Do you feel you judges all get along pretty well? It's awesome if you do - you know, getting to know great people. Juliet must have really chosen the right people then!

November 02, 2013

I feel like we get along fantasticly. Even if we have a difference of opinion on a topic, everyone just accepts it and doesn't fight about it. I love talking to them all the time! - Rosie

that it used to be a Twilight fanfic and I have to say, even if James didn't get the BDSM lifestyle right, she totally matched Ana and Bella. I found them both very whiny and unlikeable. Glad someone else has similar thoughts and sorry for my rambling! :)

November 02, 2013

Yes! All I thought as I read the books was good God I can see Twilight in this. Seriously, Stephanie Meyer should have sued for infringement rights for basically stealing her storyline/characters. But yeah, I have to say for a fanfiction to have made it so big I applaud her but I just don't like what she did with it. Hello, poor Ana has to sign a contract stating she'll wax and go to the gym etc I can't be dealing with that kind of stuff off a guy. Seriously, sexual submission is fine. Life submission should basically be a crime if that's how it really is.

- Helen xo

I know, right?! I have nothing against BDSM or the people that are into it, I just can't see myself ever doing that for anyone. I get the fascination with a little sexual submission, but letting a guy rule all parts of your life, like what/when/how much you eat etc? No thanks. I think it's funny ...

November 02, 2013

(answer coming)

I'm not a fan of Fifty and I don't plan on watching the movie, but hell yes, I did like the pairing of Matt Bomer and Alexis Bledel! Do think, though, that it'd leave a kind of "stigma", like Twilight and HSM. Those are all I think of when I see the actors that starred in it.

November 02, 2013

I believe that's why they've said they want "fresh" faces but I don't think they've gone fresh enough. They should have got new actors that no one knows so there is no stigma. Do you know what I mean? I have no clue what the actress is in but I'm devastated that it'll be what Jamie Dornan is remembered for when hello he is in other things (hot sheriff! hot sheriff!)

- Helen xo

Melissa: do you see yourself publishing a book any time in your life time? Or would you consider it more of a dream?

November 02, 2013

I don't think I'd ever publish anything. It'd be nice to, but I'm not a strong enough person to be able to take the harsh criticism.

Also, it's just not something I'm interested in. Writing is more of a hobby of mine than anything.

Helen, you love Sheriff Graham, too, right? What do you think about Jamie Dornan being cast as Christian Grey? I honestly don't think that the role really fits him and I just want to tell him to screw Fifty Shades and come back to OUAT :(

November 02, 2013

I sure as hell do. I think there were tears in my eyes when they killed that beauty off.

Honestly, I don't know how I feel about it. I think he's a better match than Charlie Hunnam was but then I still don't think he's how he's defined in the book. Do you know what did get me excited? The fake trailers on youtube when it was Matt Bomer and Alexis Bledel; now I think they'd have been a hot pair that would have given the film the life it needed.

However, if this means I get to see that sexy beast of a man on my telly in a hot role then count me in! (Because sadly, my curiosity will win and I shall be watching the movie)

But yes, BRING BACK SHERIFF GRAHAM TO OUAT. I NEED MY SHERIFF/SWAN BACK IN MY LIFE!!

- Helen xo

Liked by: Amy

... - but all throughout reading I wanted to slap the female protagonists alongside the head and ask them where their self-respect and dignity was. Can't imagine why they'd choose to be in a relationship like that or why readers are swooning all over them. Am I the only one who thinks this?

November 02, 2013

I'll be honest and admit I've only read 50 Shades and haven't found time for Crossfire yet. I'm not going to lie and say I hated the books nor would I say they are my favourites.

I don't judge the lifestyle. BDSM; in my eyes; is a hot lifestyle for those that live it and I appreciate if you find someone that you trust enough to give yourself truly to them. I think it's a great form of love. However, I don't think the writer researched the style right. She made Christian overbearing and Ana a whining little bitch. If you want to read a story that shows this amazing lifestyle perfectly then I suggest "Cowboy Casanova" by Lorelei James which is the 12th book in her Rough Rider series. Seriously, it makes you want to submit to the next hot cowboy (hell, any guy!) that you see because she points out how hot it is and is actually realistic! This is a book that shows how the lifestyle is. The female protagonist still has her own rights, her own life to get on but then when it comes to her sexual pleasure etc the male is completely in charge. Hello, who doesn't want to get signed up for that? Honestly, I say even if you don't read the first eleven (but good god you should) at least check this one out.

But yes, I was put off 50 shades due to him being a controlling dickhead and her being well and truly under the thumb. I wanted to punch both characters in the face. Repeatedly.

- Helen xo

Are you fans of the 50 Shades and Crossfire series? I read them because I wanted to know what all the hype was about, but I have to admit, I was more appalled and worried than dazzled and whatnot. I'm not saying the writing is bad - it's certainly amazing how successful the books have become ...

November 02, 2013

Answer coming.

Be honest: have you ever stalked any of the judges on Facebook?

November 01, 2013

We're all friends on Facebook so the stalking happens like all the time. How do you think I answer the personal questions ;)

- Helen xo

Do you talk with each other daily? And who with who mostly?

November 01, 2013

Yep we sure do! We all have a chat that we're almost constantly talking on, so that means heaps and heaps of notifications haha. I generally seem to talk to Amy (wait she's not a judge anymore!), Helen and Ali the most (because I have them all on whatsapp) but in the chat, I talk to Marta, Melissa and Brittany as well, and sometimes Juliet when she's not too busy! - Rosie

Ali: If you had to publish anything, how would it be (i.e. self-publishing or not, long or short, genre, audience, your age)?

November 01, 2013

I would want to publish something like Chuck Palahniuk (something weird and transgressional like) that people will pick up and know that once they finish it they're going to be a little crazier than before.
I think I would try to get it published by an actual publisher first, but I'm not against self publishing.
As for age and audience, not children and whenever my writing stops being awful (which could possibly be never for all I know)

Ali: do you see yourself publishing a book any time in your life time? Or would you consider it more of a dream?

November 01, 2013

I think I consider it as more of a dream at the moment, since I haven't actually ever finished anything haha! But I also thought moving to a different country was a dream and here I am, so I guess time will tell

Which judge do you think is most likely to finish NaNo?

November 01, 2013

My money's on Rosie! She finished last year (and competed like three other stories within the next week or two) and she starts summer vacation sometime this month I believe, so she'll have buckets of time. I think Brittany finished last year as well, and I saw on Facebook that she has a calendar for 75K or something insane like that so I wouldn't be surprised if she finished either!
~Ali

I'm too busy to do NaNo this time round but I saw Helen mention on the cbox about doing something similar in the Summer and I'll hopefully be there. Just wishing you all luck!

November 01, 2013

If we do end up doing it this summer then I hope to see you there :)

Thank you so much for the luck. We all really do need/appreciate it!

- Marta

What's everyone's word counts right now?

November 01, 2013

Brittany's at 3331 words, Rosie's at 2383, I'm at 3013 and I think Helen's going to start writing sometime soon? I also know Ali was going to start - but I don't know whether she ultimately decided to or not. I think that's all of us doing NaNo?

- Marta

I'm trying, Helen!!!! I get distracted very easily

Amy

November 01, 2013

I finish work in an hour (if it doesn't get busy) so after I've got in and eaten we'll have a writing date because I need to start NaNo before clock strikes midnight!

- Helen xo

If you could only read one book and/or FP story for the rest of your life, which one would it be?

November 01, 2013

Can I make it a series and be the Robert Hunter series by Chris Carter for my published forever read. And story wise my only all time favourite story on fictionpress that I follow faithfully is You Belong with Me by Castiel89 but the author is being mighty slow at updating. I keep annoying her about it though so here's another nudge Amy love ;)

- Helen xo

Liked by: Amy

Good luck everyone for NaNo! :)

November 01, 2013

Thanks! And to you as well (if you're doing it) :)

- Marta

How's NaNoWriMo going?

November 01, 2013

FANTASTIC for the other judges that I've harassed so far. Brittany wrote 3300 words in a blink of an eye, the machine, and Marta's written 2500. How do these girls do it?! I'm the one who technically started NaNo before all of them (time zones) yet I've only got 1500! But also 1600 words of an essay, too bad that doesn't count. And it's almost 1am of the next day oopsy. And I can't stand my beginning but too bad, no looking back now.

I can't wait to harass the rest of the judges tomorrow! How's YOUR nano going, if you're doing it? :) - Rosie

Quick, quick, quick - first 3 facts about your NaNo character

November 01, 2013

Um, um....1) Her name is Lois, 2) She's a professor of French Literature and 3) She has curly hair.

(I'm very impressed at how you conveyed pressure through your message)

- Marta

Marta: do you see yourself publishing a book any time in your life time? Or would you consider it more of a dream?

November 01, 2013

Um, well it's more of a dream than anything. I don't necessarily write to get published, I write because...it's something I need to do. I write for myself.

And I honestly have dreams that I consider much bigger that I want to achieve. So they're my priority :)

Rosie: do you see yourself publishing a book any time in your life time? Or would you consider it more of a dream?

November 01, 2013

I really, really, REALLY would love to. But I guess at this point in my life, I can't really ever see myself writing something I'm happy to show to others and publish. It's more of a dream, I guess! But one I'm trying to work towards. - Rosie

What is the last thing you said to someone?

November 01, 2013

(My answer to this is too perfect to not steal this question from the other judges).

The last thing I said to someone was: "NANO IN 30 MINUTES!!!!" Good luck, everyone! It's about to get crazzzyyyy! :) - Brittany

Brittany: If you had to publish anything, how would it be (i.e. self-publishing or not, long or short, genre, audience, your age)?

November 01, 2013

I'd want to publish the traditional way where I find an agent, send my work out, get accepted (and rejected 9 million times), edit and edit and edit until I hate the sight of the thing, and then utilize the amazing resources a publisher offers to learn everything that I possibly can. I'd definitely want to publish a novel. I love YA lit and always have, so I'd definitely publish YA. I love to write about things people actually go through - complicated family dynamics, first relationships, and crazy friends. I love sibling relationships and how complicated and important a sibling can be in your life. I love writing about the human experience, people's motivations. I love character driven stories. Who makes a better character study than a young adult? I'm totally ranting about this, but I love YA lit so much. It's absurd to me sometimes haha. My goal in life is definitely to hold a copy of one of my stories in my hands someday. I know I've chosen an almost impossible dream to achieve, so I'd probably be okay with self-publishing, too. Either way, I'm going to write for the rest of my life. I try to avoid speaking in absolutes because no one can see the future, but writing is in my bones. I don't think I could ever part with it. (This is so long and stammering and sentimental. I am not succinct like my lovely fellow judges. Sorrryyy!)

How do you find time to write among your other responsibilities? I can't seem to ever get enough time to write anything these days, which is so frustrating and it hurts my head because all ideas keep piling up in there, lol.

October 31, 2013

I understand how you feel! For about two years, I wrote next to nothing because I just couldn't find time and I began to get scared that I wouldn't be able to get back into writing again. But this year, I'm back! I have a lot of trouble writing when it's semester time at university, and I think that's because I feel too guilty about all the different things I could be doing. For NaNo, however, I'm making a time every day where I write for an hour to two hours. I find it easiest to do that when I go to bed.

Anyway, definitely write your ideas down! I have a Word document full of story ideas that I'll probably never get to, but it makes me feel better to write them down. It's always best if you just work on and focus all your energy on one story at a time - one time, I was working on 7 and it was crazy. The most important thing, I think, is what I mentioned before - setting a time each day or maybe just once a week to write, with no other distractions. It can be quite a balancing act, especially when no one knows about your writing! - Rosie

A Drop of Romeo

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