News update April 1st 2009

Frank is back!

My deepest apologies for being absent from ff.net for such a long time.

Believe it or not, it was a legal matter. As some of you know, some of my co-workers and me have been writing fanfic for quite a while... well, and all of a sudden our editor-in-chief and our friendly resident lawyers decided that we ought to stop doing so AT ONCE. Apparently they were afraid of what we'd have to pay if JKR ever decides that she'll sue us all for copyright infringement, and, oh, could we possibly imagine what a scandal it would cause if the public found out that serious newspaper writers waste their time thinking up funny little stories based on children's books?

Anyway, there actually was a preliminary injunction saying that we were not allowed to publish fanfic, communicate with other fanfic writers, or log into our accounts here on ff.net or other fanfic sites. As of today, they have decided our employer cannot specifically prohibit our weird avocation (though they've made it clear that it is to be considered abnormally childish behaviour, but who cares about that) and thus... we're back. :-)

I am extremely sorry that I could not write review replies during the last few months. I will try to catch up, I promise.

And as for my stories... well, you'll see.

About me:

My name is Frank. I am a newspaper writer in real life, am too old to be obsessed with writing fanfic, and will do it anyway.

I will eternally be grateful to my wonderful betas Ellen Fawkes and PercyWeasel.

I live and breathe on reviews. Don't we all?

In return, I do solemly swear to review every fic I read. That is, unless I have already left several reviews and the author has not bothered to answer. Folks, we all crave those comments and answering is merely a display of good manners. If you have enough leisure time to write fanfic, then you do also have those extra 5 seconds needed to write a polite 'thank you'. No excuses accepted.

I insist that Harry Potter fanfics need to be brit-picked. Sorry, there is no Hogwarts Graduation Ceremony, no Nerd Days and Casual Fridays, and Hermione will not be Valedictorian of her class. There is no Prom and no Quidditch Homecoming Dance, 'sneakers' are 'trainers', and a 'sweater' is a 'jumper'. And that item Voldemort was after was not called a Sorcerer's Stone.

If you spot any brit-picking mistakes in my fics, please do tell me so. (Except for the fireflies in 'Emmeline Vance'. I have seen two fireflies in Sussex. Global warming, maybe?) Likewise, if you spot a horrible typo or grammar mistake, drop me a note.

Hope you enjoy my stories, and thanks for reading my profile.
Frank

About some of my fics:

Nothing like the Sun

My Book 7, a Snape/McGonagall love pairing, and yes I know that it's weird. Focussing on Minerva McGonagall, this explains how her feelings towards Snape change slowly from hatred and mistrust to trust, friendship, and eventually to love.

Also features a lot of side characters, mostly the Order of the Phoenix (Mad-Eye Moody, the Weasleys, Lupin, Tonks, and Hagrid), Neville and Augusta Longbottom, various Death Eaters (Bellatrix Lestrange, Lucius Malfoy, Nott Senior), Draco and Narcissa Malfoy, and the Golden Trio. And Severus Snape, obviously. Horcrux Hunt and the Final Battle with Voldemort included.

This aims to be a realistic love story; one that does not overlook 'minor' problems like the fact that Severus is half Minerva's age and that she cannot possibly trust him after he killed Dumbledore.

HBP-compliant, but very AU to DH. WIP.

Minerva McGonagall and the Half-Blood Prince

is the much abridged version of 'Nothing like the Sun'. Plotwise it is the same, but there are a lot of scenes missing and while it was published successfully, I am not entirely happy with it. Check A/N of 'Nothing like the Sun' for more details.

(If you are interested in reading 'Nothing like the Sun', I recommend that you do not read this fic, as it will contain spoilers.)

The Wisdom and War Trilogy

This is another version of "My Book 7", set in a different universe than Nothing like the Sun. Canon up to HBP, very AU to DH. Based on MMAD, but set after his death.

Part One: Madness of Minerva

After watching Harry's memory of Dumbledore's death, Minerva McGonagall figures out that Severus Snape is not a Death Eater, but of course no one believes her. Soon enough, the rest of the Order of the Phoenix think her more than just a little bit insane with grief... Angst/tragedy fic with MMSS friendship and trust issues.

Part Two: Owl Post and Phoenix Messages

Four chapters, and not a real story, but a collection of notes, letters, and newspaper articles. Starts where Madness of Minerva leaves us, and deals with the events of the following year. Let's see... there's the quest for the Horcruxes, a childbirth, Voldemort's rise to (more) power, and lots of tragic deaths and disappearances - I mean it, those who die are people you love. WIP

Part Three: Catharsis

Will be published by my beta Ellen Fawkes, please go and check her account here on ff.net (she's in my favorites.) My plot idea, but she rewrote (and improved!!) large parts of the fic.

Fanfic recommendations outside ff.net:

1.) The Art and Science of Change by Delphi: http://delphi.popullus.net/library/hp/science.html

An absolutely wonderful Snape/McGonagall story. M rated, AU, and I have to point out that this link will take you to a library with several very adult stories (some including non-con and underage issues). But do check out Art and Science of Change, it's the best fic I've read in months.

2.) Harry Potter vs. Prince of Tennis by george pushdragon. http://pushdragon.livejournal.com/32815.html

(Acutally it's untitled, but that's how it was referred to when it was recommended to me.)
Crackfic. Fic about fanfic of various fandoms. Sort of a snarry-ish parody, but that's not the point. If there is a point. "Every word of House/Chase destroys a brick in Hogwarts' walls."