... true, but still, its hard for americans to write in UK English, so you wont find me writing "mum" any where but in this post... though I do use bloody, because I watch too much Monty Python...

 

so, link, let me get this right. You will refuse to write any fanfiction you write in English? Despite it all being set in Britain? You see nothing wrong with writing in American when it is a British story?

I actually get slightly offended when folk consistantly write in American, rather than English, when writing HP fanfics. If they're not going to take the time to research the bloody country they are writing the fic in, then they shouldn't be writing it.

A couple of slip ups here and there fine, but its the thught that counts, most authors at least try, and even if all they end up with is half arsed English taken from a bunch of old spy films, then they at least did something to try and not just write in American.

 

But then you get authors who think Britain is still something out of a Charles Dickens book, with cobbled streets and little dirty kids begging for money.

I would rather have americanisms instead of something completely wrong.

 

authors who write that are jsut as bad as those who write in american. It just shows that they haven't bothered their arses to actually check what sort of thing they are writing about.

 

Well, Mordecai, what I meant was that it would be hard for Americans to write naturally in UK English, and I'm not saying that I would refuse to, I'm just saying that I probably won't unless I tried, which would probably ruin my writing process. I guess that I could go back and edit the stuff in, but id probably forget because I didn't grow up on UK English, so it would be hard for me to catch my Americanisms. Like saying "mum" instead of "mom" would be difficult for an American author to constantly remember to write because he/she would have mom ingrained because they would have heard it 13+ years of their life. Also, with things like football being soccer and stuff, I myself, even though I knew about it for a while, it still takes me time to get that connection when reading a story that says that. Also, I believe that the American version of the books has US English instead of UK Engilsh, which also would affect what the American HP fanfic author would put in his/her HP fanfic. I believe that I didn't get the fact that it took place in England until I saw the movie because of the words used in the American versions of the book.

 

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2519543/43/

Skin Deep by Vingilot

This is an excellent fic, apart from one thing, or maybe two depending on your POV.

The first is the blatant heavy almost graphic slash (WARNING WARNING, don't read if you dislike slash). Pairing is harry/bill

The second is that it is a snape is harry's father fic.

Oh, and he is also badly abused by Vernon, though he does do something about it this time.

 

This is fanfiction after all. anyone can write their own stories and post it and it doesn't bother me because it has UK english or Americanism as long as the story is good.

me, i'm a crappy writer when it comes to writing stories, but you know what Mordicai, at least there trying.

 

Harry/Bill, blatant heavy slash, Snape's dad, Vernon abuses. Umm, that's just one or two? Never mind.

And as for Americanisms, I know it's something I too am guilty of (though I try to avoid it when I can it's just not something an American can easily spot), but I've always thought that the "brit-picking" issue was a bit over-blown.

I mean the fact that even JKR's books are slightly altered for americans means our canon material doesn't even completely necessarily match others. If JK's are aimed towards audiences, why do you all assume ours aren't the same way? We just haven't gotten around to translating the U.K. version.

I'm of the opinion, if an author wants to write their fic for an audience like their own, with their own colloquialisms, by all means. You stick with Americanisms and you're losing the interest or favor of a big arse chunk of the fanfic community. But not all of it. You can have tons more inside jokes or references when you are dealing with a more specific sub-group of people. You start quoting Linkin Park in your fic, and you lose the interests of the older generations maybe. Or fervent Linkin Park haters. You use words like mom instead of mum, and you lose the interests of anal retentive brit-pickers, or people looking for authors who take their work seriously. You write it in German and you lose the hope of readers who can't read German.

Maybe we should just clarify the languages as English and Stupid-Amerikaner-English. Then at least you'd know what you're in for. But I doubt it'd stop too many people from reading the fics in Stupid-Amerikaner-English.

 

As long as the story is good, i don't see any reason to nitpick about the language it's written in.

For crying out loud, Mordecai, english is english. So what if he mentioned Wendy's or he wrote 'Mom' instead of 'mum'? It is just a simple, inconsequential thing. The story doesn't revolve around Wendy's burgers, so why care about it?

The only thing that i agree with you on is when people write "Harry, your account holds $917601769878 galleons"

I dunno, mate...as long as the fic is good, it doesn't bother me.

I'm from England, but i've lived in the states since i was 9. I'm used to writing American english, so that's what i do. I don't write 'colour', i write 'color'.

Personally, i don't even see that many avenues open for anyone to abuse this sort of thing. It's not like the story is generally situated anywhere complicated enough that people make up names to describe it, or whatever. Sure, if some idiot wrote about how Harry walked from Buckingham Palace to Central Park, i'd flame the shit out of them.

Hyde park is awesome...w00t!

 

i think it is probably national pride showing through, in my dislike for americanisms. I can see american things taking over the world bit by bit, so I generally protest anything american that is out of place whenever I can.

 

Yeah...i still go for tea over coffee. Starbucks...meh

 

Title: The Internal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Author: savannah142

Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2832700/1/

I'm posting this here because I think I remember seeing a challange like this somewhere on this site.

The base of the plot is simple - Harry is autistic. It seems that Snape will use some sort of Legilimency therapy to try and pull him out of his shell.

Other than the original idea, I didn't like this story very much. It's very hard to read (especially Harry's POV) and not very Harry Potter-ish (for now). The whole autism thing is hard to swallow too.

 

well written and all that, but it just doesn't have enough of a hook for me. if it had mroe chapters just now I would likely read them, but i won't specially check back to see if more have been added.

 

Title: Harry Potter and the Druid Knights
Author: Muttering Condolences
Summary: PostOOTP. When Harry returns to Privet Dr. He is summoned to Gringotts. Little does he know that the meeting will change his life forver. SuperRichPowerfulDarkbutLightSide Harry. DumbledoreRonHermione Bashing!

Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2716920/1/

*bangs head against desk* I've attempted to read this story many times, as it keeps on popping up on my C2 alerts, but I've never managed to get past chapter two or three. Reason? Cliche's are all over the place! It's written alright, besides a few persistant grammar problems, but I just can't finish it. :|

In any case, it's almost acceptable, from what I could tell. (if it got better, please leave a note)

 

Yes very cliche that one. Still it was not too bad. Some what enjoyable.

 

It's readable i guess, some parts were better then others.
It IS full of clichés but i've learned to ignore most, heh or just skip those parts.

Don't really see the point with Hail Lord Voldemort, isn't bowing enough?
Damn superior complex.

 

its interesting and ill be keeping an eye on it

 

Title: Harry Potter and the Voyage of Discovery
Author: Fuegodefuerza

Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2806167/1/

Harry leaves the Dursleys when he's 6 and goes to live in LA. He survives on the streets by using wandless magic until he discovers local wizarding society...

The general concept of this story seems fairly promising, but the realization is rather too... well, stained for my taste.

It starts off with completely unoriginal version of wizarding hub, that is simply the same as Diagon Alley, only with different (read: stupid) shop names and owners (I especially liked Californian surfer working as a wand maker: “Man, you are gonna do some awesome things. Be it good or bad.. dude, you’re gonna ROCK!!! Woohooo! Peace!")

Then there's Harry's brand new mentor named Xavier, house elves that look and are named like the 7 dwarves, shopping list of 'cool' abilities and inflated power levels, intense physical training from the age of 8, being a sex magnet at the age of 9, discovering ancient Egyptian knowledge trove at the age of 11 (+ he gets a snake free of charge), etc... Last I heard was the author contemplating which combination of magical animagi should he give Harry and should he turn him into a ninja or not (claws! claws!)...

So stained... can't breathe... kah!...

 

<sarcasm> Woah! I hope we'll also get to see Harry married to his local red-headed slut/soulmate by the time he is 11!! </sarcasm>

I wonder if some authors pause to think before writing... But seeing an 8-year old go through boot-camp should be fun (in a pathethic an sadistic kind of way...=