May 30, 2007 insert long sigh What a year... yes, I'm still alive, folks, but I've been completely and totally bogged down. First off, I had two very dear people, one a friend and one an aunt, die within two days of each other the week of Christmas 2006. I had been going in and out of a depression that lasted maybe two months and I lost my will to write. In-between studying for tests, doing homework, projects, volunteer work, Model UN, Key Club, and various other extra-curriculars, I've averaged about four hours of sleep a night. I have written a couple of paragraphs and I have two or three chapters waiting for release, but you guys will have to wait until summer starts, ok? I really thank everyone for being patient and for understanding my situation. I truly appreciate it.

5 Tips for a Better Fanfic

Just a little advice to help writers

1. Spelling: try and make sure that your spelling is done well. It really helps if you run through a spell check. If you don't have one, there are free spell-checkers on your email, so just copy and paste and run it through there. Trust me when I say spelling is very important in achieving a well-written piece. Plus it's a pet peeve of mine when words are spelled wrong

2. The difference between bare and bear; they're, there, and their; affect and effect; your and you're; and here and hear (just to name a few) is pretty much monumental. Please try and make sure that they're used properly. If you're not sure, just ask someone. If you have a few questions concerning this, don't hesitate to ask me for help.

3. Sentence structure! It's great to have variety when you're writing. Make sure your sentences aren't choppy. Adding detail really helps this case. Also, you should avoid fragments and run-ons. Remember: dependent clauses CAN'T stand on their own (which is why they're dependent) and prepositional phrases aren't meant to stand on their own, either. Make sure your sentence has a subject and verb; this, really, is the easiest way to keep from writing fragments. There's a whole lot more, naturally, but let's keep it simple, ne?

4. Punctuation use: Periods go after statements, question marks go after questions, and exclamation marks go after statements of surprise/emotion. Question marks and exclamation marks are NOT interchangeable. There is always a space after a punctuation mark. Dialogue is ALWAYS surrounded by quotation marks. Excessive use of commas are bad, bad, bad.

5. Detail, etc. etc. Detail is important towards keeping your readers interested in your work. Mere statements of action gets boring after a while. Try using imagery and figurative language. It can be difficult at times, but it's important to practice using these techniques. Just describe the surroundings and clothes and people. Don't overdo it, though -too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.

Current Animes:

Sailor Moon (as always)

Ouran High School Host Club (finished, I'm sad to say)

Bleach

Prince of Tennis

Utawarerumono

Azumanga Daioh

DN Angel

Kodocha aka Kodomo no Omocha

Rozen Maiden

Skip Beat!

Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge

Looking for good reads? Check out my favorite authors, favorite stories, and C2 archive. They contain some of the best pieces out there! Look out for SachiNyoko,Tenshi no Nozomi, themoonmaiden, Transcendent, Krys Yuy, Sailor Ronin Usa-chan, Angel-Goddess, Purr, Aidenn Legacy, Sailor Fantasy, Pokahydee and Gackt Camui especially! They're my idols. :insert starry eyes: