Nov 2014 Archive, part a

I need to point out a few things.


One, the aforementioned "nastiness" isn't really over. You owe Huinesoron at the very least an apology. Maybe a few others. That wasn't optional when I brought that up the other day.

For two, this us am interesting idea, but the PPC isn't really the right audience for this- while there's plenty of writing involved, there's a heck of a lot more.

Who's doing the coding for this? Graphics? How are you going to make this happen? You need more than just an idea for a game to make it happen.

So, like I said, I'm not doing NaNo this year. Instead - or not even that, just 'as a thing I did' - in the first couple of days of November, I started work on a 'scientific mythology' - an experiment in what it would be like if the general ancient drive to explain natural events by way of deities was coupled with a complete modern understanding of the universe.

Fast forward eight days, and I've got 14,000 words.

So... I guess I'm doing NaNo?

hS

Right now I'm at 5322 words, which is a better beginning than I've had the last few times I've done this. I almost didn't do it this year, since I have a bunch of short stories and partly-written ideas I'd like to get out of the way at some point. However I managed to find an idea I had done no work on already, but wanted to do as a novel.

Because I'm in the year of Oh God College Applications I don't think I'll be participating this year. I might bang out some stuff, but I won't be competing for 50k this time.

On which I wrote nothing - I got home from class and crashed. I'm up to speed now, but that's all progress today rather than last night.

In the past, I've always been too busy with work and school to participate. It always seemed like something interesting that I'd like to try and do, when I wasn't slaving over this paper or that project and so on.

I was going to try and do something this year now that I'm finally done with school, but I don't really have any ideas for a good story (I guess November sort of snuck up on me). Everything I've written in the past was fanfiction I scribbled in notebooks back in high school that I never published anywhere (not even in the Pit that is ff.net, and thank deity-of-choice-here because looking back it was horrible). I definitely don't want to get in over my head, so I'll probably start smaller and work my way up from there.

Good luck to everyone who is writing though! You can do it! Wooo~

Although I'm currently in the regional tournaments for Ultimate Frisbee so I haven't really been able to start on it. I know what I'm doing though, so at least that's one up over last year.

That's probably why the novel I'm working on hasn't made it past the halfway point. I keep revising things. Bad habits, man.

Yeah, that's not impressive at all, but I had to work today so I couldn't start at midnight and social life came calling so I've only just started this evening. I'm hoping to get 5000 words down tomorrow. I'm pantsing this year as I do most years.

The novel I'm finishing this year has been a few years in the making in terms of planning and characters and whatnot, so I'm pretty psyched.
I'm already a few thousand words ahead, which is good; if anyone wants to friend me, my username is MrRattus! 8)

My NaNo burnout lasts two years, so I only do it in odd-numbered years. So, next year! That's a whole year to come up with ideas, yay. ^-^

hS

I had an idea for a NaNovel, but all the things that conspired to stop me from finishing the story I've been working on also stopped me from getting prepared to start something new. Therefore, I'm just going to try to write as many words as I can across all my stories-in-progress and try to get something done. I may or may not actually try to keep track.

Wish me luck, because this month is gonna be busy, too. {= P

~Neshomeh

Although I toyed with the idea of participating, I don't have an idea to roll with; everything I came up with sounds too stupid to me.

Don't mind me, just going to dump my thoughts here.

Okay. So. First of all: he escaped. Son of a gun, he managed to escape. It just goes to show that if you don't completely, absolutely, irreversibly destroy a character then they are not dead. Even then, they might pop up again: consider Rory Williams and the Time Fissure. Actually, death has no meaning in Doctor Who. Forget I said anything.

Secondly, how did he escape? We're all pretty sure that the Master was on Gallifrey at the Moment of salvation: otherwise Rassilon would still be in control of the High Council and the universe would be dead because of the Ultimate Sanction. This means that the Master definitely killed Rassilon (and maybe a chunk of the council for good measure) before he was neutralized by guards or whatever. (Which would probably prompt the line said by the General during the Day of the Doctor: "To hell with the High Council, their plans have already failed!") He (now she) must've regenerated during that time and escaped thereafter-- breaking out of the parallel pocket universe Gallifrey is sealed in and into the Doctor's universe (and maybe stealing some tech too, for good measure-- Missy couldn't have just built the Nethersphere-Matrix out of normal things... or could she?).

Thirdly: from the trailers, we know that UNIT get involved. The Doctor manages to escape Missy because he's seen in a hangar with UNIT loading his TARDIS in a plane. Cybermen are all over the place and can now fly Iron Man style with jet boots. I wonder how this will pan out... oh, who am I kidding. UNIT will get curbstomped. H&K G36 are pretty rubbish when even futuristic laser weapons have a hard time slowing down Cybermen.

Lastly and most importantly: if Master-now-Missy broke out, she must know the way back.

Gallifrey might be within reach.

It was in the eleventh Doctor's episode The Doctor's Wife, when the Doctor mentioned an old friend who'd been both a man and a woman. Name of the Corsair.

S/he was apparently mentioned by the fourth Doctor according to the TARDIS Data Core Wiki, though since I'm still catching up on Classic Who, I can't vouch for it personally.

Back in 2012 I was in a creative writing class and had to write a short story or three. I managed to get one published in an online magazine called the WiFiles. While I have a sneaking suspicion that part of that acceptance came from the fact that I let them keep the story fee ($3), I'm still inordinately proud of this.

http://thewifiles.com/?p=472

I think some of my fanfics might be better-written, because I'm still fairly new to writing short, but it's still my first publication.

There are a bunch of people who are awesome with this one story I'm writing, and they encourage me and give me ideas. Specifically, an amazing guy by the name of Golden Keyblade who freaks out with me about Doctor Who.
But, I'd have to say, the best review I've gotten so far was from someone who told me that they had bought a dinosaur that looked like the one in my fic and named it Charles, in honor of my writing.
I feel kinda guilty now that Charles the Calvinosaur is going to be evil in later chapters... but, yeah. Spoilers!
I really have the urge to hug some people sometimes.
And you guys, too!

~Kitty

This was back in 2011, but my ego is still loving that someone actually took something I wrote and sang it.

The lyrics!

Keily's cover!




COME BACK KEILY WE LOVE YOU AND ALSO I LIKE YOUR SPIN-OFF

Because the persona fanfic I mentioned is, in fact, the only writing project that no one has proclaimed to be stupid yet (Well, there was stargazer, but my dad's cousin was at least being civil about the criticism, and those were only parts of it), likely because it's interesting and despite being my first time writing a goodfic (the last one before that was a badfic that I took down. that one was stupid, even for me), My beta thinks it's pretty interesting.

I'm very proud of this because it is the only writing Iv'e ever done that has never angered me. Even the criticism is civil and in-a-matter-of-fact way. and, if no-one has ranted about it's stupidity, then it must be at least decent.

www.fanfiction.net/s/10721577/1/Persona-Alpha

Well, a guy I watch on deviantART made me a nice drawing for my birthday this year. Check his fanfiction out, too, he's good.

(This is what you meant by "stuff that other people are proud of", right?)

Unfortunately, I made a name for myself on the Pit with a HP Marauders Era fifth Marauder who ends up with Remus. I haven't written it in years, but I keep it up to remind myself that I used to be a Suethor and have come a long way since then.

That and I'm planning on doing a mission in my own fic sometime.

Still, I've seen very well written OC/Canon before. Not often, but I have seen it.

Did you know that, at any time I've checked, just about half of the fics on the Doctor Who ff.net page are "OC meets the Doctor"? And two thirds of them are OC/Doctor romance?
Seriously. I make a specific point of checking every time I'm on. In fact, I wouldn't mind so much if they were Classic Doctors, or even 9 or 12. They all feature 10 and 11.

I've always been a proponent of the idea that any story-type can be written well. The last one that came up was Tenth Walkers in LotR, and I spent a little while proving that one.

I don't think I've done OC/canon (well, technically I have, since Dafydd == Maglor, but that's rather different), but I have written a romance between two unconnected canon characters, which hits many of the same points: The Horn and the Harp.

But yeah, it basically comes down to the same questions as any other story. Is the canon in-character? Is the OC believable? Does the plot make sense in light of both the setting and the characters? Then you have a workable story. ('Good', obviously, requires things like spelling and nice writing, as well, but at the least this wouldn't be bad).

Of course, some characters are more difficult to pair off than others. Finding a girlfriend for Captain Kirk shouldn't be hard, though I wouldn't expect it to last long. Breaking up Anakin and Padme would be a lot harder, because Ani is an obsessive lunatic. You could probably get Padme to leave him - she was basically doing so when he killed her, so shuffle events around, make his darkness more obvious, and you could pull it off - but that would likely just flip him into full-on Vader mode early, making a relationship with an OC unlikely.

("But you said any story-" Yes, and I'll stand by that. If challenged, I'd go with either killing Padme, or having her take a stand against the Jedi for political reasons. The former, if done early enough, would give Ani time to back down from the Dark Side, briefly; the latter could drive a wedge between them, with him taking her actions as a personal insult. Since this would be pre-Vader, he wouldn't actually strangle her, so it could work)

hS

Yes, I have read a few OCxCannon fics that were believeable and well-written. Heck, I'm writing one myself. However, there is definently a certain stigma with such fanfictions, usually because OC shipfics make up a large part of (if not the majority of) Suefics.

So, an Artemis Fowl fan, eh? I've read all the books, and since you brought it up, I think that an animated adaptation would serve the series well.

As for your newbie gift...
*rummages through bag of holding*
Hmm, nothing AF related? Then what about Avatar?
*rummages some more*
Aha!
Here, have a replica Waterbending Scroll!

Hi, newbie! Welcome to the community. By the way, it just so happens that this is your lucky day. As your Newbie Gift, I'm going to give you this Completely Normal Box. Yep, just a regular cardboard box. Nothing special about it, no sir. Ignore anything it may try to whisper to you.

Yay! Artemis Fowl! Like others have said, that series doesn't get enough love. I kind of want to see it get turned into a movie or TV series, but then I'd be terrified that it would go the way of Eragon. What do you think?

Welcome a'Board! For your welcoming present, I give you one roll of gold star stickers and a genuine replica of Foaly's tinfoil hat.

Hi there! Wow, you have a lot of hobbies. Where do you find the time for them?

I share some of your fandoms, woo-hoo! (Specifically Artemis Fowl and My Little Pony. Yes, it's OK to mention that here.) Have a Cortana bobblehead, some popcorn, and a rock candy necklace!

Have some chocolate raspberry cheesecake, I brought enough for the class.

Speaking of classes, got any favored computing languages?

I take it you might be a part-time computer programmer as well? :)

Have one of my own shed feathers and a complimentary kit of Spikes!

Here's a Gronkle egg and a gift certificate to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Watch out, the egg explodes when it hatches.

A fellow Artemis Fowl fan? I think that series doesn't get enough love.

What genres of original fiction do you tend towards? Sarcastic and boring are rarely compatible traits in my book.

Here, have a bottomless bag to help contain all your other presents. It has lots of pockets so you don't lose anything inside it.

Greetings and hello!

I give to you now a lined Infinite Notebook, complete with urple covers and wilver bindings.

-Aila

Welcome! Have a multicolored, seventeen-feet-long, wool-knit, scarf and a bag of jelly babies (curly wig not included).

Please use them IRresponsibly!

Hi, and welcome aBoard! Have a cackling hamster with an urple bow around its neck, and be sure to feed it lots of fanbrats!

Also, you like yo-yos? I think you and I will get along just fine. ;)

But don't let your imagination run away with you! [/obligatory Smaug quotes]

Sorry, couldn't resist. Welcome to the Board! {= ) Since you've been following us for a while, what made you finally decide to post?

Oh, also, have a welcoming bumper sticker! *sticks one to your forehead* It says "Go PPC!", based on the PPC Morale Officer's sign.

~Neshomeh

public class Greetings
{
public static void main (String [] args)
{

System.out.println("Hey there, new person! Make yourself at home.");

}

}

If this doesn't complie, feel free to dope slap me as much as you want.

It's always nice to see a new face around here! What are your fandoms, sir/ma'am?

I should probably mention that I have been reading all about the PPC for quite a while now, and wish to eventually write some missions of my own. But I guess I'll have to wait for that. Ah well.

Once we finish the current campaign, I'll definitely bring the idea to the GM.

This is an interesting little comic I found examining some of the things that the Wizarding World strangely doesn't do in the Potterverse.

There was a very small bit NSFW language in there somewhere:
"It's a Kind of Magic"

(Hi, you)

O'course, much like the crew of the USS Eminence, their use of the term 'Mary-Sue' doesn't match with the PPC's: they're apparently using it to designate any OC. I guess it could be a protest against the label being slapped on characters willy-nilly - at the least, it's a protest against all OCs being dismissed out of hand - so there's that.

The most interesting idea in there is the notion that some canons need fixing. They talk about plotholes being filled by fanfic, which I think we can all get behind - but they also talk about aspects of canon which are 'unfair':

See this machine hood? Yeah, in my native Fabric, it's the only way to keep sane and safe from these marauding evil spirits that grant me completely necessary powers; I don't think any native-born of that fabric would mind if I made said power a little safer for everyone.

And that's something the PPC would not accept (the organisation, not the community); a canon is inviolate, regardless of how bad it is. And while I might be personally inclined to agree with the idea of 'fixing' dodgy canons - it's impossible to actually alter the original, so the PPC's viewpoint makes more sense. ;)

hS

I know I've seen your name before, but I don't remember where; did you do something with Huinesoron at one point...? Whatever it was, welcome back and thanks for the cheesecake! *puts in fridge*

It's been a while, hasn't it? I accept your sacrifice gift of cheesecake and return the favor with a lovely batch of Honeydukes fudge.

How have things been?

What's up? Have some welcome-back Schrodinger's Cookies (may or may not contain chocolate.)

I had a review. It was at least somewhat lengthy, discussed which points I loved and why (particularly handling the issue of Selene's dietary needs and appreciation of good food), pithy remarks and astute observations.

And then Firefox crashed and ate it.

I am too tired to re-type it. So we'll just leave it as "I really loved how you handled the characters of the PPC Agents, as always I love the constructive criticism at the end, the fic was WTF, and it was well-handled; thanks for a great read."

Also, nit-pick: "Selene turned in the stool..."
Should that be on the stool? I've never actually heard in before, but I would be willing to believe some people use it.

Here's one I was thinking of taking at one point, but decided I won't:

Fic: "ᴛʜᴏʀɪɴ's ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇss/ᴀ ᴋɪʟɪ sᴛᴏʀʏ"
Continuum: The Hobbit
Description: A random girl claiming to be a Ranger and an Animorph joins the Quest for Erebor, makes Thorin a misogynist, flirts with Kili, steals lines, makes out with Kili, and otherwise contributes very little to the plot.
Type of Badfic: Numerology-Wrecking Suefic

Plot Holes: She joins Thorin's company; she's somehow "the last Animorph" (without actually tying the story to the Animorphs series in any real way, or I'd be all over it); apparently Animorphs are considered monsters, according to her bio and Radagast; she's somehow a Ranger and Thorin's adopted daughter; apparently she's also a Shadowhunter/Dragon Warrior/Shadow Runner, the last of which at least is apparently a racial enemy of the Dwarves; and the story has annoying formatting and POV shifts.

Offenses Against Canon: Her name is silly, her other name is silly, and her horse's name is silly; most of the fic is a word-for-word retelling of the movie; she can blend in with shadows and turn into animals; she makes Thorin question her as a fighter because she's a woman, then handily beats him; she's Thorin's adopted daughter; she has a portentous dragon-shaped birthmark; and she gets a speshul sword with a silly name from the Trolls' cave.

... I'm not actually sure what I should call a plothole and what I should call an offense against canon. I tried.

I don't know the wordcount, since it's on Quotev, but the good news is that you can completely ignore the large, obnoxious stretches that simply recap the film. {X P And hey, maybe Kaitlyn will finally get her wish to be a Hobbit.

Happy sporking!

~Neshomeh

I’d be furious if somebody removed my memories of Hermione Granger.

I’m afraid this mission report is not free of errors:

... black bees seemed to crystallised out of the darkness.
"crystallised" is probably the wrong tense?

The canon characters were starting to recover from the battle that had been waged over her head.
Since there are two of them, this should be "their heads".

(not coincidentally) HG

The part when Kaitlyn tried to float through a tree had me in stitches. And her hedgehog Patronus was a nice choice. Hedgehogs are kind of like hobbits in a way, aren't they? =^w^=

I think you hit just about every nail on the head in regards to charges for this monstrosity. Well done!

In the hands of a good writer, anything could be made better.

For example, there's a story fixing My Immortal on Fanfiction.Net, and it's actually pretty good.

Full disclosure: while I have read a fairly in-depth sporking of it, I have avoided the original. What I saw was enough to make me ill as it is.

Do I think that a female Potter could be well-written? Absolutely, although none I've ever seen manage to (see: Holly Potter the woobie). But one of the problems with the Rose Potter series was, I believe, exactly those plot points you find tantalizing. I found they absolutely take focus away from the actual world of Harry Potter by shifting focus to things which make no sense and which in fact often supplant the canon precisely as Sues do (i.e., Let Me Take A False Name As An All-Powerful Druidess So I Can Make The Wizengamut Cower Before Me, Dumbledore being impressed by this, etc.)

The problem with female!Potter stories is that it is almost impossible to do without regurgitating so much of canon that it could get quite boring. I do think it could be done well, and even do so in ways that explore things not shown in canon, like what it means to be a witch in that universe when, while there is not as much overt sexism as Rose Potter claims, there is no reason for it not to parallel the real world to some degree. Frankly there are absolutely gender issues which could be explored--it's even called the Wizarding World, what about the witches?--although if you are male, as your handle suggests, and you want to handle this, please get a woman (and even potentially a British woman as cultures may vary) to consult with on this. The other thing which it could do is explore the little-explored aspects of canon. Harry Potter is known to have plenty of holes, undeveloped parts, and any number of dimensions to explore without adding entire magic systems to an already dubiously developed one. For instance: explore international relations in the Wizarding World more. There might even be ways to work in some of what you liked out of Rose Potter without inventing things that have no place in the canon and which frankly upstage it.

Adding Druids and Necromancers and the like honestly feels to me like adding Uncanonical Cities With Non-Elvish Customs which claim to be Elvish or Users of Previously Unknown Magic Type to Arda, or random Generic Monasteries to canons that have none and no reason for them, and that almost never ends well. My policy is that in the hands of a sufficiently talented writer, there is almost no Bad Idea (TM) which cannot be deftly handled. Doing so simply takes care, lots of beta-reading, and consideration for the worldbuilding. When you're playing in someone else's sandbox, respecting that still matters.

For some fics, adding whole things like that could easily work if there are outright unexplored areas of the map, of the magic, etc. One of my favorite canons I default to absolutely has this, because of the directions canon can grow, particularly post-plot. Harry Potter doesn't seem to have that much unexplored, at least not in the immediate region of Britain. Working new groups in from Africa, Mesoamerica, Oceania, India, or other places we just don't know much about could do this. Locally, however, things are fairly complete.

If you think it's so incomplete that you need to add entire things with your own rules and history and interactions, honestly? Try making an original world instead. Develop it into something no one's seen before, and make it fantastic. Personally, I would rather see the results of that than Harry Potter turned into something it isn't.

It's not so much 'more important things to do' as terrorist attacks in the general neighbourhood. That tends to kill the mood, fast.

Aren't God Tiers not perma-dead if the death is heroic? Or am I wrong?

Remember this scene?

Specifically, the line about

DAVE: but if it turns out you just created a doomed timeline and were all going to die im gonna be hella mad

Yeah. This is looking an awful lot like a doomed timeline. Planets are getting mashed together, and pretty much everyone is dying.

So there's my theory.

I have nothing as coherent as actual theories, but here's what's going through my head:

1. Roxy has crazy-powerful Void abilities. Couldn't she theoretically utilize those to conjure up life where there is none, and bring people back from the dead?

2. Dirk. What is even up with that? Did he self-destruct? (I don't actually remember why things are all pixelated, except maybe it was something to do with Lord English maybe? This is why I will never come up with any theories.)

3. Do we know for sure that Lord English is Caliborn and not Jake English? I'm not at all sure how that would work, but it's something Phobos and I have talked about a little bit.

4. Gamzee is definitely not out of the picture yet. He's the most important character in the comic, after all, and we saw him using a computer with the Felt, buying stuff with Calcoins. Also, Phobos has a theory that his chaotic Bard powers basically let him use everyone's abilities, so he can travel through time.

... That's all I've got. I'm bad at this game. ^_^;

~Neshomeh

I actually read Dracula for the first time when writing that mission, and compiled a list of vampire abilities for reference. Let's see...

-Dracula has no shadow, as well as no reflection. The latter makes it in a lot; I'm willing to bet the former is ignored for filmmaking.

-How often does weather control make it in? Dracula calls down storms on several occasions, though never with the pinpoint accuracy Selene demonstrates.

-I guess film!Dracula may turn into mist on occasion, though I'm not certain - but how about shrinking down to a couple of inches high? The description of Lucy doing this is really weird, but she definitely retains her human form while doing so. She just... shrinks.

And then there's the weaknesses. Would I be off in suspecting that Abraham Van Helsing's fanatical obsession with the Host - including placing bits of it in every one of the forty-odd chests of soil they find - tends to be glossed over? How about the limits on when Dracula can use his powers? They are:

On home soil
On unhallowed ground
At night
At dawn, dusk, or noon, where these last about half an hour either side of the actual event

The rest of the time he's just a normal human (and thus spends most of it sleeping). I suspect this is usually trimmed down to 'night'.

Oh, and the absolute best thing which I really doubt makes it in: if you nail a branch of wild rose to a vampire's coffin, they can't get in or out of it. It's quite charming, really. ^-^

hS

Filmmakers probably worry about confusing people about what kind of monster movie they're watching. You've got vampires on the one hand, werewolves on the other. If your vampires start turning into wolves, then what have you got? Plus, there's the "vampires vs. werewolves" thing, though I don't know when that got started.

Personal side-note: in my original fantasy setting, my idea for vampires is that functionally, they are wolves: humanoid, blood-eating, nocturnal pack hunters that go around picking off the sick and weak. MAI ORIGINUL IDEA PLZ DONT STEAL, etc.

~Neshomeh

You: well, I recognise your name, and you don't set off any mental alarm bells, so no problem there. ;)

Characters:

Chris - seems fairly inoffensive. I'm glad you highlighted that Meganium only comes along in Pokeverse missions - that's been a rule for a long time, which is why Jay and Acacia never took their minis in with them. Plus the fact that he's essentially a living weapon - yeah, good call.

(Random thought - if Chris comes across Agent Falchion in the corridors, would he try to battle him? What would happen if a PPC agent got himself stuffed into a Pokeball? Eek.)

Ami - why isn't it pronounced 'Ami'? I'm assuming naming her 'Friend' was deliberate, here, in which case, nice one. ;) Again, no real problems here (do ponies have glasses? I'm assuming so, since you don't include that under 'confused by modern technology'; if not, a story where she gets them is always fun). The magic seems low-key enough not to be a problem. I'm guessing it'll still work when she's in disguise, since it's not specifically related to a physical attribute - you say it's 'channelled' through her horn, but actually invoked by music (very Tolkien, that).

So yeah, no problems there. On to the meat of things: the samples.

Control Prompt - Hey, this is good! I'm pretty sure I just wasted my time reading the bios - this story covers pretty much everything I needed to know. The one thing I flagged up as 'huh?' is Chris apparently being 'deadpan' when he explains a Pokeball - usually that word indicates 'saying something funny/telling an outrageous lie and not letting it show', which isn't what he does.

(Also, Velociraptor has feathers, not fur, but I guess you're thinking 'down-type feathers' here. Well done on giving an otherwise accurate depiction of it!)

I really like the fact that Meganium is a significant player in this story, but is also not stealing centre-stage - the two agents are the real stars.

Random Prompt - this one has a feel of being something of an afterthought. I like the setting, but you spent more time explaining the game than anything else. Still, it does give a nice look at their interactions.

I was disappointed that you didn't do something with the singing aspect of Ami's magic - it seems like it would be a perfect opportunity to show that off. And, of course, you have her glaring at Chris - which would be fine if you hadn't specifically described her as being almost ridiculously nice. I agree with her sentiment, but I'd expect something more sad than angry from her.

Oh, and you lost the final speech mark in the story, which may contribute to the 'afterthought' feel.

But still - despite some strange sentence structures ("I did both of them because I have no idea which one’s lead" is the one that makes absolutely no sense to me), it shows off Chris' personality well, and gives a peek into Ami's alongside it. And, for that matter, it shows how you'd write an 'action' scene; not bad.

Conclusion - in case you can't tell from the generally positive tone of the above, I'm going to go with Permission Granted. Have fun!

hS

PS: How difficult did you find the Permission process? Was there anything you think was less than helpful? Can you suggest any improvements? Conversely, did anything we needed help you develop your characters more? Since I keep revising the process, I figure feedback is probably a good idea. ;)

I've started reading Reverse, and it is truly fantastic. If you're a fan of the Potterverse and know anything about the characters, you need to read this. As Ixi mentioned, the setting is basically Bizarro!Hogwarts where Dark Arts combined with Muggle technology are used to advance wizarding society. Light-side magic is actively shunned. The entire plot is riveting, and the author handles situations masterfully while keeping each AU person in character. I've only found one grammar error in twenty chapters of reading, which was a missing space. I highly recommend this as an example of what fan fiction SHOULD be.

Let me give y'all a few others! (Probably just two or three; typing on this phone is weird)

First up, we have "He Says He is an Experimental Theologian" by Sailor Ptah: http://archiveofourown.org/works/1062757/chapters/2131218 A Welcome to Night Vale/His Dark Materials crossover AU that (coincidentally( explains a few questions about the show, like "How does Cecil always know exactly what's going on in Night Vale if he's always in the radio station?" and "Why all the fuss about Telly giving Carlos a trim anyway?" (Turns out that was a cover for something else.) The OCs (primarily Carlos's team of scientists) are plot-relevant but not scene-stealing, the writing feels like an actual episode, and most important, Tamika Flynn is a badass.

Next, Meta-Akira's "Beneath the Veneer" series: http://meta-akira.deviantart.com/art/Beneath-the-Veneer-Intro-255113516 Pokémon medieval AU with rebellious prince!Silver, evil king!Giovanni, and shepherd!Lyra. It's dormant, sadly, so read her LeafGreen Nuzlocke while you're at it.

Finally, "Slice of Heaven" by Ysavvryl: m.fanfiction.net/s/6287841/1 This is everything an Animal Crossing fanfic should be: sweet, funny, imaginative, and well-written. Read it and be full of feels.

Harry Potter and the Inheritance Cycle are your fandoms, you said? Both have dragons, IIRC, so ...
*rummages though bag of holding*
*Pulls out a few Poké Balls*
Here, have any non-legendary Dragon-type Pokémon of your choice!

As my Newbie Gift to you, here's a Highly Volatile Cupcake. Don't shake it, and NEVER feed it between 3:56 AM and 7:12 PM. Oh, and it doesn't like people with hats. Enjoy!

Welcome and stuff!
You should read the Constitution. It's important. The Original Series and the Wiki are also recommended reads. That said:
-Sets up a table with tea, scones and jam-
Want a cuppa?

Wow, that's probably the most laconic introduction ever. Tell us a little more about you. How'd you find us? What spinoffs (if any) have you read? What fandoms are you in?

Since I don't know you well at all, your newbie gifts are a plate of peanut butter cookies, three blue pens, and this super cool Disney fanfic.

Hello, and welcome aBoard! Do you have a preferred pronoun? Do you have any major fandoms? Would you like a squawking llama with an urple bow around its neck and a penchant for fanbrats? Too bad! You own one now! Make sure to give him fanbrats only once a week or he'll get fat.

Oh, and have some SPaGhetti (it's like spaghetti except it has an emphasis on spelling, punctuation, and grammar)!

Welcome to the PPC!

Hello and welcome!

I give to you now a lined Infinite Notebook, complete with urple covers and wilver binding! Really, though, I highly advise against looking at it. It'll blind you, probably.

-Aila

Here is a half-empty can of silly string and a mysterious stone that emits a bright, strobe light in various hues. (Don't stare too long. :P)

Allow me to have the honor of asking you what fandoms you are involved in.