I'm a woman in her 20s who's studying to be an English teacher. I've been writing since I was nine, and I can get obsessive over certain movies, books, plays, and TV shows.

The three main fandoms that I love are Star Wars, The Phantom of the Opera, and Les Miserables, so I'm gonna say some of my opinions on all of them.

Star Wars. Someone once said that in Star Wars, there's Darth Vader and then there's everyone else. I totally subscribe to that theory. I've been fascinated with the character ever since I saw The Phantom Menace and wondered how that sweet little boy could turn into one of the most famous villains of all time. The war between good and evil inside of him never gets old to me. In fact, it's extremely rare that I read fanfics where he's not one of the main characters. That being said, I love all the other characters of Star Wars. I'm not a huge fan of the Extended Universe, though. I've read several of those books, including the Thrawn and Hand of Thrawn series, and overall I'm disappointed at the lack of writing ability of these authors. I'm a moderate fan of Mara Jade, even though I don't think Timothy Zahn did the potential of her character justice. There is one EU author I'm a huge fan of and that's Matthew Stover (who turned the Revenge of the Sith novelization into one of the best books of all time). And one thing more, my absolute drop-dead all time favorite fanfic ever is from the Star Wars genre, and it's called "Force Bond" by Kitt (AKA KittandChips). It's a book-length series of fics in which Vader raised Luke, and I absolutely cannot say enough praise for it. Humor, drama, top-notch writing ability, it's just the most awesome fic I've ever read. Definitely check it out.

The Phantom of the Opera. What an amazing story. Even though I prefer the version of Erik who's head-to-toe disfigured, one of the greatest moments I've ever experienced watching a movie was when I saw the opening overture to the 2004 film version and just knew that I was watching something magical. Erik is really one of the most interesting and complex characters ever written; I love watching him walk the fine line between good and evil. There's something just primordial about this story that gives me a big gut-level reaction. And I think many fellow Phantom fans would agree with me. While I love the book, the musical, and many of the movie versions (some more than others!); I'd have to say the version of Erik I'm partial to is one who has a full-body disfigurement (because otherwise the whole point of everyone shunning him for his looks makes no sense, and the message of society's obsession with defining people by what's on the outside is lost), is dark and has villainous qualities, but who also has a definite humanity to him.

Also, I have to give props to this story for introducing me to the wonderful world of musical theatre. If it wasn't for my random decision to go see a movie I knew nothing about in 2004, I would probably never have seen a Broadway show, and I wouldn't be a fan of my next obsession that I'm gonna talk about.

Les Miserables. My introduction to this fandom is different than the majority of people. I read the book first (after thinking I could never see the Broadway play), then listened to the soundtrack, then finally saw the show. I'm a huge fan of the Broadway version, but the book is still my favorite. I'm a rabid Eponine fan (but keep her in character, please!). My favorite actress to play her is Frances Ruffelle. Yes, her voice is rough and unpretty, but that's how she's described in the book! Also, Frances has Eponine's dreamy spaceyness down pat. As much as Lea Salonga's voice is amazing, Eponine's voice is just not supposed to be that pretty. When it comes to Les Mis, I love every single character in this story. The only exceptions are Cosette (who's completely boring) and Mabeuf (who I can't figure out why I hate). Besides them, I'm amazed at how even the minor characters are entertaining, especially when you read the book and find out all the details about them that they couldn't fit in the musical. Some characters I especially love are Thenardier, the Friends of the ABC, and Montparnasse. I even like Marius, especially in the novel where he has an interesting back story.

I also love The Scarlet Pimpernel, even though I visit this fandom much less than the others. I love the book, I've never seen the stage show, but I love the original soundtrack.

Other entertainment bits that I love (in no particular order) are Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Kite Runner, Heroes, Hey Arnold!, Mythbusters, Smallville (the first 4 seasons), Spiderman, Batman Begins, Daria, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Roswell (the TV and book series), the Outer Limits, Sliders, the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Invader Zim, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Spaceballs, the Lion King, Jane Eyre, Back to the Future, and anything that Pixar's done (except Cars).

I'm also in love with music. I just cannot go a day without listening to it or singing it. I've been performing since I was five, and it's definitely one of my biggest passions.

Quotes I Like

"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent."--Victor Hugo

"Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups."--unknown

"There is a way to be good again."--The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini

"I love deadlines--I love the whooshing sound they make as they go by."--Douglas Adams

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear."--Ambrose Redmoon

"The truths I shun follow me, mumbling."--Mason Cooley