November, 2013

Last month my step-father was diagnosed with cancer and my mom discovered she was midst a pregnancy she may not survive. Everyone is doing alright at the moment; all I ask is for understanding and patience during this difficult time in my life right now. Stories and friendships on this site have become less of a priority to me at the moment. Sorry to anyone waiting for updates or that I might not have responded to just yet.

Current Stories

Below is a list of all stories I am working on at the moment. I've realized I had bitten off a little more than I can chew; so please, if updates don't appear on their set dates, all I ask for is a little patience. I am not going to abandon any of these stories. :)

Gods Save Us All- A Skyrim parody. The adventures of Alec the adolescent Dragonborn as he journeys the land of Skyrim with his friends Faendal, Farkas, Marcurio, Cicero, and Meeko. Rated M for adult language only.

Updates every Sunday. Rated M.

Humor is influenced by the comedic style of Douglas Adams, for those of you familiar with him. By calling Alec "adolescent," I mean that he is a 14 year-old Nord native to Skyrim. Not some kid who got sucked into his video game.

Weep- The story of a mad jester who falls for a melancholic dancer just as mad as he. Cicero&OC. OC is the Listener but not the Dragonborn.

Updates every Thursday. Rated T for violence and dark themes.

This will be a smut-less romance, and not a love-at-first-sight sort either. At the best of times, the romance will be cute, as it deals with a lot of Cicero's internal crap. One of the things that inspired and influenced this story were the Four Humors, or better yet, the Four Temperments- all divided amongst the two love-birds. You can guess who is what. A twelve-part novella.

What We Need- Vilkas' first love had always been justice. Now he is finding that love challenged by a thieving, whip-weilding femme-fatal. If only she weren't his last hope to catch a murderer.

Updates every Tuesday. Rated T for violence. *Formerly titled Femme Fatale*

This fan fiction will sport a completely unique story line- meaning it won't follow anything "Skyrim". Though they are mentioned, dragons will have absolutely no part within the story. This is another Vilkas&OC pairing. The OC is not the DB- or in the Thieves Guild for that matter. The two must work together to stop a dangerous seral-killer with the help of Jay, who is the Dragonborn. This will be my first attempt at ever writing something that would fall under the category of mystery or suspense, so wish me luck!

For those of you who thought the description of my OC rang a bell, you're right. This story was inspired by Batman and Catwoman- and so the characters will bare some similarities to them.

This, too, will be smut-less.

Soul of Cinder- Once, Adelaide believed heroes existed. A half-century later, she is an angry, embittered, and pessimistic Altmer woman who has just discovered she must be the hero of Tamriel.

Due to challenges with this fan fic, updates may be irregular, but I'll try for every Friday. Rated M for dark, mature themes and because Adelaide talks like a sailor.

Aged, mean, Altmer-mage Dragonborn and Onmund, her side-kick. Expect racism to play a big role in this.

Are you bored with Skyrim fan fictions that are just another 98% re-run of the original story-lines? Are you sick of "adventures" that are undermined by romances? Has that sweet, young, and lovely Dragonborn-sue lost her sparkle? Have you recently found yourself tired of thief or warrior heroes and looking for something a little more, say, magical? Are you wishing fan fictions weren't always so happy-merry and a little more dark? Do you want to see themes, motifs, and moral significances in your fan fictions? Do you want to read something by a writer who isn't afraid to negatively re-interpret fan-favorite characters or even kill them off? Would you like to read a story which gives a more expansive out-look of the universe while taking generous creative liberties with canon?

If any of this is so, then Soul of Cinder might be for you.

I'm studying to become an English teacher. Needless to say, I love a bunch of different genres, writing styles, and books and am pretty passionate about writing- even more so about helping others write.

Because of that, I try to post a review for everything I read on this site. Lots of people write fan fiction, but they post it online to share it with the world. So it only seems nice to write a review for them; even something as simple as "I like this." It really makes a person's day.

I have been reading fan fics on this site for at least 6 years- about as long as I have been writing them- and only until just recently have I made an actual account. I posted a fan fiction online for the first time almost two months after starting an account and have other ideas for fan fictions that I'm working on.

I am a beta at last and am currently only willing to look at Skyrim fanfics, though I can be convinced to beta for other stuff if asked. Even if you're not looking for a beta, I'm more than happy to look over anyone's work and give share my thoughts. My feedback is always honest and helpful.

Like I had just said, I'm honest and fair with my feedback and work to encourage people to continue writing in anything I review. If I do ever say something that ends up hurting or offending someone in anyway, I want to make it clear that the effect was not my intention. But if you still feel that you need to let me know something- whatever it is, for whatever reason- then please pm me. I totally understand and don't want any misunderstandings.

When it comes to reviews, I've seen a lot of what some people like to call "constructive criticism." To be honest, those people should know that what they've posted is in fact criticism- but in no way 'constructive'. I have some personal convictions- (and I said personal)- as to what really makes criticism constructive and have outlined them below, making them as brief as I could. I've put this up in my profile so I show what I strive for in my criticism and so could share my views on the topic with the rest of you.

For criticism to be constructive:

1. Criticism must be clean and clear- 'Clean' meaning having a neutral and respectful tone. Criticism made with the slightest snide, condescending, or altogether negative tone, becomes tainted with a "personal-not-professional" air and feels difficult to trust. How can you expect anyone to respect, much less consider, your in-put if it's hard to tell an educated opinion apart from petty sour-grapes. The whole purpose of constructive criticism is to nurture the writing talent. How can you call a review so scathing that it scares a writer away "constructive" when it just defeated the whole purpose of constuctive criticism? 'Clear' meaning what it implies: criticism needs to make sense. If it doesn't make sense, it doesn't help the person you are critiquing- also defeating the whole purpose of constructive criticism. Take time in reviews to make constructive criticism clear.

2. Criticism must be patient- This applies to the content of a story, not its grammar, spelling, etc. Within creative writing there is a term known as 'exposition'. It is very important and for some reason in school, it's always made out to sound like it's established within the first chapter of a story. This is not the case for fine literature, nor is it for fanfiction. An exposition might fill a whole (sometimes ridiculous) number of chapters. It's not a bad thing. But don't assume that just because you have read the first chapter of a story, that you know anything about it. It's far too soon to say whether the story will be bad or boring. If you don't like early on, don't read.

3. Criticism should be explained- Many of the harshest, pickiest critics often only state what their issue with a story and consider their work done. When they do this, they still don't help a writer gain any substantial knowledge on how they might improve. Just like how a critical comment must be clear and fair in order to be trusted, it really is in the best interests of a critic (given that their desire is in fact to help other writers grow) that they justify what they feel. (Please, note here also that I say "should." Meaning I don't think it has to be done, just that it goes a long way in helping.) How else can you expect your reader to trust your words and your thoughts if you can not even provide evidence to them. For all we know, you just pulled that out of your arrogant hide. Provide an arguement; everyone who knows anything about persuasive works, knows that they must justify the claims they make- not just state them. Doing this also forces critics to understand the difference from what is really a problem and what they just don't like. Which brings me to my fourth point.

4. Criticism must be fair- A review must be fair in that the critic can discern whether a work is of good quality regardless of their tastes. We all have different tastes, it's just a fact. And we are all entitled to them, too. The problem occurs when a person can't differentiate "I don't like" from "this is bad," a problem that is over-whelmingly apparrent in many of our reviews. The assumption "if I don't like it, then it's clearly poorly done," is just as foolish as it sounds, but is terrible in regards to the writer it is aimed at. And I'm not just taking about genre. Whether flowery or spartan; formal or simplistic; continous in plot or episodic; variety makes this world worth living in. A truth that is especially true with respect to the writing style of the author; just as unique and distinct as the person holding the pen. No, I am not saying everyone has a talent in writing. We all know that is untrue. I am saying that writing, just like any other medium where one can express them self and unleash their imagination, should be weighed on lightly or strongly given the intentions of the artist. Did they do this for fun or because they wanted to 'make something'? But seeing we can't always know the reasons for a work, when we do, let's remember how wonderful variety is and not trash it, please.

5. Criticism is best with solutions- So you've found a problem with another writer's work that you truely feel is undermining it. Great, thank-you for sharing. Now what? Well, as a critic, you can do more for those you review in the way of offering advice. I'm not saying that the people you review are stupid. It just doesn't seem to occur to many critics that those they critique may not be as experienced with creative writing or- for whatever reason- that they didn't get the same quality of education. Don't treat them like they are stupid. Don't be a jerk. Offer helpful tips. And don't expect 'miracles' every update. Instead be patient and note it as they make progress. If you're really willing to get involved, offer to be a beta or help them over pms. Be kind and helpful and considerate. That is how you criticize constructively!

6. Criticism must be tolerated- This is where it all comes down to. Up until now, everything has been the responsibility of the critic. Listening to critism, on the other hand, is the responsibility of the writer. If they will not open themselves to critism for whatever reason- any reason at all, because none are an excuse- shame on them. You could be the best critic ever, but if they won't have what you offer them, they will keep writing without actually ever improving. Bad critics are just part of life and writers must learn to live in a world where they exist. But remember I said tolerate, not accept, because there is a difference. Just like anyone, a writer must be open to what others have to say. But they also have to be discerning in knowing what they actually can learn from. Everyone has something to say, yet few have something to teach.