Tag Archives: Harry Potter (film series)

Camp NaNoWriMo Begins (Again!)

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Hello, and welcome to the next 30 days of big posts centering on Camp NaNoWriMo. Because that’s all t that I’ll be talking about this month.

Now for the story that I’ll be writing.

And the story is…Harry Moffer and the Class that Couldn’t Keep It Together!!!

This story, which is the sequel to Harry Moffer and the Really Stupid Sequel, takes place after the second story, when Harry Moffer, Pun Teasley, and Hildegarde Lamer return to Warthogpox High School after suffering a very hard first year of high school. This time, Harry has to deal with a long-lost brother, more exchange students, a misbehaving class, and even an escaped convict who hold a key to the fate of Harry’s parents.

So, look for blog posts regarding the story, as I have planned to write 19 chapters about our intrepid hero. Anything can happen in this story!

My booksCthulhu Returns, Harry Moffer & the Dumbest Story Ever, and The Summer of Our Discontent are available on Smashwords.com.

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FanFiction Fridays: When to Abandon a Fandom

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In today’s post, I will be talking about one of the most controversial topic to date: when to abandon a fandom.

As we all know, being a fan of anything (whether it’s books, TV shows, games, movies) can be dangerous and/or hazardous to your health. You spend hours obsessed over that fandom rather than on a thing you really need to do, such as school work. And the worst part about it is that you abandon your real-life friends for all the people that you meet on online forums.

And the worst part about it is, that was me for a very long time.

But now, I have to tell you about how to leave a fandom, especially one that you really love.

If you have wondered to yourself where did the time go and you find yourself whittling away the hours in a fandom when you could be doing something else, you may have a serious problem.

And I am tackling this problem in a story called  “Confessions of a FanFiction Writer“, in which a girl who is obsessed with an unpopular fandom must learn to kick her fanfiction obsession to the curb or risk getting a bad grade in her English class. She must also learn to read other books instead of the book that she is obsessed with and to spend more time with other people instead of her imaginary world.

But like Noelle, many of us have this serious problem. We are stuck in our obsessions and we can’t get out. But the good news is this, we don’t have to be.

Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Stop reading the book that you’re obsessed with.
  2. Stop writing/reading fan fiction about the book you’re obsessed with.
  3. Avoid going to the chatrooms or online forums, especially those that deal with the book you’re obsessed with.
  4. Go back to your school work or other things that you neglected thanks to the fandom you’re obsessed with.
  5. Read something else.

Abandoning a fandom is not easy, especially if you have friends who are involved in said fandom. If that is the case, then abandon those friends and find some other people who are not obsessed with your preferred fandom.

I’ll get back to you about the book.

My books Harry Moffer & the Dumbest Story Ever, and The Summer of Our Discontent are available for purchase on Smashwords.

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First Day of December

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Discoveries in Fantasy

Discoveries in Fantasy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Now that December is here, I can finally put away my monster of a NaNoWriMo novel and concentrate on something even better: my unfinished novels.

And to start, I’m going to finish writing my 2013 NaNoWriMo fantasy novel, “Janette Lennox“.

As we all know, that story was written for those of you who can’t stand Harry Potter or are sick and tired of Harry Potter, but you love the idea of magical boarding schools. Janette is a girl who has almost nothing in common with her classmates at the church boarding school. She hides away from potentially embarrassing social situations by the way of reading old books in the abandoned gatehouse.

But on her 14th birthday, Janette discovers that she is the heir to a controversial and deadly legacy, and with that, she knows that it is up to her to find out what that legacy is…and to stay two steps ahead of the witches that threaten her very existence!

That story has 18 chapters (not including the prologue and epilogue), and since NaNoWriMo ended last year, I’m up to Chapter 15. In Chapter 16, however, I’m going to throw in a twist like you won’t believe. But until I do, my books Harry Moffer & the Dumbest Story Ever!!! and The Summer of Our Discontent are available on Smashwords.com.

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Fan Fiction Fridays: Reasons Why You Should “Write Your Own Story”

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Last week, I spoke about the controversy surrounding fan fiction.

This week, I’m here to continue that post, with a list of reasons why you should write your own story instead of fan fiction.

So, why should you write your own story?

There are a few authors out there who just don’t like fan fiction, and if you are caught trying to publish fan fiction based on their characters, they will sue you (and possibly win). Plus, when it comes of band fan fiction/real person fan fiction, the celebrity or band in question could sue you for fraud and slander.

Also, why would you want to play with someone else’s toys when you can play with your own? Because that’s what fan fiction is. You’re playing with someone else’s toys. Never mind that the person said that it was OK to play with their toys, but sooner or later, you’re going to have to give those toys back and go buy your own.

Well, if you want to know the reasons why you should write your own story, here they are:

  1. You can create your own stories.
  2. In fact, you should know how to create your own stories, especially if you write fan fiction.
  3. Because you need to know when to put your favorite author’s toys away.
  4. Because fan fiction is more of a crutch than a tool.
  5. Because your original characters and storylines are taking over the story.
  6. Because you feel that you are meant for more than just fan fiction.

Whatever the case may be, you really need to stop writing fan fiction and create your own stories. I‘ll cover that part next week.

My non-fan fiction books Harry Moffer & the Dumbest Story Ever and The Summer of Our Discontent are available on Smashwords.com.

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Fan Fiction Fridays: Write Your Own Story

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Well, if I haven’t covered this part already, here it is once again for your enjoyment.

The controversy known as “write your own story“.

As we all know, there is a number of authors out there who will sue you if you try to write fan fiction based on their works. There are others who just flat-out don’t like fan fiction. And there is a small but growing number of authors who tolerate fan fiction to an extant, but these authors want you to write your own story.

So, what does this mean, my fellow writers?

Until “Fifty Shades of Grey“, almost no one had exactly heard of the “pull-to-publish” movement that took place. For years, fan fiction remained just that…fan fiction.

I have yet to give out my stance on Amazon’s Kindle Worlds, but I’m not exactly sure if I want to get paid to write fan fiction. Not while I’m trying to “write my own story,” that is.

I’ll have more on this subject next week.

My non-fan fiction books Harry Moffer & the Dumbest Story Ever and The Summer of Our Discontent are available on Smashwords.com.

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FanFiction Fridays: Too Young for Fan Fiction?

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Last week, I kicked off a blog post regarding the age of a person who writes fanfiction, and that age has turned out to be 12, about 13 years old. I soon began wondering to myself, “How young is too young for fanfiction?”

Well, I have read fanfiction written by teenagers and to be honest, some of those stories are a bit mediocre at best. The writers of those stories don’t seem to know much about story structure or proper grammar, the writing is too all over the place, and there is an incredible amount of self-inserts and slash pairings that are in the story.

In this case, fanfiction is just something that is little more than fan devotion to a certain book or movie.

But should we allow children to write fanfiction, knowing that there is a huge amount of crap that is out there in the world? Should parents know about their children’s fanfiction?

I’ll leave that one up for debate.

My books Harry Moffer & the Dumbest Story Ever and The Summer of Our Discontent can be purchased on Smashwords.com.

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Fan Fiction Fridays: How Much is Too Much?

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In this week’s edition of FanFiction Fridays, I’m going to be talking about how much exposure to fan fiction that should be allowed.

When I was just starting out writing fan fiction, I realized that I had written less and read so much fan fiction that I was starting to get tired of it. I mean, it was like I kept reading the same story over and over without end.

That’s when I realized that I was suffering from too much fan fiction, or as I’d like to call it, fan fiction overload.

That’s right, everyone. It is possible to overload on fan fiction.

In fact, I have more stories in my fan fiction library than I ever cared to read, with most of them being…you guessed it…Harry Potter fanfiction.

Well, ignoring that last remark, how should you deal with fanfiction overload? I have some of the following suggestions that I have tried and you should too:

  1. Don’t go on any fanfiction websites for at least a week.
  2. Reassess your favorite fanfiction stories. If you really didn’t like the story, don’t read it anymore. In fact, delete it from your faves.
  3. If there’s a story that you’re reading and it hasn’t been updated for at least six months, delete it from your faves. The author of the story obviously gave up on it, so don’t wait around for something that might not ever come.
  4. If a story contains original characters and plotlines that aren’t a part of the story’s canon, delete the link. (I’ll cover the pull-to-publish controversy next week)
  5. If a story causes you to question your morals, or it goes against your beliefs (such as homosexuality), then delete the link to that story. Don’t compromise what your parents taught you in the name of fanfiction.
  6. Now, find the rest of the fanfiction that you’ve stopped reading six months ago and delete them from your faves. By then, you should have deleted most of the stories that are in your faves, leaving only the good fics.
  7. (And this is very important) rediscover your life BEFORE fanfiction came into your life. Did you like sports? Books? TV shows? Go back to those things. (But I would advise you to be wary of reading books or watching TV, as these two things could get you sucked back into reading and writing fanfiction)
  8. Find something new to do with your time. Read books from your local library. Clean your room. Take up a new hobby. Whatever you do, keep doing it and you’ll forget about fanfiction.
  9. In fact, write your own book.

Now you know.

in the coming weeks, I’ll be doing previews of my new NaNoWriMo novel and with it, some more posts about fan fiction.

My books Harry Moffer & the Dumbest Story Ever and The Summer of Our Discontent are available for purchase on Smashwords.com.

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SparkLife » The Problem(s) With Fan Fiction

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SparkLife » The Problem(s) With Fan Fiction.

I have read the above-mentioned article and after years of reading and writing fan fiction, I have this to add to my collection of essays.

And now for my opinion on the following:

  1. It’s Awful: I know that there are tons of fan fiction out there are are bad, but there is also some good fan fiction out there as well. You just have to know where to look.
  2. It’s Empty: After investing many years writing fan fiction, I have come to the conclusion that I just don’t feel fulfilled. It’s kind of sad because I enjoy writing, but I can’t enjoy writing fan fiction anymore.
  3. Too Much Shipping: Ship is a word, not something to use when describing relationships. Let’s just stop right there and re-evaluate what we are doing with our lives.
  4. Slash Fiction Is Wrong: I used to read a ton of slash fan fiction until I realized that #1, slash is just wrong; and #2, why am I wasting my time reading about homosexual relationships when it clearly goes against everything that I learned in church? (I’m not supposed to have time for that!)
  5. Fan Fiction Is Small-Minded: I love twisting stuff up in my stories (such as in the fan fiction “Harry Potter Redux“, Harry refuses to go into Gryffindor and incurs the wrath of Dumbledore himself), but if you want to twist up the story, make it look fresh and exciting, not lame and boring. (See “Harry Moffer & the Dumbest Story Ever” for inspiration)
  6. Fan Fiction is Misguided Creativity: as much fun as fan fiction appears to be, you need to remember that you’re not making up stories, you’re just playing with someone else’s toys. (It’s not so much fun after a while.)
  7. Write Your Own Damn Story: as hard as it seems, I have to do it. After all, yes, some authors of fan fiction have found success with original works, but you’re not going to be taken seriously if all your writings are fan fiction. Especially since you’re not 12 years old anymore, you’re 35.
  8. The Party Has To End: when a story is over, it’s over. There’s no point in going back and trying to fix stuff (J. K. Rowling, I’m talking to you!) and writing the prequel won’t help much (see Star Wars Episodes 1, 2, and 3). Just leave the story alone.
  9. Write Your Own Flippin’ Story!: see # 7 for reasons why you should write your own story. Then do it. I mean it. This world doesn’t need another Harry Potter fan fiction; it needs your own story.

Well, now you know. I must say that the person who wrote this essay really hit the nail on the head with it. I’ll be back with more next week.

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Top 10 in Fandom (Premiere)

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The franchises that need to “go away and die“!

Hello, and welcome to this segment of  Top 10 in Fandom. Today, we’ll be discussing the franchises that I think really need to, simply put, “go away and die“. I don’t know why we keep seeing these franchises appear on our TV and movie screens year after year, and to be honest, we’ve had enough of them.

So, without further ado, here are the top franchises that need to be put away (preferably for good):

5. Pretty Little Liars (the books, not the TV show). The books were just too much for me to read; I never even got past the first one.

4. The Inheritance Cycle. I wish that I could have just kicked myself for even deciding to read the Star Wars-like rip-off/insult to all fantasy stories everywhere! (Plus the movie was better)

3. A Series of Unfortunate Events. I will admit to the fact that I had a difficult time reading this series of books. To me, they just seemed to be too dark and not very good. (Plus, the ending was just unbelievable, and in a bad way). I wish I had thought twice before reading those books.

2. Harry Potter. I will not repeat myself: Harry Potter is (in my opinion) one of the WORST fantasy series to be released in recent memory. I mean, the books are dull and the movies were just as bad. And to make matters worse, the commercialism of the series has made suckers out of millions of kids and adults. Now Rowling wants more Harry Potter books and movies. No more. (can’t we just let this one die???)

1. Star Wars. Need I say more? I mean, we‘ve had just about enough of Star Wars to last us the rest of our entire lives. The movies were hokey (compared to Star Trek) and did we really NEED all those prequels and “Clone Wars” cartoons? NO! Enough with the Star Wars, I say!

Well, that’s all for this list. If you find yourself disagreeing with any of the above items for any reason, then let me know in the comments. See you next week for more Top 10 in Fandom!

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NaNoWriMo 2013 Update: Janette Lennox & the Harry Potter References (Chapter 7)

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South cloister of Gloucester Cathedral, lookin...

South cloister of Gloucester Cathedral, looking eastwards. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Now that I’m on Chapter 7 of Janette Lennox, we have to wonder how many Harry Potter references are in this story. I know that there’s quite a few references, such as:

  • Janette being left at the church=Harry being left at the Dursleys
  • Janette being bullied by Tyson=Harry being bullied by Dudley
  • Janette being friends with Malinda and Silas=Harry being friends with Ron and Hermione
  • Janette leaving Bethsaida Chapel to attend Gamaris Academy of Alchemy & Magic=Harry leaving the Dursleys’ home to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry

There are several profound differences between Harry Potter and Janette Lennox; the main difference is that Janette is going through a mild form of PTSD after Tyson beats her for not attending his birthday party. Plus, Janette feels inadequate at times and she avoids the other students, especially those who have parents. As far as we know, Harry doesn’t even suffer the ill effects of being locked away in a closet for ten years, nor does he suffer from depression because he was living with people who did not like him or treat him well.

I could go on describing the differences between Harry and Janette, but that’s not this blog post. I have written Janette to be a darker version of Harry Potter with a few Twilight-like elements thrown in for good measure. There is the “Golden Trio” of Malinda, Silas, and a new boy named Garrett, but none of them are actually good; in fact, they plot to kidnap Janette and rid her of her magic. All of this tension will actually make a better story than Harry Potter ever was.

Now you know.

And yes, you can buy my book Harry Moffer & the Dumbest Story Ever on Amazon.com.

Link to this story on Smashwords:  (Janette Lennox)

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