I didn't think about it before but I should have probably mentioned here that, though I'm leaving all of this up, I'm out of all fandoms at this point. I really appreciate the people who actually rec my little one-shots, thank you! But since this is the first time I've logged into FFn in over a year, I'll say you shouldn't expect any activity from me.

Thank you to the people who leave their fics up and understand that fan fiction isn't a cash cow enterprise and that "publishing" your fan fiction, in any form, is utterly and completely wrong. Period. I could go on about how awful this is at length. But I am not nice about it at all, and the kind of people who do this obviously don't listen to reason.

While having a pretty severe first-year law student mental breakdown I read the Twilight series, and it was just as, uhm . . . interesting as I had been warned (but, hey, it did let me shut off my brain, which was all I was asking for really). Yet, somehow, I have become hopelessly addicted to Twilight fanfic. I don’t know, I can’t explain it to you. Like eating my potato chips with a fork I think it’s just another of my weird idiosyncrasies. At any rate, I have read some truly great, or at least entertaining, stories here and found some amazing authors.

Common Word Misuse

PeakPeekPique
Peak: The point of highest activity, quality, or achievement
Peek: A quick, typically furtive look
Pique: To stimulate, one's curiosity/interest is always "piqued"

YourYou're
Your: Possessive; belonging to or associated with
You're: You are

ThereThey'reTheir
There: Adverb; in, at, or to that place or position
They're: They are
Their: Possessive; belonging to or associated with

WhereWe're
Where: In or to what place or position
We're: We are

AffectEffect
Affect: Have an effect on, make a difference to
Effect: A change that is a result or consequence of an action or another cause

TwoTooTo
Two: Cardinal number
Too: Adverb; to a higher degree than is desirable, permissible, possible, excessively
To: Preposition

ItsIt's
Its: Possessive; belonging to or associated with a thing previously mentioned or easily identified
It's: It is

WhoseWho's
Whose: Belonging to or associated with which person
Who's: Who is

ShutterShudder
Shutter: Hinged panels fixed inside or outside of a window
Shudder: Tremble convulsively

BreathBreathe
Breath: An inhalation or exhalation of air from the lungs
Breathe: Take air into the lungs and then expel it

HereHear
Here: In, at, or to this place or position
Hear: Perceive with the ear the sound made by someone or something

ThroughThru
Through: Moving in one side and out the other side, continuing in time toward completion of a process or period
Thru: IS NOT A WORD UNLESS YOU ARE A MCDONALD'S

AisleIsle
Aisle: A passageway down which you walk
Isle: A freakin’ island

UtterUdder
Utter: Complete, absolute; make a sound with one’s voice
Udder: The mammary gland of female cattle, sheep, goats, horses, and related ungulates

SoreSoar
Sore: Painful or aching, severe, urgent; a raw or painful place on the body
Soar: Fly or rise high in the air

SightSite
Sight: The faculty or power of seeing; a thing that one sees or that can be seen
Site: A location on which a town, building, or monument is constructed; a place where a particular event or activity is occurring or has occurred; short for “website”

HeelHeal
Heel: The back part of the foot below the ankle; the part of a shoe or boot supporting the heel
Heal: Cause a wound, injury, or person to become sound or healthy again

ImplicitExplicit
Implicit: Implied though not plainly expressed
Explicit: Stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt

TautTaughtTaunt
Taut: Stretched or pulled tight, tense
Taught: Past and past participle of “teach”
Taunt: A remark made in order to anger, wound, or provoke someone

CueQueue
Cue: A signal for action; a piece of information or circumstance that aids the memory in retrieving details not recalled spontaneously
Queue: A line or sequence of people or vehicles awaiting their turn to be attended to or to proceed

CourseCoarse
Course: The route or direction followed; a dish, or a set of dishes served together; a series of lectures or lessons in a particular subject
Coarse: Rough or loose in texture or grain; rude, crude, or vulgar

ThanThen

InOn

PassedPast

"Anyone who uses the terms, 'irregardless,' 'a-whole-nother' or 'all of the sudden' will be sent to a work camp." Stewie Griffin

--Yes, these are all mistakes I have actually read (repeatedly and by several different authors).

Grammar

Commas

Use commas before or surrounding the name or title of a person directly addressed. E.g., Thank you for pointing out my absolutely atrocious grammar, Alicia. Thank you, Alicia, for teaching us proper grammar.

ElleCC wrote a fantastic guide on commas on TLYDF.

Apostrophes

Use the apostrophe to show possession. Place the apostrophe before the s to show singular possession. E.g., Your poor grammar is on Alicia's last nerve.

To show plural possession, make the noun plural first. Then immediately use the apostrophe. E.g., The girls' irritation with your poor grammar is palpable.

An apostrophe followed by an "s" makes a noun possessive not plural.

Other

"Internet" is capitalized.

The word “have” and not “of” should follow the modal verbs “must,” “should,” “could” and “would.” E.g., “I really should have continued working instead of going back to school.”

Numerals one through nine should be spelled out. Ten and above may either be in numerical form or spelled out. If a numeral is at the beginning of a sentence it is to be spelled out regardless of length.

Look, unlike some others I am not completely opposed to rape storylines. Hell, even though I don’t understand it, and I know others will disagree with me; I won’t even begrudge people rape fantasies (let me be clear, nothing resembling a real rape). However, if you are going to write a rape into your story you are obligated not to treat it capriciously. It is not a plot device to just have happen to cause some angst and then move on to happier times. Rape is an exceptionally psychologically damaging act. Afterward, the victim has a long road to regaining normalcy, if that is even entirely possible. If you aren’t willing to dedicate the time it takes to have your victim respond realistically to the trauma, DO NOT INCLUDE THE RAPE IN YOUR STORY. Your victim isn’t going to just get over it. They are not likely to want to engage in sexual activity within three months of the rape, and they are certainly not going to want to engage in sexual activity within two weeks. It is offensive and insulting to actual victims of rape for this horrendous act to be treated so carelessly.

I can’t even believe I feel the need to write this, but apparently some people really don’t get it. If one of your characters is altered (drugs, alcohol, not in their right state of mind) and your other character isn’t, knows this, and yet proceeds to have sex with the altered character; THAT IS RAPE. If your character consents to sex under duress (“have sex with me or face any number of undesirable outcomes from blackmail to death”); THAT IS RAPE. It does not matter if they are in “love.” It does not matter if, soon after, they “fall in love.” It does not matter that “consent” was given. You cannot give consent if you are altered, and it is not consent if it’s under duress. It really isn’t that hard to understand, and I can guarantee that you are in the minority if you do not agree.

Note: My "Favorites" list is not necessarily a reflection of my favorite fics (though they certainly are present). I also use it for bookmarking purposes of fics I want to remember for one reason or another.