Constructive Criticisms Welcome!

How long have I been writing fan fiction?

I've been writing fan fiction for many years since well before I had an email account. (I got my first email account in 1994, if that helps.) This was the days before the Internet was prevalent and I would write the story out in a notebook that I'd sometimes type onto paper using a typewriter or eventually into a word processor like WordPerfect. Funny that I still sometimes write stories out in a notebook, but I now type it into Google docs, which has to be one of the best things ever devised by humankind because I have access to my stories anywhere I have access to a computer and I don't have to carry anything with me.

Have I posted all the fan fiction that I have ever written?

Nope. I wrote a lot of fan fiction in my younger days and they are all still in notebooks from that era. I have barely enough time to write, edit and post my current stuff and hence my fan fiction from the past will likely remain where it currently resides. Also, I think my earlier attempts are well below par for publication, so it is probably best that they stay there.

Why do I write fan fiction?

I write fan fiction when I've been inspired by a TV show to explore a character or two outside of the normal hour-long drama that we see. When I was younger, it was writing episodes that I would like to see but hadn't. Now, I generally write scenes from a life, whether it be scenes from a character's childhood, present background scenes that we don't see or scenes from the future. I also shy away from fandoms that have a lot of fan fiction material out there. I mean, what's the point in exploring a character's life, if 50,000 other writers have already delved into every tiny aspect of it? I'm not going to contribute more to the character if every minute of every day in the life of a character has essentially been accounted for 12x over and in some cases by writers much more talented than I.

Do I enjoy reading reviews of my stories?

Without a doubt! I love to know what people think of my creation. It's like hearing what people think of your child. You only have one point of view and having eyes from different points of view looking at the same work and getting a different sense of the situation can only make it better. I actually prefer constructive criticism to silence. Constructive criticism at least tells me my writing made you think. Silence means it didn't matter enough to you. Of course, I prefer good reviews above either of the other options, but then who doesn't. Finally, if you notice a typo, grammatical or factual error, by all means point it out. I will be grateful because no matter how often I read something, I'm sure I will miss something and I do a lot of research on the Internet when I deal with a subject matter that I'm not familiar with, but I can only do so much in the time that I have and the point is to make the story better.

Why do I prefer signed reviews?

I prefer signed reviews because I reply to each and everyone of my reviews where I can. Firstly, I want to thank the reviewer for their review and let them know that I appreciate that they spent the time to read and review my work. Secondly, I want to answer any questions they may have about any particular part. Finally, I want to let them know that I fixed an error they pointed out or explain why I meant it to be that way. The way I see it is I'm just being polite.

Do I review stories that I read?

Absolutely. If the author has spent time and energy into putting out a story for my enjoyment, I try to pay the author a compliment in leaving a signed review. I also try to review by being specific so that the author knows I actually read the chapter and what I liked about it. I generally also point out grammatical errors/typos as I see them, in hopes that the author will read it and fix the errors/typos so that others who read the story later will have a better experience.

Random facts about me
* I have a degree in Geophysics (though I've never had a real job in that field).
* I'm a lifetime member of Weight Watchers and I'm still trying to lose baby weight after 6 years. :P
* I can knit, crochet and sew.
* My favorite color is red.
* I'm one of the moderators on the Downton Abbey board on Fanforum. (http://www.fanforum.com/f387/)

External Materials for The Journey to Happiness universe including With Love from Dublin and A Labour of Love

A lovely family tree for Tom Quinlan Branson created by the lovely bijou156

http://scarletcourt.tumblr.com/post/22424558377/a-beautiful-family-tree-of-tom-bransons-family

A lovely video/trailer for The Journey to Happiness story created by the awesome confessor_meggy on FanForum

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9yZFuobv-8

The picture of a 1919 wedding that inspired Sybil's wedding dress

http://www.fashion-era.com/Weddings/1919_old_wedding_photos.htm#1919_-_English/Australian_Wedding_Group_Photo_

The pictures from The Chronicles of Downton Abbey that inspired A Labour of Love:

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ma9cf2eiA71qhlnfgo1_500.jpg (The Family Branson)

(Source: http://lucylovesmemore.tumblr.com/post/31421918384/sorry-if-this-is-a-spoiler-for-anyone-but-emmabtvs)

https://o.twimg.com/1/proxy.jpg?t=FQQVBBhMaHR0cDovL2Rpc3RpbGxlcnlpbWFnZTYuaW5zdGFncmFtLmNvbS85MmRlNGFjOGZkZDExMWUxOTUzNTEyMzEzODFiNjUxZl83LmpwZxQCFgASAA&s=YTTQ0uoxfERPzeZdPLaH_AXomQaCMT5x_8LROJcLUYA (Mary and Sybil photo)

(Source: http://emmabtvs.tumblr.com/post/31471851986/extra-sybil-branson-parts-from-the-book)

Modern AU Tumblr - In the Here and Now (http://amodernsybilandtom.tumblr.com/) Each Modern AU drabble is posted there along with a picture accompanying.

Highclere Award Thank You Note link - http://scarletcourt.tumblr.com/post/39716408256/highclere-awards-thank-you-so-much