I've got a new forum up, called fan-fiction pet-peeves. The title is self-explanatory, if you have a fan-fiction pet-peeve, post it here:

http://www.fanfiction.net/myforums/Ishimaru_Amon/854050/

The pet-peeves posted the most will be posted on a list that I plan to put as Universal Rules of Writing Fan-fiction. Hopefully, this could a long way toward helping rid the fanfiction world of bad fan-fiction.

Likes/Dislikes - I like fan-fiction and anime (obviously), movies (as long as it has a decent plot), music (rap, r&b, rock, J-pop, and anything with a good beat and profound lyrics), swimming, billiards, tennis, and video games. I dislike corny movies, crappy music, people who ask stupid questions or make stupid statements, and who hate on anime characters for idiotic reasons (meaning they can't come up with intelligent reasons other than "just cause"), anime-character whores who are too closed-minded to see the good points in other characters, and fan-fiction stories with ridiculous/boring plots or characters who aren't represented correctly.

Favorite Anime:

Yu Yu Hakusho, Inuyasha, Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Ronin Warriors, Tenchi Muyo (the first two seasons), Hajime no Ippo (a.k.a Fighting Spirit), Berserk, Bleach, Naruto, Yugioh (yes, I like this series), Rurouni Kenshin (a.k.a. Samurai X), Blue Gender, most Gundam series, Trigun, and Cowboy Bebop.

Favorite Manga:

Shamo (very good read), Sanctuary (another good read, and the Godfather of Japanese manga), Bleach, Naruto (when the story isn't focused solely on Sasuke), Hajime no Ippo (one of the best series ever made), Rurouni Kenshin, Star Wars (U.S. comics, but still good), Street Fighter (the Udon comics are the best I've read), Tenjou Tenghe (not sure where the story is going, but still a good read no less)

Current Stories:

Poltergeist Report 2: The Untold Saga (Yu Yu Hakusho) - this is my bread, named so because it is a rewrite of the very first fan-fic I ever posted, going formerly by the name Legend of the Spirit Swordsman. I will be devoting the majority of my writing to this story and the one mentioned below it. The other works of mine will be postponed until I finish these two.

Two of a Kind (Rurouni Kenshin) - this is my butter, named so because it is currently the most popular story I've written. Like the story listed above, this will also share the majority of my writing time. So expect any future updates to consist of this story and the one listed above.

Her Most Beautiful Smile (Rurouni Kenshin) - On hiatus until further notice.

A Vicious Circle (Rurouni Kenshin) - (01/03/11) I have come up with a new idea for this story, but have found myself caught in between wanting to follow through on the new idea, or sticking with the current idea for this story. So, I have created a poll to allow you, my readers, to decide which idea you think would be the better choice. The first idea is the current one, which has this story taking place in a future setting (current time line). The second idea is an alternate universe of the RK setting, taking place during the Bakumatsu time line. The option to vote is at the top of my profile.

If anyone is interested, and familiar with the Rurouni Kenshin series, please feel free to vote.

Stories Completed:

Respect

Also, I found this on a fellow author's profile page (Kizoku Seishin), and agreed with it so much that I decided to post it on my profile page as well.

Twelve Problems with Stories:

1) Poor Spelling and/or Grammar
This is self explanatory. One doesn't have any business writing on a public site if a five year old can write better. If the lack of command of the English language is an issue (i.e.: English is a second language), please find a beta-reader before posting. Another option is to write in the native language, and have someone translate the story.

2) Poor Formatting
You don't need to bold or italicize every other word, nor do you need to center-align a story. The last thing you want as an author is to distract your readers. Authors who do this stand out, but in the wrong way.

3) Poor Dialogue and/or Characterization
If it doesn't feel like a person would say a statement, or if a person wouldn't act in that manner, the dialogue fails. Also, dialogue has body language.

4) Poor Narration
If a person must read endless paragraphs describing events, they will leave your story. (No one likes reading long paragraphs.) Likewise, if your narration isn't enough, your readers will be confused.

5) Bad Cliffhangers
There are good cliffhangers, and there are overused ones. Anime, comics and television have space constraints, so cliffhangers are common and necessary. Writing doesn't, and it manages to peeve readers, especially if the scene is cut off at a bad point.

6) Undeveloped Original Characters
Named characters that don't provide anything to the story, or those that end up with Mary-Sue qualities don't make the cut with any reader.

7) Out of Character Canon Characters
Unless done intentionally in a parody, this is a universal sign of bad fanfiction.

8) Humor Abuse
Stories can be funny, but if overdone or irrelevant, it loses value. Also, depending on the type of humor, it may not reach across all people.

9) Irrelevant Scenes
If you don't need a scene, or if a story works without a scene, drop it.

10) Writing Level
No teenager or adult wants to read a story meant for pre-schoolers. No teenager or adult wants to read law documents either.

11) Lack of Research
The sign of a lazy writer. Before you write anything, know about the subject.

12) Excuses by the Author for bad writing
Explanations, yes. However, once you post on here, don't make excuses for bad fics when you have time to fix them.

"Luck is for everyone, the only foolish people, are those who rely on it."

"Always be a man, or woman, of your word. If you say you're going to do something, then do it. Because actions will always speak louder than words, no matter how loudly you speak."

Shisoukengo

Well, that's all for now, so until next time, Ja ne.