Cuzosu

I am not a politically correct person, so do not expect me to mince words in this rant. I have plenty to say about the frauds who plague this and other sites. :sarcasm: is now in session because I have already read all of the favorite nauseating, too often written, worn out excuses that have triggered this overwhelmed frustration induced rant. I do apologize in advance for this being such a tactless tirade. I really need to get this off my chest because I am so frustrated with things I continue to read every time I come here.
What is the point of writing if the document is a thoughtless piece of slop without merit pounded out willy-dilly on a whim, and posted without revision? Why do some people insist upon placing such infantile things in the archives, and then get angry when someone with a basic grasp of English structure mentions a few of the problems that need addressing to create a better reading tale? Why do some individuals whine incessantly about contrit feedback, instead of considering that there might be a real problem which can be corrected with a little expended effort? If one does not understand the foundations of proper grammar and spelling, why insist upon being vile to those who seek to give actual valid aide? When did writing become a place for cop outs and egotists? Who ever said that everyone should be patted upon the head simply because they bothered to put something up at a free site like AFFnet, or FFnet? What have the lazy done to earn a touch of praise and accolades for the illiterate slop they insist upon posting?
Absolutely nothing gets done when a poorly written piece is added to the archives is my response. Give feedback to such frauds, and they delete the reviews, or proclaim concrit reviews to be trolling! Such frauds are too infantile to accept that they can improve if they get off their lazy butts and do a little research! YE Gods Forbid that such individuals ever face the wrath of a genuine editor. I can see the suicide rate escalating fast if they ever had to remove the blinders from their eyes. Such people are the bane of the writing hobbiest, and professional alike. What is the point of giving reviews if the writer is unwilling to consider critical mistake portions of an honest review? Why do lazy, insecure asses bother to beg for reviews while remaining too immature to give such reviews any thought toward self improvement? How can people call themselves writers when they are so obstinately unwilling to learn how to take a fair reading story, and make it into a genuinely beautiful tale that is memorable? Why do such frauds feel so compelled to provide a plethora of meaningless excuses for their mistakes, instead of attempting to change for the better?
The reason for my ranting questions: I am so sick and tired of the whining, lame excuses that the vast majority of writers like to pull out of their asses. People seem to love bellyaching, and giving excuses to avoid improving anything they slop together and post. To me, people are flat against learning the diverse aspects, and complex elements involved with writing style. I am also fed up with jerks who refuse to pull their heads out of the asses when it comes to a reasonable review meant to give genuine help. Nobody is attacking when they send a review that something was messed up when they mention grammar/spelling problems.
Any idea why I might be so angry about the plethora of bull I read in forums, and in author's notes in the main archive? Reality Check: I had a massive stroke a few years ago. It took two years to get to the point I could use my right side again. Then, I had to reteach myself from the foundation up how to read and to write a second time. Everything that I know I should recall from my time as an employed editor in the 90's was locked behind a wall of damage that I struggle to break down every single day of my life. I also have Dyslexia problems complicated by fine motor skill nerve damage. Do I use these difficulties as a knee jerk excuse for instances of personal, poor writing? THE ANSWER IS HELL NO!
To my way of thinking, real writers strive to overcome their disabilities, not use them as a crutch to languish within their flaws! I bought grammar based books and read them repeatedly to recover my lost knowledge. Due to a little thing called effort, I regained the vast majority of the information I once lost due to a life threatening medical crisis. Therefore, I do not give crackpot reviews whenever I take time to read over and consider the most glaring problems I see within a story's structures. I fine comb everything I write repeatedly to get rid of every flaw before I post anything. Yes, I do miss things, which I correct as I get a chance. A person who reads my work can return seven months later to find a lot of mistakes are corrected. I abuse my edit chapter button every few weeks, based upon the errors I get told about when someone reviews my stories.
Whenever I give a review to someone, I always endeavor to point out the strengths, and the weaknesses of each story I have read. The reviews I give carry my hopes that the input will help complete strangers to revise their stories to add strength to plots and characters that were devised. It is a real insult to all reviewers who give thoughtful feedback when the reviews get deleted by such frauds who pretend to be writers. Very few writers I have personally reviewed have retained my concrit reviews. Those who have kept their reviews, I am grateful to you for doing so. Your strength in keeping my review prevents me from becoming completely sick and tired of the constant flow of disrespect given to those who take reviewing for others seriously.
Put bluntly, I have seen the signs of a real epidemic of fraudulent whiners begging for reviews that are insincere. The ongoing blasphemy of it all has finally tweaked my last nerve. The majority of said frauds beg for reviews in every single chapter's author notes. My conclusion is that such begging for reviews is a form of blatant "stroke my ego or else" guilt tripping. "Please review because I live for reviews," is a blatant lie 9 times out of 10 in my personal experience with giving reviews. That type of bullshit line now reeks of the biggest attention seeking ploy in existence to me, as a reader. In the vast majority of cases I leave very tame comments compared to my actual reactions to such writer's stories. I refrain form taking every single line and pointing out the problems. If the writing is atrocious enough, I am reduced to perhaps you should use your spell/grammar checking features before posting in the future. Getting reduced to such a flippant response really hurts because I would not be writing a review at all if I did not see some kind of merit within the story. I would simply back click and be done with the author, and everything else they may have posted. I do keep a list of the unreadable slobs so I do not have to hurt my eyes by accidentally clicking on anything the royal stink writers have added.
During the last three weeks, after seeing how often that line accompanies a deletion of my reviews, experience tells me to avoid such authors as if they have the Black Plague. To date, seven out of every ten concretely focused reviews were erased because my input was not a fanpoodle. My honor code from my previous career as a "shred the writing to get it corrected in time for the sales team to make a profit from it" variety editor experience does not condone "I love it so keep writing" variety pat upon heads. I do apologize for this being such a tactless tirade. I had to get this off my chest because I am so frustrated with "poor me syndrome" type commentaries.

So, eight months since I last posted and I'm finding that writing has been to some degree therapeutic. There is the issue of working through triggers (thank goodness for my hubby's love and patience), but I'm finding it's helped me work through being stalked/assaulted some years ago. Granted, a lot of it (especially the really horrid stuff) will never see the light of day, but I've been finding myself incorporating some of it into my main writing project. I think perhaps part of the reason for this is that I'm simply tired of seeing horrible shit be glamorized in fiction, literary or otherwise. There are some times where I want to write purely for the purpose of showing the reader that no, rape is not romantic, and no, emotional abuse is not sexy.

Yes, a beta is probably a good idea. If not more than one.
Hahaha, yes, details usually are good to have....
Well, I'm glad you'll keep writing. Certainly I'll enjoy it. And I'll check out this story of yours, but I'll wait until you're done adding descriptions so I don't make unnecessary comments.
As long as you use different plots, I see no problem with keeping to the same genre. (*facepalm* I told you already that I can't not write humor; it just doesn't work. So what do I do - or rather, what did I do - but start writing a Bleach fan fic, HC, where Urahara's depressed because Yoruichi just died. Yeah, that's...not flowing easily from my head into my fingers. *sigh* Guess I should've stayed away from the whole depression thing, but in all the yaoi fics I've read with Urahara, he's never the one who needs help first, if at all. And I...wanted to see that. Why I had to write it myself instead of suggesting it to someone else.... Shall I say that I'm a sucker for mischievous characters, especially the sly ones? Kyoraku said he wanted to comfort "Kis-kun"...and then ruined the moment by adding that, if "Kis-kun" wanted, he could be comforted in other ways, too. "Kis-kun" wanted to take Benihime to his head - which urge his blood-thirsty blade of course seconded - and I broke down giggling. Maybe that's why I started it, because they made me laugh. *grumps* Humor. Every time, the humor.)
If you ever want to throw in humor but don't know how, you're always welcome to ask me. I can't ever seem to stop it. It leaks in around the edges. (Tried to write a FFVII fan fic for a friend, called it Soaked. It spun out into a few disasters and then, at the end when the guys had gotten together like my friend had wanted, I was going to finish it with something merely mentioning the deviant yet humorous actions of Reno - probably at work the next day or something. Instead, he showed up for dinner while the two newly together guys slept off their exertion, and inspired a line that still makes two of my friends crack up. "Reno: saving men's dignity, one piece of pizza at a time." As it was said in an announcer-type voice, it made us laugh all the harder, and...*shakes head* We none of us can look at pizza the same since. Not mentally scarring - no, it was perverted and therefore not something most people want to explain to their family when dinner's on the table. But it was also Reno and his warped humor and the way the situation turned out. *smiles* Quite fun, in a rather demented way. -- In hindsight, most of my stories wind up odd but amusing. No joke; I've got a Bleach drabble on FFnet with Shinji and Starrk, two characters I've never seen paired together because...I don't know why...but I was in a writing mood and really, really tired, and my mind seizes on this crack drabble notion even though I don't do drugs and I wasn't drinking, and the next thing I know, I've written the moment when their relationship turns from acquaintances/friends to something more...at least on one side. The horrible thing is that every review I've had on it there includes amusement to usually large degrees AND says something about, "Wow, you made them work! I want to read more of them now!" And I...I mean, what the hell? I write...I write a crack drabble and it's hilarious and in character?! *facepalm* I take deep breaths and wonder what's wrong with me when I think on that, I really do. It's not that I don't enjoy my humorous moments, it's more that I...am so perfectionist about having everyone in character that even when I make things amusing, it works. So I suppose you could say that I have your problem in reverse. You can't write humor in intentionally, and I can't leave it out, even intentionally. *makes face* Well, at least I can enjoy reading the other genres....)
As to the top/bottom, Dom/sub thing...well, yes. People are unfortunately pig-headed about that and perhaps always will be. (I hope not.) But I'm with you on that, though I will say that sometimes, for the sub, it's about giving up that constant control they keep in the rest of their lives, letting someone else do as they will and just following.

I'm not sure that I would say a writer has to enjoy his/her own story at all times--sometimes the best you can hope for is satisfaction. Does this fit the theme I want? Is the character's reaction emotionally sound so as to draw my reader deeper? How well did I hit that dark note that should make a reader unwilling to look away? As a reader, how would I respond to this?
To be perfectly honest, as long as I am satisfied with how it all turns out, the readers seem quite happy, too. And the ones that aren't tend to be the ones who wouldn't buy a second copy of a novel when the first wore out. Fair-weather-fans of anything aren't supportive when life has puppies in your lap and you really need help, so, and I realize this is blunt: don't write to please your readers. If they enjoy it, great, but if you can't at least be satisfied with it, then it's not worth doing. (Generic "you".... Not trying to be offensive or pushy; I drifted into 2nd person.... Strange, really, since I usually drift between first and third, with nothing in between....)
As a reader, I find myself a sucker for stories with darkness, humor, realistic emotions, and characters/world(s) that are fleshed out just enough but not too much. Info dumps are a major turn off for me because I just don't retain all the details that way. Don't get me wrong, I love details, but I like them better when they're spaced out somewhat and not all in one place. Take a paragraph or two to describe something/someone, physically. Emotions and mental state are harder to get right--I went to my dad's college classes with him when I was little and I absorbed more than anyone expected me to, so I can be kind of critical of getting the emotions right. The thing about writing emotions, though--at least to me--is this: emotions that fit the situations will draw a reader in. I'd be the same. I'd be pissed/sad/angry, too. You want the reader to empathize with your characters, because it inspires a deeper connection, yes? So I'm of the opinion that using the correct emotional response (for the character in question; not everyone reacts the same way!) is a key element to writing well. It's not the only element, but it is one of them, and societal differences will weigh in on that equation, too.
And, yes, editing is big, too, but--as others have noted--you certainly seem to do well with it already.
Plotting a story ahead of time.... I won't say it's a waste of time, but you don't need to plan every little thing. List situations, events, maybe even conversations that you want to include, figure out if they need to be in any certain order, and then it's kind of like a Fill In The Blank game. Just try to get your characters from one point to the next. Sometimes they'll try to off track you, and sometimes it may work better for your story if you let them, but if the end result of the off tracking doesn't feel right to you, scrap it and try again. I don't know that there is any certain number of crises that ought to be included, but DG has a point--trouble comes in threes, right? Three big problems, plus however many little disasters crop up along the way. If you get stuck at one scene, skip ahead to another so you keep writing. Let the part where you got stuck simmer in the back of your mind as you write ahead, and sometimes you'll have it all figured out by the time you get back to it.
Tenses, now, past vs. present: Past is often easier to stick to in writing, but sometimes the action seems slow or just doesn't flow right. Present is difficult to stick to--which can be a turn off if the writing switches back and forth from 'is' to 'was'--and can cause a writer problems when deciding what phrasing to use, because, of course, it is the present and no one knows what's going to happen next except the author, who shouldn't be talking about the future in the present! (Sorry, it's a bit of a pet peeve....) Still, I feel it's a challenge every writer should try their hand at once, if not more than once. It gives them an appreciation for writing nuance that, I feel, many fan fiction authors lack.
I can't think of anything else at the moment, but I hope this helps!

I personally don't like posting a chapter with less than a thousand words--unless it's in response to a challenge or is one of my drabbles. I think drabbles are my biggest challenge; describing a scene so that it draws people in with such a limited amount of words is difficult for me, because I. Like. Words. All of my actual chaptered stories, I try to keep a minimum of a few thousand words. Some are longer. Some are a lot longer.
As a reader, I'm pretty much the same in preference. I love longer chapters, longer stories, the intricacies and details that can be revealed in a well-written work. Knowing this about myself makes me more aware that I need to branch out periodically, though, and so occasionally I find myself reading short stories, drabbles, and poems. Some are absolute gems--like the drabble collection A Karakura Ghost Story by black.k.kat on FF. And some writers are just worth reading, whatever the length of story or whoever it's focused around.
DG and Kurahieiritr are right: the length of a chapter should probably depend the most on the story flow, style, syntax, and how it reads--both as a standalone chapter and as part of the whole.

As a reader, it depends on how the chapter flows. I've read very long chapters, and liked them just fine, and the same goes for short chapters. It really depends on how the chapter itself READS overall.

I read this and laughed. As a writer, this is my formula. No, not the 'get-straight-to-the-sex' part, but the focusing on plot and characterization as opposed to rushing into the good stuff, which in my opinion is typically overrated. It's a bonus, but not the goal I am striving for. And I have to admit that it irks me when folks pass up a story simply because it's not riddled with grammar and spelling errors, missing punctuation or the use of too many. Or lacking that immediate gratification with the use of fluff, cuteness, straight-up sex. But who am I to tell those people what they should or shouldn't like? *shrug* In any case, I don't think I can add much to the definition of what 'good writing' is. Everything BronxWench wrote is what I feel good writing should be. Aside from the technical stuff, it becomes very a individual matter, straight down to the genre, setting, time period, sexual orientation, so on and so forth. Good writing is much too detailed to fit into a general description, but you're always going to have a critic or two. Not everyone is going to like what you write, and as long as you have a firm grasp on how to properly use the English language (or whatever language you're writing in), what you like to write is not necessarily going to be the issue.

Bronxie and I share many authors as favorites. CJ Cherryh, Stephen King, Poe, and the others she mentioned. Then you have Roger Zelazny, absolutely LOVED the Chronicles in Amber. Michael Moorcock is another fave, with his various avatars of the Eternal Champion.
The thing the authors ALL have in common, is masterful storytelling.

"Good writing" is the most nebulous phrase in existence. Personally, I think Hemingway was a troll and Fitzgerald was a parvenu.
Having summarily dismissed two literary icons so cavalierly, I define good writing as two things. One, it is technically correct. Two, I enjoy reading it.
Technically correct means getting the basics straight, and from your post above, I don't think that's an issue. Grammar and spelling are two things people neglect dreadfully, and schools no longer teach them adequately. Punctuation is a lost art. But especially when publishing online, they make a story readable. Without them, I personally won't even bother to try and puzzle my way through.
Enjoyment is the other thing that makes good writing, and that's so individual and impossible to define. I will read almost anything, although I have a preference for science fiction, fantasy, and historical settings. "Twilight" has largely ruined vampires for me, and we won't discuss the other fanfic-turned-original nonsense. I like characters who act, and talk, and engage me in their lives and plights. I like a bit of humor from time to time, especially at the worst possible moment. I like to have my imagination on full when I read. Yes, I do want to know what your character looks like in general terms, but let me imagine some things. Don't describe them down to the last mole.
And guess what? Other people will have very different ideas of what makes for enjoyable reading. That's the beauty of it all. No book will appeal to everyone, and no story is going to make everyone love it. As long as you are telling the story you want to tell, and as long as you do have a few people out there will to tell you that they like it because, you're doing good. If the hit counter goes up consistently, you're doing great. It means you may have shy readers, but they come back. You've hooked them.
There's no magic formula. There are basic rules, and while here online you can get away with flouting them, publishers and your editor will insist that you comply. Don't shift point of view from paragraph to paragraph. It makes readers dizzy. If you have two people of the same gender interacting, only one "he" or "she" per paragraph. Don't make the reader guess which one you mean. Read dialogue out loud. If it sounds silly when you say it, it'll sound silly when a reader reads it.
But aside from that, and the conventions of grammar and punctuation, it's your story to tell, and your voice that should tell it. Try writing without going back every few sentences to edit yourself. Like we do for National Novel Writers Month (and NaNo is a great deal of fun), get the rough draft down. Get a beginning and an end, know a bit about your characters and world, and then go for it. You can make it pretty afterward, with the help of a beta or not, as you choose. I love the three crises and an end gambit. It makes for fun writing middles, as I figure out what three awful things I can do to my poor characters.
Most of all, enjoy it. It comes across in your writing when you love being a writer. Readers can feel the passion you put into your work. Hells, I've forgiven George RR Martin for making me wait so long for Book 5 of his saga, because he loves his work and I love his passion. And his story.

"My Cellmate Thinks I'm Sexy" in my pants.
Way to go, Cledus. Your parody landed me in prison, apparently.

Is it cheating if you find them in Youtube comments? (For "Coin Operated Boy" by the Dresden Dolls, whom I now love. You did this, Rogue. You accurately suggested it to me as a song I should find exasperating and then I ended up obsessed with their discordance.)
"Vibrators aren't batter operated."
Well, it's true. Maybe they meant coin, though.

Naked and ... whatever else pops up?

Pittwitch, I concur completely with your brilliant response. Naked and sweating truly is the best part for all concerned. :clap:

N-A-K-E-D

You know what? I don't care. Consider me a product of the LOGO cable channel; I've seen big, muscle-y brutes together with big, muscle-y brutes and frail, skinny men with frail, skinny men and everything in-between. I'm fine with all of it.
I write yaoi for Naruto. Consequently, the characters are portrayed in my fiction as lean but toned and/or muscled. In one of my fics Shikamaru Nara is portrayed as a former swimmer and gymnast, if that gives you an idea. The bottom line is, as long as they're loving each other, they can look however they want.

This is like asking, "What do you prefer, sweet, salty, spicy, or maybe sour food?" To which I'd answer, "As long as it's tasty, bring it on!".
No, really. I like tough, muscular guys like Brad Evans from Wild Arms 2; short, tiny guys like Yami Yugi from Yu-Gi-Oh!; bishounen types like Kurama from Yu Yu Hakusho. Each has their own charm and are beautiful in their own unique way. They all have a bright brain, so maybe that's more of a turn-on for me.
I do not like shouta, though. My "food" has to be ripe

I prefer my men to look and act like they do in canon. I reject this idea that someone has to be the big hairy brute and someone else has to be the frail weeping virgin. I also reject the idea that the more forceful guy always has to top, and I've written three stories where the "receiver" calls the shots, snarling at the "giver" to hurry up and fuck him harder.

Of course there always has to be a bottom and a top... but I think it's kinda kinky to switch it once in a while. Even if you have an extremely effeminate man with a much more masculine man for a pairing (like an obvious uke/seme role), it's interesting to put the stronger dude on the bottom occasionally. I don't think there should be clear 'roles', unless you're just writing a PWP or a short story. Take chapter 9 in my story, 'at least he's hot.' Even though Rufus (from final fantasy seven) is the obvious uke in this story, I give the poor guy an opportunity to screw Reno for once. It just freshens things up. Seriously... how many times can someone take it up the ass before they just say *ENOUGH!*
Ha ha... so yeah. Ukes should get some ass too.
lauren

Well done, preferably with a side of mashed potatoes and green beans.

my whip cracking finds known as plot bunnies have turned a stable relationship into a threesome recently so I can relate to the too much free reign problem. As a rule I try to do the what if to get the bunnies jabbering, then do a 1 page overview as an outline process to plan for some of the plotting element to stay on track. Beyond that, it depends on how well I understand the character motives and can determine which characters will coerce actions and tick off the cannons in my fan fiction writing. Staying within a cannon universe can be very tough, and few fan fiction writers bother I have found. However, I stay very cannon in universe, and try to make the characters remain true to the spirit of the original creator whenever possible. Writing fan fiction therefore is a hard core discipline for me so I enjoy the coerced exercise of being behind the cannon scenes at any given point in my fan fiction hobby.
Originals get a full snowflake treatment to give me enough fact to keep characters in mind. I design the main aspects of the world building part so I can maintain consistency. Otherwise, I let the characters do the talking instead of myself as a rule.
I noted a comment about not reading because of feeling depressed about not being as great a writer. Here's a way to turn that around. IF you admire a published writer's style, study it and learn how to improve your writing. Like Bronx and others are saying in this thread, learn from them and add those elements that are so amazing to your own writing. IF you don't study the genre you write, then you ignore a lot of important techniques that can be learned through practice. Granted, many fan fictions are totally written garbage, but even in fan fiction you will find a few genuine gems to learn new ways of spicing up your own writing. The way the great writers turn phrases is a genuine worthwhile technique to learn. It removes cliche from one's own writing also. So instead of comparing your writing against theirs, ask yourself what you can learn by reading a great story. Turn your depression on its head by refusing to put your stories against the published works of others. Focus on the benefits you can nab from the great writers and run with it until it becomes your own natural strength. Then you can go back and judge by the ones who taught you how to write that way.

I have a blast when writing, simply because the characters take on a life of their own and I get to see their interactions in my head - almost like a movie, but usually against a black screen. (Usually. Depends on if there's a place I have in mind or if they opt for certain surroundings.) The downside to having characters take on a life of their own, of course, is that, when they're arguing with each other about something they want written, I can't get them to shut up. And they dont. Go. Away. I have to wait until they're done or come up with a compromise. Kind of a hassle. And a major headache.
I, on the other hand, can't stand to not read good books, because I'm too much of a grammar Nazi and a plot-hound. (I looove convoluted plots and long stories, and a touch - or more - of the dark is just wonderful as seasoning. )
And of course you're welcome. It's always fun to discuss writing with other writers; we bounce around the most interesting tips and commentary, and often make strange remarks that no one but another author would understand.
Seconded! I love my readers, too, but sometimes a bittersweet ending is best - or even just a depressing or resolved one. It really depends on the story. It's fine and good to make the readers happy, but if the author isn't proud of or at least satisfied with his/her work, something needs to be scrapped and redone. Readers who demand happy endings all the time aren't the kind that will buy another copy when the first one is worn out. Nor are they the kind who will think, "Hey, this story was so good, maybe there are other awesome stories by this person!" and check out an author's page or profile. A reader worth keeping will keep coming back. (And usually forgive the author for taking time to update, and really care if life suddenly has puppies all over your lap.)

I very rarely plan out anything; plans go awry so easily. About the most I ever have of a plan is, "I want to include this as a scene," or "I want it to end like this" - it makes for a very chaotic story, but personally I think that just makes the entire thing more entertaining. Especially when the characters in my head start having conversations of their own and insisting things be included. *facepalm* They've done that to me a lot recently; made for a bet and flirting in one story and had everyone looking askance and thinking, "Did they really just...?" And of course the answer was yes, they did really just. I'm still not sure why, precisely, but it's going to make for a wonderfully hilarious ending. And one of a whole three things in that story that are planned, period.
On the other hand, too much free reign to a story can make things evolve out of proportion. I started a Final Fantasy VII fic as a gift for a friend on another site, and all she asked of me was to start out with "It was a rainy night in Midgar" and to use a specific pairing. Well, in relatively short order it turned into a series (or should I say three?) and the pairing turned into a threesome. Granted, she gave her permission or I wouldn't have let it get that far, but this is the kind of thing that happens to me. *shakes head* The third in the series was inspired by a Christmas parody that came into my head and was mentioned in the first, right at the beginning.

Personally, I rather like well-written AUs. But I have a thing about no OOC-ness. That completely turns me off whatever I'm reading. So I tend to be picky about what I read and write.
Well. I suppose I should say that I won't write it if I can't see myself keeping it in character. Mind you, I write AUs and cannon stories and have fun with both - and difficulties with both, depending on the situations I put the characters in and the characters' own personalities - and I like to try my hand at rare/odd yaoi pairings if I think I can possibly do them justice. (This has made for a number of...let's be nice and call them insane...drabbles in the Bleach category, but as I and my readers tend to find the things entertaining, that's praise enough.)
There's a wonderful lady on AO3 who goes by blackkat (she's black.k.kat on FFnet) who let me adopt a few of her stories.... One of them is only slightly AU, but the other one (a Bleach story) has the Zanpakuto as dragons. Kat called it a crack story, but either it was really addictive crack or those of us who read that particular one of her 64 Damn Prompts were just completely taken with the notion; I have no few readers who came to my Inconceivable from her Incalculable and enthused that "Someone's continuing Kat's dragon story! Yesss!" She left such a wide area open for expansion that I'm having a blast with it. Zanpakuto personalities as dragons, capable of independent action.... Makes for tons of awesome. Plus the whole world-building thing, since I like to take bits of canon and mix them into the AU plot line.... In one way I guess you could say that doing so is cheating, or makes it easier, but the thing about mixing canon details into an AU story is that first you have to know how much is too much, how much should be discarded. And then you have to figure out how to fit it all together into one story. Complicated and time consuming, but ultimately worth it.
I don't stick only to medieval AUs, either. Took on a challenge from Clara Barton on FFnet; she wanted someone to write a Gundam Wing/Three Musketeers crossover. Normally I can't stand crossovers (because they are so very, very rarely done well), but this idea reeled me in before I knew what was what. So in order to combine the two series and their respective plot lines, I had to make it a futuristic AU - and while I'm only now working on the second half of the prologue, it looks to be insanely entertaining. And after talking it over with Clara and the other wonderful woman who expressed interest in the crossover (and is a friend to both myself and Clara), I decided to draw from the Disney version of The Three Musketeers...on account of I can't do anything without humor and the Disney version is funnier than most. It's an insane and somewhat daunting task (I had to scrap most of the medieval and current societal layouts entirely and create the system I'm using nearly from scratch) but it's so very fun. The first half of the prologue reads like a movie trailer, so Snow and Clara tell me.
Simply put, AUs are wonderful things when done right - but often enough they aren't, so I...dabble.... I read a few chapters if the summary interests me, and if it seems good then I'll run with it. If not, hey, that's fine too. I'll just leave. Why make my eyes and brain suffer through something I'm not enjoying?

Since I have a moment of down time, I'll share this.
My man and I are going through training to drive semi trucks. Well, one thing truckers are given is a "handle" or a nickname other truckers use to identify them on the CB. One of our group is Smokin' Joe. My man, on the other hand.... Four of us were going over the pre-trip inspection and one thing we're supposed to do is check that nothing is damaged. So my man's listing off things that need to be checked for on the steering shaft, but he forgot to mention "bent"...so we reminded him. He went off on a tangent, one of the other guys and I looked askance at each other and tried (and failed) to bite back laughter because his phrasing was so easily misunderstood.... Now he's Bent Shaft among the four of us, and you should hear the razzing he gets.
Yup. Truckers are pervs.

My favourite review should be in my signature.
Makes me laugh every time I see it