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I don't care if you don't like Transformers, or know nothing about the Transformers Universe. Whether you're a fan or completely ignorant of a Universe, good writing is always good writing. And Meiza does it excellently. She'll teach you not only what you need to know about Giant Alien Robots...but what we all need to know about ourselves.

Authors I strongly recommend:

J-Horror Girl: The Strange. The Fantastic. The Incredible. Nolan-verse Joker and Crane centric fics like you've never seen before.

Jennifer Lynn Weston: Read Jack to the Future. Then Read it again. If Jack Sparrow did find the Fountain of Youth, what historical events may he have witnessed? The best bloody Jack fic you will find. Period.

FreedomofTheSeas: Pirates One-shots and a post-AWE fic that will leave you gibbering for more.

Nezzy Rat: Dark. Different. Disturbing. Looking for that Joker/OC fic that finally places him with a woman worthy of his madness? Ready for a TDK fic that takes you inside the head of your favorite villain? Literally? The Joker wants to tell you the best Joke ever told...but are you ready to hear it?

Remember the Five R's of Fanfic Ettiquette: Read, write, revise, review (repeat!).

More about the author:

Before you read any further, ladies and gentlemen, I have an important announcement to make:

...I just got accepted to the 2009 entering class of Indiana University School of Medicine! YES!! Four years in Terre Haute studying Rural Medicine!

I am 21, just graduated with a Spanish major on 12/21/08. Ideally, I would like to go world traveling and meet the man of my dreams (who bears a strong semblance to Sean Bean that may or may not be coincidental) and settle down in either Scotland or New Zealand where we would live happily ever after until the end of our days. Unfortunately, I only get to write fiction, not live in it, so...I'm going (yes, not trying, but going! Can you tell I'm excited?) to Medical School. Slap me thrice and change my screen name to ChicwhohasseenWAYtoomanydoctormovies (Tears of the Sun or Sahara, anybody?) but I would love to work for WHO or Red Cross someday.

Proud participant in the Review Revolution. ¡Viva la Revolución!

I learned to read at a very young age-my mother taught me at home, and I was home-schooled for 4 years of elementary school. I believe this has had a profound effect on my academic and creative abilities. I also have to thank an aunt of mine who would tell bed-time stories in Chicago every night. My sisters and I would each pick a character, and she would begin to tell a story. I owe her so much for giving me a longing to create.

I am a Christian in the most fundamental, yet loosest sense of the word possible. I believe that Yahweh created the world, endowed mankind with free will, and they chose to revolt against Him. I believe that He made reconciliation possible ONLY through the sacrificial death, and miraculous physical resurrection of His son, Yeshua. I believe that there is Hell to escape and eternity to gain for every individual on this planet--and that throughout history every organized religion, especially my own, has repressed and murdered people in the so-called service of their god. If you ever have questions about my faith or world view, I urge you to contact me for whatever reason.

Words to live by: "I desire compassion, and not a sacrifice."

"Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." James 1:27

New Writing Goal: My newest goal is to receive 10 reviews on every story. I will try to achieve this by editing older summaries that just don't work well, joining a PotC forum, and finding a community for every Universe I have written in and reading and reviewing there faithfully. I will also publish more often.

My publishing goal is to have either a One-shot or a chapter a week.

My reading goal is to read 5 short stories (or 1 long story to completion) every week.

The 7/10 Update: Ugh. So far, not too good with keeping up with these goals. However, I'm proud to say I've now submitted 548 signed reviews, yes, five-hundred and forty-eight reviews o cinco cientos, cuartenta y ocho críticas. Ha! Of course, when I factor in that probably a fourth of them go to one author...not so good. But that's what I get for leaving a review for nearly every chapter...

Favorite Books: Cormac MacArthy's The Road, Surrender, Watchmen, Lord of the Rings, Grendel, Tom Clancy novels (Rainbow Six, anyone?), Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow, Harry Potter (especially The Deathly Hallows), The Last Unicorn, The Midnight Fox, The Giver, Tale of Two Cities

Favorite Movies: Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean (yes, all three), Dark Knight, Batman Begins, Red Dragon, The Bone Collector, GATTECA, Man on Fire, Bella, Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, Harry Potter (just 3 and 5), The Importance of Being Ernest, Sin City, Pathfinder, 300, Terminator Salvation and (I'm ashamed to admit this publicly) Doom.

A word about reading: I love to read. I read a lot more than I write, but I believe good reading habits are imperative for good writing. Read what you like, but also read what you don't like--get out of your comfort zone! You'll be surprised what 'do/don't do' lessons you can learn by seriously studying a different style. For instance, I read the first 3 Twilight books. I am NOT a romance girl, and I didn't really enjoy them, but I got to experience first hand a simpler, more modern writing style, and how it affected the work.

If you're looking for a good, educational, informative read, I would suggest the Harry Potter series (especially Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows). Rowling's style is simple, but her plots are complex and her themes are serious. There is evocative imagery, complex characters, original poetry, and even surprisingly mature themes of love, sacrifice and death that one hardly expects to find anywhere else but the Bible.

A word about leaving reviews: If you read my work, please leave a review! Constructive criticism is wonderful, and even a 'hey, I loved it/hated it' is welcome-or even, as Meiza says, 'grapes are sexy'. Any sort of response letting me know that you took some time to consider the work is appreciated.

But the best review of all, at least in my book, has some sort of suggestion for improvement. Please, feel free to rip my work into shreds--I believe this will help me become a better writer.

If you review, expect a personal reply from me thanking you for your time, or even (if you have many stories) asking what piece(s) of yours you would like me to review.

A word about my reviews: If I read it, I will review it. I generally check your profile, read your other reviews, and then start my own. I try to leave lengthy, constructive reviews. Reading like a writer is what helps me to write-and so I try to review like one. If I leave a review, you piece intrigued me and I just wanted to help you out a bit. If you leave a review for me, I'll try to return the favor by reading and reviewing your stuff. Fanfic is such a great community because there are so many authors who try to do that, and I'll try to do my part.

If I loved one of your pieces, I will try to read more of your work. I generally don't like to review universes that I know nothing about, but I have a new theory: good writing will always be good writing, regardless of the verse it is set in. Recently I've been reading 'To Protect What is Precious' by Meiza, a 2007 Transformers movie fic, and I'm really enjoying it. Sometimes coming from the outside makes it easier to be objective about reading and reviewing.

Interests:

Lord of the Rings-Read the books, saw the movies, won a local library award for a trivia night, learned the Tengwar, memorized the opening paragraph to the Simarillion... (I've matured since then, but I love LOTR stuff on this site). Most of my older work is LOTR fanfic. J.R.R. Tolkien's dedication to his work is testimony itself to his sheer love for language, culture, and sacrifice. This work has been influential in my life both personally and academically.

Pirates of the Caribbean-I love this series! There's so much depth, love, loss, and humour that they take my vote for best all around movies ever. There is such a mix of emotion that you can watch them regardless of your mood.

In my opinion, the best two moments in the entire series are 1) I must face the consequences of my actions (Curse of the Black Pearl). Will is willing to die for Jack, believes that the government (in this case, a man he knows personally and respects deeply) is in the wrong but is still willing to respect their laws by dying, if he must, although his friend has been freed; and 2) If there was a way...in the final scene of Dead Man's Chest. It is only after watching At World's End that we realize that this phrase means the exact same as 'is there a way'-that Will would do anything in his power to give the woman he loves the thing she loves most-be it Jack, or be it her father, at whatever cost it may come. The theme of ultimate sacrifice runs deep in in my soul, and wherever I find it, it resonates strongly.

The Last Unicorn-This is a random past obsession. I saw the movie as a kid, and hadn't seen it in at least ten years. I walked through Barnes and Nobles, saw the book, read it, loved it, cried, and went home and watched the movie. I read Two Hearts as well, but with mixed feelings. If you are looking for a simplistic yet poignant fantasy, look no further.

Sailor Moon-This is also a random past obsession that I rediscovered via youtube. I only watched parts of the first and second season as a child(I think they are referred to as R and S), and have only recently worked my way through both of these seasons. I have only seen the English language version-my apologies to all die-hard anime fans. I am not going to finish the series, although it intrigues me, because I don't have the time and more importantly I have moral issues with the direction the writers take after this point. I am not a fan of censorship, and on reading up about the differences between the Japanese version and the English version I am slightly appalled at myself for participating in artistic censoring. However, just because I agree with someone's freedom to create something, and someone's freedom to watch something, doesn't mean I must support what it is that they believe.

Harry Potter-J.K. Rowling is bloody brilliant. Read the books, saw the films (am awaiting impatiently the release of the final 3!). I haven't read much on this site, but am intrigued by what I have seen. As a staunch opponent to parents banning these books in school and public libraries, I argue that the themes of death and sacrifice in these books are among the most stirring and profound their children can read. I opposed these books on similar reasons as a very young adult, but once I decided to see for myself, I was convinced beyond doubt that my original position was irrational and wholly unfounded.

If you only read 7 books in your entire adolescence, read these. You will grow up tremendously if you see this series through til the end.

My Stories: I'm at 23! I honestly can't believe it!

Innocence: What if the most important scenes in the Pirates Trilogy...never made it to the screen?

Jack sits in Port Royal, waiting to be hanged. Between Will's promise to free him and his impending death, be begins to contemplate his life and his guilt. As he tells his story to the Dog who could free him, we learn about his past: Bill Turner, Cutler Beckett, Giselle, Scarlet, Annamaria...and how his interactions with them drive him closer and closer to a young man named Will Turner.

"She had the medallion, she's the right age." If Will is the only son of Bootstrap Bill Turner, then who was his daughter, and why was she never found? A darker, different sort of Pirates fic that explores Will's love for Elizabeth, his choice to give up the search for his father, and his (non slash) love for Jack at the end of Curse of the Black Pearl.

Day Three At Sea/POTC: Curse of the Derelict Dingy: One shot Jack's POV fics about what Jack is thinking three days after AWE and his initial thoughts when we first glimpse him in CotBP.

Ernestina, Eris, Aequitas: to obtain that which is just we must ask that which is unjust.

Blood. Betrayal. Guilt. Obsession. Love. Loss. A Broken Promise, a Restored Faith. Interested yet?

Our culture is obsessed with Vigilantism. When the Joker breaks out of Arkham leaving a rising death toll in his wake, one police officer does what no one else will dare to do. She goes after the Joker. For vengeance. For blood.

What forms of vigilantism are acceptable and why? Should any ever be? Batman, Gordon, and Detective Aaron Lawless (OC) struggle to find the answers in light of Rachel's death, a daughter's paralysis, and a partner's brutal murder. How will it end? Who will live and who will die?

OC centric post TDK piece. The original idea for the OC story line came to me in early high school, before I was shown the marvelous world of the Scott Brother's Gladiator or Man on Fire, was rendered speechless by V for Vendetta, before I fell in love with Frank Miller's Sin City, breathed in awe at the Boondock Saints, or Batman Begins was ever dreamed about. After struggling for years for a place to put Angel and Paltron, I watched the Dark Knight, and realized this piece was destined to be fanfiction. I published the first chapters before starting and finishing Watchmen, but it too will leave its mark.

This story is, unfortunately, only sporadically updated. I apologize for the long breaks, and hope to continue to update on a more regular schedule.

Words: An attempt at a (POTC, pre DMC) romance, since I rarely write them. Surgeon General's Warning: beware the angst!

The Blue Planet: Sigh...this is what happens when you mix fanfic with studying for organic chemistry...Transformers, blending G1 with 2007 movie-verse, taking a look at what may have drawn Megatron to earth in the first place: Skyfire's discovery of the Allspark. This piece focuses on the scientific side of Skyfire's interest in The Blue Planet, as well as his close ties (NON slash, friendship only) to an old colleague, Starscream.

Whole and Living: When Will disappears at the close of AWE, who is it that helps her find the strength to go on? The answer might surprise you...

To See Her: Post AWE one shot of Will Turner's first voyage as captain of the Flying Dutchman. This piece was inspired by C.S. Lewis' The Last Battle.

So Easily Severed: POTC poem about Davey Jones and Calypso from Will Turner's perspective-on a deeper note, the difference between love and pride. I love exploring the deeper themes and meaning behind a story. This is in free verse and is one of my most recent poems.

Tidewater Terrors: A collection of CotBP one-shots focusing on moments of suspense or horror. I wrote these pieces as writing exercises for improving (hopefully!) my less than average skills at suspense. I enjoy taking scenes right from the movie and adding just a little twist in tone or more depth of thought. Currently they consist of Will and Elizabeth scenes, but that may change. I may also branch out and include moments from all three Pirates movies.

Mi única querida/My Only Love: POTC, Elizabeth's apparent choice of Jack at the end of Dead Man's Chest, from Will Turner's perspective. This was inspired by the lines 'is there a way/if there was a way' from the 3rd and 2nd Pirates movies. I wrote this in Spanish, so most (but not all) the linguistic devices are Spanish oriented the third line alliterates in English, not Spanish, but I provided an English translation if anyone is interested in reading a rough version. With the original, I tried my best to be grammatically correct, and to have consistency in voicing. There is an alternating open rhyme scheme but no set meter. Although I have other older poems in Spanish, I believe that this work is a better exhibition of my language abilities. If you are a native Spanish speaker or bilingual, I would especially appreciate comments on this piece.

Aerlindale: Older LOTR poem, translated as Song of the Sea. I borrowed the poem's form from poems occurring within the Lord of the Rings series itself. This poem follows a structured rhyme and meter, not quite traditional but definitely set. If you like structured poetry, please read and review.

End of Song: Again, and older LOTR poem, also borrowed from one of Tolkien's set forms of poetry-I believe the Annthennath, or sonnet, most memorably Earindil from Fellowship of the Ring. This structure is definitely unique, with set syllables per line, as well as alternating rhyme and the inclusion of internal rhyme. If you like structured poetry, please read and review.

Those are the stories of mine, in descending order, that I am still proud to call mine. Others, I have grown out of, but I believe they still have some merit, and I leave them open to comment and suggestion--or the ridicule of or encouragement for--the general fanfic community.

Learning Experiences:

Object lesson: there is always room for improvement.

Why Do the White Gulls Cry

I was 15 and VERY proud of myself when I wrote this, and hyped up about 3 very positive reviews, when I was devastated by a "nice, but couplets are juvenile and ruin the tone."

I mean, what was wrong with that reviewer?? This poem was perfect and heartfelt and inspired and should be worshipped for its supremacy as the best poem ever!! She doesn't know anything!!-if you are a beginning writer, or a writer with a strong emotional attachment to a piece that I or another deeply criticize, don't worry, I've been in your shoes. Believe me, when someone takes time to give constructive criticism, give it time and you will nearly always realize that they have a valid point, even if they are not totally correct.

I must thank this reviewer from the bottom of my heart as she was sincere enough to give me exactly what I needed to hear: Lasgalendil, your works AREN'T perfect.

I still like this piece very much, even though I now see it as juvenile, but I believe that this one constructive comment best helped me learn how to improve my writing, versus showcase it. This remains my most favorite "unfavorite" piece.

Object Lesson: Pride goeth before a fall. (aka deflate!)

Hija de Rohan: Oh, yeah, baby, High School Spanish 4 award. I was the MASTER at Spanish, the guru, the Queso Grande. I OWNED at Spanish.

Then..."Hey, I speak Spanish and I can't understand a word you just said."

WHAT? Do you dare desafiar the master de español? Like she even sabers a palabra of spanish!

If you've ever attempted to read or write in a language that is not your primary and you've received comments that tear apart your grammar and vocabulary, I know how you feel. However, take hope. This site is designed to allow interactive feedback to make your works better. Don't be afraid to reply to a review and ask specifically what can be done to improve a piece. I didn't respond to my reviewer, who actually quite politely went on to encourage me with a "but I appreciate you trying", and I regret not taking advantage of this opportunity.

When you write, be willing to take a hit and admit that it is possible that you are wrong, or even just not as good as you think you are. Chances are, this attitude will help you learn to write better. When you leave a review of any sort, start off with a positive aspect, add constructive criticism (not just preferences or opinions), and do your best to end on an encouraging note.

I, Lasgalendil, do solemnly swear to review all the fics I read,

regardless of the number of reviews,

its age, or anything else.

I have joined the review revolution.