I am a voracious reader.

I am also a librarian; I read plenty of badly written stories that somehow made it through the publication process. Eventually, I began to believe that I could do just as well - or better - and I'm using fanfic as practice before launching out into my own worlds. I'm pretty sure they'll wait patiently for me.

While I have many favorite stories and authors, I'm trying to create my own within the Harry Potter universe. Why? Because it's a wonderfully imagined world that's put together so badly that it cries out for correction.

* NOTICE * - most of my stories are written with unreliable narrators. It's just a unconscious assumption of mine that most reviewers don't seem to clue in to. Just because a character you trust says it, doesn't mean that it's true, just that they believe it to be true.

Sophistry and Dialectic: I wanted to focus on the use of reasoning to unmask the baddies in the Wizarding World. But I also tackled the dating scene at Hogwarts and ended up alluding to the effects of a libertarian mindset among people that can create their own WMDs. The Epilogue doesn't deal with anything that the Potters aren't concerned with - bigotry and prejudice don't matter when everyone quakes in fear of what you know and what you can do. I'm very flattered at the response this has gotten, as I've not promoted this at all, just posted it in one fell swoop.

Crowning Moment of Awesome: I've re-posted this with minor edits that I hope make this fit better with what I imagined it to be. Still not completely happy with it, but I"m not going to give it any more attention - I'm working on newer stuff. I'm also flabbergasted at how well this has been received, and I added two small chapters to round out the viewpoints.

The Redemption of Ron Weasley: It is pretty obvious that Rowling had no love for the character of Ron Weasley (his middle name is 'Billious', for crying out loud!) I began to wonder if fanfic could provide a redemption of sorts for him, like fanfic has offered justifications for just about every other unexplained character moment in the Potter Universe. In two parts, will be posted a week apart.

E-Prime version: This is The Redemption of Ron Weasley re-written with some unusual constraints. Details are in the last chapter (chapter 3, which the original doesn't have.) The story is also expanded just a teensy little bit: I thought there were some areas where I didn't explain myself properly, so I fixed them. The re-write (not including the new content) took less than 10 hours, spread out over 2 months. If you're thinking about an EPrime challenge of your own, you should realize it doesn't actually take that long; it's the mental exertion of using different vocabulary that's the point. I added an OMAKE that takes place after the main story, solely so I could write a specific line for Ron.

Follow the Light: the first little tickle in my head was wondering about the incantation for the Patronus charm; I gave Harry the same thought process that I had. Unfortunately, it's in chapter 26, so you'll have to wait to see how this sprawling story got started. I've never written anything so large before, and it's taken about two years to complete. I expect that I'll never write anything so large again for anyone else's universe - this kind of effort will be under my own copyright next time. The reception that this story had received makes it clear that a lot of fanfic readers don’t understand the concept of an unreliable narrator. Don’t expect any character to give you the complete truth – they can only tell you what they know, and none of them are that wise. Even Luna.

Teasers & Trial Balloons: I'm putting first chapters of things that I'm working on in here, and if you want to see something specific, PM me or write a review! I've got some ideas on bending the time travel tropes that should be fun (not currently up.) Blindsided is where I deal with the idolization that Hermione Granger frequently receives. I've also noticed that there are a LOT of Fics that deal with robbery; I figure that in Harry's 3rd year, the Marauder's might prefer a different kind of crime (a two-person fraud team in The Great Game). And of course, since Remus has a weakness for almost squickily younger women, he'd be a hilarious choice to teach at St. Trinian's (in Distaff Backup.) I've also got a few ideas that will be up for adoption. I hope that they'll tickle someone's fancy to continue.

A Road Not Taken: Just a quick meditation on what would happen if Liquid Luck were used to its fullest possibility.

Unforseen Consequences: I wanted to find some thread of reasoning that would make Albus Dumbledore’s actions look like a coherent plan instead of a complete mess. I gave it my best shot, and I may have partially succeeded … but that left me with only half a story. So I pulled in the “Marriage Law” trope, and let Harry & Co. fill out the rest. Kind of inevitable, really.

A Proper Interrogation: I had some thoughts on verita-serum that make the Wizarding world’s legal system come off as stupid and irretrievably corrupt. This isn’t a full story, but may make your thoughts bend towards one. I’m not going to continue this though – I wrote it so that I wouldn’t have to write more and could focus on the story that really holds my attention.

Gold, Forgiveness and Math: I came across a reference to non-electronic calculating machines that really existed, not the vapor-ware that Babbage gave us. What would Harry do with them?

Blindsided: this is my current work in (very slow) progress, and I’m hoping to correct Rowling’s math-deficiency and go from there. I’m also using this to look at Hermione as actually demonstrated in canon; what she is described as is very different from what she shows by her actions. And Emma Watson’s portrayal … well, we shouldn’t be surprised that an actress of mediocre intelligence failed to adequately portray a character significantly smarter than herself. Anyway, it’s sputtering along.

The characters in the Harry Potter series are frequently incomplete and amazingly passive (in the main.) Any fan fiction will be OOC, therefore, but I’ve got to wonder about the startlingly different interpretations they receive: is this a reflection on Rowling’s characterizations? Or on our perceptions, as readers and authors?

My writing has taken a back seat to real life – as it should – in the past few months, as my son was hospitalized for 3 months. Given that he is medically and intellectually impaired (and 18 months old), he doesn’t understand why he was abandoned by his parents during the week and only cuddled on the weekends. Now that he’s home, he’s recovering, but there have been more than a few changes that have confused him. I’m working much harder to take care of him than I am to play in my imagination.

I really appreciate all feedback, as this is the first writing I've done that's not for a degree or my job. I've read most of the classics on this site, and I'm honored to swipe a few of their audience. Thanks for reading, folks!