Now that I've been reminded to put up a profile, here it is. ;)

My sn is Emcey_Squared, but my friend KitKatt0430 has dubbed me Emcey, so you can call me by either one.

Some of my stories are slash and some aren't. I suppose that makes this my only warning to people who don't like slash. Read the story descriptions, because any planned pairings will be mentioned there.

Marshmallow Pit (Aka The Place Where Idiot Flamers Get Mocked)

I've never had an actual flame before, so I was a bit surprised to find this in my inbox the day after Interlude One was posted to Second Chances. Now I have no illusions that Kit and I are genius writers - we're in it to have fun, so the stories certainly aren't perfect. However, I was highly amused to read this. I know that the whole point of flames is to demoralize a writer (or writers in this case) either because the flamer is insecure and jealous of someone more talented than him or her or because they derive some sort of demented sense of pleasure from crushing the fun out of fanfiction writing for other people. Mostly, though, flames are there for people such as myself to take pleasure in the fine art of 'marshmallow roasting,' or the taking apart of a flame in such a manner that it, hopefully, encourages other flamers from being stupid enough to choose me for their further amusement.

"Someone who took Grammar 101 ()
Learn how to write a decently sized chapter, none of them are an acceptable length. And learn how to write PERIOD. This is horrible!!"

If the first sentence was structured properly then the comma between 'chapter' and 'none' would be a semicolon, which looks like ';' and allows the writer to connect two sentences properly without using the word 'and.' As for starting a sentence with the word 'and,' that's not a good idea. We do it all the time - I know I'm guilty of it - because people speak that way, but it's bad grammar.

Now, had this person intended leave something worthwhile in their review, he or she could have compared and contrasted what aspects they dislike with a story they feel handled similar characters/plot points/whatever better. He or she could have been polite and refrained from cussing at us. (Cussing in reviews/comments annoys Kit to no end on her YouTube account.) He or she could have been polite. He or she could also have taken into account that sixteen pages written in a week (that means eight pages per author) is not easy to write, especially when the two of us have to find the time to confer over things like plot points and characterization; Kit and I have never actually met face to face, either.

So, perhaps "Someone who took Grammar 101" should stop annoying people on days when they've got stressful tests, because otherwise he or she is just going to keep engaging himself, or herself, in a battle of wits that he or she seems ill equipped to contend in.

(Dedicated to my roommate, who was the one who originally made all the points I used in the above 'marshmallow roast' and was very upset on my behalf upon seeing the flame.)

KitKatt0430's contribution to the marshmallow roast follows below.

The thing that bothers me about flames isn't the insult they pose to me, my co-writer, or even the story. What bugs me the most is that these people use the site in order to prey upon others in an emotional and mental sense in a manner that runs completely contrary to the etiquette requirements of FanFiction. Net.

"FanFiction. Net does not filter content and is an open system that trusts the writer's judgment. However, there is an inherent responsibility that falls to writers as a result."

This applies to reviewers as well as writers. After all, most reviewers are also fanfiction writers. Also, reviews are written, which implies that the reviewer is a writer regardless of whether they have an account on this site.

The Guidelines further state that a writer should:

"3. Respect the reviewers. Not all reviews will strictly praise the work. If someone rightfully criticizes a portion of the writing, take it as a compliment that the reviewer has opted to spend his/her valuable time to help improve your writing.
4. Everyone here is an aspiring writer. Respect your fellow members and lend a helping a hand when they need it. Like many things, the path to becoming a better writer is often a two way street."

Regarding guideline point 3: some of my favorite reviews are the ones that point out my errors and offer helpful hints on how to improve my writing. However, it is impossible for me to respect someone who clearly has no respect for Emcey or me.

Then there is point 4. When criticizing another person's work, the reviewer should make sure what they write is an actual critique and try to be polite with their words in order to ensure that the critique is not misconstrued as being curt or rude, but is accepted as the helpful commentary it should be. As demonstrated by the record of the flame above, "Someone who took Grammar 101" has failed in these qualifications.

Perhaps people who flame others should reread the etiquette section of the guidelines more closely in order to better understand what is and isn't acceptable behavior when writing and reviewing on this website.

Stories in Progress

A Man and his Jacket - KotOR II. Atton loves his jacket, but it seems as though it’s being stolen everywhere he goes these days. It’s all that Exile’s fault, too… LSFExile/Atton. This will be updated intermittently as the ideas for chapters come to me.

I'm also working on several stories with Kitkatt0430. I've apparently been distracting her from the stories she's been working on and, though we've never actually met... it's fun irritating her. She just can't say no to a good plot line. Muahahahaha...

Stories Co-Written with Kitkatt0430

The Redux series for Eureka. We're taking turns rewriting episodes, starting with "Phased and Confused" in order to reinsert Nathan Stark's character and turn each plotline into a Jack/Nathan fic. Therefore, each story is an AU where "I Do, Over" never happened and Nathan never got engaged to Allison. - On Hiatus until Second Chances is finished

Second Chances: FF8 AU: Given memories of the future, Seifer has the chance to alter his life before any of his mistakes are made. Despite the temptation to choose the same side as before, Seifer makes SeeD and changes everyone's futures. Seifer/Squall - Currently has the first five chapters and the interlude posted. Chapter six is finished and being revised. Chapter seven is mostly done. We've reached the D-District prison and begun work on chapter eight...