UPDATE: I have NOT abandoned anything! I promise! Truth be told, I lost my hard drive / computer about... a year ago. Being self-employed (read: unemployed with BARELY some sort of income), I haven't been able to replace it and have been making do with sub-standard lapotops etc borrowed from family. I am currently on a laptop I can actually write on, but my new job also takes a lot of my free time between the long hours and travel time. I'll be getting a new computer soon- within the month- and will begin writing ASAP. Believe me, I actually have been writing this whole time, it's just slower on paper. But I've filled several notebooks front to back. It's all there!

I did lose a few chapters, most recent updates and things, since it had been about a month since I backed anything up, but the one I'm most worried about losing things on (not a story I'm posting currently) I have a copy in my email. So I have most everything- it's just waiting until I get a new computer up and running before I get anything online.

But it's still coming!

I must ask all of my readers: Please do NOT download, copy, or otherwise save my works for the purpose of uploading them- anywhere. If you're downloading for your personal use, that's fine, but I would still appreciate being asked for permission (something I would likely- almost always- grant). A bookmark is one thing, but downloading it onto your computer is not something I'm comfortable with for the most part, given how easily such things can be done as a precursor to taking credit for my work (via uploading yourself). Rest assured, I keep copies of my stuff on my hard drive, and backups, and backups of the backups. I am quite serious about all of that- I have 3 copies at any given time of all of my writing, in 3 separate locations/drives. If I am banned from the site, it won't take me long to re-up everything I have in some other location/site. I appreciate the thought of those who would do so (and are for other authors), but have to respectfully decline any such help myself.

Essentially- Don't repost my stuff. Archiving it yourself is all right, but I'd still rather you asked. Thank you.

Born in Yuma, AZ. Horrible place, really. So HOT. Raised in central Utah. Yes, I'm LDS. (That's 'Mormon'.) I'm just not that... hmm... good at it. :D

Loved the Anime/Manga/Etc for as long as I can remember. And the video games. And the books. Etc. I've wanted to be a writer since I was twelve- or younger. No astronaut, no firefighter, no policeman for me- just a writer. Only recently have I gotten into Fanfiction, (Approx January of '08) but from the first good story I found, some Harry Potter fic (I forget the name and author), I've been hooked. I've since started to write them myself, my first 'published' fanfic was Fly like a rock, a Toph/Aang-centric fic set six years post-war.

What else bears mentioning? I'm a geek. 34(ish) years old, divorced/single, male, straight, and looking. If you're interested. :)

If you've read any of my fics so far, (I assume you have to be on my bio page) you know my writing style, more or less. I tend to be even on dialogue/action, and tend to skip over a 'lot' of unnecessary action. Filler in a story ruins it for me, though a little lightheartedness is never bad. I try to get into my character's heads as much as possible, because while plot and scene are important, it's the people in the story that make it good for me, so that's what I try to bring to my writing. Anyway... that's all I have to say for now. Thanks for reading, especially thank you for reviewing, and I hope you enjoyed it all.

There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.
--Washington Irving

Update as of 6/2/13:

I'm not dead. I promise. Still writing... just going slow, since I've been working so much (my job is 'supposed' to leave me time to write, but it hasn't been lately). OH is... roughly 1/2 done through the next chapter, TROLL a bit less, SOW 3/4 through, and a couple other stories are also in the process of having another chapter done. Updates really are coming.

Update as of 10/30/11: Well... In re-reading an old, favorite manga of mine, I think I've learned a new lesson about writing, and it's something that can only increase my skill. So I'm going to lay it out here, mostly presented as a shift in my way of thinking/philosophy about the art I call writing. Feel free to skip it if you aren't interested.

Basically... sorry I've been such a jerk. lol It wasn't intentional, mind you, but I have been. For years, I've said over and over "I write for me, not you". Well... not only is that not really true (it's half-true at best, because I do truly enjoy the act of writing), but really, I write for the readers. For you to enjoy, learn something (even if presented with fiction, there are still truths to be had in almost all writing. This is one of the reasons I've wanted to be a writer since I was 12), or, ideally, both.

To that end, I have decided that I will no longer 'write for me', but 'write for you', the readers. I will still compose the plots, design the characters, create the events, trials, struggles, situations, environments, etc etc as I want to, because, ultimately, I am the author, even if I'm writing with other people's creations. But... that does not mean I should not be writing for you.

To clarify; I have always had a rather instinctual knowledge of what makes a good story. Reading as much as I do and being reasonably intelligent, it would be hard for me not to. As a result, I like to think that my writing- while far from perfect in any sense- is pretty darned good. I have at least a modicum of understanding as to what makes a story enjoyable to read (or so say my reviewers), and apply that as best I can with all my writing.
However, I always- in the past- did that for me, so that I would be a better writer.

Seems awfully selfish, now that I think about it.

Why should I have all the benefit?
So instead, while keeping the (functional) effects mostly the same, I am going to shift the goal(s) of my writing from 'making me happy' to 'making my readers happy'. I'll still be good either way, because I love the act of writing and what I'm writing for doesn't matter. In fact, I might be happier this way, because I like making other people happy too. Make sense?
Realistically, there shouldn't be much change. It's probably going to be barely noticeable, if at all, as I make this shift in style. Maybe a bit more fan-service. Maybe a bit more listening to the opinions of my readers (though I always have), or as I construct scenes in my head/on paper, think about it a bit more from a reader's point of view. As in, "Will the readers enjoy this particular turn of events as much as I will? Or should I do it this way, instead?"
Again, I doubt it'll be anything major... I don't want to lose readers or alienate the ones who've enjoyed my work so far. I want to deepen that relationship between writer/reader by making a conscious effort to write more for you than me.

SO! Here's my pledge:
I, Infinite Dragon (feel free to insert your own name, you authors!), pledge to write not only for my benefit, but the benefit of those who have shown loyalty, friendship, camaraderie, and enjoyment in my work as well. By reading what I have written, they have shown me that they are worthy of me giving of myself for their sakes.

And that, I will do. From this day onward, readers, I write for you.

Pet Peeves: These are things that annoy me in fics, regardless of the genre or style or other important factors.

"Whilst". Yes, it's a word, and yes, most people use it sort-of correctly. But... really? Throwing in the archaic form of a rarely-used word every ten lines doesn't make you sound smart. Honest. Just use "while" or "at the same time," or something, like normal people do.

"[Insert Adjective (Cute, Hot, etc)]?! Where did that come from?!" Really, I'm pretty sure we've all been through puberty (or are going through it now), and I doubt anyone's ever had that kind of thought about a friend that they've suddenly started to become attracted to. I KNOW it doesn't happen every single time in any universe regardless of any other factor. Originality! Example:
Compare the phrases: "Hermione's cute! ... wait, Cute? Where did THAT come from?!"
"Hmm, Hermione looks pretty cute in that swimsuit. I'm surprised I never noticed!"
Now which would you rather read? This is language, people, and the possibilities are endless. Using (tiny) variations on the same line gets old after once or twice. You don't need to put it in every fic you write.

TOO MUCH INFORMATION. This is a big one. You do not need to write every action that's going on in your scene. Really. I just read a fic that described a character taking a shower. In detail, including putting body wash on a washcloth, scrubbing part A, B, C, etc, putting the body wash down, rinsing A, B, C, getting out, toweling off A, B, C, D, and so on, before getting dressed.
Or... "Character A took a shower". We all know how a shower works. We don't need instructions in a fic. I'm not trying to bash anyone or anything, especially not writers who're just starting out, but instead trying to educate. Take these to heart!

For-Profit Writing: A reviewer asked me, a while back, to let my readers know a bit about the for-profit books (novels, really) I'm working on and trying to sell. I had planned to then, but spaced it. However, since I just saw the review again... here you go, KonIsMyName (and others, of course), sorry it's late. :)

Reality Oscillation (Working title, not likely to stay that): An alternate "Earth", very loosely based on the late 90's and various religious/mythological sources. In this world, magic is just as real, powerful, and adaptable as technology- though very few people are aware of it. One such group starts to gather others around them in preparation for a conflict against an ancient, powerful organization which has been using this hidden power behind the scenes to manipulate the course of human history...
This is my main project, the first book in the first trilogy I'd like to see published. I've been working on it, in one fashion or another, for 90% of my life so far.

Sequel to Above (No title yet): The 2nd of 3 books in the series. It's not nearly as far along, but it is in the writing stages.

Untitled: A political/war adventure/thriller. An ex-marine, just after having been released from military prison, tries to start his life over in a new town- where he immediately runs into the one person he's ever cared about, and who he believed was killed during the conflict which got him court-marshaled in the first place. Relieved beyond belief to see her alive, he greets her, and then is forced to pull her out of the way of a black van with seven automatic weapons firing wildly at them as it screeches by. After escaping, the woman explains to him that the riot he had been involved in fighting against (protecting a U.S. Embassy) had actually been instigated by a faction within the United States government- a faction that seeks to bring down the nation from within, and build a new government in their own image. They are after her, because she's the only one who knows the plan and has lived to see another day- but now she needs his help...

Untitled: In a futuristic world, mankind is forced to live in gigantic, domed cities to protect themselves from the nuclear wastes that cover most of the globe after World War Three. The Cities only rarely fight amongst each other, since most are self-sufficient, but there is a radical group of terrorists that use stolen 'mech technology to destroy the only safe havens humanity has from the scourge of the nuclear desert around them. In this world, an unassuming young man, a boy with poor grades, poorer attention span, and, as the girls in his class say, 'no redeeming qualities at all', is thrust into a conflict he could never have imagined, when his father's office building is bombed by terrorists. Hell-bent on revenge, he follows the directions in a note slipped under his door, leading him to plant a bomb to blow up a caravan of terrorist 'mechs, only to find he has been misled. Instead of the terrorists, several City Security Force mechs- the standing army- are destroyed, their pilots killed, and he is forced to flee. Just when it seems he's about to be captured, he is rescued by two mechs he's never seen or heard of before, one piloted by a striking woman with flaming red hair...

There are others, but most are minor projects- or only in the planning stages. Those are the ones I actually am writing, even if only the first is something I work on with any frequency.

Update as of 10/28/2011:

CHALLENGES: Normally this isn't my style of thing... I try to take my own 'unique' ideas and write them myself. However, I've had a couple of thoughts recently that I either don't think I could pull off well (Ninja!Hermione), or want to write- as well as read (Zabuza/Haku/Kimimaro). So... here's my official Challenges! Section.
Feel free to use/alter/etc the ideas... but please give credit where due, if for nothing else than inspiration or reminding people of possible branches that have largely been overlooked in fanon... 'cause I know at least one of these has never come across MY radar. :)

Kimimaro Zabuza/Haku.

In re-watching the anime with my nephews, I was reminded that... well, Kimimaro, Haku, and Zabuza all knew each other. In fact, on the night of the Kaguya massacre (when they attacked Kirigakure, the Hidden Mist Village), Zabuza and Haku were leaving Kiri after his own failed coup.

So what would happen if Zabuza, who until just a few days (or less) before was a member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, had actually recognized the distinctive tattoos of the Kaguya clan and recruited Kimimaro for his strength alongside Haku?

Honestly, I can see a LOT of plot changes happening because of that one small event. Example: The Wave Arc. Team Kakashi loses, and loses badly. Reason: Kimimaro, while young, is the last survivor of his clan for a reason. They others died in battle. He did not, even though he was surrounded by Mist ninja. He was seen later talking to Orochimaru. And this was with a Kimimaro locked in a cell for who knows how long as a kid. A Kimimaro locked in a cell and then trained to be kick-ass by one of the Seven Swordsmen? I shudder to think how much stronger he'd be. Not to mention, a silent assassin using Bone techniques... woooooh. I see it (most likely) playing out like this: Zabuza vs Kakashi, more-or-less as canon until later... Haku vs Sasuke. More or less as canon... until later.
But Kimimaro vs Sakura and then Naruto? The pinky's dead, and when Naruto goes foxy after seeing her body? Well... honestly, he'd still probably lose since he can't handle multiple tails at that age and would lose control, while Kimimaro (trained) would likely be able to use his bone-shield tech to protect himself from the fox chakra. Then... then he'd go help kill Sasuke, and then they'd gang up on Kakashi, and even he would be hard-pressed just to escape, much less win vs Zabuza, Kimimaro, and Haku all at once, even if they're all tired.
So there's one way in which the story would (likely) change drastically. There are, obviously, many others.

So, to the official challenge requirements:

Zabuza recruits Kimimaro as well as Haku on his way out of the Mist, and trains them both to be assassins and killers (like he is), with Haku more towards assassination and Kimimaro more toward front-line combat (since he's suited more for it).

No pairing necessary, but Kimimaro/Fem!Haku would be interesting to see (the reverse could also be true, but I have a hard time envisioning Kimimaro as a girl).

Recomendations:

Orochimaru still tries to recruit Kimimaro after Zabuza has, possibly also going for Haku or even Zabuza himself (though he wouldn't want to soul-transfer into Zabuza). Up to you if he succeeds or not, because either way opens up and closes several branches of the story. Like... the Chunin Exams with Haku/Kimimaro taking the spots of two of the Oto Genin if they side with him (even temporarily). Think how that would change the prelims/main fights...

Reveal or theorize that Orochimaru set up the Kaguya's suicidal attack in the interests of finding which one was the strongest for him to use as a new body. This could also lead into the Snake-teme having started the whole Bloodline Purges thing, if the Mist started them in retaliation against the Kaguya (which seems to be the case in canon, time-line wise anyway).

Zabuza, Haku, and Kimimaro eventually return to the Hidden Mist to assassinate the Mizukage (who can be Yagura, 'fake-Madara', or even Mei Terumi). Whether they succeed is up to you (I can see Zabuza surrendering to Mei actually...), but the team is a lot stronger now than it was with Zabuza alone.

Possibly have Naruto's 'special power' cause Zabuza and Haku to stand down against Team 7 in the interests of taking Kimimaro back to Konoha to get medical help (from Tsunade most likely) when his medical condition (I believe either leukimia or sickle-cell anemia? Something blood-related) comes to light.

Obviously, any or all of these ideas are up for grabs. However, if you're going to be undertaking this challenge, please PM me when you post your first chapter so I can start following them. Thanks! :D

Ninja!Hermione: Not much of a challenge, really, but I think it'd be interesting to see a Hermione trained as a ninja before she goes to Hogwarts. Either of her parents, even her grandparents, or all of the above could be the source of that training... but she'd need to keep her abilities (whether 'chakra/ki/other' based or just perfectly normal stealth, cunning, and subtlety) secret from the populace at large... because the wizards would start a war they can't win if they found out Muggles could kill everyone in the castle while they were sleeping (providing they could get INTO the castle, of course, which is something the paranoid, no-logic wizards might not even consider).

Random (related) question:

Has anyone ever read a self-insertion fic that was actually good? Not just readable (and obviously not terrible) but GOOD? For some reason I have the strange urge to try it... using old tropes like "Akatsuki/Team 7/Your Mother Shows up in my bedroom" type of thing, but make it a really good, or at least enjoyable, waste of time. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's the meds I'm hoping will help me sleep tonight, but... I do kind of want to try it. Just to see if I can pull it off. What do you think?

You don't have to consider that an official challenge- I know people hate Mary-Sue's/Gary-Stu's- I do too- but I'm still curious to see if anyone can pull it off. Or even if someone has actually read a story like that somewhere in a fandom I enjoy.

My DeviantART page: http : // infinitedragon199 . deviantart . com / gallery / (Obviously remove all spaces). You can also just search for InfiniteDragon199 from other DeviantART pages. :)

Current Fic projects:

Main Projects:

One Hour that Changed Everything. The basic premise of the story is AU, and very much so, but it's still set in the Naruto world.
During the Kyuubi's attack on Konoha, over 90% of the city was reduced to ruins and rubble. Of it's citizens, again over 90% were killed.
Tsunade, deliverer of the baby-hero Naruto, was able to spirit the boy away with her long-time teammate, Jirayia's help.
And there are others... Survivors of the Uchiha, the Hyuga, Nara, Yamanaka, and Akamichi clans, to name a few.

Now, seventeen years later, the remnants and the new generation of Konoha's former Clans are gathering together on the site of the once-great Village's ruins, for reasons most of them do not know- a reason dictated to them by one Uzumaki Kushina, mere seconds before her death.
The woman had given what was, to all eyes and observers, a true Prophecy.
A Prophecy detailing the time and return of Konoha. And that time is fast approaching.
And so, in preparation, the survivors have left their new homes and families behind, and begun a slow, careful migration- still desperately trying to avoid their many old enemies- to return to the wreckage of their former home.
Amongst those enemies are houses from each of the Five Great Elemental Nations. Stone, Wave, Lightning, Wind, and Sound all hound them at every turn, whenever they are discovered. In addition, the immortal- or even more deadly- members of the Akatsuki are still out there, hunting for the man-child that bears Konoha's greatest hope... and greatest danger.

As well, for those interested, I've uploaded a (current) map of the One Hour Konoha Ruins area. It's got some (minor) problems, but they're all explained in the first comment. (Minor like, the Uchiha route is unlabeled, and Wave and Mists's arrows were cut off) The address is http : // infinitedragon199 . deviantart . com / gallery / # / d2r3vho (And I'm sure you don't need me to tell you to cut the spaces) This story is now about 65% complete. As with LB2, I am more likely to add to this one than most others, though not as likely as that one- this one's plot is pretty set in my head, it's just long so there's plenty of room if I have a creeping bunny. (Uh, plot, not dust- I keep those under my bed, not in my head)

Side Projects (Everything not One Hour currently):

The first tentatively titled Nymphermione, a smaller side-project, is vaguely-canonish, but is essentially a smutficplot. Basically, the premise is that Hermione is addicted to sex in all of it's variations. Now, I don't mind smut, obviously, but it's not the focus of my life, so this fic is likely to be a long time in finishing. I won't mention pairings in any definite way, but no man- or woman- is going to be enough for Hermione, so expect some polyamory goin' on.

The other project is a more serious-ish fic, though like many of my stories, it'll have lemons and other things of an adult nature too. It's basically a diverging AU (like almost all of my stories) from the "Occlumency" chapter in OotP. Basically, Harry tells Snape "No, I'm not learning any more from you than I have to", and neither he nor Dumbledore will be able to convince Harry otherwise. Hermione takes it upon herself (since Sirius is incapable of being Serious enough) to teach him Occlumency. Because of the secrets and images each learns in the other's head, they date for a bit, but it ends near the end of 5th year- before the DoM.
However, then he learns that Luna, who he has decided is worth her crazy due to how well she did in the DoM, knows Occlumency quite well (she learned it to control her 'oddity', which is not going to be Seer ability nor 'reading auras', though it may seem similar). She takes it upon herself to teach Harry, without bothering to tell him, of course.
Like with Hermione before (though not for the same reasons- Luna is much better at it than Hermione), their frequent contact eventually leads them to start dating. This will end Harry/Luna, though I'm not sure if I'll imply that they stay together permanently. I'm also not sure how far I'm willing to take it, but it should go at least through sixth year. It 'could' go through the end and beyond.

Harry/Hermione; Untitled currently. It's loosely inspired by a combination of fics. Witch Daughter (which I could only stand to read a page or two of, but had an interesting premise), and another I read a while back I've forgotten the name of- if it sounds familiar, let me know so I can give proper credit, because I thought it was a much better story overall, and is more the basis for this one.

Essentially, Hermione is not willing to let Harry suffer alone after the Third Task, so goes to comfort him. She plans on just being there, holding him while he sleeps, stuff like that- but he has other ideas, and since she's not exactly objecting, their two different kinds of emotional pain cause them to go too far in an attempt to get over it, even for a few minutes.

The result? Hermione's pregnant, and she's only 15. Harry's not even quite that yet when he finds out. Story goes from there. This is probably the most angst-heavy thing I've ever written, but it has some light-hearted and entertaining stuff too. It'll also be 'fluffier' as time goes by, once the fear, shock, and pain wear off more and they start adjusting to life a bit better.

A Konohamaru x Hanabi / Kono x Moegi fic (describing the relationship the three have in Late Blossoms- actually that long story's idea came about as background for this fic, which was the first Naruto-based idea I had) Just a couple of scenes plus the outline so far. 15%

Also probably of note to some, I've begun work on a post-battle Harry Potter fic (with canon pairings for all concerned), with the working title of "Post-traumatic stress". I won't be posting it until it's (at least mostly, probably completely) done, but it IS something I'm working on. 40% complete.

Late Blossoms II: Blooming Firecracker. The Hanabi-centric sequel to Late Blossoms. She is assigned a Genin team prematurely, finalization based on her success at her upcoming first Jonin exam. After passing, she and her team embark on a far-reaching and long survival training mission, where they receive their first hints that something is going on behind the scenes, and the recent peace is not as profound as many want them to believe... Approx 80% complete... maybe. If I'm likely to add to anything, it's this one.

A Dragon Quest 8 Fic. I don't want to give away any details, but it's... well, about half way done. Like all my fics, it's going to be M- for violence, blood, gore, language, adult situations, and sex. It's... not like anything I've ever seen done before, though, so expect something unique in terms of the DQ8 fandom. Yes, it's retelling the game's story... but it's not like the rest. No OC's (in fact, so far one character you know from the beginning of the game hasn't made an appearance half-way through, yet, so the cast is smaller...), nothing that stretches the realms of belief... and yet, it's a totally (as far as I know) unique, refreshing take on the tale told in one of the greatest RPG's of all time (IMHO), and Square/Enix/Lv5's current Masterpiece (that includes 9, and what I know of 10...). More to come later as I start posting/getting ready to post. The half-way mark, before I forget? They just got the ship. Things are going to start moving a bit faster, but it'll be a long while yet... and I could be mistaken about whether that's the 1/2 way or 1/3 of the way through the fairly long game. :)

Nothing has fallen by the wayside yet, but I do have a number of other projects I'm working on now. I'd like to finish Late Blossoms II and One Hour before I do too much of anything else, but I also have the urge to post another chapter of Seven Days in Heaven for Bleach, so... we'll see. Nothing's really changed, here, I'm just adding a bit of 'minor side project' info. I'll also add a rough (it's very estimated) "Percent Complete" to each of these stories. Bear in mind that the number could be drastically incorrect, if I cut something major but unnecessary, or add something good I thought of later. I will not, however, do that to a complete story. Done is done, and if the idea's that good, I can write a new one based off of it. :)

My Avatar Trilogy, Fly like a Rock, Heart of Fire, Falling Rain is complete. 100%

Another installment of my "Not a Coward..." series, the direct sequel to "Seven Days from Heaven", called "Seven Days in Heaven". Like it's predecessor of the "Seven Days" stuff (there may be a third, but I'm not sure about it yet), which is the Tatsuki/Chad part of the collection, it is seven days, and I posted 4/7 last. The last three days, however, will likely be longer chapters as we get into actual combat and resolution. Approx 65% complete.

ANIME/MANGA LIST! For those not made aware in a recent A/N or two, I am quickly running out of good, or even decent, quality anime/manga that I haven't watched/read already. So, I'm asking as a general plea: Let me know things you like! I don't just want every old anime or manga that's come down the pipe, mind you- I want things that are good, the kind that stick with you- regardless of how crappy some aspects of it may be. As an example: Naruto. Sure, his voice (esp in part one) turns a lot of people off- me included. It took a long time for me to get into it 'cause of that. However, it's become one of my favorites for a lot of reasons, reasons many of you share, I'm sure. Bleach, Code Geass, Rurouni Kenshin, Evangelion- I'm looking for things of that quality, the kind that are enduring and don't get old simply because they are so good. That being said, a caveat: Things like Inuyasha, while they are undoubtedly good, seem to go nowhere- the characters never evolve and change. While they are good in the short run, they do eventually get old, so I'd rather skip things like that. Of course, those are also really hard to detect, so if you miss it, I won't care too much.

So, here's what I have already 'favorited', as it were:

Anime:

Naruto; Bleach; Code Geass; Rurouni Kenshin; RahXephon; Trigun; Glass Fleet (I still haven't finished it though... /sad); Full Metal Alchemist; Full Metal Panic, Fumoffu, and The Second Raid; Ah! My Goddess!; Eureka SeveN (probably my fav ever); Fruits Basket; Blue Gender; Avatar: TLAB (I know it's not strictly anime, but it's close enough); the Please! series, including Twins and Teacher; DN Angel; the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya; Zero no Tsukaima (anyone have this in English?); more coming as I remember 'em or watch 'em; Death Note; Fate/Stay Night; Fuushigi Yuugi (not the crappy newer version, the older classic: The Mysterious Play); Kiddy Grade; Love Hina (though I want to watch it again); Maburaho; Mahoromatic; Solty Rei; Ghost in the Shell: SAC and GinS 2nd GiG; Mai-HimE; MAR (Marchen Awakens Romance); Spiral; Tenjou Tenge; Trinity Blood; Blood (The movies aren't so good, the series is great); Shuffle!; Tenchi Muyo (all but GPX);

Manga:

Naruto, Bleach, Rurouni Kenshin, FMA, Eureka SeveN (not as good as the show, though, oddly enough), Otaku-kun to Musume-chan; Bitter Virgin (it's over but an incredible piece of work); Zero no Tsukaima; Negima and all of it's spinoffs, etc- the main manga is the best, though; Air Gear; Iono the Fanatics; Kaichou wa Maid-Sama; Kimi no Iru Machi; Lilim Kiss; Love Hina; Magic Insulator (a Manwha, but not too bad. Just started, but already I'm pretty into it); MAR, Omega is ok but got distracted and never got back into it; Omamori Himari (it's got Tsundere, Rich Girls, Loli's and demons! What's not to love? Oh, and love-pentagrams, and ghost-girls, and wizards and... it's got a goodish plot, too); Princess Resurrection; to-LOVE-ru; Tona-Gura; Tora Dora; Umi no Misaki;

SO! What I want is for people to PM me with their favorite anime and/or manga (or even similar stuff, as in Manwha and whatever the genre that Avatar is) to expand my collection! Things I like a 'lot' may get made into Fanfics in future- I donno. I really like Air Gear and Fate/Stay Night, but haven't ever been tempted to write in those universes- but you never know.
Still, you could also just use this as a list of things I recommend- if you haven't seen or read them, please do!

Things that may get onto the list / Wish List: El Hazard, the Magnificent world (And all derivatives), any Gundum stuff, (mostly the older, but I hear SEED and Destiny are good too);

Last (for now) but not least...

Random: I want to see "Ninja!Hermione". Not in a crossover. Just a HP fic where Hermione's a trained ninja- or at the least, a cat burglar and/or assassin. Not just crack! Think about it. She's got the brains, in the movies, at least, the bod, and the looks to make it fun. Someone write me this!

I present to you a personal project of mine (if someone else thought of this... I came up with it on my own, so I need credit too! :D), the first-ever (as far as I know) on FF Net, anyway, (drum roll please...) Review Form! Dah du duuuuhhH!
You ever gotten a crappy, useless review? They're nice to have, sure, but wouldn't you like something... better? Informative? Well, this might help.
Have you ever written a crappy, useless review? Don't be embarrassed, we're all lazy. I do it too (though I try not to so I only do it rarely)! Again, this will probably help. The concept is simple- Copy and paste. Save to your computer. Whatever. However you do this, just insert into your text box for the review and fill in the blanks. You don't have to do it all (it's 19 questions), but the more you do the more helpful it will be to the author, and (if they listen, and really, what author doesn't listen to a good, long, informative review? Not an author I'd read) logically, their writing will improve based on your input. Everyone wins! As one might expect, this is not a finished product. Use it, sure. Please, even. But don't think it's perfect. If you come up with something else, ADD TO IT. I can't stress this enough. PM me if it's something that isn't specific to one fic or genre, and if it's worth it (it might well be, I'm smart but not perfect myself), I'll add it to the master list here. Anyway, without further ado and babble from me...

Instructions: Simply Copy--Paste this into your text box after hitting the “review” button (and either signing in or putting in a name, if necessary), and fill in the blanks. Simple stuff, really.
As always, it's all strictly optional, though most useful if it's filled out completely. If one has reviewed multiple chapters, it's considered perfectly acceptable not to answer the 'story as a whole' questions more than once. No need to be redundant. But if you see something new... of course it'd be nice to mention it. There are 19 total questions, and as I said before, only answer what you feel like. This is just to give you some thoughts as to what I'm (and probably other authors, which is why I say it's fine for anyone to use it) looking for in a 'perfect' review. That'd be answering each of these with specific information. And if it doesn't make your life easier, if you think it's a pain... don't bother. Just review anyway, please.

1: On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the overall plot flow of this chapter?

2: Of the story as a whole?

3: If possible, name one specific example of a strength or weakness in plot for this chapter?

4: Of the story as a whole?

5: On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the characterization in general of this chapter?

6: Of the story so far?

7: If possible, name one specific character and trait of that character you feel was portrayed well, and one portrayed less than perfectly.

8: Again, of the story so far?

9: Same scale of 1-10, how would you rate the grammar/typing skills of the author in this chapter? This includes punctuation as well as sentence structure and spelling.

10: You know the drill by now, the whole story?

11: Any specific typos or spelling errors (especially repeated, such as the common 'definatly' and similar, or you're/your) that you can think of? Being specific helps to identify a problem better, but should not feel like a requirement.

12: 1-10 for each; please rate the general word choice skills of the author. Is the author using words that are too complicated, or too simple? Do the descriptive sentences bring images to your mind, but not bog down the pace of the story, or even the scene? Is the wording too flowery, or too dull?

1=Simple/10=Complicated:

1=Jolting/10=Vivid:

1=Dull/10=Flowery (for this only, a “5” would be perfect, since either extreme is bad):

13: How do you feel about the balance between action and calm? Do you prefer more action or more emotional tension ('fluff')? For this question only, 1=More action, 10=More 'fluff', and 5=Good balance.

14: How would you rate the effectiveness of any non-antagonist OC's? Be specific, if possible. If Matsumi Karuugi, the princess of the Land of Crickets was a love interest for, say, Shino (hey, genius idea!), is she interesting? Developed, not flat? Is it fun to read about them, or do they just get in the way of the main characters? 1=Waste of text/10=Adds a lot to the story, well done.

15: Similar question, but for OC antagonists? Are they just bumps in the road, or do they actually threaten the protagonist(s) in some way? Do they have well-thought out goals and plans? What about their lives outside of total world domination (or whatever)? 1=Waste of txt/10=Good bad guy.

16: Does the author use antagonists effectively in try/fail cycles? 1-10, and as always, be specific if possible.

17: Does the author display knowledge of the subject matter? 1/10. As an example: Me trying to write a fic about, say, Trigun. I've watched the series... once. I probably won't watch it again. It was funny, yes, but didn't hold my interest due to it's sheer inanity- it was just too much. I know the main four characters- Vash, Milly, whats-her-name (the tall one? Or is that Milly and I can't remember the short one's name? Was it Meryl?), and the priest with the big cross-gun-thing, what's-his-name. I will not ever (I can say that with some certainty, yes) be writing a Trigun fic- because I don't know it that well, as proved above. On the other hand, I know Harry Potter like the back of my hand- or better. I know Naruto well, I know Bleach pretty well. If I don't, I can look it up and get the information that brings it all rushing back- so yes, I know those and can write about them.

18: Other positive remarks? Anything else that struck you as good or well done, but that doesn't fit into the above categories?

19: Anything negative? Remember to be constructive here, don't just flame. Real, or even semi-serious authors generally want to be told what they need to improve, as well. Don't hesitate, don't worry (too much) about hurting my feelings- you won't, as long as you're handling it with some maturity. Even if all you can come up with is something general like (using One Hour as an example, since I had complaints about this), “I can't read this any more because you're making it a 3-way and I find those degrading”. I may not agree (and I have argued my point at length, trying to get people to see my point of view as well as I like to think I can see theirs), but at least now I know that some of my (some former) readers don't like that sort of thing, and are in fact strongly against it. It's all relative, and any little thing can help.

Thanks for using it, and while I hope you give credit where it's due, the most important thing- spread it around if you think it's a decent or better idea. I think it can help a lot of people, both with review shyness and giving specific (or more so) information to writers. :)