[A Notice Of Hiatus.]

I remember last year when I used to live on campus. I could leave my door open for hours without being there and know that my valuables would be perfectly safe. Even now, I can leave my laptop in the school library or the main lounging area for more than half an hour while I run errands in the building, and nothing happens to it.

I remember being astonished last year when everyone around campus was so careless about leaving their laptops and cellphones lying around. Now I understand why, and am just so thankful that people there are trustworthy. I lucked out in that department.

I really hope they catch the thief and get your laptop back. I know what it's like to be a serious writer. I'm bordering on obsessive-compulsive myself when it comes to writing, but I can't live without it. That's probably why it takes me forever to write a chapter.

I usually keep several back-ups in different places, including on my laptop, in my e-mail account, and on a CD/floppy. I tend to lose the CD/floppy the most easily (happened twice already), so I've ditched that idea. Fortunately, they were password-protected, so whoever found them can't read the documents.

This way, no matter what, I can't lose the documents as long as I remember all of the passwords. I'm good at remembering passwords, and not once have I ever needed to write them down, even though I have used up to 20 simultaneously.

[Rude Positive Reviews]

Thank you Adara!

That's precisely what the problem was. I do realize that the story in actuality was posted. One of the reviewers, sweetblood, happens to be someone I trust as far as reviewing goes. That's why she's the one I'm working with to write the concrit article.

I also have very good news. deathbyhedonism has finally e-mailed me back. Everything's cool between us.

Sweetblood's comments were helpful and in no way could be misconstrued as mean or a flame.

Apparently, he was a bit put-off by Diana Mystery's jab at one point, but it no longer bothers him.

He's sent me the piece he pulled down. I see the similarity, but I don't think it's even close to plagiarism. In fact, I'm going to edit it. That's right - I'm his new beta!

I've also removed the reply thread to Diana's review from the fic's review board, pasted it to LJ, and decided to rant a bit there. I'm sure my rep should be OK, but the best way to tell is by the responses I receive from other reviewers in the future.

All in all, this has wrapped up very nicely, except for the part where sweetblood accidentally hinted at the fact that I was insulted by her remark about my age. Still, if Diana didn't mean it as an insult, I should be fine.

I guess all I can do is wait and see how Diana Mystery reviews other Martin Mystery fics at "the other site". If most of them have something rude in them, then I'll know that perhaps it's just her, and can point her to the concrit article once it's posted.

[Rude Positive Reviews]

You know what? If the insults were directed only towards me or jabbed at an broad audience in general, I could have easily handled it. I've been flamed before, and it rolled straight off my back. Hell, I've even laughed at some of them.

I guess what's really bothering me is that she managed to drag someone else into this. She compared someone else to me in an effort to make that other person look bad, and I think it was uncalled for.

What I'm worried about is that this is going to create issues between not only me and this other writer, but between me and anyone else who attempts to post a fic in that section. I truly don't want that. I don't want exclusive rights over the section, and I don't want someone to assume that I'm that type of person because of one person's review. In short, I don't want to intimidate others somehow. I guess it's a matter of reputation, no matter how petty that sounds.

I've tried to contact the other writer, but s/he's not responding, and it worries me more. I guess I could fix the issue by deleting the review, but I have no idea whether or not Diana Mystery is vindictive. I've had issues with hate mail in my old AFF account, and I don't want to deal with that again so soon.

(sigh) I guess I could concentrate on writing that article about concrit to take my mind off things. Don't know how long that'd last though.

[Rude Positive Reviews]

Recently, I got the following review:

Diana Mystery

You know, it is SO hard to find fanfiction that is creative, well-written, and respectful to canon.

Thank goodness I stumbled upon this.

You obviously care enough to check over each chapter for spelling and grammar. You appreciate both positive and negative constructive criticism, so you truly want honest feedback. I like the way you used the mist as a plot device. It's faithful to the supernatural genre of Martin Mystery. At the same time, you could easily write a ridiculous sex scene and use the mist to justify it - but you didn't. You chose to take things slowly, and have them act like themselves.

What this shows me is that you are a mature enough writer to focus on the actual plot, events, and characters, instead of jumping straight to the sex - which would be unrealistic anyway. Who would jump straight into the sack with their step-sibling without giving it a second thought? No one. Realistically, step-siblings would actually consider the consequences before having a sexual relationship.

Most people are under the impression that adult fiction is all about gore, heavy violence, or meaningless graphic sex. I believe that there is so much more to it. When I read adult fiction, I'd expect those things, but I'd also expect a certain level of mental maturity as evidence that the fiction is written by an actual adult as opposed to a horny 12-year-old. You, my dear, have the mind of a mature adult and the skills of a seasoned writer, even if you're only 19.

Speaking of mature writing - you might want to check out "Lustful" by "deathbyhedonism". S/he has not only stolen your mist idea, but incorporated it into a poorly written PWP. I think it's an insult to your fic. I'm new at using the rating system, and rated it 5 by accident when I meant to rate it a 1.

I look forward to reading the next chapter and future sex scenes. I may like meaningful writing but I want a good Martin/Diana sex scene too. I've already sent an e-mail asking for updates.

I'm glad she liked the fic and that she thinks I'm an amazing author, but that was condescending in some areas. What does she mean by "only 19"? Is it that unusual for someone my age to be mature and a good writer? Was the comment about "a horny 12-year-old" directed at the other author and all PWP writers?

She also claimed to have e-mailed me, and yet she threw in the accusation in the review. (She did e-mail me asking to be on an update list, by the way.)

Was that really necessary? The whole thing could have been dealt with privately. In fact, one of my other reviewers, sweetblood, chose to do exactly that. She gave me the links, gave me her opinion of the fic, and asked me to check it out for myself. All in an e-mail.

Later, I got this review on my fic:

I have decided to take minute, or so, to address some complaints and accusations. I have specifically chosen to do it in this place, firstly, because many of the accusers will most likely read it here and second because it has something to do with eveknight and his/her story.

First and foremost I would like to address the accusations of plagiarism from several members of the community. I wrote this story close to a year ago, and just recently posted it. Due in part to the down time on the site and my on apathy. I bring this up not to say it was written before eveknight's but to make the point I did not read this story until recently after mine was compared to this one. The fact that there is "mist" in my story does not warrant plagiarism. All it proves is that I saw the episode where they were in the Amazon with the killer mist, fog, or smoke. It's not that inventive, not taking any credit from eveknight's work . Also, I don't appreciate being called a plagiarist, because it is pretty much the worst literary crime that's out there.

Second, I deleted the story because after reading my story over I recalled why I almost failed English during my freshman year. So, it was not out of any guilt, that someone who plagiarizes, or anything like that but due to the fact it was bad and no longer up to my standards of writing. After reading several books since then on writing styles, grammar, and punctuation my writing has thankfully improved. I will be writing a new Martin/Diana fic, because it is a shame that there is only one on this site(no matter how good it is). This one will be better, beta-read, and purposely completely different from eveknight's. I ask only that it is given a fair chance and not judged based on the embarrassing and lackluster piece of writing I submitted before.

Third and lastly, thank you everyone for your criticism good, bad and ugly. Even Diana Mystery's who took some cheapshots, although didn't refer to me directly but it was kind of obvious, but I didn't mind except for the age crack which is just, for lack of a better term, uncool and uncalled for because it is bad-mannered. By the by, destructive criticism is a not a term for negative criticism, but for criticism that isn't helpful and viscious such as flames.

Eveknight75 great fic loved it can't wait for next chapter.

deathbyhedonism

I'll admit that I've had two people inform me of the situation - only two. I never got to read the fic. I didn't make any accusations or file any reports. On top of that, it comes off as if I have a posse and I'm trying to start a flame war, but I'd do no such thing.

The worst part - this was deathbyhedonism's first posted fic. Now I'm feeling guilty. S/he seems like a mature person to me, and I don't want to have been the one to make things bad for him/her somehow. I did reply and ask him/her to e-mail me so we can straighten the whole situation out.

deathbyhedonism hasn't e-mailed me yet. However, sweetblood and I have decided to team up and write an article outlining tips on providing concrit, including etiquette. I've already started a thread over at Writing Tips, asking others to throw in tips. I've read the article Tips for Leaving Better Reviews in Resources, and it's gotten a lot of negative feedback, including a negative review from me, and I think Melody Fate.

I guess my question is this: how do you deal with a rude positive review? The reviewer is saying good things, but the tone is extremely rude and irks you. Better yet, how do you deal with the situation if the reviewer drags another party into it without consent, and unwittingly tarnishes your reputation in the process? All without giving her the impression that her useful feedback wasn't appreciated (because it was).

Sorry about the rant, but this is really gnawing at me.

[Leaving Constructive Criticism...]

The reason I'm posting this here is because I'm thinking of writing an article on the topic and posting it in the Resource section. Actually, I'm co-writing it with a non-member who's used to giving concrit. Don't worry - she's over 18.

I have my own tips and ideas of how to write a well-rounded constructive review, but I'm pretty sure that you guys can add extra things that I haven't thought of.

I'll just list the basic points and brief explanations here. The detailed explanations are for the article.

----------

-Try to critique every aspect that you can. Several factors are important in a story. This includes spelling, grammar, plot, pacing, settings, characterization, canonization, writing style (repetition, monotony, rushing, etc.). Remember to comment on only the things about which you have sufficient knowledge.

- State examples. If there's a major spelling issue, then point out spelling mistakes that occur frequently, or stand out above the others. If the author has a specific idea of what the mistake is, it becomes easier to rectify it.

- There are degrees to each type of issue. If there are a few minor grammatical errors, state it but don't feel the need to turn it into an issue. Concentrate on the major issues.

- If a specific scene jumps out at you, don't be afraid to refer to it and comment. If you loved a particualar scene, let them know why. The same applies to a scene you particularly disliked. This gives the writer a better idea of his/her weak and strong points when it comes to writing specific types of scenes.

- If there are important issues within the story that you feel can be improved, say so and suggest a beta reader. Better yet, offer your own services as a beta reader if you feel that you have the time and ability.

- If your review is mostly negative, remember to watch your tone. There's a fine line between an elaborate flame and negative concrit. Try to keep your tone as neutral as possible. It's not going to help your case any if you come off as scathing or snooty.

- There's also a fine line between elaborate gushing praise and positive concrit. Stating how much you loved each and every aspect of a fic by using long sentences containing big words from the thesaurus doesn't constitute positive concrit. Stating each aspect you liked, why you liked it, and giving an example or two if possible is constructive.

- Don't flame other authors in your concrit. If there are other authors that you like and you see similarities, it's OK to point it out. Going "Oh my god, you're much better than that other writer" is not OK because you end up unnecessarily hurting someone else's feelings.

- If there are points that you wish to bring up but you feel may be tactless and overly humiliating for the writer, don't put it in a public review if it's possible. Find another way to contact the writer in private, whether it's through an e-mail or PM. Basic manners and tact are important when it comes to constructive criticism.

- Despite popular belief, a constructive review doesn't have to be a long review. There are short constructive reviews and long non-constructive reviews out there.

- Take your time when writing a review. You don't have to review immediately. Think about what you want to say, and look over it to make sure that the review is all right. Re-read the fic if you want to. If your review is extremely long, you may want to consider making it shorter. The whole point of constructive criticism is taking the time and effort to give honest and thorough feedback. If you can't do that right away, it's perfectly understandable.

- Despite the amount of time, you just may feel good about taking the effort to leave constructive criticism. Many authors appreciate concrit, because it shows that you're thoughtful, and you want to help them improve.

----------

Well, that's all we could come up with so far. Is there anything else that you guys would like to add? Is there anything in the tips mentioned that you find dubious and that could be cleared up?

[Yay!]

Have you tried spelling it with the accent? Maybe your spellchecker would recognize "soupçon" instead?

Nanaea: I haven't had trouble with the UK dictionary. Is there a check-mark next to it to ensure that you do have it downloaded? If so, are you sure that it's using that dictionary instead of the US one to check the document? I've made that mistake before. Make sure you select UK English as the default dictionary before starting. For the fics that you've already started, change the default dictionary to UK now and have the spellchecker check the entire document again. That should fix the issue.

[He Cut The Trans Fat, He Must Be The Anti-christ!]

I'll never get why they call it NY Fries. Montréal Fries, I might have understood, seeing as how the most popular thing they have is poutine. The gravy and cheese curds kind of cancels out the whole trans-fat thing, doesn't it?

I also never figured out why New York cheesecake has the rep it does until I moved out of NYC and ended up living in Toronto (does that make me a prime authority to judge how "New York" the fries are in Toronto?)

Let's steer back to the topic. It would be nice if all restaurants made food healthier without compromising on taste. Still, I'm not sure I approve of the new law. If anything, it should be mandatory for restaurants to have sunflower oil available in case someone requests it. People should have a choice to consume trans-fat, but they should also have the choice to have saturated fats when dining out.

Either way, I'm not sure it would hurt people who eat out often to have saturated fats cut out of their diet. Not with the obesity rates in North America at present.

[Yay!]

I've started a thread promoting OpenOffice on the Great Wall. Add your two cents.

Poly, exactly how do you go about finding these gremlins and offering them cookies? I'm excellent at baking cookies. All the gremlins have to do is tell me which type they want.

I can easily convert an OpenOffice document into a MS document, but I still want to know how to prevent a MS word processing application from crapping out on me.

You haven't jinxed yourself yet. Just make sure that the gremlins don't find out about this little conversation. You'll be fine.

[Openoffice]

OpenOffice is a free office suite application that you can download off the Internet. For those of you who keep having issues with MS Office applications, this is a great alternative.

Many people here have already switched, and they're saying positive things about it. I've started this thread because I've read mention of it on two different threads already.

I use OpenOffice Writer the most often, and it's probably the best program to discuss here, seeing as how we're all writers.

You can download up to 10 different languages for the dictionaries and thesauruses. For me, that's a huge advantage, because I often have to work with different versions of French, Spanish, and English when it comes to university papers. The grammar checker isn't that great, but the spell-checker always seems to work properly, even when it's not in English.

There's also a special feature known as a "master document". Basically, what it does is combine several regular documents into one larger document. The separate documents remain saved separately, but they can all be viewed back-to-back in the master document. OpenOffice itself claims that one of the reasons this was created was for multi-chaptered novels. I save each chapter as a document and combine them into a master document under the fic's title. Any disclaimers, notes, and review replies that apply to the entire document can be typed in the master document.

There's also a password feature for protecting individual documents as well as master documents. If you don't want your parents, underage siblings, or children to stumble upon your stuff by accident, you can ensure that they won't be able to view the documents on the family computer. I can remember my passwords, but my mom and sister don't know them, so I'm not as apprehensive about saving my adult fics on the family PC in the living room.

OpenOffice is compatible with Windows, Linux, Sun Solaris, Free BSD, and Mac OS X. I only know about how well it works with Windows. It works very well. Better than MS Office, actually. MS Word tends to freeze in the middle of work, shut itself down abruptly for no reason, disrupt other programs, and lose work. The spell/grammar check is a joke, and the foreign-language dictionaries are useless.

If you have been experiencing problems with MS Office like I have, then I suggest you try OpenOffice. It's the best alternative I've found so far. If you can suggest other similar office suite applications that work very well and are easy to install, please do so.

[Yay!]

Word sucks so bad there are no WORDS for it.   It has shut down several times in the middle of my work, so that I lost seveal paragraphs. And the damn spell check freezes in the middle(not to mention the fact that it is a laughable spell checker) sometimes for no reason that I can see.  I hate Microsoft products.

Hear, hear! I have to deal with all that and more. There are also times when it freezes itself, the rest of the computer, and then shuts down the entire computer by itself. All because of MS Word. At one point, I had to keep reprogamming the computer every 3 months because of it.

I thank my lucky stars that I stumbled upon OpenOffice on "the evil site which actually has its good points aside from the function it is supposed to serve". You know which one I'm talking about.

Lately, IE has been having the same issues, so I stick to Firefox no matter what. IE7 is poor competition.

Honestly, Microsoft has gone down the tubes. I'd use an OS other than Windows if it were readily available and didn't pose issues because the rest of the world is stuck with Windows.

I still use MS word, but I'm lame like that. The spellchecker does suck though. I swear, it's more concerned about trying to change character names than it is with catching actual mistakes. And since when is "tenetive" not a word?! This is why I end up looking edditing my stories several times over or relying on a beta.

You spelled "edited" wrong. That's Alanis' irony for you. As far as I'm concerned, no spell-checker is foolproof. However, MS Word does tend to be extremely ridiculous, that's true. OpenOffice is somewhat better, provided you use the right dictionary and thesaurus. The only annoyance is when they automatically suggest/fill in a word when you're in the middle of typing a word. Remember to disable that function if it does irritate you. It can be useful at times, like when typing in a character's name constantly. Otherwise, you just want the thing to go away and let you decide what you want to type.

BTW, echtrae's right. There's no such word as "tenetive". Check any dictionary: virtual or in print. I think you want an adjective for "tenet". May I suggest "dogmatic"?

[Yay!]

I'm with Echtrae. I have MS Word, but it tends to shut down on me in the middle of work and attract viruses. OpenOffice Writer has proven to be more dependable. It also doesn't hurt that you can create a master document for multi-chaptered fics, can view work in web-page format, and in my case, download dictionaries and thesauruses for different languages according to nation (such as Canadian English, US English, UK English).

I know, I know, this is shamelessly promoting a product. Still, it's proven true for me.

Either way, congratulations on getting MS Word back. I'm happy for you.

[How Much Is Enough]

Well, it is erotica...

I don't feel that there needs to be a sex scene every chapter, or a specific number of times. Hell, there doesn't need to be an actual sex scene at all. However, there needs to be at least one point in the fic where you manage to turn the readers on. That's what erotica is.

I think that perhaps a lot of readers and writers don't quite understand that. Most people automatically assume that the only thing that can turn a reader on is an actual sex scene. This is why there's so much PWP floating around.

If you put a fic in the Erotica section, I'd say make sure that there's a lot of erotica in it. I'm not necessarily saying that there has to be a lot of scenes that are supposed to be turn-ons for the audience.

Build-up to a scene can make the scene in question a lot hotter than it would have been otherwise. Build-up can also count as erotica, so long as you don't leave the readers hanging at the very end of it all.

I prefer making my audience read their way up to at least the first sex scene. Making them want it is all part of the fun. I know that they'll appreciate the sex scene more if they're waiting, wanting, anticipating. That's what build-up does. It's foreplay: it makes you work harder and longer so that the sex will be better when it finally does come. Not to mention that the orgasm will be more amazing because your body has been begging for it even longer and harder than it would have if you got to the sex straight away.

Please forgive the repetitive use of "longer" and "harder". I'm in the mood for sex with a man right now and I'm not getting any. Excuse me while I go visit the Erotica section of AFF...

[[tech Update] - Disclaimer Field]

Yep, that's what I meant. Like I said, I understand why you recoded it for disclaimers, and I agree with it.

I like to personalize my disclaimers too. They tend to be several paragraphs long, and they're definitely over 300 characters long. That's why I can't fit it in the field.

My idea is to ask people to scroll down for the disclaimer in the first chapter and let them know that the disclaimer is at the beginning of the fic when it comes to the following chapters.

Now that I know it's OK, I'll just go through my work and fix it accordingly. I'll also check to see if I included the "profit" bit. I forget that sometimes. Don't worry - I never forget to include a disclaimer and I have a habit of following the rules.

ETA: I've just finished going through them. The disclaimer for my one-shot fit in the field and was at the very top anyway, so I took it out of the chapter text and put it in the disclaimer field.

As for the other two fanfics, this is the new pre-disclaimer:

Disclaimer: You know how the title of the first chapter has the word "disclaimer" in it? That's where you'll find the actual one. If this IS the first chapter, then keep reading and you'll find it. I promise!

Unfortunately, I couldn't find the "profit" bit, but the disclaimers have been edited and that's there now.

[[tech Update] - Disclaimer Field]

I get it now. It's to help with routine checks. My questions still remain: Is it necessary to put the disclaimer at the very top of the chapter, or can I put it right under information such as the title, genres, warnings, and full summary?

Hmm... I don't think leaving a dash for the first chapter of a fanfic and then putting it below the other basic info would be accepted. Would it be all right if I put in:

The disclaimer is included right below the full summary. Please scroll down.

Just to show that I did remember to include a disclaimer when the mods are doing their rounds?

The thing is, I tend to put in long and detailed disclaimers. They're often more than one paragraph long. This means that there's not enough room in the disclaimer field for me to type in my full disclaimer.

[Writer's Block]

EDIT: This was originally a separate thread addressing the same issue, so I have decided to merge them.

I've noticed that there have been a lot of threads over at Aimless Babble regarding various forms of writer's block.

These include:

- muse blocks: you don't have any ideas.

- detail blocks: you have the outline/general idea, but you can't write it out.

- mutiny blocks: what you write doesn't match what you had planned, so the whole thing is thrown off.

- corner blocks: you've written yourself into a corner, and you don't know how to write your way out and salvage the story to end it decently.

- boredom blocks: you're no longer interested in the story, but you can't leave it there incomplete because it goes against your personal policy.

My solutions:

If you have a boredom block, take down what you've posted. Once you regain interest, post it back up with a new chapter. If you don't want to do that, put in a brief ending to tie up loose ends. Sloppy and disappointing, but responsible. I did that for one of my fics once. Took it down and reposted with a new chapter. Then again, there weren't that many reviews, so it didn't bother me.

If you have a corner block, go through your story to find out the point where you started to back yourself into a corner. Rewrite from there. Keep the original stuff though - there may be good material in there that you can use later on in the same story without creating a disaster. I once wrote two excellent near-sex scenes, and decided it was too early. They're waiting on my hard drive for their turns to be posted.

I've never really had a muse block, so I'm not the best one to dispense advice. Common advice is to concentrate on something else for a while or find some way to get a boost. Taking a walk, reading a book, enjoying canon material, getting drunk, and binging on your favorite junk food are popular suggestions.

Mutiny blocks have never bothered me. There are plenty of times where what I write doesn't quite match what I originally had in mind. Still, the stuff that comes out is usually good and goes with the flow and character/situation development much better than I would expect. Sometimes, my characters know better than me.

Detail blocks, on the other hand, are a huge bother for me. Not for original fiction - my hands hurt from writing those non-stop. It's fanfiction. I always have a general idea of what I want to do next, and have ideas for mundane details. It's the larger details that kill me. It takes a long time to get something satisfactory, and time's not something I have much of nowadays.

Once, I used a mutiny block to defeat a detail block. I hadn't planned on it, but I ended up writing a detailed laundry folding scene that turned out to be mildly sexual. Despite the fact that my clothes are usually strewn all over my room, I'm excellent at ironing and folding clothes when I get down to it. After that, a lot of the storyline fell into place for me and I managed to get more details for about a quarter of the scenes in the next 2-3 chapters. That's how it worked for me , but I severely doubt that it's a common solution.

Are there any other types of writer's block that I forgot to list? Which type(s) tend(s) to plague you? Any solutions for specific types of writer's block?

[Happy Halloween!]

I'd just like to take the time to wish everyone a Happy Halloween. It's one of my favorite holidays.

This year, I went to a restaurant/nightclub on Friday for a Halloween party. It was really cold, so I dressed up as a pirate captain. The restaurant does have a dress code, after all. On the dance floor, the clothes came off and I became a prostitute from the early 1900s (but I kept my sword because my friends said it looked hot).

A really cute cowboy kept asking me to dance. He was really sweet, and taught me a few ballroom moves, plus the Bochata (he was Latin American). I have two left feet, but he certainly didn't seem to mind. I even managed to get his phone number, but my cellphone whacked out on me the next day and I lost all the phone numbers that I had input that entire week, including his. Damn!

No trick or treating for me unfortunately. That sucks because I love collecting candy and wearing a costume. It's also unusually warm out this Halloween night, so I could have gone as a prostitute straight out without worrying about Canadian autumn.

My sister's 12 and she thinks she's outgrown trick-or-treating. Plus, our building doesn't allow it, which is a shame because even the cranky elderly single businesspeople and are complaining about the policy. Apparently, they enjoy giving out candy after a long day at work because it's interesting to see the costumes. The whole thing reminds them of their childhood and puts them in a good mood. The tenants are fighting the policy as we speak.

As for the rest of the neighborhood - it's mostly Pakistani immigrants who have no idea what Halloween is and don't have candy on hand. Once they learn about it, they do their best to enjoy it the next year. Still, I'm not sure they could handle a young woman of Muslim Indian subcontinental origin dressed as a prostitute. It might sour the newbies to the holiday from the start, and I certainly don't want that, now do I?

I'm really gonna miss the childhood aspects of Halloween. I'm a chocoholic - I love collecting candy. Too bad I can't pull it off at my age. I also enjoy doing a good deed by collecting Halloween donations for UNICEF.

My solace comes in the fact that there are tons of university-hosted Halloween parties out there that I can attend. Still, alcohol is a poor substitute for chocolate. I just have to hope that I can attract another cute guy or girl next year - and keep the number!

So, what are you doing this Halloween? What costume are you wearing? What's your favorite part of Halloween, and what's your favorite way to celebrate?

[Mens Woes]

I want to be a man because you can pee anywhere u want to ;_;

Ain't that the truth!

I'd say both genders have their own baggage to deal with based on what they've got. What really matters is how the individual deals with the gender and organ issues.

If guys can relax and not worriedly overanalyze everything, more power to them. I do worry about my health issues, and a lot of my health issues are related to the fact that I have ovaries and that my body is producing more testosterone than that of the average female. The thing is, if I don't analyze it and worry about the symptoms, there can be severe damage as a result.

If I could afford to, I'd relax about it. I've managed to relax about the cosmetic symptoms. I've never really worried about looking pretty or put-together unless there's a specific event which requires it.

I have always wondered what it'd be like to be a guy. Just out of curiosity. I've played male roles before in plays, but that's about it. What is it like being a guy in this day and age, where chauvinistic men get punished for their views and feminazis are generally accepted by society even though they're just as bad as chauvinists?

[Is Anyone Here A Review Whore?]

I'm a conrit-review whore. I don't appreciate squees that much (though I know I should try to). I've never deleted flames, but I don't tend to get any either.

As for reviews in another language - I can read Spanish and French, can figure out Italian and German, and Hindi/Bengali/Urdu transliterated into Roman alphabet is do-able. Still, I want the reviews to be in the same language as the fic. If it's not your first language, that's fine. Just try. This especially applies to l337, because that's one language I really can't read. Don't get me wrong - I'm still learning how to read l337, but it's a long and agonizing process, especially because I don't want to learn how to write in it.

Please give me concrit! I live for concrit. I'll stoop so low as to offer cookies over the internet even though I know it's impossible to deliver, I'm that desperate!

There. Does that above paragraph count for review whoring? I wouldn't know - I don't tend to put stuff like that in my ANs.

[Never!]

I'm terrified of needles. That's probably why I'll never get anything pierced or get an actual tattoo. Don't get me wrong - I actually think that they look cool in moderation. Meaning that I have to be able to view an entire patch of skin that's not tattoed or pierced on the person.

Mt fear is kind of odd - I'm diabetic so I have to take blood tests at a clinic every 2-3 months and monitor my sugar at least once a day. I have sensitive skin, deep veins and am a bleeder. Many lab technicians and nurses have trouble drawing my blood. When I test myself, I use the lowest setting and even then I feel sharp pain and it takes a long time for the bleeding to stop. I just suck on my finger for 10 minutes because I like the taste of blood. then have something chocolate afterwards. It dulls the pain and irritation of the needles and calms me down.

It's been years and I'm still scared shitless of needles. Go figure.

Still, if I could get a piercing anywhere it would be near the top rim of my ears and on my nose. I'm of Indian descent so I could actually get away with a nose piercing easily. I have no idea what I'd want for a tattoo. I'd want it on my lower back. I wouldn't want something cliché - that's just pathetic when it comes to permanent body art. It would have to be an image that expresses who I am as an individual, a permanent facet of my persona.

Meanwhile, I'm just gonna stick to henna paste and food coloring mixtures. Did you know that you could create henna results of any color that way? It's true! Just remember to put the mixture in a baker's squeeze-bag because toothpicks don't work that well when it comes to the actual sketching.

Back to the piercings - I only have my ears pierced with one hole in each ear. Thankfully I'm not allergic to any metals or plastics. Cheap fake gold/copper leaves weird green marks on my skin once I start sweating, but that happens to everyone (or so I'm told). Lucky me.

[Pledge]

Hate to break it to you Adara, but as far as I've experienced, whenever the word "God" is mentioned as a proper noun in conversation, no one seems to want to accept it as any deity but the Christian one. No offense, but I don't think you'd truly be able to understand how it feels unless you were Muslim or Jewish, at the very least a non-Christian. It hurts, even if the other person didn't mean to.

Red, I'm living in Canada right now AND I'm a dual citizen. If anything, people are arguing to change the lyric "native land", precisely because it's not our native land for the majority.

I'd agree with trying to change "God keep our land". Still, I'd put it in as a secondary concern. As far as the concept of the term "God" goes, Canadians don't tend to be as obstinate as Americans (grâce à Dieu!).

While we're at it, why not change "porter la croix"? It's not going to be as easy because the French version is the original, but a lot of francophone Canadians are not Christian. In fact, there's a huge number of francophones who have come from Africa, the Middle East, and the Carribean, so they practice Islam or another ancient religion which we'd consider pagan (voodoo anyone?).

I didn't mean anything offensive or sarcastic by that last paragraph, but it is true and it is relevant to the topic we seem to be steering towards.

"one nation, under Bush-head" (for now)

"in smut we trust"

"sanity keep our land"

"porter la feuille" (il est dur de l'argumenter)

[What's Your Style?]

I don't have a defined writing style that I tend to stick to. Not that I'm aware of.

I'm willing to try anything at least once. I write in third person most of the time. I have written first person before, but the challenge with that is trying to stick with that one person's viewpoint no matter what. Anything outside the narrator's scope ceases to exist. It's doable and enjoyable, but I proofread it more carefully.

Second person is a bit of a doozy. It's a great form to use for fictional manuals, meditational guidance, and interactive stories. Outside of that, it doesn't really work that well. I use it sparingly.

I've used omniscience before. Usually, the story has to be taking place in the past, so everyone knows what has already occurred. It has to have taken place at a point in history that's not so recent that the opinionated repercussions are too strong, but not so far back that the memories are not quite clear.

The other time I use omniscience is if there is a specific omniscient being, often a supernatural factor. I don't want an average active character to know all, but it's OK with me if there's an active character who is overseeing all because it is not average or too closely involved.

Otherwise, I like having the reader come along and figure things out as the story progresses. It's fun.

I start out putting equal importance on all factors, such as characterization, plot, setting, pacing, etc. There are many cases where one factor may end up being stronger because I put more emphasis on it. Dialogue is important for characterization, and I like to write the way people speak when working with dialogue. I like to write the way I speak when writing a monologue, speech, or soliloquy. I've written scripts before, but I've discovered that I don't like doing it unless I know that it is going to be acted out.

Poetry isn't a strong point. I can never write it well consciously. I remember one time, we were asked to write a poem in class. At first, there was nothing in front of me and the teacher was worried I wouldn't be able to hand anything in. 15 minutes before the bell, I have an idea. 5 minutes before the bell, I hand my poem in. Apparently, I ended up having my poem considered one of the best pieces in the grade. That's how it always is with me and poetry. If I have a sudden burst of inspiration, I can write an amazing poem. Otherwise, my poems tend to suck big time.

I like many genres. I do enjoy historical, but I want to do a lot of research before writing historical fiction. I like to write supernatural because the parameters for your characters are less defined. Essentially, you get to create a new creature. I like sci-fi, but it takes a lot of investment because there's both research and creation of a new form of entity involved. Romance puts a lot of concentration on the characters - their emotions and histories. With mystery, you need to pay attention to setting details, because the clues have to mesh together.

I enjoy a challenge. I love learning new things, so I don't mind research. I tend to be meticulous with my writing. It makes me slow, but it also allows me to look over details. I'm not ridiculous about it. There's one fic I'm writing where the characters have to deal with school while working on a case outside of school. I know that it takes place in Sherbrooke, Quebec, so I'm matching up the event timeline of the fic with the 06-07 public school calendar for high schools in Sherbrooke. However, I will not attempt to match up the daily weather for any location. I'll go with the monthly climate, but that's about it. I've never written a fic that's based on a specific calendar, so it's a challenge, but I'm liking the way that aspect of it is affecting the fic and its progression.

I'm not a huge fan of PWP, but I might try writing one in the future, just for the sake of trying it out. I'm also considering a Mary Sue story, but it'd be a parody. I've never done parodies before because I don't consider humor a strong point of mine (sarcasm and wit, yes, but not straight humor), but that doesn't mean that I won't try to develop a sense of humor in my writing.

Like I said, I'm willing to try anything. That's probably why I haven't developed a specific style of writing yet. All I can say is that I need my writing to have proper spelling and grammar, and that there needs to be a lot of love and care put into it. I do take my writing personally (love), but I favor concrit a lot (care).

[Sex]

I'm a virgin. You can discount my opinions if you like. Still, I'll state them.

Sex means something different to each and every one. It can be romantic, meaningful, casual, friendly, or anything else. Meaningful sex isn't necessarily romantic. Casual sex isn't necessarily meaningless. You can have sex with a friend without harming the friendship or having it develop into something more. That's what "friends with benefits" means, doesn't it?

I think a huge factor of good sex boils down to the people involved. What kind of person are you? I have one friend who loves to have casual sex, but it's always with people she's known for a long time and trusts. She's not ready for commitment, and she's cynical about romance. The whole "candles and a bubble-bath" scenario just doesn't suit her tastes. I wouldn't call her a slut. She's never desperate for sex, won't always just jump right into the sack, has healthy self-esteem and respects others. She wouldn't try to coerce someone into casual sex.

I have another friend who's always been overly romantic and has sensitive feelings. He wants a guy that can respect that without trying to label him a femme or something. He's only managed to enjoy sex when there's a lot of cuddling and sweet words involved.

Oddly enough, those two are each other's best friends. Outside the sexual arena, they have plenty in common.

There are also times when your sexual tastes deviate from your everyday personality. Through sex, you unleash the hidden side of you, and you're sharing it with someone you trust and are comfortable with.

Sex isn't just about love, marriage, procreation. or recreation. It's a part of who you are. I don't feel that I'd need to think myself in love when I do have my first time. However, I know for sure that it needs to be someone who I've known for a long time and trust. I do need to love this person, but a deep and strong friendship will do it for me. I'd want a classic, romantic setting for my first time, though it needn't be pre-planned.

That's what I'd like for my first time, but I won't know what it's like until I'm actually there. After that, I wouldn't mind casual sex. I'd only draw the line at having sex with a complete stranger. I wouldn't mind having kinky sex either. I like to exercise and express my imagination.

Come to think of it, there's a lot of things I'd like to try out once the first time is out of the way. BDSM, roleplay, exhibitionism, etc. Not scat or watersports though. That's just gross. No rimming either. I tend to get ill easily and I wouldn't want to explain that to my doctor.

I have the same issue as Reika. When I write about the sexual history of my characters, it doesn't parallel anything that I'd imagine for myself. For example, with one couple, their first time will have a negative psychological impact. It'll be planned, romantic, and consensual, but not something that they want. The sex is excellent physically, but an emotional nightmare. They love each other, but not in a romantic way. It's not much wonder that they end up becoming a bit screwed over, even if others view the signs of it as positive aspects of maturity.

It's something complicated, which is why I'm taking my time with it and making it a long read. It loses a lot if it's too short. Still, it's not what I'd ever envision for myself. However, I do understand why I write it. I do enjoy writing characters that are similar to me. It's putting an aspect of myself on paper. But I also enjoy writing characters that are very different from myself and hold different values. Sometimes their morals are more old-fashioned, sometimes more ambiguous. There's just something to be gained from writing a character that's not like yourself. It truly allows you to step into someone else's shoes and see the world from a different view, because you have to temporarily adopt the different view as your own if you want to write the character effectively.

Wow... I think I became a bit too philosophical. I didn't mean to. I do regard sex as something special, but not that special or important.

[Pledge]

Just because the majority of Americans are monotheists does not mean that ALL Americans are monotheists. What about the goddess worshippers? What about the religions which worship several gods? What about the demon-worshippers? What about the atheists?

State should be separate from religion. At the moment, it works better that way. I believe that everyone should acknowledge the pledge as a sign of respect to the nation. You don't have to say the words or even put your hand over your heart, but at the very least stand up and remain quiet. However, there needs to be an option for those who don't necessarily believe in "God" but love America and want to say the pledge. Skipping over the phrase kind of ruins the flow, doesn't it? How about using " under [deity]"? You can put in Christ, Allah, Deva, Mother Earth, Hecate, Satan, the president, no one... The options are limitless.

As for the dollar bill, why not go with the Latin translation? "Deus" doesn't necessarily mean God, but rather, "deity". Deity can refer to any higher power, whether ethereal or corporeal. It's a good solution to the problem.

[Music Anyone?]

I'm a fan of everything except Celine Dion (traître!). I'll even listen to heavy metal if the volume's turned down (sensitive hearing). As for dancing, anything that isn't choreographed is good (clumsy feet).

Bring on the music!

[Myspace]

I've been to a few. I don't think I'll create one. I'm not the type who likes to friend others a lot or spend huge amounts of time on an online journal. I have an LJ where I give reasons for (not) updating my fics. That's all it's for. If I can't write an entry regarding that, then there's no entry at all. I also have a FaceBook account which I don't visit often, but my friends are crazy about FB. If I lose touch with my college buddies down the road, I'll go there. Otherwise, I'll stick to fanfiction and forums. Forums are a better way to make online friends anyway.