Hello, for anyone who cares, my name is Jennifer. I started reading Fan Fiction over a while ago and I can't get enough. Right now I am only interested in Harry Potter fan fiction. It is absolutely amazing how much there is on the Internet in just that one category. I have no interest in writing anything at this time because I know what my strengths are and that is certainly not one of them.

Since I've started reading I have begun to realize that their are a variety of people on the Internet who seem to enjoy publishing on the many fan fiction sites. Some authors are great but others have me wanting to rip my hair out as I read.

Here are some things I hate:

Bad grammar and spelling (it's called spell check, such a nifty little invention on these new-fangled computers)

Misspelling specific names and words from the Harry Potter world (if you write the fiction then you've probably read the books, crack one open and check your spelling BEFORE you post on the Internet) I actually started reading a story one time that within the first six paragraphs the author misspelled Voldemort three different ways (needless to say I didn't finish that story).

Lack of dialog, or bad use of it (not everything can be written in paragraph form) Also, if Harry is a small child, try to have his dialog resemble that of a small child; no matter how intelligent and bright a four year old is, they do not speak like an adult.

Not distinguishing between point of views (I kinda like to know who is speaking)

Lack of consistent use of italics, bold, underlined, "quotes", and 'quotes' (make up your minds already!)

I recently started looking at the Harry Potter Communities available and I have something to say on it. Do not recommend to me that I might like this story, so I start reading it and then realize that the author never finished it and it now belongs to the rant written below. (Come on, give me stories I can read completely or are being updated regularly.)

But the one thing that bothers me the most is ABANDONED STORIES. (When I first started reading, I didn't think to pay attention to the publishing and updating dates on the stories and now I have a list of stories that I like but haven't been updated in over six or more months.)

Or when I start a story that has been recently updated, only to realize the author started the story two years ago and has only posted six chapters. ( I have no hope these stories will ever be completed.)

Also, I hate those stories where the author will leave the last chapter saying "I'll post again soon" and the date was six or more months ago. If you have hit writers block or are abandoning the story, have the courtesy to let us readers know.

This is related to small updates. I cannot read a story where there are fifty chapters that are each less than 1,000 words. (That is not a chapter, but a large paragraph.)

I would like to point out that character development is an integral part of writing a story. Take the time to explain your character's motivations. I don't like stories where the author just throws a curve ball towards the reader regarding a character. For instance, I might be half-way through a story and all of a sudden Harry is having extremely lustful thoughts about some male character. Where in the world did that come from! A little warning is greatly appreciated. (I have nothing against slash stories, I am just using it as an example.)

One last pet peeve for me to rant about. I cannot stand stories that use language to describe Harry or other males that is feminine in nature. For example, "His luscious, full, pouty lips" and "His long, beautiful eyelashes" or "His deep, soulful eyes." I also cannot stand it when the author grows his hair out and all of a sudden he has "Shiny, bouncy, wavy, luscious, gleaming hair." (Aren't there better ways to describe MEN!)

Some things about Author Notes that bother me:

Notes that basically state that if the update is bad or something is wrong it isn't their fault because it's two o'clock in the morning and they just finished writing it five minutes ago (I'm sorry, you're posing as an author on the Internet, therefore, don't you think you should take this semi-seriously and, oh, I don't know, proof-read your chapter before it's up there for all the world to read.) ( P.S. I probably read this bio and checked more thoroughly than you did your chapter.)

Notes that list every single person that reviewed their story and a comment to each one. (Find a better way to address these because I have not reviewed the chapter and therefore, won't read these. It just takes up space.) (I am so happy that the site has started to crack down on this.)

I also hate chapters that only pose as a chapter. If your update consists of less than 1,000 words, and then about 2,000 words of Author Notes then you have a problem. (You're padding the word count of your stories with useless and irrelevant material.)

Here are some Harry Potter story types I like:

Independent Harry; Super-powered Harry; Manipulative Dumbles; Stories that begin after OotP; Stories that begin during or after GoF and include a alternate version of OotP; Time Travel; Snape adopts/mentors Harry; Snape is Harry's father; Harry in America; Harry goes to different school; Slash; Harry heir to Founders/Merlin; Grey/Dark Harry (within reason)

I am not a big fan of Creature Harry or Evil Harry stories. What precisely is the point to songfics? They appear to be just copying lyrics and claiming they are actually a story. There is something really wrong with Harry/Voldemort ships. I have trouble seeing where Harry/Harem stories have anyplace in the HP world. I don't like stories where Harry has extremely feminine qualities, characteristics, and thoughts/feelings. I have issues with stories where Harry goes punk or gangster or other and suddenly is into piercings, tattoos, drugs, etc. because I believe this is the author projecting their likes and preferences through Harry's character.

Here are some Harry Potter ships I like: Harry/Hermione; Harry/Ginny; Harry/Tonks (sometimes); Harry/Snape; Harry/Draco; Harry/other non-cannon character; Ron/Hermione; Ron/Luna; Remus/Tonks;

I also love stories centered around Hermione. She is such a great character and I think her perspective of the world is wonderful to read. I enjoy reading many different Hermione ship stories, as long as she isn't with Ron. I don't know why but I cannot enjoy a Hermione/Ron centered story Here are my Hermione Ships: Hermione/Harry; Hermione/Snape; Hermione/Cedric; Hermione/Weasley (George, Fred, Bill, or Charlie); Hermione/Draco (sometimes)

I also have serious issues with almost every crossover story I started to read. The story always seems so forced. It's almost like the author decided to replace everything they didn't like of one world with stuff from another world. Never mind that it makes absolutely no sense and the worlds have nothing in common. I don't mind them stealing names of people or places from another story but don't try to merge the two because it isn't going to work.

Take the time to create your own places, characters, and situations. Some of my favorite Harry Potter Series' are so AU it isn't funny. If you haven't read these try them: (They're listed in my favorite stories.)

1. The 'Dangerverse' Series by whydoyouneedtoknow on

2. The 'Raising Harry' Series by aramie.greyson

3. The Royal Saga by Cindra

Here are some of my other all time favorite stories. Give them a try. I keep going back and rereading them over and over.

1. "Finding Himself" and "Dulce et Decorum est" by Minisinoo on

2. "While You Were Gone" by atruwriter at

3. "The Brave New World" by bellerophon30

4. "The Twist of Time" by oremanj (This is a unique story because it is an AU of the Dangerverse series)

5. "Summer of Independence" by redfrog

6. "Harry Potter and the Sword of Sethrael" by MadScribbler

7. "Harry Potter and the Council of the Elves" by Mione5

8. "A New Beginning" by Ms_Figg at

Well that's all for now. Bye Bye TTYL

now for semoehtnig itnresitng...

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty
uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal
pweor of the hmuan mnid. Aoccdrnig to a
rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't
mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the
olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer
be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl
mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm.
Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed
ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
Amzanig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas thought slpeling
was ipmorantt! tahts so cool!

If you could read that put it in your profile.

Also, this is the reason you can't beta your own work. No matter how correct your work looks there is always a mistake, no one is perfect!!

You're a 90's kid if:

You can finish this "Ice ice _ "--ummm still not cool, even then.

You remember watching: -Doug -Ren & Stimpy -Pinky and the Brain -AAAAAAAH Real Monsters! -Rockos modern Life.

You've ever ended a sentence with the word "PSYCHE!"

You just cant resist finishing this . . . "Iiiiiiin west philidelphia born and raised . . ."

You remember: -TGIF -Step by Step -Family Matters -Dinosaurs -Boy Meets World.

You remember when it was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons. You got super excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.

You remember reading "Goosebumps"

You took plastic cartoon lunch boxes to school.

You said "NOT" after (almost) every sentence . . . not

when everyhting was settled by: -rock paper scissors or -bubble gum bubble gum in a dish or -daddy had a donkey inky binky bonky.

when cops and robbers was a daily activity.

when we played Hide and go seek until our legs grew numb.

You used to listen to the radio all day long just to record your FAVORITE song of ALL time.

"Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?" was both a game and a TV game show.

Captain Planet. He's a Hero.

You knew that Kimberly, the pink ranger, and Tommy, the green ranger, were meant to be together.

You remember when Super Nintendos and Sega Genisis became popular.

You remember watching Home Alone 1, 2 , and 3 . . . and tried to pull the pranks on "intruders"

You remember watching: -The Magic School Bus -Wishbone -Reading Rainbow on PBS.

You remember when Yo-Yos were cool.

You remember those Where's Waldo books.

You remember eating Warheads.

You remember watching: -the 1st Batman -Aladdin -Ninja Turtles -3 Ninjas movies.

You remember Ring Pops.

You remember drinking Surge, and Tang.

If you remember when every thing was "da BOMB!"

When they made the new lunchables so that you could make pizza AND tacos.

You remember boom boxes vs. cd players.

Making those little paper fortune cookie things, and then predicting your life with them.

one word. . . Furbies.

You haven't always had a computer, and it was cool to have the internet. And Windows 95 was the best.

You watched the original cartoons of Rugrats, Power Rangers, and Ninja Turtles.

Michael Jordan was a king.

YIKES pencils and erasers were the stuff!

You remember when the new Beanie Babies and Talking Elmo were always sold out

You collected those Beanie Babies.

Carebears

Gak was the coolest stuff invented.

The old dollar bills.

Silver dollars, which were cool to have.

You remember a time before the WB.

You collected all the Troll dolls

If you even know what an original walkman is.

You remember wanting to sit on the orange Nickelodeon couch.

You've gotten creeped out by "Are You Afraid of the Dark?"

You know the Macarena by heart.

"Talk to the hand" . . . enough said

You always said, "Then why don't you marry it!"

You went to McDonald's to play in the playplace.

You remember playing on merry go rounds at the playground.

Before the MySpace frenzy . . . Before the Internet & text messaging . . . Before Sidekicks & iPods . . . Before PlayStation2 or X-BOX . . . Before Spongebob

If you remember all of that then you're a 90's kid!!

"Try Not To Cry"- Seriously, if your eyes don't at least get a little misty when you read this you have a problem.

Mommy...Johnny brought a gun to school,

He told his friends that it was cool,

And when he pulled the trigger back,

It shot with a great, huge crack.

Mommy, I was a good girl, I did what I was told,

I went to school, I got straight A's, I even got the gold!

When I went to school that day,

I never said good-bye.

I'm sorry that I had to go, But Mommy, please don't cry.

When Johnny shot the gun, he hit me and another,

And all because Johnny, got the gun from his brother.

Mommy, please tell Daddy; That I love him very much,

And please tell Zack; my boyfriend; That it wasn't just a crush.

And tell my little sister; That she is the only one now,

And tell my dear sweet grandmother; I'll be waiting for her now

And tell my wonderful friends; That they always were the best

Mommy, I'm not the first, I'm no better than the rest

Mommy, tell my teachers; I won't show up for class,

And never to forget this, And please don't let this pass

Mommy, why'd it have to be me? No one, though. deserves this.

But mommy, it's not fair, I left without a kiss.

And Mommy tell the doctors; I know that they really did try

I think I even saw one doctor, trying not to cry.

Mommy, I'm slowly dying, with a bullet in my chest,

But Mommy please remember, I'm in heaven with the rest

When I heard that great, big crack, I ran as fast as I could

please listen to me if you would,

I wanted to go to college, I wanted to try things that were new

I guess I'm not going with Daddy, On that trip to the new zoo

I wanted to get married, I wanted to have a kid,

I wanted to be an actress, I really wanted to live.

But Mommy I must go now, The time is getting late,

Mommy, tell my Zack, I'm sorry to cancel the date.

I love you Mommy, I always have, I know you know its true

And Mommy all I need to say is, "Mommy, I love you"

In Memory of The Columbine & Virginia Tech Students Who Were Lost. And for everyone who never got the chance to say "goodbye"

So, Please if you would,
Don't smash this on the ground.

If you pass this on,

Maybe people will cry and remember how blessed they truly are,

Just keep this in your heart,

For the people who didn't get to say "Good-bye".

Now you have 2 choices,

1) Pass this on, and show people you care, repost as "Try Not To Cry"
2) Don't send it, and you have just proven how cold-hearted you really are...

Its ok to cry. ~No author given.