I'm an old hand at fan fiction. Stories of mine have been floating around the internet in various forms for years. Most of the stuff I have posted here is unfinished, and likely to remain that way. My earliest, and only completed work posted here, a "Labyrinth" fan fic childishly titled "Return of the King" is an example of something I first wrote ten years ago. If you can believe that! I look back at that story and cringe. It's so loose and wandering. The dialogue is horrible, and my foreshadowing is off, I'm under descriptive, and overly sentimental. I bring in elements that should have waited till later, my villian is weak. The whole thing stinks.

I like to think that my writing has improved considerably over the years. I hope so anyway, because I'm currently at work on my first novel. I've had one in me for a long time. Hopefully I've also gotten better and endings. (Never my strong point.) I'll probably never post any more stories here, I think I've moved beyond it. However, I believe that this site preforms a valuable service to up and coming writers learning to improve their craft. I will always be out there reading, and reviewing. When I critique, I do it honestly. Please know that if I'm a little harsh at times it's to make up for the blind leading the blind. Saying "Wow, that's really great, keep up the good work!" may be good for the ego, but it does little to help someone with their writing. If I do bother to review your work, know it's because I enjoyed it, and think a little honesty could improve it.

I'll leave you all with a few tips for writing a sucessful story.

Spelling. Everyone makes mistakes. Spell check won't catch everything. It's always a good idea to share your work for proofreading.

Grammer. Watch your sentance structure and punctuation. It can make or break a story. Especially where publishers are concerned.

Detail, Dialogue, Drama. If you have these three things in any shape or form you story won't fail to capture someone's imagination.

Research. Don't run into a story blind or you'll loose yourself. Take the time to do your homework. Everything is always better if you know what you're talking about. Keep notes.

Heart. Most important of all. Love your characters, love your settings. Know them better than you know yourself. Even the evil ones. Even minor characters. You'll have to answer questions in their voices. Carry them through strange places. If someone asks them a question you'll have to answer it in their voice.

Imagination. Mull things over for days if nessissary. There's nothing wrong with second, third, or even fourth drafts. Keep a note book handy. You may never know when something brilliant will suddenly strike you like a gail force wind.

Thanks for reading. I'm always around for advice.

Cheers Mates,

Midnightingale