I've been thinking of beginning a blog for a while. It's guaranteed to become even harder to write/update than it is now once this school year starts; it's my final year, and exams and stress will be rife. Thus, I think a little blog is a good idea- it's shorter than a story, and requires a whole lot less effort. 

Also, all you guys subscribed to me can actually get updates and stuff about my stories, ideas, future stories etc. easier, without me actually having to post something first. So this is a good idea, yeah? Yeah? Anyone out there?

Echo... echo... echo...

Anyway, I'm not gonna introduce myself, because I'm well aware you people don't actually care about my life. I'm just going to get stuck into what will probably be a rather accidentally offensive and opinionated post:

My writing loves!

Now, I've been on many fanfiction websites in my time; the likes of DeviantArt, Mibba, ArchiveOfOurOwn, Livejournal, etc. And now I'm here- why? Because all I really care about recently is K-pop and this is the hub of K-pop fanfiction. Each website has their own pros and cons, and the stories written on them all have their pros and cons, too. I'm going to focus on the latter, since I make no pretences into being an expert on website design.

Actually, on that note, I also definitely do not allude to being an expert at writing, either. Remember that throughout this blog post- I am no expert, these are my personal opinions. Right, throughout my seven years on writing websites, I've picked up numerous things that will automatically engage me in a story. Here's a brief list of those.

CaitlinOfMars' writing loves:

- Original story-lines! There is nothing more off putting than a stereotypical boy-meets-girl, or a plain High School fic, or any sort of 'I'm a fan going to a concert and the member immediately falls in love with me'. Show me you've thought a little. I absolutely adore things with a twist (especially dark things, right now), and accurately followed, interesting story-lines make me incredibly happy. Pretend you're a proper author, get inspired by things around you, write AUs, whatever. But make sure it's well-followed and consistent, even if you leave large gaps of time between updates. For an example a perfect storyline, check out 'The Tales of Jiho and Kyung' by 'aquathunder41'. Incredible, humorous storyline; it's so well planned I guarantee you'll be feeling fear, panic, happiness and sorrow right along with the characters.

- Beautiful place/character descriptions! This is a little difficult to do, I admit, but anything with complex phrasing, evocative imagery and flowing syntax is instantly a yes in my book. There's something about well-structured descriptions that takes my breath away- you have to make me feel as if I'm there, like I can smell the air and see the landscape behind my eyelids. It's even better if the description is written in a way that reflects the mood of the story- for example, an action story would require quite direct, immediate descriptions, while a more laid-back storyline would fit meandering, poetic illustrations. For a beautiful example of this, I'd recommend 'Escape' by 'ultothejjangrper'. Absolutely gorgeous lazy imagery; I could practically feel the heaviness of the air and the heat of the setting.

- Fast-paced, quick-witted dialogue! I have to admit, I'm pretty awful at dialogue. It's my self-confessed weakest point. So when I find a story where the author's charm and wit shines through, I have to read it until the end. Go on, make me laugh, do something clever to make me let out an "aha!". Realistic dialogue is difficult, as you still have to leave out unnecessary parts (that will just slow it down), but once you get it right it'll hook anyone. It's really hard thinking of an example for this- the fic mentioned in the 'story-line' section does it brilliantly, but I suppose the first that comes into my head for dialogue is 'Clubrooms and Weirdos' by 'kimidori-san'. I absolutely adored the dialogue in this, it's unique and unbelievably funny, and the exchanges between characters become the focal parts. It's just brilliant. BUT THE AUTHOR HAS DEACTIVATED HER ACCOUNT. So, for another wonderful example of dialogue (indeed, it's pretty much ONLY dialogue), check out 'Neutral Territory' by 'YukinoKoru'.

- Well-written ! I know, I know, but I'm only human. , that is, anything NC-17 and over, is just fabulous when it's well-written. Please understand that when I say this I am solely focused on fanfictions; I don't read ones with OCs, and we'll get to why in a later post. Don't just make it solely ; I'll get bored. Give me a motive for reading it, a storyline, an interesting plot-point. And when you write the itself, please try and make it realistic (no two-second recharge times between s, I beseech you). The hardest part, for me at least, is balancing the blend of realistic imagery with poetic language. To make it y to read, use y words; things like 'languid', 'arched', 'delirious'. For examples of this, read ANY of 'pumpkinspice123's fics. Seriously, any of them. I'm absolutely addicted, and they're all so good I can't choose one. Or 'Gin and Tonic' by 'kurosecret'. Wow.

- Either incredibly rounded, or incredibly accurate characterisations! If it's an original storyline in an Alternative Universe (and I mean that in the fanfiction-trope sense, hence the caps) make sure your characters have more to them than just on-the-surface details. Any 3D characterisation with depth and a backstory immediately alerts me that you've put effort into a story, and this is the best thing you can do. And if it's a story set in the real world, in our universe as it happens, make sure they're accurate! Don't overplay fanfiction stereotypes (Onew and chicken, Luhan being girly, Tao being a diva, etc.), because they're hideously overdone. Make them actually like the real people; imagine how they'd react in the situation you put them in. Examples for perfect AU characterisations are 'Kitten' by 'tokyo_lovelight' and   'What's Left of Us' by 'princessofthenight', and to be honest I haven't read a perfect canon-fic. It's your job to write one!

So there we are- five of the things that'll immediately hook me to a story! Again, please note that these are my personal opinions, so don't get offended or anything. Also, n.b. there are many other amazing fanfictions that fit one or all of these criteria that I haven't mentioned in the examples. The specific examples I chose were the stories that immediately popped into my head whilst writing the respective section, so feel free to check them out! They're all fantabulous~

If a few people like this, I'll do CaitlinOfMars' writing hates in a day or two. Be warned, that one might be a lot more opinionated and accidentally offensive than this one (as I see the sort of things contained in it A LOT on this site). If anyone is actually reading this, leave a comment below with your own personal writing loves, or simply just responses to what I've written above. You're also welcome to spam at me about not updating in the below comment section- I understand completely.

Adios!