Personal Information

I love reading and ever since I was a child, I've loved stories. There's just something about a good story that pulls at me like a magnet. Forgive my lack of eloquence; just know that it is the ineffable magic of a story that holds me spellbound. That said, I hate a badly written story just as much as I love a good one. I value quality and dislike those who don't care enough to do a good job.

Several years back, I got into the world of Harry Potter fanfiction and was hooked. About a year back I felt like I'd read all the things I would possibly want to read in that fanfiction world. I had read a great number of stories and to be honest, I was beginning to grow disenchanted with the whole Harry Potter phenomenon. That was when I discovered that there was Naruto fanfiction and that it was good! I made a fanfiction account at that time and made a list of things that I thought I liked at that time. I've changed a lot over the year.

When I first made the account, I had read a few Harry Potter "harem" stories and rather liked the affirmation of the purity and greatness of his love that attracted more than one person. It was both a naive view and a stupid one. One of my friends called most harem stories, "adolescent wish fulfillment fantasies," and I can wholeheartedly agree with that viewpoint after reading more stories of that kind. I've given up on reading harems or relationships with anything more than two people in the relationship for the most part. I mean no offense to the readers and writers of stories of that sort. This is a free world (for the most part) isn't it?

I try to avoid reading stories with Yaoi or Shounen-ai or Male x Male gay relationships for the main 'pairing'. I avoid stories with Female x Female gay relationships for the main couple in a story unless it is Female! Naruto x Hinata. I can't see those two not being together. That said, gay relationships don't bother me in real life or in stories. This is just a preference of mine. I should add that I don't read gender bender stories. I have given a few of those a chance, but I distinctly prefer stories which don't do that.

I'm something of a purist in my preferences and dislike modifying the original world in certain ways. This means that I dislike most crossovers. I do read crossovers, but they have to be done really well for me to like them. If you want to know what kind of crossovers I might like, take a look at my favorites. If you ever recommend a crossover story to me, remember to look at those to get an idea of what things I like in a crossover. Don't look at that list for what worlds I like crossed over! That said, the best way to do any kind of story recommendation for me is to actually talk to me. Send me a PM, I don't bite!

If one were to ask me what genres of stories I dislike, I'd find it hard to give an answer. Regardless of what I've said above, I'll give most stories a chance. That said, I have a distinct preference for action, adventure, romance and comedy. Some combination of those is almost certain to hook me. And despite being a guy, I think romance stories are great. I enjoy them! I don't like angsty stories or tragic ones at all. I would give those stories a read only if someone requested me to. Over this last year, I've come to appreciate drama done right. If you want an example, simply look at "The Jutsu of Love." It is a Naruto fanfic, but it is the best drama I have ever read. Despite that, drama is always a second choice for me. Most stories are softened and moderated by the presence of at least a little romance. I've begun to realize more and more that I like stories with a hint of romance more than those that dispense with that aspect entirely. This isn't to say that I won't read or enjoy a friendship fic. Honestly, the only things likely to turn me off a story completely are either a lack of care for your own story and skills or a lack of care for those who take the time to review and criticize.

I find smut tasteless. I will usually not bother reading a story that is smut. This doesn't mean that I don't appreciate tastefully done scenes of a sexual nature. Lemons aren't necessarily a bad thing. I wish the site would allow for writing such scenes in stories. I'm afraid it is still against site policy. The rating system is something I'd like to see improved. How to do this? I'm afraid I don't quite know. I'm glad that fanfiction hasn't removed all stories with lemons.

On a final note, I'd like to add that I still read Harry Potter fiction when I can find a really good piece. DisobedienceWriter has written many awesome stories and his work is what got me to realize that there are still stories out there in the Harry Potter world that I will read.

Fan Fiction

When it comes to fan fiction, I have developed a strong dislike of the following:

1. Bad spelling and/or grammar.

2. People who write for the audience. (I especially hate the stories where plot or pairings depend on polls)

3. People who just don't care enough to write well. (Is it too much to ask to run a spell check on your computer?)

4. People who demand reviews in any way or form.

5. Romance stories where people go from barely knowing each other to being completely in love with each other in the span of a few sentences. Doesn't it make you cringe? Don't you ever read the material that you have written?

6. Romantic nicknames that pop up without proper development of the romance or characters also makes me cringe and promptly stop reading.

7. Stories where problems are cerated and/or conflict and tension between characters is written, only for them to never be resolved or drag on for umpteen chapters. Ugh! I can't stand it.

8. I personally dislike most of the stories where bad things happen to good people all the time. Come on! If I wanted an unfair world where good cannot triumph over evil I'll just stick with real life. I see enough tragedy there. I hate tragic heroes. I hate authors who try to empathize with a tragic hero or the tragedies that beset any character.

9. Waste of the potential in a character. If you are going to write a smart Harry or a smart Naruto who grows powerful throughout the story, you need look no further for a devoted reader. However, if you take a character and stunt his or her growth for no reason except that you don't want to end up writing a Super! Harry or Super! Naruto fic, I really, really abhor it. Naruto doesn't want to use Kage Bunshin to train, because he feels like it is cheating? Then explain why. Build up to it and have really strong reasons. Trying to limit his power without that kind of effort just cripples the story. I can think of almost no reason to cripple a characters development or growth in strength. If you don't want to write a story with Super! Someone, plan ahead, don't cripple their growth under any circumstance and most of all don't come up with lame reasons for it afterwards!

10. People who vacillate and cannot decide where they want their story to go!

I'll just keep adding to this section as I remember other things I hate!

Naruto Fan Fiction:

Pairings I support:

1. Naruto x Hinata

Pairings I've read in the past:

2. Naruto x Ino

3. Naruto x Sakura (When the story is rewritten from a very early stage. I've tolerated NaruSaku in harem stories when I still read those.)

4. Naruto x Temari (I honestly prefer Shikamaru x Temari in stories)

Pairings I dislike:

1. Sasuke x Hinata

2. Naruto x Yugito

3. Naruto x Kin

4. Naruto x Tayuya

5. Naruto x Minor charachter you like!

6. Naruto x Former enemy

Any pairing involving people who barely know each other in canon generally ticks me off. I've begun to find that I can't read anything other than NaruHina these days. It just doesn't work for me.

Characters I like:

1. Naruto Uzumaki

2. Hinata Hyuga

3. Shikamaru Nara

4. Choji Akimichi

5. Jiraiya

6. Tsunade Senju

7. Kakashi Hatake

8. Hiruzen Sarutobi

9. Gaara of the desert.

10. Kiba Inuzuka

11. Minato Namikaze

12. Guy Might and Lee Rock!

I really enjoy reading stories where Naruto is smart and strong. I like it even more when people help him get there. I like it best of all when the story develops his leadership qualities on the way to becoming hokage! I dislike bad Japanese translations and hate it when a romance develops out of nowhere. I've also grown to dislike stories where Naruto trains a lot and gets beaten because the skills gained are disproportionately low, just because the author doesn't want to make Naruto extremely powerful.