Social Networking

Hello!

I'm sure many of you have heard that there is this big thing going on where they are trying to get every blog/website/etc. to post this. We want to see if we can spread it around.

POST THIS: SN09

Put it anywhere: on your twitter, live journal, ff.net, twilighted, myspace, facebook, blogs, wherever you can on the internet!

We want this to go as far as possible!

The Fandom Gives Back

I think we've all heard of the Support Stacie Auction and now here is another one for us all to get involved in. This auction is for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. If you haven't heard of it you can check out that story here: http://www.youtube.com/watchv=gM9GbaSsUaE&feature=player_embedded#at=75

It's just one of the many great ways our fandom comes together to support a great cause and there is great things up for auction.

A gift basket from the Twigasm Podcast, signed items from CafePress from DefinitelyStaying, and much more!

Check out their blog here: http://www.thefandomgivesback.com/

New Moon Soundtrack

Today, Stephenie Meyer and Summit revealed the New Moon soundtrack. It looks pretty good but will it match up to the one for Twilight? We have under a month to find out!

The soundtrack goes as follows...

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE — MEET ME ON THE EQUINOX
BAND OF SKULLS — FRIENDS
THOM YORKE — HEARING DAMAGE
LYKKE LI — POSSIBILITY
THE KILLERS — A WHITE DEMON LOVE SONG
ANYA MARINA — SATELLITE HEART
MUSE — I BELONG TO YOU (NEW MOON REMIX)
BON IVER & ST. VINCENT — ROSYLN
BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB — DONE ALL WRONG
HURRICANE BELLS — MONSTERS
SEA WOLF — THE VIOLET HOUR
OK GO — SHOOTING THE MOON
GRIZZLY BEAR — SLOW LIFE
EDITORS — NO SOUND BUT THE WIND
ALEXANDRE DESPLAT — NEW MOON (THE MEADOW)]

Told you that it looked good :)

Breaking Bella and the plagurism drama...

I have been debating about whether I should post about this or not but I have decided that I want to. Someone, I can't remember exactly who it was, plagiarised the story 'Breaking Bella'. Although I would never condone this behaviour, what was almost as bad was the reviews that people left.

I read some of them and even though I wasn't that girl, I was really upset by what some people said. The thing that everyone has to remember is that she has feelings too. She has done something illegal and totally wrong but we don't call her names, making us almost as bad as her. She was in the wrong, don't get me wrong, but anyone who left a review on that story has taken the criticism beyond the point that it needed to be taken to.

It's not our business but everyone saw it as theirs. What would you do if that were you? Now I am sure that none of you would ever do it but put yourself into that position, just for a second. I have been called names on the Internet before (and that was far worst than this, trust me.) but it is never nice. None of you know her so passing such harsh judgements on her is not on.

I don't want to make this feel like I am lecturing and trying to make you all feel bad but I am trying to make you see it from my point of view. I think in this case, things went too far. Anyone who left a review should think about the consequences of their words.

However, plagiarism is serious. It is actually a criminal offence if it is copyrighted but of course fanfiction isn't, which only makes it worst. I am sure that both of the girls involved have sorted it out and I know that it has been removed. But next time it happens, can be behave like adults rather than children. Please? I don't want the fandom to get a bad name.

And remember that this is just my opinion.

Spill Your Thoughts.....Edward Cullen Already Knows Them

Here's a new post I came up. I wanted to get into the minds of some of my favorite authors. I asked a few authors the same questions and I have decided to share with you some of their answers.

First Category: Smut/Lemons

1. Each one of you has written some smut. Is any of it based off of personal experinces?

"TMI? I would love to say that all my lemons were written from experience however only two were and I only took parts of those experiences and added them to the scene. I wish I could say they were all based on experience alas most of it is due to my pervy imagination and what I wished I could get Mr.NBNF to do in the bedroom. (But he totally blew on my panties that one time and it was hot.)" -nobloodnofoul

"Not remotely. I'm "technically" a virgin, but don't tell that to my vibrator." -Amethyst Jackson

2. Some writers have a hard time writing lemons - do you?

"Never, I love to write them. The hotter the better." -venomousgal

"The ease at which a lemon comes to me really depends on my mood. Some days I’m pumped (pun intended) to write one. Other days I feel stupid writing them. When I’m in the zone I can write one rather easy. I have found that I can’t stop writing in the middle of a lemon or I’ll lose that momentum. Is it just me, or was the whole thing kinda dirty?" -nobloodnofoul

3. What is your favorite smutty fanfiction story?

"The Submissive by TaraSueMe" -venomousgal

"It's a toss up between Next Weekend & Exhibition by DefinatelyStaying." -kuntrygal

4. When reading smut, is there anything that gets on your nerves?

"Um, quite a few things actually. It bugs me when I read a fic and there’s this part about how the female (Bella, Rose, Alice, whoever) get’s so wet they ‘drip’ or ‘leak’. I just think it’s not well thought out because if you were really that excited and in a public place, wouldn’t a wet spot be a concern? I get being excited but if you’re excreting enough lubrication to thoroughly ‘drench’ yourself, you need to have that checked out.

Another thing that gets me is that in 99% of twifics where Edward and Bella are virgins and have sex, they both achieve orgasm. Now, here’s my issue: There’s generally no clitoral stimulation and it’s her first time…so no. I don’t see it being multi’s or even one. And that Edward could last longer than ten minutes, his first time, no matter how much of a stud he is, just isn’t real for me. It gets on my nerves.

And I wish Edward would be a little nicer to Bella’s clit. I get grazing with teeth, but for the love of God, stop biting on it." -nobloodnofoul

"When people say he/she tastes so good, or I drank everything he gave me greedily. When they say the "bodily fluids" taste so good, like the sweetest wine. No it doesn't." -kuntrygal

"I don't like it when writers focus entirely on what a character is doing while ignoring the reactions of the other character. Smut is all about living vicariously, about sharing the experience, so you have to have some moaning and squirming and tingling on top of the basic mechanics. I don't want to read that Edward did this and Edward did that and have no mental image of what's going on with Bella - what, is she just lying there stiff as a board? Because that's not possible with a good Edward." -Amethyst Jackson

5. Is there anything that makes you blush or are you okay with everything?

"LOL! It all makes me blush honestly!" -kuntrygal

"Anal sex makes me nervous. Also slash fics make me kinda cringe. I’m not gonna knock it, cause I’ve only tried it once. I just couldn’t get into it but yeah, I blush a nice orange color (cause that’s what you get when you mix pink and yellow)." -nobloodnofoul

"I blush watching anybody read my lemons.....lol!" -venomousgal


Second Category: Share The Love - Edward, Jasper, and Emmett

1. What is one thing you love about CANON Edward?

"The number one thing I love about Canon Edward is his formal way of speech. I think it’s just how freakin proper he is that gets me really going and makes me love him. That is number one on the list followed by the possessiveness and his temper." -nobloodnofoul

"He's such a romantic! And I love that he loves Bella so much to the point he is over protective and posessive." -kuntrygal

"His intelligence and maturity. I love that he's always the bigger man, even if we really want him to kick some ass, and I love that it always comes out when he speaks. It's something I've never felt able to adequately recreate." -Amethyst Jackson

2. What fanfiction story does your favorite Jasper come from?

"Trust in Advertising. I absolutely love how he catches the truth of people's emotions on film." -venomousgal

3. Out of the three, which would you rather date? Why?

"Oh definitely Edward. I mean c'mon, it's EDWARD CULLEN. Epic hotness." -venomousgal

"Such hard questions. I’ll admit, I have a heavy thing for Jasper, not gonna lie. But I’m seriously all in it for Edward. Jasper would kinda be my back-up man. Why Edward? Really? I mean, he’s got the hair, the eyes, the soul and that brooding protective nature that makes any woman’s inner feminist want to hide in a kitchen bare foot. He’s the epitome of suave and sweet. He’s a gentleman. He’s got that dark side that gives you chills but at the same time he’s tamed by a mere mortal just as plain as every woman feels herself to be. In other words Stephanie Meyer was just observant enough to collect every hot attribute a man could have and slapped some red sex hair on it. (Besides piercings and tattoo’s)" -nobloodnofoul

4. What is your favorite thing about Robert Pattinson, besides his hair?

"Hmmm, I would have to say the accent. I die for a man with an accent. (My fiancé was born in England…he get’s the accent back when he’s angry. It’s hot. We don’t fight for very long.) But when you pull a beanie over Robert’s head, he’s still got that nice gravelly purr and foreign lilt. Mmmmmm." -nobloodnofoul

"The accent & I like how he just seems to act like himself. He doesn't care what people think about him." -kuntrygal

"His totally lickable jaw. I am a sucker for a man with a strong jaw and chin." -venomousgal

"His awkwardness. I think he pulls off a fairly smooth Edward, but I like that he isn't remotely suave in actuality. ...Okay, and his hands. His hands are gorgeous." -Amethyst Jackson

NOTE: Amethyst Jackson is right on. Those hands...what I wouldn't give....

5. Jasper, with the accent or without? Why?

"Definitely with. All women are sucker for a hot accent on a hot guy. Believe me, I am married to a french man with a sexy as hell accent." -venomousgal

"With. If for no other reason than I love accents!" -kuntrygal

"Uh, with. Duh. Jasper’s from Texas. I’m from Texas. It’s a given. Jasper must have the accent." -nobloodnofoul

NOTE: I must have been tired when I wrote the questions. What girl doesn't love accents?

6. You run into (literally) Kellan Lutz on the street, what do you do?

"First I would pick myself up off the ground. Then I would give him my beta’s phone number. She’s in love with him. I’d be all, “Kellan you hottie, I’ll give my beta’s number if you wanna fork over Rob’s…cause I’m a firm believer in give and take.” While Kellan is hot, he’s not my cup o tea.

Cheddah, you so know I would do that for you." -nobloodnofoul

"I would probably pull a Bella & blush like crazy. Then try to work up the nerve to ask him to join me for coffee." -kuntrygal

"Drool. Stutter. Lick him....lol! Seriously, I would ask to take a picture with him if I had a camera just so people would believe me, and then I would lick him....." -venomousgal

"Say sorry and think, "Huh, that was weird. What is Kellan Lutz doing in Kansas?"" -Amethyst Jackson

So there we have it. The thoughts of these lovely ladies. Just in case you haven't heard of these fabulous ladies here's some information and a link for you.

kuntrygal: Author of Just The Three Of Us, People Change, and You Belong With Me. Find more here - http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1640966/

nobloodnofoul: Author of Shadowboxer. Find more here: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1756195/

Amethyst Jackson: Author of Bonne Foi and Only Human. Find more here: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/252097/

venomousgal: Author of Rescue Me. Find more here: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1685066/

Support Stacie Auction

For those of you who don't know, the Support Stacie Auction is for Stacie who has cancer. Authors offer up one-shots, lost chapters, drabbles, and out-takes that you can bid on. All the money goes to Stacie.

This current auction is open from September 11th to September 14th (the Twilight fandom bidding closes at 7pm).

Here are some of the authors who have things to bid on: withthevampsofcourse and jandco, IChimpz, manyafandom, Definately Staying, americnxidiot, In.a.blue.bathrobe (I wish I had the money to bid)

Go on over and bid on your favorite author now: http://majiksfanfic.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=115

Trends...

Trends happen in just about anything. Clothes, music and even books but we do have them on fanfiction too. The trends that we have on the site come from very popular stories inspiring people to write along the same topic. I tend to notice when I search on ff.net that these trends are beginning to happen. So, I have been keeping a list.

1. Horse trainer stories.

I will admit I have never read one. These cropped up a lot at the beginning of August after the success of a story called Love Ridden by LouLa, which gained 1268 reviews. It was written in February of this year and is complete now. The summary reads Edward Cullen, a big-time horse trainer in Gillette, Wyoming, hires a shy, quiet girl as a stable hand and trainee. He never expected to fall in love again, but Bella Swan is a dream come true. AU, AH. Rated M for Mmm, Lemons eventually! Lots of Fluff! I have lost count of the amount of times that I have been told to read this story. It has even now reached the point where my friend leaves it on my computer!

Following it's success, Two Stepping by Jewels64 was written. This story however was more popular and has acquired 1740 reviews at the moment but it is not yet complete. This was written in April and although has the same general theme as Love Ridden, I am told that they are very different.

Another story that has been written in the horse training genre is A Stable Romance by Iadorepugs. It has not gotten as many reviews as the other two, with only 850, but it is slowly climbing the review ladder.

2. Sub/Dom relationships

I know that I have spoken about these before but they show so easily what I am trying to tell you. The first one in the genre was Creature of Habit, which began in January. It has 10794 reviews, which is an awful lot. It is very very very good and in some respects, what first brought sub/dom relationships to the mainstream part of the fandom.

The other two stories in this category that are obvious choice were both begun in February of this year. The first one is The Submissive by tara sue me which has generated 11730 reviews and is probably one of the most popular stories at the moment. It has more reviews than COH but it has become more of a franchise.

The other one is The Training School by TheSpolitOne. It is far less read than the other two, with only 2993 reviews, but is also a multi part story. This is another trend that these two stories have begun. More than two points of view of the same thing, all written as different stories.

So my point is, although these are all in similar genres, none of the stories are the same. Yes you can compare them but they are different. None of the authors have ripped each other off. Each has it's own plot line and character development. It is very different to have a story that is similar and the same. Remember if you like something, write something similar. Don't steal from other authors!

Welcome to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Title: Moving to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Author: FirstWarmSummerBreeze

Rating: T

Reviews: 1,909

Status: Complete

Summary: A.H. Bella is German and lives in the most famous house in the world for six months. Suddenly she belongs to the rich and famous and hates her popular/player host brother Edward with a passion.What's the dark secret he is hiding? Caution Addictive! B/E

Personal Reading Experince: Boy was she was right with that warning! It is addictive! I became a fan of this story days after it was finished and sat there with a giant thing of soda until I finished it! I actually passed on a trip to the mall to finish reading it!

The thing I like most about this story is that Edward and Bella don't instantly fall in love. It isn't one of those stories that basically skip "the chase". It takes time before they fall in love, but boy do they have some fun times. Too bad the press is there to catch all of it. But what do you expect when your messing with the president's son?

SPOILERS (KINDA): From picking eachother up drunk, getting caught in the rain, ending up at the crappiest hotel ever, throwing things at eachother in the woods, dealing with the press, elevator mishaps, taking care of eachother while their sick, embarrising eachother at the table, and dealing with bribing daddies. These two go through it all. I'd like to note that all of those things do happen, just not in that particular order.

In this story there are two characters you will probably end up hating (I will not say names, but I will say they are both male and have a lot of power/influence). They both cause conflict in the story, but definetly help a side of Edward we love come out.

Edward goes from an ass to the dream guy, but not in a ridiculous amount of time. It is a gradual change that is more like real life than some of the stories you read. It's actually very interesting to read.

And the thought I'll leave you with: at one point we fear for Bella's life and Edward has a past.


Hehe! Go check out all of the goodness that is Moving to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue here. And hurry up because the sequel, Because I love you, is now in progress!

What We're Reading

Okay, so we're a tad behind on this post. It's at the very end of the month! But the August post has made it in time!

francesb001 (british-bella):

The Blessing and The Curse by The Black Arrow- It's a really really dark story where Edward can hear Bella's thoughts but only if he has physical contact with her, eg holding her hand. The story starts when they are older and tells us all about their childhood together. I didn't like it at first, but I don't think you are supposed to, however, now it is amazing.

Master Of My Heart by BriannaMarley- Again, another dom/sub story but it wasn't what I expected. My friend sent me the link to this one and she said stick with it and I have. It shows you through the exclusive world that Edward lives in as Bella discovers it. Throw in a fire, a wardrobe full of clothes and an exclusive island and you have your story.

My smile is my tears:

Forever My Love by LionLambForever and HeartbreakHaven: This is a very interesting story. It does start out Jasper/Bella, but you guys just need to get over that because it does end up Edward/Bella. I almost want to call it a dom/sub story, but it's really not. I'm doing a sucky job at describing this story and I really don't know how. All I can do is say read it and that the relationships in this story have a lot of depth. (I will be interviewing these two fabulous ladies soon, so maybe they can help you better understand the story.)

The Vampire in the Basement by michellephants: Quite honestly, I don't even know why I'm putting this up here because I'm sure everyone in the fandom has come across it by now. This story is the shit. This is one of the few stories I will print out and put on my bookshelf. The only thing I have to say is don't let anyone know you haven't read it yet.

So as you can tell we haven't really been reading a lot this month. But we have been busy, so just get over. Hopefully in September we will be reading more!

Twitter

So all of a sudden the fandom has moved onto twitter!!! Exciting times. So, our blog has set up a twitter account and follow us!!! You can get updates on what we are doing and links to things that we recommend!!!
http://twitter.com/C_Brouillard

Slash

Something that is not exclusive to the twilight fandom is slash pairings. We all have our favourites and there are some rather strange ones out there. Carlisle/Harry Potter being the weirdest one I have stumbled across but there is strangely something hypnotising about them.

Don't shoot me or anything but I can SO totally see Jasper/Edward happening. Never ever did I think that the day would come where I admit that but I just have. Alice/Bella maybe not as much. I just don't think that they would swing that way!

The point however to my ramblings, is I think that every single fanfiction reader out there should try a slash story at one time in their life, but remember they often contain lemons and those things are not meant for the younger generations!!!). Slash stories give a totally different view of the fandom and if you read the right one, it could change your opinion on that character.

So...I implore you to choose one of the following and read it :)

All I Ever Knew by Manyafandom- This is the ultimate slash story. It has some of the cutest scenes in it EVER (including a kiss in the rain) and things like that. It is enchanting and awe-inspiring from the first chapter. http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4676940/1/All_I_Ever_Knew

Over The Top by Starfish422- As I have not actually read this one YET, I will just give you the story summary :) Slash: Edward is an unabashed pleasure-seeker, one of the club kings of the Seattle gay community. One night at his favorite club, he meets an enigmatic man who rocks the world he has created. JxE AH AU Rated M for language and explicit lemonsplosions. http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4866893/1/Over_The_Top

So read one of those two and be amazed.

New Moon: The Movie

Unless you have been living in some kind of hold over the past six months, you will have to some degree have heard about 'New Moon: The Movie'. For those who have no idea, I will explain. It is the second installment in the Twilight Saga and is mainly about the whole Bella/Jacob relationship. It is really the first time that readers got to know Jacob Black more than the son of a family friend. Bella goes a tad AWOL and he is the one who brings her back to earth and proves that there is something worth living for. Majority of people loathe Jake with a passion but personally, I feel quite sorry for the guy. Unrequited love sucks and I am talking from experience here. So, guys give him a break.

Well, I didn't start writing this to prevent Jacob bashing but actually to tell you some very exciting news. Now I am not afraid to admit this but I actually heard this on the national radio so lots of other people know as well. However, my news is that, at Comic Con in San Diego this week, they showed scenes from the movie and lots of the cast (R Patz, Taylor, K Stew, Chris Weitz and Ashley Greene) answered some questions. All of it is on YouTube for you to check it out. Now, I appreciate that this is most probably not news to you.

However, I think that even from these two clips, we can tell the higher quality that New Moon will be. There is a lot more hype around the second installment, mainly due to the success of the first film, the books and a higher profile cast. I am not going to go on about Catherine Harwick's work and be mean about it because I did enjoy it, just not as much as I know I could have done. Chris Weitz has a lot of hype to live up to as he has the hopes of millions of teenage girls on his shoulders, not that I want to scare him at all, but there will be a lot (and I mean A LOT) of annoyed fans that he has to answer to if it is not very good. But if his work in the past is anything to live up to then boy are we in for a treat.

As well as a much more renowned director, the cast has improved dramatically. They have added household names to the cast-Micheal Seen, Dakota Flanning and Jamie Campbell Bower- which has only increased the media coverage of it all. All I have to compare it to is when Twilight was released. There was no hype at this point at all. I remember talking to people about it and they had no idea at all about the movie or anything. But now, I so much as mention 'Edward Cullen' and girls scream and gush loads of crap about him. Magazines and radio shows and even TV channels all have had some kind of Twilight related thing in the past six months.

So, as I begin to conclude (mainly because I am babysitting and have to put the child to bed), I leave you with this thought...an optimist is always disappointed but a pessimist is happy surprised.

Oh and guys, feel free to comment. I like to know your thoughts too :)

Banners

Okay, so I admit I am technology challenged. I can barely work my e-mail, lol. I have no clue what I'm doing when it comes to anything electronic. I had problems using the microwave earlier.

So imagine the look on my face when someone says you should make banners for the blog and awards. I thought - do they know who they're talking to? I certainly had no idea how to use photoshop or any of those things. So I am now on a search for anyone who can make banners!! Please help me!

iFic

I recently discovered a cool new thing in the Twilight fandom. It's called iFic. Basically, people are recording your favorite Twilight fics, so you can listen to them rather than read them. This system was started over at Twilighted.

Here's a little bit that was posted over at Twilighted: "That's right--you can now listen to some of the best Twilight fics available while you're driving, working, exercising, etc."

I think this is a genius idea! I just went on a very long car ride to Canada and I couldn't exactly read because then I would get car sick, so I pulled out my ipod and listened to the story! I found myself laughing and my grandparents turning around to look at me like I was crazy.

Boycotts and BarFlies by vjgm was the first fic to be recorded. I have already read this story (although it's been a while) and loved it, so I downloaded it. The recording was very good and I found it to be easy listening.

The other story that has been recorded is Die To Self by JenWordSong. I have not got around to listening to it yet, but a very reliable source tells me it's really good too!

I believe they are still looking for people to help with iFic (esp. guys), so head on over and apply.

I think it's really cool how big our fandom is getting! To have things like iFic is something I would have never would imgained when I started way back when.

21st Century books for Bella Swan

In Twilight, Bella spends a lot of time reading classic books, which is very untypical of an teenager in this day and age. Nearly every single one of my friends would groan at the prospect of having to read a book such as Pride and Prejudice (A-Level English students are supposed to but no-one has. Slackers.) or Wuthering Heights. In this respect, Bella is not normal.

So...this got me thinking and I decided to come up with a list of five books that I would recommend to Bella if she was one of my friends. My list of criteria was...

1. A good old love story like the one in Pride and Prejudice, and an old fashioned one at that! Mr Darcy can hardly be considered the mordern Romeo of the 21st century.
2. Rich kids. All of the books that are mentioned within the book contain rich people running around, gambling money left right and centre as well as buying the latest fashions. So they need a credit card from daddy to satisfy Bella!
3. A crazed set of parents. None of the parental figures in any of Bella's favourite books can be considered normal. Add Mrs Bennett's 'nerves' or Mr Heathcliff's general personality and you have slightly off the rails parents!
4. Historal themes. She likes her old stories of love and romance but also in a nice house with powerful people.

Armed with this list, I racked my brains and hit Amazon. Due to the lack of brainpower and many-a-distraction aka facebook and a mountain of text messages later, I was still not done. This was going to be a bit harder than I thought. Lol. So...I get in a couple of friends to help. They were more of a hindrance so I have decided to stick with what I know. These are some of the best romance/historal/teenage books that I have read and I hope that I can convince Bella to move into 21st century literature.

Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir- This is like The Other Boleyn Girl but about Lady Jane Grey, who was the neice of Henry VIII, and the cousin of Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. It tells her story as she reigns for nine days and the realisation that she has no choice in her destiny. I have read it and it is writen rather well. I find that it is a better read than the Phillip Gregory books. However, there is very little romance in it. Damn. That certainly will not keep Bella hooked.

Private by Kate Brian- This is not a book set in England but in America. It follows the story of our herione, Reed Brennan, as she enters a protigous school. She falls in love (romance, check), it has crazed parents in the form of her mother and the buildings are dripping with history so it should keep her happy. Oh and all of the kids are rather well off.

Gossip Girl by Cecily Von Ziegesar- This could be the obvious choice yes but I think she may, somehow, enjoy it. Majority of us know the story thanks to the tv programme but Bella's lack of tv watching means that she will have not seen it, thus meaning the whole story will be new to her. I think that it has just about all of the requirements that I set for Bella in it (and everyone agreed!).

Those were the only three books I could find that satisfied my requirements. So read them!

What We're Reading

We have decided to make this a monthly post. We hope you can find something that interests you on this list because we know how hard it is to find somehing good to read among the thousands of fics out there.

francesb001(british-bella):

Confessions of a Nanny by Melissa228- Bella struggles to find a job so when Alice's client is looking for a nanny job, she is of course volunteered by her friend for the post. BUT as per with fanfiction stories, she gets a lot more than she barginned for. The Edward here is a divorcee who plays with Bella's emotions as she tries to capture him. Throw in presents from Victoria's Secret curtosy of Alice and Rose, oh and a four year old daughter. I cannot recommend a story anymore.

My Secret Sin by An End Has A Start- Renee is a known goldseeker and Carlisle is the man she chooses to be her next conquest. Having captured him and gotten engaged, the story begins at the wedding and Bella and Edward's first encounter, which ends in the siblings-in-law having a quick smooch. This of course leads to more. The forbidden love affair between the two of them begins and they hide it expertly from their parents. Throw in a mysterious group called the 'Merry Men' and more than one battle of love.

ohmahgawditsnicole:

The Office by tby789-Bella is edward's secratary, and they both mutually "hate" each other, until one day, something happens aaaaaand, they kinda sleep together. Everything changes from that point. They begin to have this kinda screwed up inter-office relationship that no one knows about, but when they happen to get it on at Edward's parent's house (Esme is trying to set Bella up with Mike) Rose finds out and tells them that their relationship is wrong and that they shouldn't keep sleeping together because it would basically cause a scandal. However, they unknowingly fell in love, so it makes it very difficult for them to break it off.

Keyless by The Romantical Edwardian- I'm just going to give you her summary, since i'm not that good at them, and plus, her's is really catchy. "Edward Cullen; cynic, medicated, damned. Bella Swan; silent, jumpy, paranoid. He's falling for her, which is probably a mistake. Two jagged pieces of a broken frame. Depression is a lock. And they're both...keyless."

My smile is my tears:

Tropic of Virgo by in.a.blue.bathrobe- I tried to write my own summary for this story, but nothing was good enough, so I'm just going to give you her's. "He's a young but jaded musician writing lyrics for his band, and she's a naive, frustrated poet looking to break out of her shell; their words collide online. What happens when they meet in high school, unaware of their literary connection?"

Bonne Foi by Amethyst Jackson- Edward Masen is a vampire that lives by himself and feeds on humans. One night Bella Swan leaves the library late and Edward Masen lures her out to a spot in the middle of the woods. Instead of drinking her blood he ends up having sex with her. After he meets Bella he can't drink from humans anymore, so he takes up animal blood. He figures he'll get tired of Bella and everything will go back to normal, but what happens when he falls in love with her?

hello,

so, it's nicole again.
this will be my last post, as i feel that i haven't been into twilight for quite some time, now.
frances and alyssa will be maintaining this blog from now on(:
they were so much better at posting than i was anyhow.
however, i do have a blog over on tumblr if anyone would like to follow me personally on there.
the best to you two(:
i'll probably stop by every now and then, but for now, it's just those two(:
gooooodbye.

The Best Man

Title: The Best Man
Author: Bratty-Vamp
Rating: M
Reviews: 1,921
Status: In-Progress
Summary: Next-door neighbors home from college, reunited for two weeks of their summer break. Childhood memories and adult hijinks abound. Will a friendly competition strengthen childhood bonds? Or will it help to forge a new relationship between adults? AH/AU

Amber Energi 2009-07-20 . chapter 13
You have been super creative with this fic, great job! I like all of the different stuff that you are having them do and the fun little things that happen while they're doing the events. It hasn't gotten past me that every time they drink Edward and Bella end up getting close to one another at the end of the night, and then they are interrupted. You are teasing us, its cool though. Its fun watching things slowly build up b/ween the two of them.

mllebojangles 2009-07-20 . chapter 13
I just read this whole story over the past couple days ... and I am ADORING it! It's such an interesting twist and it's so ridiculously entertaining ... I'm definitely alerting it and can't wait for updates. Keep up the good work!(Oh, and I should mention - I heard about The Best Man through the lovely ladies of the Twigasm podcast. They rock my world with their humor and the wonderful stories they recommend!)

Momma Hen 2009-06-20 . chapter 1
I am SO glad you turned me onto your new story. I had barely read half way down and was already hooked in. I know you only did that to me cause you know how good i am at reviewing you, lol. Look forward to catching up.

My Personal General Review- I started reading this story quite honestly because I was bored. It caught my eye as I searched for something to wile away the hours of boredom that I was having at home alone in June. Once I had read the first eight chapters or so, I alerted the story and sent her a review raving about it. This story has a totally unique and original plot that I certainly have not read hundreds of other times in the fandom.

Here, Bella and Jasper are the best of friends, who return home from college for two weeks. As well as the two friends being there, Jasper's brother, the one and only Edward Mason returns too. Now, normally I would write something along the lines of 'Que falling head over heels in love with each other' but in this story, that statement does not apply. There is a bitter rivalry between the two of them as they fight to become Jasper's Best Man, hence the premise of the story.

I find the Bella that my Bratty-Vamp portrays here very refreshing to read. She isn't pathetic, she doesn't mop over Edward, she gets down and dirty with the guys AND she appears to have a decent sense of humour. This is the Bella that I want as my friend! Rather than the guys (Tyler, Mike, Eric etc) treating Bella as a breakable doll, they take her in as one of their own. Even Edward lets Bella do some rather risk-ay stuff.

So all in all, it truly is an amazing read. I know I tend to say that a lot but the story that has been created here is one of those that is much loved by everyone who reads it, as the reviews above show. Bratty-Vamp has taken an idea, which she described told me, in an interview of course, that it came from no-where. 'Honestly? The idea just ‘came to me.’ When I was finishing my first story (Abbracciare IlCantante) a lot of friends asked me if I might write another. I said I might… IF an idea came to me. The day after I finished AiC, I woke with the concept for The Best Man in my head. I still said I would not start writing it unless the entire story was more concrete in my mind. Within two days I knew the story from start to finish and already felt I knew the characters I would be writing about. I knew then, that I would have to write it.'

During the aforementioned interview, I also asked what she had learnt during the process of writing 'The Best Man', which she answered simply with- 'I think that I’ve been a little more confident writing my second story. I trust myself a little more now. I’ve learned not to get so down on myself!' Every author in the fandom should grow with confidence as they write and if this story is letting her do this, then hell, carry on writing it!

As you come to the end of my rant, slide your mouse below and click the link. She deserves every bit of praise that she gets. 'The Best Man' needs to be read by everyone on ff so they understand what it takes to write a unique and inspiring story!

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5122163/1/The_Best_Man

My Secret Sin

Title: My Secret Sin
Author: An End Has A Start
Rating: M
Reviews: 1,976
Status: In-Progress
Summary: You know it’s wrong when it’s kept a secret. That’s how Bella felt anyway about the new relationship with her step-brother. All Human

anna123 2009-07-15 . chapter 20
I just found this story, and I absolutely love it!! It's been interesting from chapter one, and I've just stayed glued to the screen since I started reading! I would definitely say it has become one of my favorites;) :D Ever since things started going well for B&E though, I've been expecting something to go wrong (call me paranoid, but although the baby certainly sucked for them, I think there's still something worse about to happen), and it's kept me on the edge of my seat while I read the last few chapters!I can't wait to read more!!

twinkle-gal 2009-07-15 . chapter 20
great chapter, I can't wait when they found out about edward and bella, drama and drama right?can't wait for the next update

conceivably.eternity 2009-07-14 . chapter 20
OMG! The tension is building, I just want to know what happens when they find out!That would be quite wierd to have your brother and sister together! But if its love it seems to conquer all!Ok can I know where this school is so I can have extremely public sex?
Please. Awesome lemon, honestly epic!

My personal general Review- This story is amazingly written and keeps on getting better with every update. An End Has A Start is building this story up to such a climax that I know when I say this I speak for everyone who has this on alert but, we are all literary on the edge of our seats. Seeing that she has updated actually makes me smile, internally and externally. There is something enchanting about this story. You know that you should be thinking 'OMG this is so totally wrong' but there is some small undefinable thing that makes this story so believable. I could actually see this happening where I live and the drama it would cause.

The Bella and Edward we see are quite true to the book in some respects but in others, they are from totally different planets. Predicatably, Edward is a player but not so predicatbly, he is a genuinely nice guy behind it all with issues that Bella helps him to explore. Bella on the other hand, is very true to the book, expect here, she is not as close to Renee. Their relationship is portrayed as strained, mainly due to the many relationships that Renee has had and they have had an everlasting effect on Bella. She finds each marriage hard and appears to be very affected by them.

As well as Edward and Bella, we see all of the rest of the Cullen clan at school, minus Carlisle and Esme of course, and boy do they bring the drama. Talk about love triangles and a half! So, Alice and Jasper are a couple but add Rose, the ex who is very close with Jasper still. Sprinkle on a rape case and add a pinch of a secret group called 'The Merry Men' and that is ultimately the schooling bit of the story. Oh and add lemons in classrooms and bitchy girls.

So this story really has it all. An amazing author, a pretty unique plot line and buckets of smut and lemons, which to me only explains why it has almost 2000 reviews. If you are looking for something to get into over the summer, click the link below and check it out. I implore you to.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4913622/1/My_Secret_Sin

Dominant and Submissive

The fandom at the moment appears to be going through a craze at the moment for stories surrounding a dom/sub relationship. The stories all range in story lines. Some include Jasper, Edward and Bella, whereas others surround around Edward/Bella's dom/sub relationship. All of us love a good lemon and these appear to be the best ones out there at the moment.

For those naive and sheltered people like me, who had NO idea at all what a dom/sub relationship was when they first came across it, here are a couple of definitions.

• Wikipedia says... Dominance and submission (also known as D&s, Ds or D/s) is a set of behaviors, customs and rituals involving the giving by one individual to another individual of dominance over them in an erotic episode or as a lifestyle arrangement. Physical contact is not a necessity, and it can even be conducted anonymously over the telephone, email or other messaging system. In other cases, it can be intensely physical, sometimes traversing into sadomasochism. In D/s, both parties take pleasure or erotic enjoyment from either dominating or being dominated. Those who take the superior position are called Dominants, Doms (male) or Dommes (female), while those who take the subordinate position are called submissives or subs (male or female). A switch is an individual who plays in either role. Two switches together may negotiate and exchange roles several times in a session. "Dominatrix" is a term usually reserved for a female professional dominant who dominates others for pay.

That definition I found was helpful but a little complex. The actual page goes on to explain the details of the relationship in such infinite detail that by reading it, you know all of the ins and outs of the partnership. So due to the complex nature of that definition, I then used urban dictionary for a much more simple one and stumbled across this...

• Acronym for "submissive seme, dominant uke". In yaoi, a sexual situation with dominance/submission in which the seme (person penetrating) obeys and the uke (being penetrated) decides what happens.

This sums it up much more simply for those of us who are already on the good old summer hols (or vacation for you Americans).

So, next, in my extensive research, I searched on fanfiction, within the Twilight fandom the word 'dominant', which caused me to generate 109 results. As I scrolled down the page, something that was blindingly obvious was that all of the stories had been written within the last 10 months, majority of them were one shots that had been written recently. To me that just proved how much this craze had kicked off.

Now, I cannot go on and on about these amazing stories if I do not recommend any of them to you.

The obvious ones to recommend to you are 'The Submissive' and 'The Dominant' which are sister stories written by tara sue me http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1595284/tara_sue_me. These are perhaps the ultimate dom/sub stories. They follow both of the point of views of Edward and Bella as they explore their relationship through this odd means. I personally enjoyed these stories a lot as they are written very well and believably. BUT read 'The Submissive' first! This is the story that in my opinion has opened up the cascade of stories that have appeared recently.

The other rather blindingly easy ones to recommend are 'The Training School' series by TheSpoiltOne. http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1702022/TheSpoiltOne She tells the story of a dom/sub training school from Bella, Edward, James and Carlisle's POV's. The premise of the story is Bella being sent to the school by James, her boyfriend, as he wants her to improve in bed but in true fanfiction style, she meets Edward. It is an interesting take on the whole relationship but it works very well as a concept.

There are other ones out there but those have still yet to be read my me, thus making it impossible for me to tell you about them. However, I encourage, no implore you to search the word 'dominant' or 'submissive'. See what you can find. You may just be surprised!

You Get Me Closer To God

Title: You Get Me Closer To God
Author: americnxidiot
Rating: M
Reviews: 2,114
Status: Complete
Summary: They meet for one reason, and one reason alone. Everybody's happy. Nobody gets hurt. Right? "I wanna feel you from the inside."- E/B OOC All Human. Winner of the Eddie for best completed novel.

JynxxD (Chapter 20 review): I simply LOVE this story. And I'm extremly suprised. Ordinarily such open and frank details are a little out of my comfort zone, however, I don't feel any of it was gratuitous and was actually very required for the story -- to set the proper tone.

That being said, I also loved your Edward and Bella! Her willingness and ingenuity to face her fears and ability to admit her mistakes; His patience and silent suffering without the drastic overreactions. Very well done.

Naomitron (Chapter 20 review): Ah, my head hurts to see this story come to an end. I love just how dirty, filthy, romantic, sweet, and freaking sexy these two are (as you've so wonderfully played them out to be). It really was a fitting end to this wonderful work of art. I'm extremly sad to see it go, so I hope you've got a sequel in the works. If not, I'm always here to help pump out ideas :p Thank you for the hard work and wonderful reading material! I look forward to more from you in the future.

Anonymous: perfect ending! :D it was adorable and sweet and made me happy inside! i wish it hadn't ended, but that was an amazing close to an amazing story! i always got excited when i got an e-mail saying that you had updated! [:

Personal Reading Experince (SPOILERS): In this story, we follow Bella and Edward through their emotional, hilarious, and smutty relationship. The story brings many different emotions out of you and each one is as strong as the next (although lust is certainly at the top).

Edward and Bella's themesong throughout the story is Closer by Nine Inch Nails. It appears in the proluge, in chapter one,at the dinner table, and a few other places. It defines their relationship.

At the beginning it appears that our lovely *cough*horny*cough* characters (Bella and Edward) are only tied together by sex. Little does the reader know they are actually hording emotions.

Although anybody can see why they wouldn't fess up about their feelings. When you are getting sex like that.....you don't complain. Not only are their hook-ups spontaneous, but they do it in some pretty crazy places. The calmest they go is Edward's bedroom and I would say the craziest would be the tire swing in a stranger's back yard. And of course....it was secretive. They didn't tell their friends, or parents, or anybody. How many of us haven't wanted a secret fuck buddy? Be honest! And as if the sex in itself it's enough there is flirting *cough*foreplay*cough* going on all day long.

They eventually do put their feelings on the line and I'm sure there were tons of awws coming out. We are all happy that Edward and Bella had their happy ending, we just hope they don't lose their sex drive! You can love this story for many reasons! It's a must read!

Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4693022/1/You_Get_Me_Closer_To_God

That Is Not My Job

One thing that constantly seems to be a problem in the fandom is RUDE readers, RUDE people on forums, RUDE reviewers, and RUDE authors. I, for the life of me, can’t figure out why.

Nobody has to write for you or has to help you. Nobody on here is getting paid to write you a story and nobody is getting paid to beta your story. They are doing it during their free time. They do have their own lives and other responsibilities. I often hear betas complaining about how rude authors are to them. Betas are offering you their time and skills, so you should be nothing but thankful.

We are in no way obligated to communicate and be friends. We could all just write and read. There doesn’t have to be awards, contests, podcasts, websites, blogs like this, or even reviews. But what fun would that be? The whole fandom is better when we all just get along. Behind the screen is a real person with feelings, so watch what you say and save the drama for your mama.


Amethyst Jackson: Many fandom participants do forget that everyone works for free here, we have limited resources, and we all have other major endeavors in our lives - whether that be school, work, motherhood, or any number of things. For me personally, I find it frustrating when people complain about slow updates rather than asking nicely, or when readers critique overly harshly. Unfortunately, I don't get to write nearly as much as I would like, and I don't have an editor to check my facts. I would encourage people to be more supportive and less nitpicky.


VampGirl: The Twilight fandom has exploded, and we need to remember that these people do this all for free and have busy lives as well. I know it's frustrating. Believe me, I know it can be excruciating waiting and waiting to get a chapter back. But they're only human.


ObsessingOverEdward: My biggest gripe about the rudeness in the fandom is not from the readersbecause I try to give them the benefit of doubt when they review and say WTF? They don't usually know where the story is headed and when we throw zingers (or cliffies) at them then it's to be expected. It's what we work for as a writer, to instill some kind of emotion into the reader. It also doesn't help when they then have to wait for the next update, LOL.

I've only had a few flamers, but thanks to my awesome beta Mskathy, I tend to ignore them. Kathy has talked me off the ledge many times. I usually write a scathing remark back, to get it all out of my system, and then delete it before sending. For a new reader/reviewer I highly recommend reading WTVOCarticle on "The Lazy Yet Discerning Ficster" blog about reviewing etiquette, if you have any questions on what's appropriate. http://discerningficster.blogspot.com/search/label/Fandom%20Etiquette

My biggest issues are with authors that feel the need to make snarky remarks about other authors or their stories on public threads or podcasts. Words hurt, even though we try to buck up and ignore them, it still bugs you when you put a ton of time and pour out your emotions into your story only to have it slammed by someone that should understand the energy you put in. The backstabbing and snottiness in the fandom from other authors can get to be tiring. Most are amazing and wonderful ladies but there are a few that like to cause drama wherever they go.

My thoughts are, that not all stories will appeal to all readers so if you don't like a story then move on, but there is no reason for catty remarks because an author doesn't write a story like you would have liked to see it written.

Betas

Part 1: Being A Beta

As a beta, I would say I am qualified to cover this topic. When you are beta there are so many things you have to pay attention to. First of all there is the grammar. You need to fix every missed period, misplaced comma, and mispelled word. Nobody wants to read anything where there are constant errors.

Another thing betas have to look out for is awkward phrasing and dialouge. Is the author's writing going to make the reader trip? The story should flow smoothly. The best way to edit dialouge is to read it aloud. Does it sound like something they would say?

Once all of the techincal stuff is done you still have more work to do. Does the author have good chacterization? Does the author's plot make sense? Do the pairings work with the story? Does it follow the book if the story is supposed to be canon? As a beta, you need to make sure the story isn't crap. Nobody is going to care what the grammar is like if the story itself sucks.

Also, when you are done tearing the author's work to bits and pieces (which will most likely happen) try to find something positive to say. Don't lie, but if there was something you liked let them know.

You need to be reliable. The readers want the chapters as fast as possible, so try not to keep an author's story for too long. Also, the author needs time to deal with your suggestions and fix her chapter accordingly. You should return the chapter to the author within 48 hours of recieving it.



Part 2: Finding A Beta

As an author, you should have a beta for every story, even it's just a one-shot. Just because you beta for other people doesn't mean you won't miss something in your own work.

When you are looking for a beta you need to pick someone who is going to be brutally honest. You need to make sure they are totally honest, so that way you know your story is the best it can be. You don't want someone who is going to lie to make you feel better.

That brings me to the topic as using as a friend as a beta. This could go one of two ways. It could work out really well because you are such good friends that you can be honest without eachother and nobody will have any hard feelings or you will both be walking on eggshells and your story won't be the best it could be.

One thing a lot of authors do is have their work checked over by two or three people. Any more than three people is just ridiculous because your work shouldn't have that many mistakes in it. Having mulitple betas also helps if one or two are busy whenever you need a chapter edited.

Part 3: Beta and Author Interaction

This is probably the most difficult part. A beta doens't want to step on an author's toes by trying to write her story for her. There is a thin line between helping write the story and trying to write the story yourself.

While a beta should be available and reliable they don't have to jump through hoops for the author. They have volunteered their help, the beta's don't work for the author's. So all you author's out there that demand they have their chapter back in the next four hours because you promised you would post need to shove it. It's not the beta's fault that you just got it the way you wanted and just sent it to them.

While an author and their beta don't have to be best friends they do need to communicate with eachother. They need to be comfortable talking about where the story is going. And of course smaller things too. Like if the beta is going to get wasted for her 21st birthday and won't be available for a few days then the author should know not to send her chapters. The last thing a beta wants is for an author to chew her out for not returning the chapter she never knew was in her inbox.

An important thing to remember is to be honest. If a beta (or author) isn't working for you let them know. Not every beta is going to work for every author and vise versa. If you think that it isn't working let the other person know. My most important message goes out to the betas out there. If the shit sucks, it sucks. Don't keep betaing something that is horrible, let the author know that you don't think the story is working and try to re-write it with her.

Here's a question and answer from the Ask WTVOC collumn over at TLYDF (The Lazy, Yet Discerning Ficster).

Dear...You,

I am betaing for a girl and I want to tell her that her shit sucks and to go re-write it, but I never do. I just fix the grammatical errors and send it back to her. If I was friends with her I would say exactly how i felt, but I don't know her. How do I word it in a nice way?

Peace & Cookies, Confused Beta

Dear MastaBeta:

You had me at cookies.

Look, here’s the thing. Constructive criticism means both good and bad, said in a way that isn’t all OMG YOU SUCK HARD GET OUTTA MAH FANDOM.

Lemme ask you this-

Why do you beta something that sucks?

I already know the answer. You’re too nice.

You can either keep being nice, saying nothing, and letting a piece of your spirit die every time you get that email in your box-

Or… you can say, “Look, I like you and your writing, but I feel like your work is taking a direction that isn’t working for me. Can we rework this part?” Always couple with something positive, else she feels horrible.

The thing is this- do you want to subject everyone else to schlock just because you’re too nice to say anything?

Don’t be a pushover. I know, I know. Easier said than done. But if she’s worth anything, she’ll appreciate some help. She might even suspect that you’re pandering to keep her happy.

And if she gets mad, offended, snaps back, defensive… well, you’ve just unsaddled a burden, no?

And hope she isn’t a fan of your dirty uncle.

Just… honesty is great, but be kind. Betalings have feelings, too.

-wtvoc

Betas are an important part to the writing world. Readers would have to suffer some major errors if it wasn't for them. Author's are obviously important. The betas would have nothing to do if the authors weren't writing. The whole process works better if everyone stays honest and nice.

If you don't feel like dealing with all the drama that comes with betas and betaing go on over to Project Team Beta (link somewhere to your right).

~Alyssa~

The Age of Edward Contest

I have recently heard of a contest going on the fandom. If you haven't guessed already it's called The Age of Edward Contest. It's being hosted by americnxidiot, Dollegirl, Kitschisme, Rosette-Cullen, Stacy . Bumblebee, and Vixen1836. You can find more information out from any of them.


The Age of Edward Contest will feature quality stories throughout various historical eras, ranging from ancient times up until the modern era. The contest began on June 1st and will close on July 15th. Winners will be announced July 31st. The hosts will be serving as judges.



Winners will each win a prize!! Don't pretend you don't care because we all know you do.


1st place: Edward Cullen Action Figure and a signature banner
2nd place: Custom made t-shirt with your choice of Twilight related phrase and a signature banner.
3rd place: Twilight related gift and/or Edward paraphernalia and a signature banner.




Rules:
1. ALL entries MUST be all-human/alternate-universe
2. ALL entries MUST be one-shots
3. ALL entries MUST include smut/lemons, and therefore MUST be rated M
4. ALL entries MUST be 3,000 to 12,000 words

This all of the basic things that you need to know. Find more information here: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5079452/1/

What We're Reading

A lot of people find it hard to find good stories among the thousands that are now in our fandom. Below is a list of good stories we are reading right now:

british-bella/francesb001:

1)Falling Into You by Aliasfan266 - Basically Bella is a bit of a rebellious teen and so Renee puts her foot down and sends her to rehab, where she meets her therapist and surprise, suprise, he is Edward Cullen. The story only has 6 chapters (including the prologue) at the moment so the story could generally go anywhere. In the summary, the author says 'Dr. Edward Cullen who as her psychologist decides to try different means of therapy on her...', which sounds ominous, but I am DYING to know what happens. I cannot recommend anything more at the moment.

2)All Work and No Play by herinfiniteeyes - this is rated M. It's a teacher/student story, which normally I do not read but there is something about the way that she writes that means that it is believeable. The story started off as a one shot but she continued it. Edward is a teacher who offers to help Bella out when she takes on college level classes at the local college, while still in high school. Of course sparks fly and they end up together but again, this story is in it's early days so it could really go anywhere, which at the moment is them going to Dartmouth together.

3)Aye Aye, Captain by Freesias and Strawberries - Bella is sent to a military school after years of bad behaviour. The main twist of this story that makes it one of a kind is that the military school is all boys bar Bella, and two other girls. Here, Bella is a lot more OOC than most stories, but it works because of the plot.

ohmahgawditsnicole:

1)E Pluribus Unum by Rosette-Cullen - Bella got kicked out of her house by Charlie, and she's living with her college boyfriend, Edward. Everyone at school thinks she's a slut, but they just don't understand her relationship with edward. It only has about 5 chapters so far, and it actually sounds way better than my summary made it seem.

My smile is my tears:

1)Just The Three Of Us by kuntrygal - Edward and Jasper are together, but only in the privacy of their own home. While out one night they meet Bella. They both have an attraction to her and she has an attraction to both of them, so it ends up becoming a three person couple. I'm not describing it very well, but the three of them have an instant, intense connection. Trouble arises throughout the story and you are always begging for the next update.

2)Shadowboxer by nobloodnofoul - This story is pretty popular now, but I first started reading it when only a select few knew about it. It is phenonomal. Bella and Edward meet in the strangest way, but they end up getting together. They go through a lot because of his profession and her past. There are so many emotions flying around that you get whiplash, but it's all worth it.

3)Someone To Save You by EmmaEdholm - This story has an intersting plot that makes you wonder why you didn't think of it first. Edward finds homeless, runaway Bella asleep, trying to cover herself from the cold. After he sees her, he realizes he can't just leave her there, so he takes her home. When Alice and Emmett find out Bella and Edward get sucked into a giant lie that they each secretly begin to hope will turn into reality. You can practically feel Edward and Bella's confusion and emotions in this story.

Stephenie Meyer Breaks The U.K

Being from England, as I so often say it annoys myself sometimes, I am exposed to some of the same things as people from across the Atlantic or a little bit further a field, such as Australia and even places like Spain, but being a small country, there are certain things that we keep very to ourselves and appear to only just be reaching everyone else.

One of them, obviously, is our literature. People such as J K Rowling, Agatha Christie and Tolkien are household names all over the world but there is something strange about visiting places that are actually in the books. For example, I have visited the universities in Oxford where Harry Potter is filmed and my sister is going to the university that is said to have influenced how J K Rowling imagined Hogwarts. Or take Tolkien. On one of my sisters more recent cheer leading excursions that I was forced to go on, we stopped to look around the place that supposedly the Hobbit houses are based on. Everywhere we go here is integrated in literature and I can almost guarantee that some kind of author has written about it at some point.

Also, take our music. Stephenie Meyer dedicated some of her books to Muse, who are believe it or not, Brits themselves. Music is something that defines my country. Almost every single weekend, in every single small village, town or city, up and coming bands play music in clubs, at youth centres or on street corners. It is actually in the air in London.

Okay, the point of my rather weird ramblings is that Stephenie Meyer has broken the UK. It's official. As much as it pains me to admit this, Twilight is mainstream. Ahhhh. I feel like such a sheep. BUT back on topic, when I first read the book, I felt like I was reading part of some forgein world that was so distant from my own, but looking back over the books, I now understand why I, personally, related to them so much.

Take the weather. I think I would be right in saying that it probably rained in Forks today, and guess what it rained here. I totally get the whole WTF do I wear to school now that the sky has decided to drop a bucket of water. Also, the music behind the novel is exactly what is in my top 25 most played. There is some kind of teenage quality about S Meyer that means that she totally relates to almost every single teenager out there 100%, weather they want to or not.

So, I congratulate Stephenie Meyer once again. Well done.

P.S.- I refuse to tell anyone that I fan girl on Twilight. I refuse to be mainstream in public :)

Literature

We have indulged ourselves into the world of fanfiction, but I think we need to recognize how we got there. We need to keep reading real literature. Yes, it does still exist.

Teen:
I am always on the lookout for new books in this area. A good book from this section and a bar of chocolate (bound to leave stains on your pages) can cure anything from a broken heart to a bad number on the scale. I am in love with Forever by Judy Blume. Although it may be pushing the teen boundries a little it is a great read. You travel with Katherine through her relationship with Micheal. It's a great book for girls and really portrays first love.

Sarah Dessen is one of my favorite authors. She is a great writter and really gets through to the teenage girl. Some of my favorites by her are Just Listen, this lullaby, and the truth about forever. In each of her books we embrace a girl and her struggles. Sarah Dessen has written many books to satisfy the hearts of many teenage books. Her works include Dreamland, Someone Like You, Keeping the Moon, that summer, and lock and key. They are not a series, so you can indulge in whichever suits your fancy. Find her quick because her newest piece (along for the ride) is coming in June.

Classics: There are many classics out there. And many writers of classics. Along with classics in many different areas of literature (american, russian, etc.). My bookshelf contains many of them. I won't even touch on Shakespear because that just wouldn't be fair. And besides who hasn't read Shakespear? Although I would like to mention five must read classics. the CATCHER in the RYE is about a teenage boy named Holden and his journey through New York city. You either love him or you hate him. The book doesn't cover a very long period of time, but you feel like you've know Holden for a long time.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee also earns a spot on my bookshelf (I have thrown out books before because there wasn't enough room). I am sure we have all seen this book at one time or another. I highly reccomend it! P.S - To all the idiots, who like me, don't pay enough attention sometimes, Scout is a girl! I had to read the book twice before I figured that out!

Great Expectations is a fabulous book by Charles Dickens. I read this in 6th grade along with one of my friends Hannah. We had a two person book club while reading this thing! It was insane! We couldn't put it down! I personally think that it's Dickens best piece of work although I do love A Christmas Carol. Because I love the summary:

In the marshy mists of a village churchyard, a tiny orphan boy named Pip is suddenly terrified by a shivering, limping convict on the run. Years later, a supremely arrogant young Pip boards the coach to London, where, by the grace of a mysterious benefactor he will join the ranks of the idle rich and "become a gentleman." Finally, in the luminous mists of the village at evening, Pip the man meets Estella, his dazzlingly beautiful tormentor, in a ruined garden -- and lays to rest all the heartaches and illusions that his "great expectations" have brought upon him.

Now onto Jane Austen. If you're younger you may not understand it, as it was written in the early ninteenth century. Anyways, I love two of her books to death. Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility are both amazing books. Although she has written many others these are my favorites. I won't go on any longer about her because a) my words couldn't do her justice b) you should already know about her and c) this post is long and I still have more I want to say.

A book every girl must read: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. This author has written other books, but none of them come close to this one. It is my NUMBER ONE favorite book of all time. I will be greatly suprised if a piece of literature can surpass this one on my favorites list. It tells Lily's story as she runs away and meets three women who change her life. She finds out the truth about her mother, who has long passed away. It truly is a book that every girl must read at least once.

What I am currently reading: The Chocolate Lovers' Club. This book is definetly more adult. Four women (Natia, Autumn, Lucy, and Chantal) making up the club. They each have their own problems in life and each share an addiction to chocolate. I am about half way through and love every word. Each character has a unique personality and they each have their own problems, but their one sanctuary is Chocolate Heaven, where they meet and spill all of their secrets. Come and read about each and every Chocolate Emergency.

What I have bought and is waiting to be read: The Knitting Circle and The Friday Night Knitting Club. It seems that books about people who knit has struck my attention while at the bookstore. The Knitting Cirle is about Mary Baxter and how she joins a knitting cirle to join her lonely days. They all share their stories of love, loss, and hope. The Friday Night Knitting Club is about 6 women who exchange jokes, knitting tips, and their deepest secrets. It's not just a club, it's a sisterhood.

As you can see by the end of the post I had a popular theme while at the bookstore today. Groups of women. Well.....what can I say. They all sounded so interesting! I could spend the rest of my life in a bookstore!

Well that was my post on literature! I hope you found something in this post that sparked some interest!

Nollie Marie

Nollie Marie wrote the AH story Hitched, which is one of the most read stories on FF. She really is an amazing writer and I cannot recommend more going to check her out- http://www.fanfiction.net/u/948787/

1. Let’s start with the fun, easy questions! What did you think of BreakingDawn? The movie?

Okay, there is no short way to write out this answer.

For Breaking Dawn, the first time I read it, I was reading it like super fast in between my 15 minute breaks at work, trying not to eat over the book at lunch, and it also felt like I was reading FanFiction…not that’s a bad thing considering I write FanFiction, but it just felt weird. But the second time, I actually was able to read it slowly and take it all the details in and I actually liked it. People don’t like Bella becoming pregnant, or Jacob’s point of view (POV), or the birthing scene, or Jacob imprinting on Renesmee, but to me it made scene. I loved Jacob’s POV because it gives the werewolves’ side which you wouldn’t have gotten through Bella’s eyes. As biology student, I love stuff that people thing is gross—I can totally eat while watching a human dissection or a murder scene on TV and not get gross out by it. So I loved Bella becoming a mother, which she always seemed to be one, at least to me, because she took care of her mum all the time, and I love little Renesmee. And Jacob’s imprinting on her, though it seems a bit pedophilic, Jacob is like her big brother, her best friend in the book, he loved her but not in the sense of doing a horizontal tango. But, at least, though I liked the book, Twilight shall always be my favorite amongst them all (until we see Edward’s verison of the story :D!)

As for the movie, I had to see it twice. The first time I went, I went on a Saturday because (1) that was the only time we could go with my friends (who never read Twilight, just knew it was about a girl who falls in love with a vampire) and (2) less people in the theater, I wasn’t feeling so well and the giggling girls behind us so my first time experience of the movie wasn’t that great. But the second time I went was over Thanksgiving break with my mum, bro, and a friend (who heard of Twilight only through me…she’s from Korea), I enjoyed and actually liked it. It wasn’t the book, but I wasn’t expecting it to be the book! It wasn’t Oscar worthy, some things were cheesy, and I wasn’t sure about the make-up bit, but the movie was good in its own way. But I prefer the book over the movie any day of course.

(If you read all that, give yourself a hug!)

2. Are you team Edward or team Jacob? Why?

Go Team Swiss! Ha, that sounds like I am at the Olympic games or something. I actually love both Edward and Jacob. I would pick Edward over Jacob as a love interest though because he is just like a perfect gentleman and cares so much for Bella. But I can’t hate Jacob because he reminds me so much of my brother…some how…lol I bet my brother loves to hear he’s Jacob XD.

3. When writing a story do you make an outline first or just let the storywrite itself?

Well it’s a mixture of both. At first, when I started writing, I would just let the story write itself but one of my good friends (Rockfan on Fictionpress) total me that she outlined her stories because it was easier to keep on track of the plot and when to update. So I generally have an outline for my stories but I leave a bit of room for something else to pop up. Which in all reality is my personality, I like plans but they aren’t set in stone because things might change and I hate feeling disappointed.

4. What do you think makes a story successful?

I think that a story is successful but what it does to the reader. A reader reads not only because it’s entertainment but some read to make their own reality slip away. By reading, the readers can forget their own worries, stress and negativity in their lives, and just, for a few minutes anyway, be able to live out another life. To be able to feel the struggles, hurt, comfort and love that the characters have…sometimes is helpful because a lot of times people can relate to the stories.

5. Out of your stories posted online which was the most fun to write?

Oh lord, a hard question XD! Seriously, each of my stories were fun to write for different reasons. And all reality, if you don’t have fun when you’re writing then you need to ask yourself why you’re even writing in the first place (that wasn’t meant to be negative, it’s just a rhetorical question). If you don’t love something, it’s a chore and chores are no fun.

But if I had to pick any story these three stories are the top of my memorial stories: This is My Destiny was my first story and it was pure fluff which is always fun to write. The Hitched series was my first ever series and will always be my baby. And Lessons of the Heart is my first angus story and one I treat with utmost respect.

6. Do you prefer writing one-shots or multi-chapter stories? Why?

I like to write each for different reasons. One-shots are fun to write because you don’t have to write a lot for them, no worries about updating, plus you can write lot of them. But multi-chapter stories are more personal because you have to put more thought and care into it, have complex characters and their histories.

7. What do you think about all of the love and support you have received on fanfiction?

Most of the time, I’m like “No, no! I’m not that great! Look at the errors I’ve made!” But, not saying that don’t notice my errors, but a few don’t care because they know I’m imperfect. It’s overwhelming and humbling to see people that like and support me. I knew that my mommy would love and support me but to see others care for me. And many care about me, not just like and support me, but about how I’m doing, feeling, my well being. Sure they want an update but they rather I don’t like hurt or kill myself doing so. (And for those you have support me, I say, thank you! I would give you all cookies...if I had cookies…but I have lots of hugs!)

8. Do you get writers block often? If so how do you deal with it?

What writer doesn’t? X) Yeah, I do get writer’s block but more often than not I get writer’s procrastination. When I get writer’s block, I have a picture or an idea of where I want the story to take but I can’t connect point A (what I last posted) with point B (what I want to post). When I do get writer’s block, I often write what point A is and different ways to get to point B to see what is the best way to write that scene.

However, writer’s procrastination is totally different. That’s when I know what I want to do, how to do…just don’t have the interest (and/or time) to do. I generally have to kick myself to write and when I do, I often step away from the chapter days at a time before coming back to look at what I’ve written. Sometimes just by stepping away and not forcing it, things will get back to the flow of it.

9. Do you have any tips for other authors on fanfiction?

1.) Write for yourself! Outside of what I said about writing be fun, if you don’t write for yourself than you’re not being true to what you are or can be.

2.) Write about what you know (and love), or do the research! It’s so much easier to write about something you know than take the time to do the research on it, and trust me if you’re writing about something you don’t know and someone who does know what you’re writing spots a mistake…it’s almost insulting what you’re writing about. (i.e. reason why I’m researching cancer symptoms, treatments, etc. etc. for Lessons of the Heart)

3.) Step into your character’s shoes! Again, it’s easier to write when you put yourself into the character’s shoes because you know what they are thinking, what they are feeling, and how they are going to act.

4.) Write using all your senses! When you step into you’re character’s shoes, what are they looking at? What are they smelling? Is it cold? Warm? Blistering hot? Don’t be afraid to add details to the story but not so much that the story is nothing but them. You just want to give a picture of what is going on and by saying they are in a room doesn’t say much. It’s like that writing exercise:how-not-tell.

5.) And know when to stop! Don’t drag something out longer than it needs to be. Dragging out things will only kill what you’ve worked so hard on.

10. What is the best story you have read on fanfiction?

I actually don’t have a lot of time to read FanFiction as I use to but I do have favorites, but mostly whatever I do like they are mainly by a few authors: vjgm (do I have to explain why she’s good?), Daddy’s Little Cannibal (she doesn’t think she’s a good author, but she is. She has that perfect combo of humor, drama that keeps you craving for more), and r0b0ticvampir (Oh my God, I start to cry when she took all her stuff down. She was seriously a good story teller). And I’ve been a bad friend and haven’t read anything from Bronzehairedgirl620, but I know she’s a good author (and a good friend too) because I've gone a co-author story with her and she has some wicked ideas.

Temptation : A Twilight Fanfiction Twilighted Podcast

Recently, I came across the most amazing site. It is run by four girls, all of which are amazingly funny and interesting. Every week they produce a podcast and nothing has made me laugh like that in forever.

It is by four girls called Caitlin, Clare, Danielle and Christine. From what they say, they all became friends over twilighted/fanfiction. Twilighted is the more grown-up version of fanfiction as you have to be eighteen to have an account.

Now, I wanted to talk about this because they talk about the fandom of fanfiction in a way I have never heard anyone else talk about it. They discuss the smutty stories that we all secretly read but will never admit to, they read out parts of stories, they tell us what is good or bad and most importantly, they don't take themselves too seriously so we can all laugh along with them as they tell us about their experiences as an author and reader.

I think it is so important that we all get to hear things such as Temptation as it certainly doesn't make us all feel alone but is also a different way of discussing something that plays such a hugh role in all of our lives. I cannot recommend more going to check out the podcast at http://www.temptationtwilight.blogspot.com/ It will make you laugh until the point of tears and I can almost gaurentee make you question what you read on ff or what you may read in the future.

ashel-13

Q: What is the best story you have read on fanfiction?
A: I have two absolute favorite stories that i have read before. The first is by Stormy Bella and is called Relation Or Relationship and is absolutely brilliant. The girl is only in high school and she writes with fantastic vocabulary and knows how to add suspense. My other favorite would have to be vjgm's Boycotts and Barflies. Oooo....i love me that fanfic! It's actually the story i read that inspired me to write my own. The sexual tension in that story is phenomenal!

Q: Do you prefer writing one-shots or multi-chapter stories? Why?
A: I prefer to write multi-chapter stories by far. It gives me more of a chance to let my readers get to know my version of the characters because though all of our characters are based off of Stephenie Meyer's, none of them are alike and that's why we can read the same plot lines over and over againin different stories. I love it...haha.

Q: What did you think about Breaking Dawn?
A: It wasn't what i had expected...that was for sure. I think i had read so many fanfictions about it that i had a different expectation. But i did like it. The first time i read it, I think it was a lot to handle, all thisinformation thrown at me at once, but the second time is 84 times better! Knowing where the story was going, i could sit back and enjoy the ride. I also LOVE Jacob in the story and that his POV was inserted.

Q: Are you team Edward or team Jacob? Why?
A: I am Team Edward all the way. Not saying that i don't like Jacob or that I hate him (I honestly can't see how anyone can hate Jacob. He's so cute and funny!), but i have always been in love with Edward. He is the ideal when it comes to boys. He's perfection as only a fictional character can be...lol. It's as if Stephenie Meyer took all the traits the perfect man would have and rolled them into Edward Cullen. I think that's why so many girls like him...he's the standard by which we can measure every other boy. Is it realistic? No. But is it fun? Absolutely!

Q: What do you think every story needs to attract readers?
A: I think that every story needs to establish a connection between the characters of the story and the readers. Now i realize that most authors would say "a good plot" is essential, but...lol...i think that MLOONAA proved that there really doesn't have to be a plot to have a story people care about.For me, the more i feel about the characters, the more i hurt with them, or love with them, the better the story is. That's one of the reasons i LOVE Relation Or Relationship (the story, News To Me also does that very well).

Q: What is your favorite out of the stories you have written?
A: Without a doubt, Making Love Out Of Nothing At All is my favorite story i've written. There was just something so new and fresh and innocent about it. Yes, there was an unreal amount of sex in it, but i think that in that story Edward and Bella had such a deep love, such a true one, that that waswhere their innocence lay, not in their sexual experience. I loved the sense of humor that so many readers seemed to understand and it was really just some really easy, smutty fluff that we could all laugh together about. It's quite something to write a story that can make so many people just feel better about the day.

Q: Do you have a muse or something that gives you inspiration for your writing?
A: Actually, it's usually the reviewers. The only reason i was able to produce so many chapters all at once was because when i would read reviews and heard about how much people were enjoying it, how they wanted more, i almost felt like i HAD to get back to my computer and just type away and get another chapter out to them as soon as i could. They are the best muse and inspiration i could have.

Q: What do you think about all of the love and support you have received on the site?
A: I was shocked! I couldn't believe how many people gave me support for my stories. Of course there are ones that seem to absolutely despise it, but I suppose everyone gets those, don't they. When i posted my first story, i did it with the thought that it would only be a few chapters long and thinking I'dbe happy if i received 20 reviews. Then suddenly, there i was 8,000 reviews later and i couldn't believe it! I have met so many amazing people and all because of this site!

Q: What is the funniest thing a fan has ever said to you?
A: I think the funniest thing a fan has ever said to me has been the fans that tell me about the amazing sex they've had after reading a chapter...lol. I remember reading one of those and laughing and thinking "oh my god, i can't believe they said that!" Any time someone shares their sexual adventures ifind it hysterical that they feel comfortable enough around me to share...lol. Just recently someone admitted that they masturbated to a chapter and i think i covered my eyes, just laughing. Also i think when people can relate to things and they share their personal experience, it usually makes me laughmore and suddenly i find my chapter all the more funny!

Q: Is there anything else you would like to say?
A: I really just want to thank everyone for the support they have given me from the beginning of my journey here on fanfiction. It's so awesome that there is a site where people can just write what they feel and there's at least one other person out there in the world that thinks, "hey, this is a great story". Really, i think that we authors are just after that one person. We want person whose day we can make and one that feels the same way that we do. Thanks to everyone who has stayed with me and continues to not only read my work, but PM me and take an interest in me as well as the stories i write.

Thank-you ashel-13 for answering all of our questions! We love you and your writing! We hope you'll visit us on the blog again!

Here is the link to here page on fanfiction.net: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1474247/ashel-13