Lies my friend, all lies! Emma will never give up her characterization of a pussy Harry. After all she no doubt modeled the character on herself.

I don't see how it is possible for her to drop her emo tendencies. Thus, I must conclude that you are being deceived Socialist.

 

That's the most ridiculous excuse I've ever heard!

 

Hey, it worked for Rowling.

 

It is a believable excuse, but I find it too convenient. How old is Harry at the end of this fic? To have to wait until he is 17 seems like a long time. Far too long.

Somehow, I doubt she has any notes. A story with so little overarching plot cannot follow any sort of plan.

 

Almost definitely guarantees that she doesn't have a plot. If you don't have a direction for your story to go, and just allow the characters to interact hoping that the story will get coherent, the result is usually a heap of fail like this. It's certainly big enough, and has characters (who may not be canon-compatible but consistent within the work), but it's not a story. It's just a sprawling mass of words and more words about people that doesn't achieve anything. There's a reason the readers want a plot or a theme.

I cringed when I saw that.

 

That's kind of a shame. Don't get me wrong, there's very little about this story that appeals to me and I doubt I'll ever bring myself to read it, but the initial premise is an interesting one and the legions of fans for this fic are probably the ones getting the shaft.

I'm sorry to drag Shezza's name into this, but his early stuff went along the same sort of path. As have so many other great abandoned WIP fics.

Listen up people! When you don't know where you're going, when you don't have an end goal, a conclusion, or at least some idea of the plot, then you end up with things like this fic. Where you include every single cool, original, clever idea you can without regard for its effect on the actual plot of the story or its importance towards the end of the fic, because you don't know what the end of the fic is. Instead you prattle on for hundreds of thousands of words, readers eat it up, and then you blame it all on "writer's block" when you can't finish it.

Don't get me wrong, that can be a useful exercise and earn you legions of fans but it's a fucking shitty way to pretend to write a "story." Instead you're just writing a whole bunch of ideas. I'm always more impressed by an author NOT using a brilliant idea because it doesn't fucking fit their plot! Look at Shezza now, for instance. The Denarian series has a clear direction. He had a cool as shit OMAKE with Dumbledore and Meciel that he ended up not using (yet) because it didn't fit the plot. The old Shezza would have used it, and probably gotten a hundred more reviews. But not the new and improved Shezza. He's writing some kick ass stories now, not just kick ass starts that leave you begging for updates.

The even worse part then is that you've wasted a whole lot of cool ideas on a story that's impossible to finish. I don't know if Emma's got a case of this but an author who lets the characters drive the story is going to get driven into the wall (see example: lunakatrina). I always need to have the "conclusion" in mind and for it to be something I want to write. Or else you end up wanting to write "more" to make it longer and get more reviews. Which again is the fast track to Shitville, Storyland, population too fucking many.

I think it's a sad sign of the times that the only fic with more reviews than Emma's fic is one where Harry is forced to marry Snape.

 

Dark days. Very dark days.

As for the story, I read about 8 chapters of it before quitting. According to me, if the Dursleys survive the first few chapters without suffering a brutal death, they should not be mentioned. Also, redeemed!Dursley fics kill my interest.

2/5 from me for excellent grammar and spelling perfection.

 

The Harry/Snape one needed 50,000+ words to match Emma's fic, so it has a lower review: word ratio. We need not fear too much.

 

Can it be is it i hears my name?

I agree with Nonjon in every sense of the way. If you don't have an ending in mind, some way to wrap up your story, then it's already going to be abandoned- you just don't know it yet.

 

Ah! Thank you. Someone appreciated it. -tear-

 

In all fairness, a character-driven ending is possible, but only if you have a fully developed universe in which to work, and fully developed characters. When you do, it's more or less inevitable which way it'll end, though it's generally best to figure out what the inevitable series of events is before you actually write it.

That said, it's a lot more complicated to do it that way, because you're having to map out paths of action for every major character and faction. Many of these will be thwarted or obstructed in some way or another by the actions of other characters/factions, and it quickly becomes tangled. Fortunately, these tangles generally resolve themselves into higher-level plotlines. This method also avoids Molly Weasley killing Bellatrix.

Narion

 

Review of Sree's Flame

Please review Sree's original post for reference points. However, quotations are provided.

Others may have failed to take note of the sheer magnitude of this statement; the fic succeeded in wtfpwning Sree’s racially inherited mathematical powers.

Point of information: Solid cast iron negates magic. N00b.

Amen brotha.

Know your audience my friend. An assumed name that doesn’t connect back to Harry’s parents in the “oh-so-cute-and-7-yr-old-girl-super-secret” way goes against the mental conditioning of fangirls.

Break him so she can care for him later and make him totally dependent on her. So that he becomes a whimpering lost child if she is not around. This is the strategy of all abusive mothers.

She has that especial insight into Petunia, now you see, it’s all coming together! Why Petunia changes heart so quickly and why Harry is such a pussy.

Actually Sree, the average teenage boy doesn’t have the added advantage of cultivating misogyny within himself like you do in your adorable way.

If it helps, I accept you as you are.

Ah Sree, it’s your total commitment to vitriol that keeps me coming back. Bravo!

I rate this a 7/5. Yes the analysis was spot on and well thought out like many provide here, getting it self a solid 5/5, but it’s the emotion, nay the sheer passion behind the words that make it this year’s break-off lead in flames.

 

I can't stop laughing..............

 

Agreed, this is one fucking funny thread. Loads of truth though.

Many fics I've started to write crumble apart quickly due to lack of plot and planning.

 

I'm probably going to sound like an idiot for asking this but did I miss something? I don't remember anything about solid iron in cannon; otherwise wouldn't people go around in suits of armour? (And yes armour can be made of pure iron rather than steel.)


As for the fic I think the author would make a great beta but need to improve a lot as an author (not that I can talk but hay) as people have said before any changes the characters undergo are ether ridiculously abrupt or don’t happen at all. The fic has Hermione in it which is a bad mark in my books but that is just a matter of opinion, but even so somebody putting up with a supposed friend refusing to help them when they’ve basically kidnapped then (and then keeping them outside their protective wards) is bloody ridicules I’d be very pissed and would stay pissed.<O></O>

 

Read your Dresden nigga.

 

I have to say I respect Sree on a new level. When I clicked on this fic about a year or so I didn't even make it past the middle of the first chapter. Maybe we could get Tinn Tam working on a flame for this bag of shit? Something tells me the result would be epic laughter.

 

Having an ounce of self-respect as an author does too.

>.>

Oh wait...

 

Don't know why you bothered reading it in the first place, Sree.

I took one look at the summary and then said, "Yeah, right!" After 14 years of neglect, Petunia finally actually notices Harry. Pfft.

Never read it, so my word might not actually count for much.

 

I thought I'd chime in on one topic, that is, whether the Dursleys care about Harry or not. To do that, I'll quote from a chapter by chapter review of PS/SS. The part being reviewed is the one where Vernon is taking Harry to the shack on the rock to flee the Hogwarts letters. I'm not sure I agree with the point the reviewer makes, but I'd like to see what y'all think.