I usually like to let my writing speak for itself but...

Fanfiction isn't real writing. I mean this in a more metaphoric sense than anything else. It's not real because all of the hard stuff has already been completed - characters, settings, plots: they've all been crafted for you to use, prior to the writing process. Most of the creativity, therefore, lies in the questions we ask about the topics we already love - what would happen if this happened? How would this character react to this plot twist? Fanfiction, above all, I feel, is an exercise in literary writing. It helps get your feet wet, creates an area to practice your craft, and allows you to get some feedback. It is, perhaps, a writer's best means of improvement. That's why I leave all my stories up here. Do I cringe when I go back and reread some of my older material (and newer material)? Hell yes. But I don't take it down (despite the shame it creates) because it's all a learning experience.

Sometimes I feel like people don't take the writing on this site seriously. There are too many bad (actually, perhaps "bad" is too negative - maybe a better word is "immature") stories on this site, plenty of which have reviews praising them for a job well done. As I said above, fanfiction is great as writing exercise, and should be used to improve. The only way for that to happen is to be critical about the stories. This is a two-way street. It requires both a critical eye from both you (the author) and the audience (the reviewer). Yes, it is always a good feeling when you read a review that compliments you on your writing. But what, exactly, about your story was so good? The dialogue? The descriptions? Your creative ideas? If you don't know what you were doing right, you won't know what to continue. However, more than that: we all have strengths and weaknesses. No one is perfect. Maybe the dialogue was good, but there was too much of it. Maybe your style of long, flowing sentences needs to be separated by shorter ones, in order to break up the flow of the story. Pay closer attention to the reviews offering criticism. Believe it or not, those are the ones that will help you improve. No one likes their errors pointed out, but if you don't listen, then the same mistakes will be made over and over again, and you'll never progress. But never forget: YOU as the author have the final say. If someone offers some criticism that you don't believe will improve your writing, you have every right to ignore it. It's your story, after all, isn't it? If more than a couple reviewers all agree, however, maybe it's worth taking a second look at.

I could ramble on about character pairings, grammar, and other topics, but I don't want this to sound like a "How to Write" guide. I simply hope that people who read this will set themselves to a higher standard - that they will read and write with a more discerning eye. And that they learn to take criticism and grow from it. After all, we all want to improve.

Don't we?