Hi, I'm That One Eccedentesiast. I've been reading fanfic for years, but have only recently come to the conclusion that, yes, I can write (and probably better than at least a third of the people on this site).

I don't really have a favorite fandom, I kind of gorge on one and then move on to the next. Right now, I'm quite infatuated with Hetalia and I'm working on a multi-chapter fic in that fandom called Ascendant - which is a super power AU and then I have a Naruto fic called: Before it Was Over

A little about me:

My favorite color is green. Green is something I see far too little of.

I suspect I'm a bit arrogant, but c'mon who isn't? Well, actually, that might have to do more with me being an INTJ than anything else...

I don't like birds. They are annoyingly loud.

I wear a lot of skirts. I think they're much prettier than pants and that I look better in them.

Pet-Peeve for (and other sites where you post work), people who review only to ask an author to continue a completed story. I get that you enjoy it and want more, but couldn't you instead tell us what you like and what you didn't like? Or why you think it should be continued? Because just saying "continue please" or "more!" is stupid, it wouldn't be marked complete if the author had more to add on, would it?

No amount of asking is going to make someone write more. Ambiguous endings and open ended finishes can suck, but they happen in books as well and you don't go and e-mail authors to say "write more!" do you? The point of fanfic is to resolve those loose ends--as well as create even more and I don't see why you can't resolve those threads through fanfic of fanfic too. You could write, or just imagine it, but don't expect an author to listen to your demands. Because, simply put, most won't go on without good reason or inspiration.

Here on , you can reach my through PM or at my Hetalia Forum The Helpful Hetalia Corner.

INFO FOR READERS:

-What does a thoughtful review have?

Now that you know why you should review, here's an explanation on what the simplest, easiest good reviews should be like:

First question, what does a thoughtful review include?

Well...did you check the author's end notes? Did they ask you, the reader, any questions? Is there anything in particular they want to you give an opinion for the chapter? Like what one character did in reaction to something that happened that chapter? Or does the author want your thoughts on the character's musings that chapter?

If they don't have questions for you, then there's a pretty good formula you can use:

One thing you liked about the chapter.

One thing you didn't like (or if you can't think of anything, something that could use work-like grammar).

Something you're looking forward to in the coming chapter(s).

Or now would be a good time to suggest an idea for the story or just remark upon something you'd like to see happen; such as two characters become friends eventually.

This review format applies to one-shots too, but instead of something you are looking forward to see at the end of your review...you should let them know their contributions to the fandom are appreciated with a simple "Thanks for writing this awesome one-shot." Or something similar.

Now, here's a generic example of what a thoughtful review should look like:

Oh...I really liked it when Gary-Stu told Mary-Sue what he thought about her dating so and so!

If I were you, I'd take another look at "..and you said you'd be their..." I think you mean "there" instead of "their", right?

Well, anyway, cool chapter and I can't wait to see what Mary-Sue does next chapter now that Gary-Stu has told her off!

It doesn't have to be very long, but putting a little thought into a review can go a very long way!

Also, depending on the author, their familiarity with fanfic and how long they have been writing; they are likely to return your thoughtfulness with a heartfelt thank you and if you are interested, it's a good time to say your welcome and ask questions you may have about the author's work or even ask if they wouldn't mind taking a look at one of your stories and let you know what they think. Trust me, they will be happy to almost every time. It's hard not to want to when you go out of your way to review with kind comments, criticism and/or corrections.

Lastly, this just a template and I know a great deal of people who know how to give excellent reviews that don't follow this guideline like this at all; it's suggested because some people don't review regularly because they just don't know what to say to an author or all they say is "nice story" and as nice as a review that says "good chapter" is, something with a little more substance means a whole lot more.

-Will an author reply to my review?

Personally, I do reply. And a lot of other authors do too. However, if you want numbers... from the sampling poll I took, 38% of writers always reply and 54% sometimes do. These are heartening numbers and should encourage you further to review because, if you do, they should give you more likely than not, a quick thank you!

INFO FOR AUTHORS:

-What makes people read a story?

From my polling, I've found what makes a person most often read the story is the summary. What this means, writers, is that you should not waste it. Do not write, "I suck at summaries" or "My first fic" or anything to this affect. It's a great turnoff to many and makes others think that your story won't be much good as you couldn't use the few characters you have for a summary very well. What I also found, was, that characters are the next biggest factor for why someone will pick your story. So, writing about someone's favorite characters is going to help them pick it over another fic. Finally, the third most common reason someone will pick your story teeters between word count and the genre of the fic. So, depending on what kind of fic you're writing and how long/short it is will help them decide if they're going to read your fic or not.

-How often do readers actually read my author notes?

Now I took a poll on this, but...I advertised my poll mostly through my notes! So, the ones who don't read notes, likely didn't see it (scratch that, there was one voter who said they never read author notes). Of those who do read notes, 37% said they read them always, 29% usually, and 25% sometimes. Now this was just a small poll. Hardly even a drop in the bucket, but it gives you some insight, I'd say. More often than not, people actually do read your notes; what they do with what they see there is up to them of course, but hey, it's something right?

-What's the best way to let readers know they are appreciated?

There are several ways you can let a reader know they are appreciated, you can thank reviewers of multi-chap fics at the end of each chapter for reviewing on the previous one, or you can send a PM to say thanks and answers questions they might have posed. Offering prizes to so-and-so reviewer isn't always such a bad idea either.

Personally I do all three so I can cover all my bases and let as many of my readers, reviewers, favoriters and alerters know that I appreciate them and the time they take to read my stuff.

-How do you get repeat reviewers?

The best way to get repeat reviewers, I have found, is to let them know they and their thoughts and opinions are appreciated. Always remember to send out a personal thank you after someone takes the time to review and when you do so, concluding your thank you with a little something like "I hope to hear from you again!" Or "I look forward to knowing what you think next chapter!" A lot of people will feel obligated to comment again when you do.

Another thing that can help is to keep an eye on what your reviewers (favoriters and alerters) are doing. Do they have fics that are in your favorite fandom? Or maybe even about your favorite characters? Why not read those and let them know what you think? It builds up a good repertoire and people tend to feel more generous when you do something nice for them.

Otherwise, there really isn't much else you can do to get repeat reviewers. Because as we all know, people are fickle and not always consistent.

-Is it a good idea to offer one-shots (or multi-chapter fics) to readers for reviewing?

Yes and no. From the small poll I've taken on the subject, only 20% of readers will only review if prizes are offered while 10% would likely never know because they do not read author notes. Encouragingly, 13% don't care in the slightest if you are giving out one-shots for reviewing. If this means they will review regardless or aren't motivated enough to review still, I don't know (further research is needed!). But I do like to think it's the earlier--as I'm sure many authors would as well.

Plus, given the usual number of readers I get per story and per chapter compared to how long I had this poll up (two months) the fraction of people who actually voted are very small.

Another thing to think on is the polls themselves, they only allow members to vote on them; so if a "guest" were to read and see my note, they would not be capable of voting given this fact.

If you want to advertise you are giving prizes for reviewing, I'd suggest either putting it in your summary or if you want to (possibly) annoy readers...you could always put a commercial break in your fic to let them know so-and-so reviewer will be getting a one-shot if they review by x chapter.

Despite the small fraction of readers who are only enticed to review if their is a prize and the other fraction that doesn't care one way or another and all those that fall in between, I will continue to offer prize one-shots.

Why? Well, it's a good way to force yourself to write things you'd never considered or wouldn't usually write. I also like to think it's a nice way to show a reader their feedback (no matter how small) is appreciated and helps in building a faithful reviewer/reader, even if it is only for one story.

INFO FOR EVERYONE

-What is a "beta"?

A beta is like an editor. They look over your work before you post it for the rest of FF to see. They're helpful and good for beginner writers and the like. You can find them by clicking the "beta" tab and the hitting which category your story is/will be written in. For example:

I'm writing a Naruto fic, I should look under the anime category for a beta if I need one.

Simple as that, really.

-What is a "community"?

A community is a collection of stories selected by an FF user and if you see that they have "staff" that means the stories are being collected by more than one user. Some communities are dedicated to a specific fandom, character, or type of story - such as time travel fics; while other communities are just a mishmash of stories, some community founders even admitting they're just stories they like. Which basically means they are a favorite list in community form.

-How to make a community:

It's pretty easy, you hit the community tab in the left sidebar and then manager, finally create/edit. From there you click "select category" and choose what category you want your community to fall under - from general to Harry Potter. After that, you give it a summary, title and picture and ta-da! A community is made. Remember, it's up to you to decide what the community collects - make it a worthwhile collection ;)

-What is a "Forum?"

A forum is a lot of things - depending on what the creator made it to be. FF categorizes them into three "types" general, roleplay, and contests. So given that, you know that forums are places to roleplay and enter contests. But what does "general" mean? It could mean a lot of things, the creator could have made their forum for chat, as a place to ask questions, find critiques, or maybe you can play games there; such as review tag or one sentence, one page story. It's also pertinent to note that forums can be created for specific fandoms, so if you want to talk say, Paranorman, you should narrow your searches.

-How do you use a forum?

Given what it's "type" is, will dictate how you use it. But for the most part, a forum is made of "topics" (or maybe you'd know them better as "threads") and by clicking on one of those topics, you can read what people are saying/doing and interact with other FF users by hitting reply. There isn't really a wrong or right way to use a forum, some creators have rules for their form, so it might do you good to check that out before you click on other topics. And if you have questions about the forum, get in touch with the creator! They of all people will be able to best explain the intentions of their forum and how to use it best.

SERIES:

Ascendant

What my Mother Gave me: This is a prelude to the main fic of the series Ascendant, and tells the story of Allistor Kirkland; the oldest son of the Kirkland family and the chaos that was his life growing up with his brothers.

Ascendant: In this Super Power AU for Hetalia, some characters are cast as villains and others as heroes, but as all people know, it's not always so easy to label one group good and another evil.

FICS TRANSLATED TO DIFFERENT LANGUAGES:

Bite has been translated to Russian.