August Activities 2012

In a fit of insanity, I have decided to go off the board and do something random. Yes, I want you to review a story with a title OR author that starts with the letter 'X'. It can be a capital or lower-case, but the author name or story title MUST begin with it.

As usual, ask and answer a TQ (good luck with this one). I'll get you started:

Just like this feature theme, random things draw us to stories. What sort of random things make you or have at some point made you want to read a story?

How often do you judge a story by its title?

This activity is due to be completed by no later than 15th September at midnight US Pacific Time/16th September 8am British Summer Time.

This is one of the great debates of the fan fiction world, especially in the Potterverse. We have all seen it, where either Rose or Hermione pines over Mr Darcy or, Merlin forfend, Harry read a book about a young wizard's unrealistic adventures while saving the world as he knows it (*chuckle*). Some say that Muggle lit has a place next to wizard lit in the wizarding world, but others insist that it's an author imprinting his or her own preferences onto a character.

What do you think?

As usual, ask and answer one TQ. For a starter:

If you could pick one real book that you feel would fit into the HP universe the best, what would it be and why? Author?

Most books and novels carry similar or recurring tropes, such as the hero saves the day/gets the girl, bad boyfriend is ousted in favour of feminine independence, etc…you get the picture. What sorts of Muggle tropes do you think would still linger in magical fiction, and which ones would not translate into wizard lit due to their very nature?

At what point do you get annoyed with the addition of Muggle literature in a HP fanfic? What about non-fanfic reading?

This activity is due to be completed by no later than 15th September at midnight US Pacific Time/16th September 8am British Summer Time.

Hello, and welcome to SPEW Buddies! If you've never participated in this before, SPEW buddies is an activity in which you are paired up with a fellow SPEWer. You both review each other and then participate in a character chat, an example of which can be found here. You can conduct these chats either by IM or by PM (total word count should be at least 500 words between all characters); the IM chats should be dialogue only and the PMs written like letters, as illustrated in the chats thread. Which you choose to do is up to you.

If you are a SPEW newbie and are still paired with a mentor, you may be buddies with someone other than your mentor. Maybe even another SPEWbie.

If you're interested, please sign up in this thread by no later than the end of the day (US Pacific Time, BST -8) on August 20th.

I'd like to do this, please, Jess :) Any excuse for a chat!

Yay, I was wondering when this would be back. I'd love to do this. :)

EDIT: I just realized the 50 character thing isn't there anymore >.< *facepalm*

Yayay. I love SPEW buddies :D Now I've (kind of) returned from the semi-dead, I would love to do this too :)

Count me in!

Why not? :)

Ellie

I'd like a SPEW buddy also.
-Meg

Oooh...fun! Count me in please!