One of the best parts about my involvement in Know-it-Alls has been getting to know gioiamia, who is one of our reccers. Once upon a time she was involved in Roswell fandom and Stacie became a good friend of hers there. Stacie is fighting cancer, and at times her treatment has been interrupted because she is uninsured. That's where Gioia and other friends fought back and created Support Stacie which has had several rounds of auctions where authors put themselves up for bid, committing to writing a story of at least 3,500 words with the proceeds going to help pay for Stacie's bills so she could continue her treatment.

Past participants have included ladyofthemasque (Sorting Hat Redux), christinex1001 (Half Magic) and deeble (The Pleasure of that Company, which is currently running in the sshg_awards). All fandoms welcome--there is a large Dr Who and Twilight contingent.

So, it's time for the auction again, and this time they're doing a "Homemade Auction" for crafts and baked goods. So go register on the board here if you would like to participate in the future or bid on this round. If you have any questions about all this, the post Gioia put up asking us to spread the word is here, and I know she'll be happy to answer any questions or concerns if you direct them there. There is also a community supportstacie.

And On Another Subject

I found this article on the Bad Sex in Fiction award amusing, especially with my ship's awards ongoing (the sshg_awards) don't forget to vote--you have two more weeks)

The nominees for the sshg_awards have been posted here with links. Voting begins on the 5th and runs an entire month, so there's time to catch up on stories here you missed, and voting is a lot less involved than nominating (you don't have to worry about what's eligible among other things, and only one vote per category so you don't have to write out multiple choices. Hell, you don't even have to link, find author LJ or email. Just use the form below and type up the title of your vote (taken from the com profile):

<b>Shrinking Solution: Best Drabble</b> VOTE: <b>Hiccupping Solution: Best Drabble Series</b> VOTE: <b>Invigoration Draught: Best Short</b> VOTE: <b>Strengthening Solution: Best Mid-Length</b> VOTE: <b>Calming Draught: Best Novel Length</b> VOTE: <b>Everlasting Elixirs: Saga/Epic</b> VOTE: <b>Amortentia: Best Romance</b> VOTE: <b>Felix Felicis: Best Smut/PWP</b> VOTE: <b>Agitation Elixir: Best Angst</b> VOTE: <b>Scintillating Solution: Best Drama</b> VOTE: <b>Hair-Raising Potion: Best Action Adventure</b> VOTE: <b>Polyjuice Potion: Best A/U</b> VOTE: <b>Euphoria Elixir: Best Humour</b> VOTE: <b>Instant Darkness Powder: Best Dark Fic</b> VOTE: <b>Draught of Peace: Best Fluff</b> VOTE: <b>Still Simmering: Best WIP</b> VOTE: <b>Finite Incantatem: Best Newly Completed</b> VOTE: <b>Top Brewer: Best Author</b> VOTE: <b>Potions Apprentice: Best New Author</b> VOTE: <b>Mrs Scower's Magical Mess Remover: Favorite DH-Compliant Fic</b> VOTE:

Congratulations to all the nominees. Just to make it this far is an honor. If I haven't congratulated you individually, consider it done now! Lots I nominated on that list. SQUEE!!!

Also, annietalbot wrote an Open Letter regarding awards I muchly agree with here. She puts it more nicely and diplomatically than I will.

( A Modest Proposal: The Kanye West Awards )

( Why I hate Wonderful Child )

Oh, and mundungus42's filk below is FTW!

And a house-elf dropped these at my doorstep. And then ran off to iron her hands.

Given this post by ginny_weasley31 that some on Potter Place are seeking to compile lists of "abandoned" stories to complete--and some members are supporting the idea that if they don't hear back from the author they're going to consider permission implied.

Well, just in case, because I'm not sure anyone is interested in my little ol' WIP.

1) Book of Shadows is not abandoned despite not being updated two years--I've been trying to work on it.

2) No, you do not have permission to try to complete it even if I do abandon it. I'd rather pull the story completely off the internet than let that happen.

3) Just because we play in Rowling's world does not make me a hypocrite in this. Writing a derivative work in a shared universe is a very different thing than completing someone's story. You put something of yourself in that fanfic, you bring specific words to it and a particular take and a distinctive style. Writing your own story in a shared world (think say Mary Russell Holmes pastiches) is a very different thing than taking someone's incomplete story and pasting on.

4) Think of the effect on fandom. We don't get paid. Our only recompense is reviews and recs and awards and art and translations. Various forms of intangible ego boo. Part of the unwritten contract at least in my old fandom Trek was this. Your fic is yours. No one else has the right to control it. Even a beta is just an adviser. You use something distinct from a fic, you credit it. You don't plagiarize. You don't steal another's words and put them under a name you claim. And you never, ever, try to complete another's story without permission. Sometimes in Trek people would write "sequels"--I saw them much more often in Trek than I have here. It's a compliment, but even there the courteous thing to do to ask permission. But this is a different thing entirely. People post because they feel safe about their story not being appropriated by someone else. If they lose that sense of security... Well, had I thought an unauthorized completion of my story was a possible consequence of posting a WIP, I'd never have posted that first chapter. Others might start pulling their WIPs down. And I'd rather have access to KazVL's Falling Further In and Helga Von Nutwhimple's Meeting of the Minds even incomplete for myself and others who follow in the fandom. And no "completion" of those stories by others will feel like the real ending to me.

5) Fanfic isn't protected by copyright. I can't stop you if you try without my permission. Or if you do that to others. But if you do, in the words of an old curse: May you get everything you deserve.

6) If you really think this will get you friends and fans in the fandom... Think again. Anyone who even thinks this is a good idea has my undying enmity. I doubt I'm alone in that.

edit: Although one of the mods of Potter Place is involved in compiling a list, my understanding is the mods do not condone completing such fics w/o permission. Only certain people making comments. But this has come up before. Once on WIKTT early in my time in the fandom, and probably will again. And I think each time needs to be stomped on. Firmly.

You can blame this post on bluestocking79. She posted a couple of pumpkin recipes and reminded me of my lurve for things pumpkin. I tried her Pumpkin Streusel Muffins and they were delish. So in turn I offer some favorites I've tried and retried in the weeks since.

( Adventures in Cookies, Soup, Bread )

I remember making a Pumpkin "Cheese Cake" with yogurt cheese one Thanksgiving inspired by a Pumpkin Cheese Cake sold seasonally by the Barnes & Noble Cafe in my neighborhood and counting that a success--but haven't found that old recipe I cobbled. I've seen pumpkin recipes for stews, pastas and puddings I'm tempted to try. (My family is Puerto Rican, and pumpkin, or "calabaza" is often put into stews in that cuisine--although I don't often like a lot of the traditional family recipes actually and a lot of them weren't written down and died with my grandmother.) Pumpkin is cheap, recipes using canned puree can be made all year; pumpkin is a "superfood" and very low in calories. Win win. Nom nom nom.

So give, have any recipes to share?

So, there's a new category in the sshg_awards, which just started taking nominations: Finite Incantatem: Best Newly Completed Fic (This category has its own rules. Stories nominated for this category began posting at any time prior to July 21, 2008 but were completed between July 21, 2008 and July 21, 2009.)

Anyone know some candidates I can nominate? (and no, not making another list post...) I immediately thought of lullabelle72's Jitters--certainly my favorite recently completed SSHG fic, but it was completed after the cut-off date so I'd have to wait till next round. I then looked at what I had rec'd on KIA (I rarely rec WIPs before completion) but Spellcaster by SGCbearcub, seemingly the next possible candidate, was completed before the cut-off date. So, anyone know of any stories that fulfill the above criteria for the new category? I can't think of one!

It might be a good idea btw to post a list of your eligible stories this week. (Especially if any fit the category above--and do mention if you're eligible for "New Author.") Don't think of it as self-pimping, think of it as a service to us all. I didn't write much this year at all. My eligible stories would be the two shorts Surfacing and Madmen and Englishwomen, two drabble series, Not Just a Pretty Face and Twice Blessed and seven single drabbles, Brilliant, But Scary, Heart of Oak, Tether and Just a Crack (and one, two, three drabble sequels to "Not Just a Pretty Face." All renitaleandra's fault).

Pathetic, I know, even if you add my one Snuna, The Hunting of the Snark and my romancingwizard Molly ficlet, Mated Pair, my Ron/Pansy ficlet on sortinghatdrabs, Sorthing Things Out and 3 drabbles in other pairings (SSLE, Stairway to Heaven; HPLL, Stargazing; and HGPP, Oyster) to the list of what I wrote during this period. Only 13,507 words in total, less than last year's of about 20,000. Hopefully I'll do better next time with my writing. OK, so I showed you mine--show me yours?

My Post-Deathly Hallows SSHG - Year Two list does have every completed story above 10,000 words, but below that there are so many stories and drabbles I had to be selective. With WIPs, I generally only listed those that have reached 40,000 words, and you won't easily find eligibles for the new category above through my lists since I don't include completion dates, so again, posting your eligibles would be helpful to your f-listies, especially since different posting dates on different archives can confuse the issue.

Edit: So far people have brought my attention as eligible in the new category: irishredlass69's Require Your Assistance; ariadne1's No Loyalty in the Moonlight; subvers's The Love You Take, miamadwyn's Care of Magical Creatures, lady_rhian's Sage, little_beloved's Denial, Marisol's The Godfather, A Plus's Splintered and Broken and lariopefic's Second Life. Anything else? Also, keladry_lupin is linking to various people's eligibility lists here and lovedraughts here.

The ronpansy_fest, which I was co-modding with silburygirl, just ended, and we'll be putting up the reveal this Friday. It was a very small Exchange as befits a very tiny ship (FFN tends to reflect the size of various ships--SSHG has over 8,000 stories, double that, and you have about the number of stories out there online. Ron/Pansy has little over a hundred stories on FFN). The last sshg_exchange had about 170 gifts; ours had 17. Yet even on such a small scale, I did get an idea what hard work it is to run one of the major ones--and to those of you who run Exchanges with fairness and grace--I just want to tip my hat and tell you I have a new appreciation.

I also want to give a shout out to my own gift, The Art of Ingeniously Tormenting by silburygirl. I really loved it--the characterizations of both Ron and Pansy, the Ron voice, was just a delight. I know my f-list isn't filled with people that love Ron, let alone who might like Ron/Pansy, and as a mod I shouldn't have favorites I suppose, but since I know I'm not going to get you to read all 17, I thought I'd at least link you to my five favorites and urge you to give them a chance. Besides the above:

hereticalvision, Selling Spring (R) 20,540 words
This is one of two stories on the fest that made it personally worth it all by itself to have helped create and run the Exchange. If I were to rec top five among Ron/Pansy period, and not just the fest, this might very well make my list. (And given this is a ship that has standout stories by writers like Maya, pir8fancier, antoshevu, inell, pocketfullof, thetreacletart, r_becca and tarie that's saying a lot). Moving and creates a vivid picture of Japan.

pennswoods, Auror Games NSFW, Comic
This one is a comic you can take in practically at a glance, so not much of an investment in time. And not just well-drawn and raunchy but clever.

artemis_sparks, Secretary/Assistant (PG) 3,896 words
The inspiration stated by the author for this one is Pride and Prejudice--with Pansy in the Darcy role. Just very charming.

mundungus42, The Thin Purple Line (R) 15,969 words
I thought this was just as strong a closer as "Selling Spring" was an opener, even though a very different story. This one just had such a winning combination of spot-on characterizations, brilliant uses of canon (particularly wand-lore), twists and turns, imagination to burn, original magic, winning humor, and the sarcasm and biting insults between Ron and Pansy were a delight to behold.

I hope you'll give them a look and enjoy! (and review). And if you want to go for second helpings, try Odiotentia by electryone82, Marked by seraphimerising and A Second Chance by persephone33 and seegrim. If you want to look beyond the fest, both crack_broom and KIA have more recs in the ship.

Edited September 25, 2009 to add authorship

I searched through FanfictionNet, AdultFanfiction, The Archive at the End of the Universe, Skyehawke, Fiction Alley, Restricted Section, Granger Enchanted, WIKTT Archives, Ashwinder, The Petulant Poetess, OWL, Digital Quill the sshg_exchange and grangersnape100.

Below are notable SSHG stories under 10,000 words posted between July 21, 2008 and July 21, 2009, including single drabbles and drabble series. I couldn’t list every such short story, there would be hundreds of them. Besides ones I personally liked, I’ve listed any recognized by the awards and rec sites Know It Alls (KIA), crack_broom and fangirl_tour, as well as the sshg_awards to highlight those that you might find worthwhile checking out. (Some stories are/will be listed here because of that recognition, and not because I would personally recommend them.)

I starred my top 10 favorites among the short stories, and my top 3 in the drabbles and drabble series.

I also made guides of other lengths:

Post-DHY2 SSHG Longfic: Epics, Novels, WIPs
Post-DHY2 SSHG Novellas - Non-canon
Post-DHY2 SSHG Novellas - Canon

So, in the order in which they were posted:

( DH Era Year Two SSHG Short Stories )

( DH Era Year Two SSHG Drabbles )

( DH Era Year Two SSHG Drabbles Series )

( Comments )

And thus ends the SSHG Guides. I don't intend to ever do another in the future, but I hope you've found them useful. So, what were some of your favorite shorts this year? Anything I didn't include?

I searched through FanfictionNet, AdultFanfiction, The Archive at the End of the Universe, Skyehawke, Fiction Alley, Restricted Section, Granger Enchanted, WIKTT Archives, Ashwinder, The Petulant Poetess, OWL, Digital Quill and the sshg_exchange.

Below is listed every single completed SSHG story I could find between 10,000 and 40,001 words which started posting between July 22, 2008 and July 21, 2009. I don’t mean to exclude any author or story, so if you know of a completed SSHG novella that was posted during the second year of the post-DH era not listed here, let me know.

I put a star next to the ones I personally liked (I tried all below) and otherwise noted those recognized by awards and rec sites like the fangirl_tour, Know It Alls (KIA) and crack_broom, as well as the sshg_awards to highlight those that you might find worthwhile checking out.

I couldn't fit all the novellas onto one post, so I divided them into canon and non-canon compatible. Canon-compatible includes EWE--just about any story that uses Deathly Hallows canon even if Alternate Universe.

I also made guides of other lengths:

Post-DHY2 SSHG Longfic: Epics, Novels, WIPs
Post-DHY2 SSHG Novella Non-Canon
Post-DHY2 SSHG Shorts: Short Stories & Drabbles

There might, of course, be works in progress that may yet reach novella length and be completed that ultimately will belong on this list.

So, in the order in which they were posted:

( DH Era Year Two SSHG Novellas - Canon Compatible )

To make comments and for explanations, see Guide to Completed SSHG Novellas (Post DH Year Two) Part II: Canon Compatible

In the order in which they were posted:

( DH Era Year Two SSHG Novellas - Part I Non-Canon )

I searched through FanfictionNet, AdultFanfiction, The Archive at the End of the Universe, Skyehawke, Fiction Alley, Restricted Section, Granger Enchanted, WIKTT Archives, Ashwinder, The Petulant Poetess, OWL, Digital Quill and the sshg_exchange.

Below is listed every single completed SSHG story I could find of over 40,001 words posted between July 22, 2008 and July 21, 2009. The epics (over 100,000 words) are listed separately. I also listed in their own sections WIPs of this timeframe that have reached over 100,000 words (epic-sized), and those over 40,000 words but not over 100,000 words (novel-sized). I don’t mean to exclude any author or story, so if you know of a SSHG work of over 40,000 words that was posted during the second year of the post-DH era not listed here, let me know.

I put a star next to the completed stories I personally liked (I tried all below) and otherwise noted those recognized by awards and rec sites like fangirl_tour, Know It Alls (KIA) and crack_broom, as well as the sshg_awards to highlight those that you might find worthwhile checking out.

I also created guides of other lengths:

Post-DHY2 SSHG Novellas
Post-DHY2 SSHG Shorts: Short Stories & Drabbles

So, in the order in which they were posted:

( DH Era Year Two SSHG Epics--Complete )

( DH Era Year Two SSHG Novels--Complete )

( DH Era Year Two SSHG WIPs - Epic-length )

( DH Era Year Two SSHG WIPs - Novel-length )

MillieJoan, Camerado (R) 40,233 words
Publish Date: 5/26/09
Last Update: 8/14/09 (up to 8 chapters)
Genres: Drama, Romance, Friendship
Alt Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5089614/1/Camerado (PG-13 version)
Summary: Hermione seeks knowledge from a reluctant Snape, in order to help the War effort. What she receives is more than either of them expected. Set beginning in Hermione's sixth year, continuing into a slightly AU post-DH era.

( Yeah, I know, a WIP--but... )

So what WIPs started since July of last year (i.e. post first year after DH) in the Snape/Hermione ship are you following? Right now besides this one, I'd continue to read northangel27's Solace if updated (despite having had issues with it), and rhiannon_lune's Becoming Silhouettes--neither have been updated since May though.

Yeah, yeah, I know, Ron/Pansy isn't your thing. But hey, if I can't get you to read even an awesome story like Selling Spring that started the ronpansy_fest and other lovelies posted since, as well as some exciting stories to come, can I at least tempt you to take a look at a short comic strip, Auror Games as clever as any art you'd seen on an exchange? (Unless you're at work, then don't look. NOT work-safe, very naughty, but very fun.) C'mon, just a peek... you know you want to...

Title: Akin
Author: harmony_bites (Rabble Rouser)
Characters: Sarek and SpockPrime
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,650
Summary: Sarek has to deal with intimations of the future.
Warnings: Spoilers for the new film.
Notes: For wonderfulwrites because she said she'd love to read a story with Sarek and Spock. And for djinn_fic for her awesome betas. And to them both for inspiring me to reach back to my old love--Trek.

( Akin )

The ronpansy_fest just started posting. We will be posting multi-chaptered fics at the rate one chapter per day and leaving a day in between each gift.

Frankly, I think the opening fic, Selling Spring truly is awesome, like no other fic I've read in Harry Potter, strongly evoking its setting and with a wonderful depiction of Ron and Pansy both, dealing with issues they'd both have to grapple with post-Deathly Hallows.

Hey, I know. It's Ron. It's also though Gryffindor/Slytherin, and has a lot of the themes and appeal that made me fall in love with Snape/Hermione and Draco/Hermione in the first place--that clash of opposing world views. And "Selling Spring" is moving and stylish. Well, worth the read even if this ship isn't your usual cuppa. The story concludes with part two tomorrow.


Oh, and yeah, if I've mostly seem to have slipped into a black hole lately. *points up* I expect it'll be no different through August as the fest continues to post.

CROSS-POSTED TO THE FANGIRL TOUR

As harmony_bites, I wrote primarily Snape/Hermione and rec Harry Potter fanfic for Know It Alls. If you want to know what I rec in that fandom and get a sense of my tastes and judgment, my recs can be found here.

For the fangirl_tour though, I thought I'd return to my fandom roots in Trek, where I was known as Rabble Rouser, and give you a couple of recs for each of the old series and 3 for the newest incarnation. Except for the Reboot recs, these are mostly very old stories that precede my time in HP fandom, back before Live Journal when FanficNet was new—but I'd match the stories below against the best in any fandom. All the non-reboot authors below except one have won in a Best Author Category in the major Trek fanfiction awards, the ASCEM "Golden Os" and The ASC Awards. About half of the authors listed below, that I know of, have published professionally. I tried to make this a real tour of the old Trek I knew—which with the film is new again—and give recs for a range of pairings and characters below.

I have to thank wonderfulwrites for scouting Reboot!Trek for me and sending me links of good reads that resulted in three of the recs below.

( Fandom - Star Trek (Original Series) )

( Fandom - Star Trek (The Next Generation) )

( Fandom - Star Trek (Deep Space Nine) )

( Fandom - Star Trek (Voyager) )

( Fandom - Star Trek (Enterprise) )

( Fandom - Star Trek (Reboot) )