I like to think I earned at least a little of the success I reaped as a fanfic writer. I admit a lot of it was due to luck and timing. But for the first year or so, I was putting out consistent work, lengthy chapters, novel (at least at the time) ideas, and all threaded together with decent grammar and spelling. I also contribute the interaction I had with my readers to my success, as I don't know a lot of authors who took the time to post art, host chats, respond to personal reviews, etc. I was lucky enough to post in what I consider the "Golden Time" of HP fanfic, although I didn't know it then.

We're all entitled to our own opinion, but how was I ever arrogant? I might have been swimming in my success for awhile true, but I was never rude or nasty except to one single individual who made my life hell. Craig, or Kraeg, or whatever name he changed to, was the only person I downright dismissed.

How I loved that little joke I played. I think it was because at the time there was so much Slash fanfic being published, and I wanted to poke the bear. Plus, once I started to write, I realized how much I enjoyed writing cliffhangers. That scene with Neville was a sure-fire way to ensure everyone would click on the next chapter.

 

I agree. I'm still dumbfounded years later that my little story is as well-known as it is. It is the first, and only thing to date, that I've ever written of substance. I was always a mediocre English student. But my one saving grace is that I read a lot. I have a voracious appetite for literature. So I think what made my story so successful, is that I could take some ideas and tropes from other stories I had read, and fit them into a narrative that in my opinion was still within canon. It was very important to me to write HPPoT as if it could be a continuation of OoTP. Far too many fics I had read were too different from the groundwork JKR had laid down. And after all, isn't her work why we became such big fans in the first place? I'll say this...for someone who reads as much as I do, who watches as many movies and TV shows as I do....HP is the only fandom I've ever dipped my toe into. I straight-up hated HP stories that veered too far from JKR's source material. How many stories are out there that bring ideas and concepts into it, which have no place in the HP fandom (i.e. demon-lords, faerie magic, etc.) I wanted to write a realistic book 5, 6, and 7 that would seem as one version of a natural progression for the story. I think because of my extensive exposure to books/TV/movies (I was a film major in college) I was able to craft a plot that not only included successful ideas and elements (both original and others I'd seen used before), and write them in unique, unexpected ways. Anyone ever see a movie or read a book, and know how it ends halfway through? Yeah, me too. I purposely wanted to write a story that had a clear destination, but took the reader on an unfamiliar path.

 

hehe, yeah, I know. But I'm a ghost myself, am I not? Haven't had anything to do with HP fanfic since over 10 years ago. But I plan to unearth myself, and want to get started somewhere. On the odd chance someone's still out there that cares, let it be known that I am back and ready to stand testament to be abandoned child, HPPoT.

 

Yeah the opinions of DLP are a bit more refined and constructive.

We’ll still call a shit sandwich a shit sandwich, but probably recommend a new type of bread to use at the same time.

 

Well, that's a blast from the past!

I haven't read HPFF seriously in almost a decade now I think, but I do remember your name. And your fic PoT sounds familiar. So there's that I guess?

Good luck with your writing, if you go back to it.

 

I only used the trunk idea as an extension of what Mad-Eye Moody had in book 4. I've never actually seen the Fantastic Beast movies, so not so smug, no. I'll have to go back and watch them.

 

It's nice to see the occasional reminder of how cringe I was in 2006.

 

True enough, but there's still a difference between the common cold and Ebola.

 

I'm wondering....did you go by another name back then? From what I remember (and it's been so long, I don't have clear memory about any of this), I banned very few people from my group. Mostly it was people who took commenting on the whole Kraeg situation too far. I tried to be as honest and respectful back then as I could be, truly. If you go back and read some of the reviews, a lot were either negative or constructive. I didn't mind. We all have different tastes. But I did ban a select few who pushed the envelope after I made clear I wanted/needed to avoid the Kraeg feud. If you got banned from the group by mistake, and I missed an email or message that you sent to rectify the situation, I apologize. At the height of the story's popularity things were a little crazy, and I wasn't able to keep up.