JJ RUST

Full Name: John J. Rust

Birthplace: Trenton, NJ, USA

Current Residence: Arizona, USA

Occupation: Sports Reporter/Sportscaster for The News, 1490 AM KYCA.

Avatar: Just so you know, the person in this picture who is not U.S. Olympic Softball pitcher Jennie Finch is me.

*PUBLISHING NEWS: My new book is out! "Dark Wings" is the story of an otherworldly race that resembles Mothman and the Jersey Devil invading Earth. You can check it out at www.amazon.com/Dark-Wings-Mr-John-Rust/dp/1469943271 for the paperback. The e-book is at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/102426 .

STORY ALERT I am currently involved in a co-written story with fellow fanfiction.net writer Jazzcat titled "Three Worlds Collide." The story features Jazzcat's character Violar Wildfire. She is a centaur from Narnia who travels to Earth and finds a home with the X-Men (movieverse). She possesses a magic amulet that lets her transform from centaur form to human form so she can fit in to human society. The two stories that feature her, "A Centaur In New York" and "Fire and Rain," are exceptional stories with a lot of character studies, angst, humor and friendship. I highly recommend them. In "Three Worlds Collide," Violar joins Iceman, Kitty and Rogue on a road trip to a hockey tournament in Connecticut, where they run into my "Harry Potter" Original Characters Jimmy O'Bannon and Rosa Infante. You can find "Three Worlds Collide" below in my "Stories" section. I also have a link to "A Centaur in New York" on this page.

Writing Credits: Short story "The Art Of Fear" published in the anthology "Halloween Dances With The Dead" (Whortleberry Press); Short story "The Last Soldier" published in the anthology "What If: A Collection of Short Science Fiction Stories" (ReadMe Publishing); Short Story "Heroes Don't Die," published in Issue 12 of the online magazine "A Thousand Faces." Self-published sci-fi novel "Epsilon" (Xlibris Corporation); Magazine article "He Loaded His Killer's Shotgun" in True Detective Cases; Magazine article "Lighthouse of the Revolution" in Lighthouse Digest.

Favorite TV Shows: 24, Supernatural, Dr. Who, Jericho, The 4400, Law & Order: SVU, Babylon 5, South Park, Mind of Mencia, The Shield, Heroes, That 70s Show, Ghost Hunters, Robot Chicken, Sons of Anarchy, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Fringe, Deadliest Warrior, NCIS, A Haunting, Monster Quest, Lost Tapes, Bones, Destination Truth, Human Target, Flashpoint, Baseball Tonight, How I Met Your Mother; Bar Rescue

Favorite Movies: Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, X-Men, Spiderman, Die Hard, The Quiet Man, Field of Dreams, Remember the Titans, Terminator 2, Star Trek: First Contact, Monty Python & The Holy Grail, Star Wars (The original 3 movies), Independence Day, American Pie, Major League, The Ring, Them, The Abyss, Speed, Rio Bravo, Blazing Saddles, School of Rock, Bull Durham, The Waterboy, Animal House, Airplane, Iron Man, The Dark Knight, Con Air, Watchmen, Star Trek (2009), The Hangover, Slapshot, Fail Safe; Battle Los Angeles, Thor, Super 8; Captain America, Paranormal Activity

Favorite Anime/Cartoons: Star Blazers, Robotech, Justice League, Kids Next Door, Venture Brothers, War Planets, Dexter's Laboratory, Exo-Squad, Escaflowne, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Gargoyles, Penguins of Madagascar, The Mysterious City of Gold, Speed Racer (The original)

Favorite Authors: Tom Clancy, Harry Turtledove, Clive Cussler, JK Rowling, Jack DuBrul, Dale Brown, John Birmingham, Lee Child, Vince Flynn, Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, Janet Evanovich

Favorite Books: Clear & Present Danger (Tom Clancy), Worldwar series (Harry Turtledove), Sahara (Clive Cussler), Harry Potter series (JK Rowling), Axis of Time series (John Birmingham), Fatal Terrain (Dale Brown), Deep Fire Rising (Jack DuBrul), The Hunt For Red October (Tom Clancy), The Enemy Within (Larry Bond), Without Remorse (Tom Clancy), The Art of War (Sun Tzu), Summer of '49 (David Halberstam), The Alien Years (Robert Silverberg), Watch on the Rhine (John Ringo), Transfer of Power (Vince Flynn), The Dig (Alan Dean Foster), The Guns of the South (Harry Turtledove), Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card), Cauldron (Larry Bond), How Few Remain (Harry Turtledove), Freedom's Rangers series, Dangerous Ground (Larry Bond), The Best Game Ever (Mark Bowden); "Every Man A Tiger" (Tom Clancy w/Chuck Horner); "Destroyermen: Into The Storm (Taylor Anderson); Impact (Douglas Preston), "Gone Tomorrow" (Lee Child)

Favorite Musicians: Led Zeppelin, Rush, Heart, Nightwish, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Evanescence, Dropkick Murphys, Iced Earth, Within Temptation, AC/DC, Bob Seger, Motorhead, Queensryche, Creed, CCR, Moody Blues, Dokken, Pat Benatar, Nikoli Rimsky-Korsakov, Antonin Dvorak, Ed Van Fleet, Secret Garden, Bond, Celtic Woman, The Tossers, Epica, Sirenia, Arkona, After Forever, Arch Enemy, Visions of Atlantis, Skillet, Lacuna Coil

Best Concerts I've Been To: Rush, Heart, Nightwish (Thank you for coming to the USA! New singer Anette Olzon rules . . . and is hot!), Weird Al Yankovic, Lynyrd Skynyrd (if for no other reason than they tore the house down when they did "Freebird'), Lord of the Dance (maybe not technically a concert, but an awesome show!), The Moody Blues, Mannheim Steamroller, Pat Benatar, Dropkick Murphys/The Tossers

Hobbies: Exercising, collecting T-shirts & ballcaps, watching sports, studying history

Favorite Sports: Baseball, Football (American), Hockey

Favorite Teams: (Baseball) Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox; (Football) Philadelphia Eagles; (Hockey) New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers

Favorite Athletes: Mike Schmidt (ex-third baseman, Philadelphia Phillies); Martin Brodeur (Goalie, New Jersey Devils); David Ortiz (designated hitter, Boston Red Sox); Cal Ripken, Jr. (ex-shortstop, Baltimore Orioles), Chase Utley (second baseman, Philadelphia Phillies), Vladamir Guerrero (DH, Texas Rangers); Chuck Bednarik (ex-linebacker/center, Philadelphia Eagles); John Kruk (ex-Philadelphia Phillies first baseman); Lenny Dykstra (ex-outfielder, Philadelphia Phillies); Jason Veritek (catcher, Boston Red Sox); Scott Stevens (ex-defenseman, New Jersey Devils); Dustin Pedroia (second baseman, Boston Red Sox); Nomar Garciaparra (ex-Boston Red Sox shortstop); Ryan Howard (first baseman, Philadelphia Phillies); Ville Leino (Philadelphia Flyers forward); Claude Giroux (Philadelphia Flyers forward); Daniel Carcillo (Philadelphia Flyers forward); Clay Matthews III (Green Bay Packers linebacker)

Favorite Sportscasters: Vin Scully (My idol and the greatest ever!!), Harry Kalas (I grew up listening to him do Phillies games. Rest In Peace, Harry. You will be missed), Chris Berman, Gary Thorne, Jon Miller, the guy who does the Buffalo Sabres games (don't know his name, but he's a riot to listen to)

"Harry Potter" Original Character Details: Since I have quite a few Harry Potter stories involving a recurring OC, I figure I'd post some general information about him.

Name: Jimmy O'Bannon

Country of Origin: USA

Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts

Blood Status: Muggle-born

Schools Attended: Salem Witches Institute (USA); Hogwarts School For Wizarding and Witchcraft (England. Studied there for one year during "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire")

Best Friends: From Hogwarts, Fred and George Weasley; From Salem, Rosa Infante, Jared Diaz, Artimus Rand

Other Personal Info: Jimmy is a huge fan of Muggle sports, his favorite being hockey. His favorite teams are the Boston Bruins (hockey), the Boston Red Sox (baseball) and the New England Patriots (football). Jimmy is also a very talented hockey player. By the time he was 15 he was an alternate captain of his club hockey team at Salem, which had won the school's championship two of the previous three years. He also formed a hockey team during his year at Hogwarts which played Slytherin (chronicled in the story "Jimmy O'Bannon: The Adventure Begins").

Fanfic Appearances (In chronological order):

"Fear Itself" (13-year-old Jimmy O'Bannon's encounter with a Boggart has left him the laughing stock of the Salem Witches Institute. But will he learn a valuable lesson about fear?)

"Jimmy O'Bannon: The Adventure Begins" 15-Year-Old Jimmy O'Bannon gets to study for a year at Hogwarts. Along the way, he forms a hockey team, falls for a beautiful French witch, witnesses first hand the Tri-Wizard Tournament . . . and the return of history's most powerful dark wizard.

"A Perilous Pass" (Jimmy learns the perils of living on the same floor as Fred & George, especially when they're testing out new joke products)

"The Luna Effect" (After a series of encounters with Luna Lovegood, Jimmy is forced to confront a shameful experience from his past)

"Cold Laughter" (Jimmy, Fred & George pull a prank on Hermione)

"Cartoon Chaos" (Harry Potter/Anamaniacs crossover. Jimmy is not the main character, but is featured in a couple scenes)

"Air Of Disharmony" (Jimmy returns to the Salem Witches Institute. Along with trying to convince Americans of Voldemort's return, he must also deal with two unwanted exchange students. And why are the Salem students at one another's throats?)

"Dark Horizon" (Jimmy & his best friends from Salem must warn the Order of the Phoenix of an impending invasion by American Death Eaters)

"Midnight's Blood" (Jimmy and his friends return to England to help Harry and company track down a pack of legendary creatures)

"In The Grip Of Darkness" (Deals with Jimmy and his friends during the events of Book 7 and beyond)

"In The Grip Of Darkness II": (More post-war happenings with Jimmy and company)

"Luna's Fenway Day" (watch what happens when Jimmy invites Luna Lovegood to take in a Red Sox/Yankees baseball game)

"The Cup" Jimmy O'Bannon's reaction to the Boston Bruins winning the Stanley Cup in 2011.

This is just curiousity on my part. Will someone explain to me the reasoning behind Draco/Hermione romance fics and Harry/Draco slash fics. I honest to God do not get it. Oh yeah, same thing with Hermione/Snape fics. C'mon, serious? And don't get me started on Harry/Snape. Who the hell read the books and watched the movies and thought to themselves, "Hey. Those two would make a great couple." And who the hell first thought of Harry/Voldemort. For God's sake, come on. Suspension of disbelief only goes so far. Now Harry and Tonks I have no problem with, since younger guy/older woman can rule.

STUFF ON FANFICTION.NET YOU GOTTA READ!!

Yes, I have several stories in my Favorites file, but of them, these are what I consider the Best of the Best and deserving of more reads and reviews.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot: The women's specialty is taking HP secondary characters and making them into compelling characters, more than they ever were in canon. Her two top stories are "Daphne Greengrass and the 6th Year From Hell" and the sequel "Daphne Greengrass and the 7th Year From Hell." www.fanfiction.net/s/3912184/1/Daphne_Greengrass_and_the_6th_Year_From_Helland www.fanfiction.net/s/4236594/1/Daphne_Greengrass_and_the_7th_Year_From_Hell. This follows WTF's own version of Daphne Greengrass, a Slytherin who befriends Harry and company. She comes with a ton of baggage and sometimes her moral compass is out of whack, but her growth as a character is something to behold. Plus there's some absolutely hysterical stuff in these stories. Also check out WTF's "Living in Hell." www.fanfiction.net/s/4493401/1/Living_in_Hell . This chronicles several of the secondary HP characters and what they went through at Hogwarts during the 7th Book.

MBP: She specializes in heart-wrenching stories that make even guys like me get teary eyed, and before her stories the only works of fiction that made me do that were "Field of Dreams" and "The Green Berets." Much of MBP's stuff deals with coping with Fred's death. "Left Behind" www.fanfiction.net/s/3675504/1/Left_Behind and www.fanfiction.net/s/3707935/1/Still_Left_Behind_A_Year_Later. MBP also has an awesome AU story concerning the death of Arthur Weasley and how the Weasley family copes with it. "Weasley Family Heartbreak." www.fanfiction.net/s/4063598/1/Weasley_Family_Heartbreak .

Inverarity: I'm not exaggerating when I say Inverarity is one of the best writers on this site. For anyone jonesing for a really good Wizarding World story in America, check out "Alexandra Quick and the Thorn Circle." www.fanfiction.net/s/3964606/1/Alexandra_Quick_and_the_Thorn_Circle . All original characters developed most excellently. Great lot and story arc as well. Great growth and depth for Alex Quick. There's also "Hogwarts Houses Divided." www.fanfiction.net/s/3979062/1/Hogwarts_Houses_Divided . This follows Teddy Lupin through his first year at Hogwarts. Watch him make some unique friends, drive the teachers nuts and face a grave crisis.

The Breeze: For a really awesome AU version of Harry Potter, go to "Friendship and Secrets." www.fanfiction.net/s/1634881/1/Friendship_and_Secrets . This shows what if Susan Bones became a close friend of Harry Potter. Forget everything about how Books 6 and 7 went and enjoy what might have been in the HP world.

silverbirch: If you ever wanted to see how Hermione's parents dealt with a daughter who was a witch, read "My daughter, my story." www.fanfiction.net/s/4021422/1/My_daughter_my_story. It's all from the POV of Mr. Granger. The chapter focusing on Hermione's 6th Year and the whole Ron/Lavender situation is awesome!

Bad Mum: Yeah, there are a lot of stories out there dealing with the death of Fred, but Bad Mum has one of the best with "Aftermath Before The Funeral." www.fanfiction.net/s/3999865/1/Aftermath_Before_The_Funeral. See how various HP characters deal with the passing of Fred Weasley.

Ramzes: Direct from Bulgaria, Ramzes gives great insights into the secrets, strengths and angst of the second generation of HP characters with "Being Them." www.fanfiction.net/s/4287637/1/Being_Them .

Melora Maxwell: For you Dr. Who fans, this woman has an incredible take on the classic episode "Dalek." It's "Alone." www.fanfiction.net/s/2448513/1/Alone. Melora does an amazing job delving into the mind of, supposedly, the last Dalek in the universe. How does a Dalek think? Read this and find out.

Spooky-Girl: She has a great "Third Watch" fanfic "Understanding in a Car Crash." www.fanfiction.net/s/1571202/1/Understanding_in_a_Car_Crash . See Jimmy's thoughts and regrets as he, Kim and Joey are involved in a serious accident.

PineappleGrenade: Get ready to laugh your ass off as the PG writes for that sick wacko British show from the 1980s "The Young Ones." It's bust a gut laughing time as the Neil, Mike, Rick and Viviyn go on a quest to get ice cream in "Ice Cream." www.fanfiction.net/s/3537224/1/Ice_Cream .

AlbertG: He does an awesome take on one of my favorite novel series "Worldwar" by Harry Turtledove. This time, the iguana-like aliens don't invade Earth during World War II. They invade in the present day and wind up facing "Stargate SG-1." Check out "Worldwar: Discovering The Balance." www.fanfiction.net/s/3876464/1/Worldwar_Discovering_The_Balance .

brigrove: Okay, I'm not very big on the Harry/Hermione ship, but this guy does a great job with it in "The Harmony Bond." www.fanfiction.net/s/4200567/1/The_Harmony_Bond. Very AU with Harry and Hermione getting together at age 7, and Harry being adopted by the Grangers. Both kids are exposed to the Wizarding World at a younger age, and for some reason, they have a soul bond. Great, great story. Well-written, emotional, dramatic, great character development. Very much worth your time.

Jazzcat: A very, very excellent writer! She excells at character development and really getting into the heads of the people she writes. A must read from her is "A Centaur in New York." www.fanfiction.net/s/4625122/1/A_Centaur_in_New_York. This story follow the adventures of Violar, a centaur from Narnia. She goes from that magical land to present day New York, where she runs into the X-Men. Jazzcat's bond between Violar and Angel is masterfully written. Read it now! In addition, Jazzcat and I are co-authoring the story "Three Worlds Collide," where Violar and some of her X-Men buddies attend a hockey tournament and run into my Harry Potter OCs Jimmy O'Bannon and Rosa Infante. www.fanfiction.net/s/5331570/1/Three_Worlds_Collide .

Esperata: She has a great piece detailing the friendship that develops between two of Batman's less famous arch-foes, the Mad Hatter and the Scarecrow, in "Do You Play?" www.fanfiction.net/s/4770221/1/Do_You_Play . Scarecrow's philosophy on the nature of fear alone makes this worth reading.

I Dance Alone: If you want to get inside the heads of Death Eaters who fought in the war, this writer has the story for you. "Toy Soldiers." www.fanfiction.net/s/4772885/1/Toy_Soldiers.

Tips For Writing:I am not a NY Times best-selling author nor do I claim to be the foremost expert on the art of writing. These are just some things I have learned after years of writing maunscripts and magazine articles, attending writers workshops and being part of writers groups, and they have helped me. I figure if you have knowledge, it's good to share it with others.

These are some things I picked up at a workshop run by David Morrell, the author of "First Blood" and "Creepers." The difference between "writers and civilians" is writers are aware. We are always aware of our surroundings, of the people we deal with, of stories we see in the news or in magazines. This is how we get our inspiration. Tom Clancy came up with "The Hunt For Red October" because he saw a news story about a mutiny aboard a Russian merchant ship and took it a step further by asking, "What if the same thing happened on a Soviet missile submarine?"

Daydreaming is good. Again, this helps us come up with stories. We can be at sporting events, the circus, parties, etc, look at people, and make up stories about them in our heads, or create whole new characters around them. Example, when I was at the Ringling Brothers Circus recently, while I was marveling at the performers, I was also thinking, "How did they get involved in the circus? What is their family life like? What if a character from one of my stories had to do something at a circus and got involved with this performer?"

This from an Alan Dean Foster workshop . . . If you write at least one page a day every day, by the end of the year you will have a novel.

Come up with characters you'd like to meet. When I worked at a radio station in New Jersey, we had a receptionist who was part Filipino, part Blackfoot Indian and Jewish. Now is that a combination or what?

Now some other stuff I've picked up in my writing life.

Always carve out time in your day for writing. You should at least be able to find one hour a day for writing.

Always, always, always proofread your stories before submission. Correct any spelling and grammatical mistakes. Most computers will have spellchecks or grammar checks. Use them.

On this site, summaries are VERY important. This is the way you introduce people to your story. This is your hook to catch their attention and make them want to read. At best, you have two or three sentences to convey the plot of your story. Stick to the point, and make that point sound interesting. Reading the back of book covers might give you some ideas on how to develop your own summary. Also, proofread your summary before posting it. If a summary has too many spelling and grammar errors, then many people will assume your entire story is littered with them and won't be inclined to read. And NEVER, EVER write "I suck at summaries." I avoid stories that have that phrase. My feeling is if you say your summary sucks, how can I be sure the story is good? You want to encourage people to read your story, not drive them away.

Don't get discouraged by negative reviews. Remember, not everyone will like your stories.

If you're writing original stuff and trying to get it published, be prepared to receive a lot of rejection letters. Again, don't get discouraged. Tom Clancy and JK Rowling were rejected by just about everyone in the world and look how things turned out for them.

For writing habits, do what works best for you. I have music on in the background when I'm working. Some people may prefer to work in quiet surroundings. Some people like to write an outline of their stories, others have it in their heads, sit down and start writing the story. Some people like to work at a desk, others may take their laptop, sit under a tree and write. There is no right or wrong here. Do what works best for you.

Putting your own life experiences into your stories is always good. In my fanfic "Dreamgirl," many of the emotions Dean Thomas experiences when he's pining for Ginny Weasley are based on similar situations I've been through in my life. Not only can it help bring your stories to life, it can sometimes be theraputic.

Plot is easy. What drives the story is characters. If you don't have interesting characters the reader can care about, your story will go nowhere.

Never make things easy for your characters. As much as you may love your characters, don't be afraid to throw tons and tons of crap on them. Without conflict, you have no story.

Become the character you are writing. When you are typing away, you become Harry Potter or Hermione Granger or Jack Sparrow or Jack Bauer or Spiderman or Wolverine. You can no longer think "what would I do" or "what would I say" in this situation. It's "How would (your character) deal with this?" "What would he/she say?" "How would they say it?" Always be aware of the personalities and mannerisms of whatever character you are writing for. Harry Potter wouldn't call someone "Dude," and Jack Bauer wouldn't high five his fellow CTU operatives after a successful mission.

Here's some more stuff on character development I picked up at a Writer's Seminar. This comes from Susan Lang, author of the books "Small Rocks Rising" and "Moon Lily."

When creating a character, here are some things to consider to make them a more well-rounded person:

What does your character care most about? What does he/she most want?

Who does your character care most about? Who is your character close to?

Who or what has been the major influences in your character's life?

What specifically does your character have in his/her pockets or purse?

What drives your character?

When your character sits alone, what does he/she fantasize about?

What was the most traumatic experience in your character's life?

What is your character most afraid of?

Who has hurt your character? Who has your character hurt?

How much does your character know about his or herself and what drives him/her?

What kinds of things is your character aware about him/herself? What things is he/she not aware of?

How do other people see your character?

Have your character have a "shadow." Something that doesn't make them 100 nice or likeable (therefore avoiding the Gary Stu/Mary Sue trap). Have their greatest strength become a weakness, something that rubs people the wrong way. Example, Hermione Granger (Harry Potter Series) is highly intelligent, but showing off that intelligence alienates many aroud her.

Do a genealogy of your character (parents, siblings, grandparents, etc) and maybe do a bio of them.

There are also many ways you can reveal your character's thoughts, emotions and state of mind to the readers.

Dialogue

Actions (slamming a door, clenching his/her fists)

Habits (rolling a pen between his/her fingers, drumming their fingers on a table)

Thoughts

Fears

Dreams

Memories

Likes/Dislikes

Attitude or actions toward other people and/or life in general

Reactions to events

Decisions

Things the character notices around him/her

What the character wears, carries, reads, etc.

Stories need conflict in order to work. This does not necessarily mean a physical fight. Conflict comes in many forms. Disagreements with family members/friends/significant others. Sporting events. Trying to pass a test. Trying to escape a disaster. Trying to overcome shyness and ask a girl/guy on a date. Pulling a prank on someone. Conflict with one's self, like dealing with a tragedy. The example I like to use of what happens when a story has no conflict, think of "Jurassic Park." How enjoyable would the book or movie be if they went to the island, drove around, saw dinosaurs and everything in the park worked fine and no dinosaurs escaped to threaten the park goers and staff. You guessed it. It would be one very boring story.

Research is always a good idea. If your story takes place in Philadelphia or London or Canberra or Tel Aviv, check and see what those cities are like. If you write about a character exploring the desert outside Flagstaff, Arizona, the people from there will jump all over you. Arizona is not one big desert. Flagstaff, actually, is surrounded by pine forests, not cacti. Also, and this is mainly for action/adventure writers, always do research when dealing with weapons and other equipment. And DON'T rely on TV and movies, because 9 times out of ten they get it wrong. Example, cars DO NOT explode when they crash. Police and firefighters will tell you that only 1-2 percent of motor vehicle accidents result in fire. Note, I said fire, not massive explosion. Also, you CANNOT blow up a vehicle by shooting at the gas tank. Going back to David Morrell, he actually spent a few days at a security course where they pumped a couple hundred rounds into the gas tank of a car and it did not blow up. Another one, hand grenades DO NOT explode like bombs. They only pack about a pound of explosives. Their deadliness comes from the shrapnel they put out, not the explosion.

This is is mainly for teens. IGNORE PEER PRESSURE!! If people are making fun of you for writing stories, IGNORE THEM!! If you enjoy writing, do it! Do not let the stupid crap that takes place during a seven year period of your life (combining middle and high school) influence what happens for the rest of it. So some of your fellow students may not think writing fiction stories is cool or normal. We are writers and we walk a different path from most folks, and that's cool! If you need more assurence, listen to the Rush songs "Subdivisions" and "Tom Sawyer," two songs that epitimize the virtues of being an individual and not giving in to conformity. It's also the basis of my fanfic "The Misfit So Alone."

Want to improve your writing? Form a writers critique group. Share your stories with people who you know will give you honest advice (not simply "This is great" or "This sucks"). Get with people who can tell you if something works in your story or if it doesn't. And also another pair of eyes is great for picking up spelling and grammatical errors. I can tell you I have read over my own stuff 20 times, then I give it to someone else and they pick up a mistake I somehow missed.

Sometimes it helps to read your stories aloud. What sounds good when you read it silently may not sound good when you hear it with your own ear. This is especially true of dialogue.

When you have writers block, don't sit at your computer trying to work through it. Turn off the computer and leave. Take a walk (not only can it help you come up with ideas, but 20-30 minutes of hoofing it is good exercise).

Let people know about the stories you have written. Don't just post something and sit back and hope people read it. And always be polite. Hard sells turn most people off. A simple, "Hey, here's a story of mine you might be interested in, hope you can check it out" works better.

Just some inspirational quotes . . .

"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." -- Theodore Roosevelt

"Energy and persistance conquer all things." -- Benjamin Franklin

"Never give in; Never, never never, in nothing great or small, large or petty. Never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy." -- Winston Churchill

"The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand." -- Sun Tzu. Good for writers. Always have a good idea of the story you want to tell, the direction you want to go, and the characters involved before you sit down and write.

"Do not repeat tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances." -- Sun Tzu. Another good one for writers. Don't keep telling the same story over and over again. Let each story be distinct, unique. Have a character who has had different girlfriends through several stories finally find "The One" for him. A character married for a long time gets divorced or loses his/her spouse. A favorite supporting character is forced to resign or is killed. Shows like "Babylon 5," "24" and "Robotech" succeed because they are not afraid to change the status quo when it comes to characters and situations. Hell, in "Robotech" the Zentradi razed the entire Earth 3/4 of the way through the first saga. That sure as hell changed the direction of that show. Certainly its much better than the standard plot of "Voltron," "GI Joe," "Transformers" and "Power Rangers," where every show is "The bad guys build a super weapon/robot monster and the good guys stop it." Yawn.

"The galleries are full of critics. They play no ball. They fight no fights. They make no mistakes because they attempt nothing. Down in the arena are the do-ers. They make mistakes because they try many things. The man who makes no mistakes lacks boldness and the spirit of adventure. He is the one who never tries anything. He is the brake on the wheel of progress. And yet it cannot be truly said he makes no mistakes because the biggest mistake is the very fact that he tries nothing, does nothing, except criticize those who do things." -- General David M. Shoup, 22nd Commandant, US Marine Corps. This is also posted in the UNLV Football locker room.

Hope this has helped.