BronxWench

Come to the Dark Side... we have accessories...

Oh, this sounds so familiar... I'm actually doing a rewrite on something I started about 2 years ago, and then had it fall to the wayside while I worked on another project. Oh, gods...what a mess! I opted to do the full rewrite, to clean up the awful bits and so that the chapters I'll eventually add on will at least match style-wise. It sounds like you might only need some touching up, if the transition wouldn't be noticeable in a big way. Maybe start there and see how it feels?

"Where's my ale? I'm dying of thrust." Really? Can I be next?

Tomoe's ♥♥ FanFiction Writer's Meme ♥♥ 1. How about a brief introduction of yourself? I am an evil wench with an overactive imagination, and far too much time on my hands in which to indulge myself. 2. Fabulous! And what got you into fanfiction to begin with? I had an unfortunate encounter on a gaming forum with something known as "The Shirtless Saga." I would explain, but there really isn't enough brain bleach on hand. 3. I see, so what kind of fanfiction do you like to write? I write fantasy, usually set in the Forgotten Realms world, although I am planning an original project in the near future. 4. Do you tend to write the same pairings/characters? Or are you a fandom whore? ::clears throat:: I am a wench, NOT a whore, thankyouverymuch. I don't charge. 5. What is your more popular fanfic and why do you think people like it so? I would suppose, since I only have one here, that it would be Alchemy. 6. Forget other people, what is the fanfic you've written you're most proud of? At this point, none of them. I'm still writing or rewriting most of what I've done. 7. Do you find writing easy? Hard? What are the most difficult aspects of writing you struggle with? The writing part is easy. Editing what I've written is harder. The thing I struggle the most with is getting enough detail out of my head and onto the medium of the moment, be it paper or pixels. 8. Write a few sentences of so of your favorite pairing or character. “I'm probably going to need to be able to walk tomorrow,” Tae'uomi said, biting back a gasp as Sand shifted slightly and nipped her collarbone sharply. “You should have thought of that earlier, vanyacora, before you subjected me to an afternoon of tortured metaphor and labyrinthine reasoning.” Sand licked where he had nipped, and then sucked a rosy mark against her skin. Tae'uomi grinned, toying with the tip of Sand's ear. “I did distract Aldanon with Zhjaeve, ascaredhel. I should get credit for that, at least.” “I do not give credit, iskavanim. You should know that.” Sand's fingers slid down across her belly, dipped lower, and Tae'uomi cried out softly as her back arched. “I could order you to stop,” the genasi offered, shivering with pleasure. Sand looked at her, the predatory smile back. “Oh, please do. Really.” His tongue traced the edge of her ear, his breath hot. “I am quite prepared to remain awake all night exacting my reparations, since I managed to take reverie earlier while Aldanon was going on about something or other.” 9. Are there any fanfiction trends/clichés you can't stand or are just sick of? I really can't stand the main character being the sole focus, without regard to the other players on the stage. I also hate characters who are "evil" and yet wind up "redeemed" without any necessity for atonement. 10. Are you guilty of any of the fanfiction trends/clichés you now hate? Or any other ones? I try like the hells not to be. 11. What was the first fandom you wrote for? Do you still like/participate in it? The first fandom I wrote for was the Neverwinter Nights CRPG fandom, set in the Forgotten Realms universe. And yes, I still write for it. 12. Name your OTPs or most frequently written pairings/characters and explain what it is about them you love to write. I use a mixture of original characters and non-player characters with liberal disregard for frequency. 13. What would you call your writing "style"? I have two distinct styles, but the one I use most frequently in my fan fiction is a more lyric style that tries to evoke a certain mood in my reader, and that is somewhat romantic in the emotional rather than physical sense. My other style is starker, where every word has to be exactly perfect. 14. Do you read other people's fanfic? If so, what do you find yourself reading the most? Yes, I do read other people's fanfic. I tend to prefer fantasy settings, but I will also happily read fanfic based on movies or shows or books that I have enjoyed in the past. 15. Name one thing you'd LOVE to write, but have been too afraid or shy to do. I fear almost nothing, and if I were shy, I would never have published any fan fiction in the first place. After all, it's the dusty little thoughts from the corners of my mind that I toss out like so many crumbs. 16. Do you have trouble taking criticism? Or worse yet, do you have the dreaded bloated ego? I prefer constructive criticism, naturally, and welcome the opportunity to improve my writing. My ego is what it is. 17. When you write, is there anything that helps? Music? Quiet room? Repairing toaster ovens? I prefer quiet when I write, and solitude. Since neither is generally available to me, I have learned to write with pretty much anything less than bloodshed occurring around me. 18. What inspires you? What doesn't? It would be a shorter list. I've dreamed chapters. I've scribbled in notebooks at the side of the pool. I've written quick notes on my arm because I had no paper handy. Everything inspires me, except perhaps snow. 19. Lastly, how would you sum up your fanfiction experiences and yourself as a writer? I've enjoyed my experiences as a fan fiction writer immensely. I've met other writers who are fascinating, and inspiring, and encouraging. I've learned so much, and I think I am growing as a writer. 20. Tag some friends, because they'll have you for it. Let's see if my cookie trail works.... perhaps Nastrandir? Or Niche? ::rubs hands together::

"He set off on his mission with renewed prepuce." (found in a chapter I was proofreading for a friend)

The proofreading is actually not all that time-consuming, and the offer stands.

For whatever it's worth, while I'm nowhere near familiar enough with your fandom to actually beta (and prefer not to, truth be told), I am always up for grammar/mechanics proofreading. Like addict says, I like what you write, and I want you to keep writing.

I figured it was a given that I'd go for the "Lawful Good" antagonist. That just amuses me no ends!

My genasi is air, mostly because I liked some of the racial characteristics for that subtype, ie, being able to forgo breathing (very handy) and limited levitation. But it really is strange how the supposedly canon literature ignores the FR rules. I do remember in one of the books, a drow male who was considered quite tall, and the snark was that there was human in his background somewhere for him to be tall. I'm thinking he was supposed to be 6', but I could be wrong on the exact height. And for the record, I am doing my best to ignore 4e.

Oh, I like my humans tall and lanky as well. Nice tall man, something to absolutely climb, gods, I'm a goner. Just shove me up against that tree trunk, let me get my legs around your hips, and... shit. I'm loving the multi-classing myself, and yes, the dynamics are going to be pure fireworks with an aasimar and a tiefling in the same party. (And can I say I like the sexy middle-aged tiefling? ). I'm already writing a genasi and the race is incredibly fun to write. I had to edit to say I nearly choked to death on my coffee when I read this. That was fecking wonderful!

First of all, I like the premise of the link between them via the rune. I really do, and I am very eager to see what you do with it. The whole notion of the characters as "destined for glory" is also wonderful, because in this fandom it's a given that our characters are going to be glory seekers, and it's a total pain in the ass to try and pretend that they are not. The DnD elf height thing is variable, I think, depending on the edition you're using. Personally, I hate the "short, cute elf" thing, and prefer my elves to be closer to human height, albeit slimmer in build. I can do lithe, I can do graceful, but I like a little height in my men. What I'm really intrigued by is your half water elemental. There's so much leeway in playing with that sort of character, and the lore? Oh, gods, tons of fun there! Are you going to use the genasi stats, or try and blend human/water elemental on your own and create something unique? Either way, I'm drooling!

Hmmm... interesting topic, and not one I've actually sat down and intellectualized. For the most part, my writing is seat-of-the-pants, without outlines, and subject to changes as the story develops. I might have thought I was going in one direction, and will wind up somewhere else entirely. I think some small amount of deconstruction is almost inevitable if you want to shake life into something that's become the literary equivalent of a raddled whore, such as anything involving vampires these days. But, and it's a big but for me, there is a point when it's too much and you do lose sight of the escapist nature of fiction. Even realistic fiction offers a form of escape, if only from our own lives and into someone else's shoes for a bit. I'm put in mind of Mary Doria Russell's absolutely gorgeous books, The Sparrow and its sequel, The Children of God. Her protagonist is absolutely wrecked, destroyed utterly and left devoid of faith. It's brutal. I can count on one hand the number of times a book has moved me to literal tears like those did. But it is a journey towards redemption, and in spite of all it cost him, he does find some measure of peace. Those two books will haunt me, always.

Gods, I love your reviews, because they make me think! Yes, Gend is underdeveloped in term sof explaining why he just did what he did, and it's one of the things I'm already tweaking for the rewrite. I really couldn't do too much without cleaning up the prior chapters, though, so yes. There will be some more development for Gend, but it comes later. Ack, my elves are cute and sweet? Well, yeah, I suppose they are. Oh, well...feck... I do like playing with dialogue and I suppose that does show. And I'm glad the elven comes off as more intimate than pretentious of me. That's how I wanted it to feel, as though they resort to their own first language in moments of intimacy. But I am really making a concerted effort to write a happy ending for the poor elves, honestly! I'm not utterly heartless. But thank you again, as always, for reading, for taking the time to review, and for poking me!

::snorts:: As long as she doesn't ask her father, we're good... I'm pretty much unshockable.

Oh, gods, I am gobsmacked, seriously! I really had not considered that English was not your first language, and now I'm even more impressed by the quality of your writing. English is such a fucking bastard of a language to learn, and every rules has not only exceptions but outright contradictions. I'm a native speaker of the language (although I frequently claim to be fluent in both English and American), and I screw up. This is a link to a site I use for my teengirl, who is much more proficient in texting than in actually writing, although I'm trying to get her to post some stuff on the Pit. I even offered to beta for her, which I rarely do. I'll proof for friends for grammar/spelling/mechanics, but I dislike trying to direct their writing because I'm terrified that I'll change their style too much. Every writer has a unique voice, and it shouldn't get lost. Punctuation rules Gods, above all, do NOT stop writing.

Like I said, it's minor, but one of those things that can occasionally jar the reader. (So saith the Grammar Bitch, who had this shit beaten into her at a young and impressionable age.) In dialogue, if the attribution is not a completely separate sentence, the dialogue text should end with a comma right before the end quote, and the attribution should begin with a lower case letter. For example: "I can't believe you just said that," he snapped. The attribution really doesn't work as a standalone sentence. Did he bark that out, or flip out and pillage the town? Obviously, there are times when you attribute dialogue without one of those he said/he replied/he retorted endless sequences that can drag on. In that case, the period before the end quote and initial cap on the new sentence is perfect. Aside from that, poetic writing isn't necessarily poetry, but it is rich and complex and dense with imagery. That's a very good thing, imo, since writing should be a passionate thing. It should make you feel something, even if it's the urge to scream and heave the book out the window. If the reader doesn't react, it isn't working. You, gods, you get into your characters' heads, and you make me see them as flesh and blood, and you make me care about what happens next. Writing shouldn't be a dying art, and when I read something that makes me read until the end, straight through, and be hungry for more, well...

I hadn't noticed this until now, so... hello. Let's see. I'm new to AFF but have been posting fics over on FF for a bit in the Neverwinter Nights game fandom. I'm a voracious reader, an avid player of CRPGs, a geek, and addicted to caffeine, chocolate and sarcasm. I enjoy a good debate that doesn't degenerate into name calling and finger pointing. I have been a practicing polytheist for most of my life, of the garden variety pagan persuasion, and have a pathological dislike of fluffy bunnies. I write because the stories in my head won't go away until I do, and I love to get useful concrit on what I write. By that I mean just don't tell me what you don't like, tell me WHY you don't like it. I live with a teen, a tween, a husband, and my mother. Trust me, I can take it. So far, I am really enjoying AFF, and hope to stick around for a while if you don't mind.

I do remember reading somewhere that the lead writer on NWN2, Davis Gaider, said he didn't like writing romance. Gee, ya think? Heh. If I posted the other fic here, I'd be swamped with complaints about not enough sex, I fear. It would need a lot of trimming as well, since I really hate the first few chapters. Low on the project scale right now, I think, but posting this one over at the Pit would be easier. Given some of the more recent abominations that have been put up, I might not even tame it down first. I'm actually in the target range for Casavir, and I found him massively unappealing. Here my PC is, my snarky little elf rogue on first playthrough, looking at all the frigging orcs SHE just killed to save his ass, and he wants to protect HER?

I really wanted to mull a bit before I tackled this. This keeps drifting back to the notion of love versus the sexual appeal of older people, or the sexual appetites of older people, and that's really two different topics. On love, yes, we mourn when we lose a loved one. We mourn for ourselves. We're the ones stuck here without them, after all. Some people may never move past that, or may never have the time to move past that, which in and of itself should be a good thing, since it means they may have had a good long time with their loved one. But it's natural. It's not something to be feared, or dreaded. We get older. Shit happens. Our bodies aren't as limber, we suffer ailments we wouldn't have had to worry about when younger, and some of us do experience senility and dementia. Hells, we're lucky if we even find one person in our lives that we truly, no-holds-barred, let all the barriers down, love. Me, I'd rather celebrate what I had, and what I still have, rather than waste what time I do have in mourning. If the gods are kind, I'll still have living family that will need me, and love me. I'll adapt. But your mileage may vary, and that's fine. I don't have any lock on the wisdom of the ages, after all. Now, sex. Even at this point in my life, and I am far from decrepit, I couldn't see myself chasing young tail. I'm not entirely sure where that's coming from, although it's not all that important. I'm not ageist, mind you. I like younger people, really. I mean, sure, there's visual appeal, but a lot of sexual attraction for me is mental as well. And I'm not talking love, here, just to be clear. I certainly never thought I had to be in love with every one of my lovers. That would be... exhausting, actually. Love is hard work. Sex is fun. I don't mistake one for the other as a general rule.

The big fic is posted over at the Pit, and is much tamer than this one. To be honest, I had no idea AFF existed when I started writing fanfic. Yes, I know, I am sometimes quite hopelessly oblivious. I started writing fanfic after being intrigued by a group of lively people on the Bioware forums started something called the "Shirtless Sagas" dedicated to writing romances other than the canon "I want to... protect you" Casavir routine thrust upon us by the NWN2 game developers. Between that undying declaration of interest, and the long underwear your character avatar wears when out of armor, the Bioware forum ladies took off. Eventually, the entire thing migrated to the Pit, which is when I got bored at the pool and began writing myself. I might post an edited version on the Pit, someday, just to see heads explode. Edit: To clarify my own post (having been distracted by a rather desperate teenager needing to rehearse lines for "Arsenic and Old Lace"), the events in Alchemy occur primarily before and after the events in the big fic. In theory, it can function as a stand-alone story, since it's not Sand's POV. However, because it does contain events that happen after the big fic, there are some minor spoilers, and I was threatened with ritual dismemberment at dawn if I spoil the ending at the Pit. ::shrugs:: Like that would be new for me.

Ack! I wasn't going for that impression at all! Just going off the FR world, there are elven subraces for whom mating with a human is so repugnant that it's unthinkable, and so yes, this is valid. Sun elves in particular do not view elf-human pairings as even remotely acceptable, and even many moon elves will have the same reaction. Wood elves are not as particular, and in the Yuirwood area, it is the half-elven community that act as the protectors of the land and the hidden star elf community. It's also not a given that an elf who has a relationship with a human is necessarily going to seek out another human partner. Let me posit this. From an actuarial perspective, women tend to live longer than men. Statistically speaking, most women form relationships with men either their age or older. This, too, is both relationship inequality, and masochism, since the odds are strongly in favor of the woman outliving the man. When my Other Half dies, I'm certainly not going to just shrug and move on since I happen to love the daft bastard, but the alternative, not wanting a partner in my life because I'm terrified he will die before me and leave me alone, is equally untenable. There isn't a safe formula for loving someone, and making age or possible differences in lifespan a criteria for deciding who to love is colder than I can be. Now, having said all that, we've sort of hijacked this away from the original notion of older people being sexually appealing. So, in a futile effort to pretend to stay on topic, one thing that has always interested me when this topic comes up is the biological dichotomy that exists in peak sexual appetite/interest between men and women. Men peak rather early on, biologically speaking, in the late teens to mid twenties. Women don't begin hitting their sexual stride until they are in their thirties. And yet, at least in Western society, older men are distinguished, and older women are just old. Hmm... I shall now take my not-yet wrinkly butt off the soapbox and turn it over to the next person.

One of the things that always struck me about Sand in the game is that he's the classic highly intelligent but common sense deprived sort. I actually have a friend like that, which is a scary thing IRL. She's a member of MENSA, but so NOT ask her to walk and chew gum at the same time. Actually, you shouldn't feel sorry for Sand, so I'm pleased that you didn't. He admits that he was an intellectual whore, and an idiot. In many ways, he still is, given that in the game, he never managed to tell the PC about his Luskan past until it comes out in the trial. This would be the billboard moment for stupidity in my book, and I had a great deal of fun with it in the fic that spawned Alchemy. I love the half a cat comparison. It's true, that, although in my case it was half a mouse, literally. It's not so much that I don't like delving into emotional stuff. I fear going overboard. Irrational, I know. I love picking apart motivation, and a lot of that is emotional, so go figure. Now that NaNo is over, I may just go pick away at the chapters I have up already, and take it from there. Free time is a good thing. Truffles from Leonidas... ah, well, let's just say that I've made it a mission to discover the kinds of chocolates that could induce euphoria in dead people. These come close. They make Godiva taste like chocolates with training wheels. I actually haven't been down that way in the city for a while, so I'm not even sure if they're still open. I should ask my Other Half to check it out for me one day. A post-NaNo splurge!