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!