I hated George through much of it, but then I felt so sad for him that I actually got a bit teary-eyed a couple of times; I was irritated with Angelina for putting up with (for the most part) George's behavior, yet I empathized with her. I don't wanna say too much about the ending, but let's just say it was satisfying. ;)

The grammar wasn't perfect, at times the characters seemed a bit bland, and there were a few notable mistakes, such as the word "Transformation" instead of "Transfiguration," and Angelina saw a doctor rather than a Healer. Yet when I finished this fic I was left itching for more, which is the mark of a good storyteller. If you're a fan of angstier fics, I would definitely recommend giving this one a go!

Fanfiction rec: "Popping Cherries on a Sunday" by wonderTWINpowersACTIVATE, Ron/Hermione, Ron/Lavender rated M, oneshot

The following review was originally posted in my author's notes of Chapter 17 of my fic "Coming to Term":

Fanfic Pic: "Popping Cherries on a Sunday" by wonderTWINpowersACTIVATE, rated M for sexual content and language, oneshot, listed under my favorites.

I have discovered a rare gem of an author—or a pair of them, actually, since the authors are twins who collaborate. While it's true that most writers get better with time and practice (such as myself), every now and then there comes along a writer, or a set of them, with such rare, natural talent that it blows your mind. I've weeded through a lot of crap on this site, a lot of mediocrity, some decent stuff, stuff that's downright good, stuff that's so bad it's good (sort of like a Big Mac), and then there's stuff that's so good you're wondering what the blazes the author is doing writing fanfiction when they could be making a career with their writing (JustAudrey07, author of "The Unwinding of Percy Weasley" and "Dirty Little Secret" is an example of the latter category).

As I sat down to read "Popping Cherries on a Sunday" I was at first wary, as it listed both Ron/Lavender AND Ron/Hermione as being paired. I've gotta say, if the authors hadn't hit me up for review-for-a-review, I wouldn't have touched this story with a ten-foot pole, but I'm so thankful that I did: The writing itself is spectacular, eons above the average fanfic posted on this site, and I was a bit shocked when I looked at their profile and discovered that the authors are American and only twenty years old. (I have an account still up on this site from ten years ago, and I cringe when I look at the stuff I wrote when I was that young.)

First of all, the jargon/slang sounded so authentic that I seriously thought that the author must be British (but then, I'm American, so what do I know, lol?). Second of all, I don't know any twenty-year-olds who can write like that. I don't know many thirty-year-olds who have such a command of the English language and who would be able to get inside a teenage boy's head and write such a beautiful, utterly believable, so authentically realized struggle between his body, his heart, and his mind.

As a warning: The story is about Ron losing his virginity to Lavender. I know that tons of you won't touch it now, but I urge you to give it a chance anyway. Even as a Romione fan, this was probably the most authentic thing I've ever read on this site (and it IS actually a Ron/Hermione piece at its core). And please be courteous and leave a review for the story if you read it—even if you don't agree that Ron would've gone all the way with Lavender. Oh, and no flames, please, since you've been warned of the nature of the fic. ;)

Happy reading, writing, & reviewing!

-Kari

Fanfiction rec: "Anxious" by jesrod82, Ron/Hermione, rated M, incomplete

The following review was originally posted in my author's notes of Chapter 16 of my fic "Coming to Term":

Fanfic Pic: "Anxious" by jesrod82, rated M for sexual content, incomplete, listed under my favorites.

"Anxious" is a story of Ron & Hermione's burgeoning romance, post-Deathly Hallows. While this has been done before, I found this one to be appealing because the writing is mature, there are comedic moments, and the passion/sexual tension is sizzling. On the downside, there are some notable technical errors, although not many, and the over-all entertainment factor & quality of the writing more than make up for that.

Also worth mentioning is the author's characterization of Ginny. Most fanfiction writers portray her as rather bland (including myself, I'm afraid), but she's delightfully fiery in this story. It's well worth a read, but if you do make sure you leave a much-deserved review!

Happy reading, writing, & reviewing!

-Kari

Friday, September 9, 2011

Fanfiction rec: "Always and Forever" by librawriter, Ron/Hermione, rated M, incomplete

The following review was originally posted in my author's notes of Chapter 14 of my fic "Coming to Term":

Fanfic Pic:

So I decided to start doing this little segment every few updates where I rec a fic I'm reading, & for my very first pick I'd like to rec "Always and Forever," rated M, by librawriter, which can be found in my faves:

(Warning: Spoilers for the above-mentioned fic ahead!) "Always and Forever" is a little Ron/Hermione piece about the consequences of unprotected sex, set during their seventh year. The story is clearly AU, but the author isn't very precise on where, exactly, it branches off from canon, something that's always important for me as a reader to get my bearings. That is to say, I'm unsure whether the Horcrux hunt occurred in this timeline, although the author referenced the "war" in the first chapter. We know, at least, that Ron still dated Lavender in year six.

I'm Back!

After an extended absence from computer-land, I've decided to continue this blog.  More reviews & randomness coming soon!

Thursday, March 31, 2011

HP Canon vs. "Fanon"

I don't know about you all, but when I read fanfiction I like to think that what I'm reading COULD be inserted into the novels, or at least be a plausible alternative. When authors use "fanon" terms in their writing, however, it's always a jarring reminder that I am, in fact, reading fanfiction, and the illusion is destroyed. For example:

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Fanfic Review: The 1st 16 Chapters of "Turned to Real Life" by CheekyRoseB (Ron/Hermione, rated M, incomplete)

There are many things I could say about this fic, most of which I stated in the 15 reviews I left for the author, but I'll try to keep this condensed: Initially I thought I was going to enjoy this story, what with the mature writing, angst, and sexual tension demonstrated in the first chapter - It held promise.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Snape/Hermione Fics Should Come with a Ron-bashing Warning for Fans of the Pairing Who Actually (gasp!) LIKE Ron

So after days of searching for some satisfying Snape/Hermione fics, I've come to the realization that I'm not as enthusiastic about the pairing as I once was. In general, I'll find myself reading a potential worthwhile fic only to realize that Hermione is grossly out-of-character, and that she and Ron broke up because he was either lousy in bed or he was caught banging Romilda Vane - or both. I find myself cringing, waiting for Ron's introduction into the story, and after wasting an hour of my life I'm forced to stop reading because of my dissatisfaction with either Ron's portrayal or Hermione's. *sigh* I try to remember whether these things used to bother me when I first started reading the pairing several years ago, and I realize that I blindly accepted it for the most part. It certainly didn't bother me enough to deter me from reading, which tells me that I've become quite a bit more discerning recently. Looks like I'll have to return to my Ron/Hermione roots. Oh, I did find a couple of Snape/Hermione gems that I've left under my favorites at FFn. I deleted all the others I'd intended to read when I realized I didn't have the energy to waste another hour of my life before inevitably concluding that I hate the characterizations.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Movie rec: Teeth

I'm a bit of a horror movie movie junkie even though most of them are crap, but I wanted to leave a quick review for Teeth, an indie about a girl who discovers that her vajayjay is armed with a set of chompers. Though gruesome and a tad ridiculous, I found it to be highly entertaining and strangely hilarious. Definitely worth a watch for those with a warped sense of humor like me.
Hello all! I just wanted to let you know that I haven't died or disappeared off the face of the earth. I'm merely having computer difficulties. I'm writing this now from my new phone, but what I can do online is extremely limited. I can't even update my FFn profile, which is really annoying. I'll be writing again as soon as I can. In the meantime, I'm sort of sidelined as a mere reader, but I may as well enjoy it.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Ron Weasley: The Broad Devil-to-Angel Spectrum

It seems that every Harry Potter fan has an opinion about Harry's best friend, Ron Weasley. Throughout the series I personally would describe him as immature (what teenage boy isn't?), insecure, lovable, loyal, hot-tempered, and protective. Is his behavior deplorable at times? Absolutely, but, again, when harboring judgment one must consider his youth: Not every teenage boy is as emotionally mature as Harry; quite the contrary, I would argue that Harry is the exception rather than the rule.

More so than in any previous novel, Deathly Hallows was a learning curve for Ron: He was forced to face his insecurities and his feelings of inadequacy head-on, and to gather the courage to go after the girl he'd been in love with for years despite those inadequacies.

Which leads me to the subject of this blog: The villainization & the angelification ( I just made that up) of Ron in HP fanfiction.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Fanfic Reviews: For the Potion Master's Amusement (Snape/Hermione, MA/NC-17, complete) by snape.submiss

So I wish that I could give this fic an adequate review, but the truth is that I quit reading seven chapters in, and it actually encompasses a whopping eighty-six chapters.
When I initially began reading this story I had no idea that it was a dom/sub fic, but even after learning that it was, despite it not being my thing, I decided to give it a go simply because it's so fabulously well-written.

Make no mistake: This story is quite well-written with very few, if any, technical errors, and the author thankfully knows how to punctuate quotations, a pet peeve of mine. However, I realized that I was no longer interested in continuing the fic when I completed the end of chapter seven & there was an a/n explaining that chapter eight had been removed from the site--and I realized I had no interest in finding out what was so "bad" in that chapter that the site administrators had deemed it worth removing while leaving up the other explicit chapters. After all, I cringed in the previous scenes where Hermione was spanked by Snape; I don't get off on reading/watching people being tortured/humiliated, so therefore I have no interest in reading anything that would be considered worse.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Beta Readers: The Little-Known Secret

I've recently discovered a profound secret concerning fanfic-writing that I feel compelled to share: Readers, for the most part, couldn't care less whether or not you use a beta, and, in fact, would prefer you offer speedy updates over flawless writing.
 

How did I come to this conclusion? Experience. During my time in the Twilight fandom I believed whole-heartedly in the do-not-post-until-this-has-been-beta'ed-and-pre-read mentality, believing that readers cared as much about quality and professional-looking writing as I do.

Book Reviews: Primal by Lora Leigh, Michelle Rowen, Jory Strong, and Ava Gray, Part 1: Review of "Bleeding Heart" by Michelle Rowen

An introduction before I get to my review: Since the above-mentioned book, a series of novellas titled Primal, is split into four different novellas I thought it would make more sense if I reviewed them individually as I was reading, thereby satisfying my inexplicable need to criticize the shit out of everything that I read.

First off, I picked this book at random off the shelf from Wal-Mart, craving something a little more professional than the array of Harry Potter fanfics I've been reading as of late, and I chose this particular one because it was one of Wal-Mart's few scant choices in the "paranormal romance" genre--my new thing--that wasn't categorized as "young adult." (If Stephenie Meyer taught me one thing, it was "Don't read teenage romance novels with an abundance of sexual tension unless all you want is to be teased through four novels.")

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Results of my Harry Potter fanfic rec challenge at FFn

Again, I wanted to thank everyone who submitted recs to my fanfic rec challenge (at Fanfiction.net)! All the recs submitted were of decent quality, and I found some very interesting reading material thanks to all of you. ;) I judged the recs you guys sent in based on several factors, including grammar, punctuation/spelling, overall readability, writing quality, characterizations, plot, and entertainment value, and I came up with some favorites.

So you understand my process a bit better: In the case of multichaptered fics, I read through the first chapter and scored them based on that very first chapter. If the fic interested me, I bookmarked it and went back to read on it some more, and I adjusted the score as necessary as I read further. If it didn’t catch me from the get-go, however, I left the score as-is based on that first chapter.

I’d intended to only post my top five, but there ended up being more because of ties and near-ties, which I then placed in order based on personal preference: