Notice: While I rewrite, anyone who wants to download the original Rare and Ashes go HERE

READING PURPOSES ONLY! Do not copy, display, or post these stories without permission. Thanks :)

Words of Wisdom:

"I think it's the people who have no doubt that every word they put down is gold that probably don't write very well.

--Dean Koontz

"The next time you find yourself immediately feeling angry or defensive or despondent during a critique of your work, ask yourself the following question: Is it you...or is it them? Think about this seriously. Dig deep into your soul for a second or two. Soon, the answer will be obvious. It is you of course. You. You. You. Definitely you.

Yes you.

In fact, even when it is them, it is still also you because when it comes to hearing feedback, most writers are chasms of hypersensitivity. At the mere whiff of a critical remark we lose all sense of perspective, not to mention humor. Chalk this up to our artistic temperaments, or maybe some atavistic flight-or-fight left over from our cave-writing days; regardless, the truth remains the same. When it comes to our words, we are predisposed to overreacting to feedback, a characteristic as indicative of our status as writers as hemophilia is evidence of royal lineage in Russia.

- Joni B. Cole, Toxic Feedback

Forums:

Cabbages and Kings

Writer's Anonymous

Stupidity, Bigotry and a Plagiarist (not in that order)

Book List:

These are some of the best writing books I own and have helped me greatly in the craft.

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renne Browne and Dave King ~ I read this once a year at the very least.

Revision and Self-editing by James Scott Bell ~ Another great editing book for those who want to polish their prose.

Plot & Structure: (Techniques And Exercises For Crafting A Plot That Grips Readers From Start To Finish) by James Scott Bell ~ Another all around polisher. This time dealing with plot.

The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman ~ Basically a glimpse of what fickle editors look for in the first five pages of a manuscript.

A Dash of Style by Noah Lukeman ~ This finally made me understand the semicolon, colon, and how to use commas effectively. A must have :)

Between the Lines: Master the subtle elements of Fiction Writing by Jessica Page Morrell ~ A great book on how to use tension, tone, flashbacks, etc., effectively.

The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White ~ Another all around whip your prose into shape book. This is where I learned about brevity and trimming excess words.

Word Painting: A Guide to Writing more descriptively by Rebecca Mcclanahan ~ I finally understand metaphors, similes, and how to use them effectively with this book.

Write Great Fiction: Dialogue by Gloria Kempton ~ Finally eased my fears on writing dialogue. Very recommended.

Portable MFA in Creative Writing by the New York Writers Workshop ~ Good stuff in here for poets writers and screenwriters. Basically, a college course in writing.

And think, those are only a few on my bookshelf, lol

Bio

Thirty-something years old, an artist foremost and hobbyist writer. I freelance professionally, and you can view my work on Deviant Art.

My genres tend to be on the dark side: horror/fantasy/sci-fi stories, centering on Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Fatal Frame, etc..

The original ideas and characters I imagine are researched and written with care; how they will react to a canon character and within the canonverse is a challenge I enjoy undertaking.

Quirks: Automatically gay canon characters annoy me to no end. Canon antagonists suddenly getting along with no explanation drives me nuts. I'm a huge fan of "first times" in slash fics. Effeminate males are a huge turnoff for me and any summary with the term MPREG in it. There are exceptions of course, a story that bats aside my reservations and shows itself to be something truly unique. These are rare, however, but one such mpreg is currently on my Favorite stories list.

Since I don't give out reviews that often, if you receive one from me, you're an author whom I adore, or a fanbrat I wish I had avoided. Either way, be proud you managed to inspire/annoy me enough into writing a review. It doesn't happen much anymore.

My C2 group: "Best of the Best Silent Hill Fiction"

Please PM if interested in featuring your story, or have a recommendation for this C2. I have to wade through many bad fics to find the gems, and it would be appreciated if others would come to me. However, there is no guarantee I will approve of every story rec'd or submitted, but I WILL give detailed reasons for refusals. Please don't take offense if I turn you down...there is always room for improvement and I'll gladly look your story over again if the writing has improved.

A note about novelizations of the games: while these are undoubtedly good stories...I will not feature these unless it brings something new to the main story--or is exceptionally written. Sorry, but there are simply too many and easy to write.

Story Warnings:

Those of you who have clicked on my stories probably have noticed a lack of "list" warnings that normally accompany about 99 percent of the fan fiction here on FFN.

If a reader can't read my summary, my AN's, my pairings, and my rating to get a good sense of what my stories will entail, then I'd rather not have them read, period. Common sense has failed on so many levels in fan fiction, and I'm tired of authors having to list every little thing that goes on in the plot. Stories should contain a sense of "what happens next", not "let's skip chapters to get to this pairing", or "let's ignore this story because it's alternate universe".

Use your heads. If you begin to get squicked despite the summary, pairing, and AN's I give, then use the back button.

Disclaimer for all fanfic:

No matter what fandom I write in, all characters not my own belong to their respective owners.
I don't claim creation of established worlds or acquire monetary gain from my stories.

All situations depicted in my stories are fictitious,
and any similarities to persons living or dead is purely circumstantial.

I'm currently revising Rare, Ashes, and Ties.

If you see the name Maiafay on sites other than AFF, Silent Hill Fan Fiction; or a clone account on FFN that has my name deliberately misspelled, pm me and report them.