I have been writing stories like this for as long as I can remember, and was thrilled when I found out that other people do too. :) I appreciate constructive criticism, encouragement, plot ideas, questions, and anything like that. Just in the short time I've been on this site I have been overwhelmed with the kind and encouraging words. This has been a place of healing and acceptance for me.

When I am writing a story I like to write quickly, in the past I've done a chapter a day and now I think I'm more down to one or two a week. I think I like to write pretty fast because even though I have a basic plot and usually a few compelling scenes that I'm writing towards, I don't really know how everything is going to work out until I actually write it. So in some ways I'm writing to find out what's going to happen next.

I am a woman who is older than Beyonce and younger than Oprah, I live on the West Coast of the US, I am settled but I love adventures, and I live a very crazy and fun life. Fear and bravery are not issues that just teenagers live with, they are issues for our whole lives. And I firmly believe that it is all about the journey.

My stories do have spanking in them, and if you don't like that please don't read them. These stories are not meant to give anybody parenting advice, nor are they reflective of my views on the subject. However, there is something compelling to me about the dynamics of these situations, and so my writing contains them.

A word to immature anonymous posters: you are not fooling anyone. If you can't say anything of consequence, your posts will be summarily deleted.

Things I Have Learned Writing Fanfiction:

1. Your story is first and foremost about making you happy. Reviewers are fickle, reader counts fluctuate dramatically, and there will always be critics. If what you write expresses your true self and is true to you, then that’s what’s important. You’re not making money on this, it should be about what you enjoy. Try not to focus on the numbers and the reviews.

2. Be open. I have had some very good interactions that have been incredibly valuable to my writing on here. There is a group of regular readers that read my work and always encourage, offer suggestions, and are as passionate about my characters as I am. This has been truly my favorite part of writing. I try to answer most of the reviews I get just because I value that interaction with readers so much. I also try to be a good reviewer to the stories that I read, and am delighted when fellow authors read my work. And a thoughtful critical review is worth its weight in gold - even though it may be difficult to hear that your writing is less than perfect, helpful criticism helps us improve.

3. There is nothing new under the sun - it is incredibly hard to have an original idea that has not already been written. My last story I had intended to call, “The Potions Thief” and then found that there was another story of the same name! When I start a new story I have now learned to do a search on the title and theme and try to find out what else has been written on the topic to see if it’s a story that has been done before. I think this is why authors often won’t read fanfiction of their stories; they don’t want to even subconsciously be using something they read. But I believe firmly that though themes and plots can be similar, how you write the characters are entirely your own. I’ve read the same plot of Snape adopting Harry in radically different stories based on how the characters are drawn. Oh, and my story ended up being called, “The Murtlap Thief” which I like better anyways.

4. There are some really bored and unhappy people out there, don’t let them make you miserable. If the review is simply critical, take it as fodder for improvement. If it is simply horrible and abusive, then don’t negotiate with terrorists, don’t feed the trolls, don’t accommodate abuse, and don’t try to convince an idiot of your point of view. Simply hit the “delete” button on a guest review and block a user if they’re being abusive towards you. Or, if you get fed up, write a satirical piece that expresses your frustrations (see Harry Potter and the Controversial Strawberries). Which, as pointed out by a very wise reviewer, shows that I need to get better at not letting it get to me. Maybe: "Things I Have Learned" should be "Things I Am Learning."

5. Remind yourself that you are brave. It is an incredibly brave thing to do to put your work out there for people to read, especially if your writing feels very personal to you. You open yourself up to criticism, but you also open yourself up to sharing that expressive part of yourself. Bravo.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: I have ventured into writing some original characters. I've started a story over at fictionpress, which is fanfiction.net's original story sister. If you'd like to see what I write when I've not writing Snape, check it out. :) I have the same name there as here.