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[RokofAges75]

Though, the hardest piece of writing advice for me to follow has actually come from Stephen King's On Writing book. He says not to use adverbs and instead to use a stronger verb. My works are littered with adverbs so yeah... difficult.

I've read this book too, and it's good, and I love Stephen King, but I don't think adverbs are so bad.  Obviously, strong verbs are great, but I don't think adverbs are terrible unless you structure every sentence exactly the same way, always subject verb adverb.  J.K. Rowling has been criticized for overusing adverbs, as well as overusing dialogue tags like "said," which Mare mentioned earlier, and I think she's a brilliant writer.

I think the main thing is to vary your sentence structure so it's not repetitive.  Use dialogue tags when you need them, but not after every line of dialogue, and change them up, so it's not always just "said."  But I think "said" is okay sometimes.  It's simple, and simple can be good.  It sounds silly when you go out of your way to find alternate words, when "said" would suffice.

(And when I say "your," I don't mean YOU specifically, Steph, but anyone reading this.  Just general advice!)

[RokofAges75]

I did the same thing Reb did at first. I really didn't want anyone to know what I looked like and what my real name was and any real information, that's why I called myself Mare. It took me a really long time to share pictures of myself. I think once I realized that none of you were ax murderers I started to feel more comfortable. Back then there was a real stigma with just talking to people online without really knowing them. I may have told a few white lies when I first started out in this fandom which I never bothered to correct. But when I went into this forever ago, I never expected to forge real bonds with people. Who knew, right? LOL

Same here.  I was obviously still a minor when I started posting my fanfic, as many of you were, and I was paranoid about talking to strangers online.  There was definitely more of a stigma to it than there is now that social media is a thing.  Back then, it was just email and IM.  I made up a fake name and fake birthday and fake names for my family.  I think I may have even had a fake dog at one point? LOL  That was more me being 14 and silly than me being paranoid, but I am glad I at least kept the pen name now that I'm a teacher because it keeps my kiddos from finding me.  But it made it really awkward when I did start making actual friends online and then had to find some way to tell them I had lied to them about my name and so on.  Luckily, they all understood, and some of them had done the same thing too.  But for real, who knew we would end up making such good, lifelong friendships out of this silly fanfic thing? LOL

[RokofAges75]

LOL awww.

Yeah I know a lot of the stuff I/we say or joke about might get people wondering wtf is wrong with us and we don't need that. I've gotten better over the years but I used to be shy in person as well. It's funny, cause like just before we first met in person I was scared LOL. Because I wasn't sure how we'd vibe in real life or if I could still be like my random crazy self. Obviously that wasn't a problem but it's funny how online you can just be you without any issues because there's less consequences.

Yeah, meeting online friends in person for the first time is always an interesting experience.  It doesn't really faze me anymore, but the first couple of times, I was definitely nervous.  It's weird because you feel like you've known this person for a long time, you talk every night, and yet, you've never actually been in the same room before.  And sometimes people are different from how you imagine them when you're just typing back and forth.  I'm glad we clicked in real life too; it would have been sad if we hadn't!

[RokofAges75]

Have you guys met online/fanfic friends in real life?  If so, who was the first one you met, and what was it like?

[Rose]

Yeah, meeting online friends in person for the first time is always an interesting experience.  It doesn't really faze me anymore, but the first couple of times, I was definitely nervous.  It's weird because you feel like you've known this person for a long time, you talk every night, and yet, you've never actually been in the same room before.  And sometimes people are different from how you imagine them when you're just typing back and forth.  I'm glad we clicked in real life too; it would have been sad if we hadn't!

I know! And yes, it would've been very sad. But it did so hooray!

 

[Rose]

I've met online friends before I met fanfic ones. The first time I met any was on the first BSB cruise and it was mainly people I'd known from LD or TDS. I was very new to meeting people I'd known online for so long.

The first fanfic person I met was Erin/ForeverFrick cause she ran into me on the cruise but it was a short meeting LOL. So like in "real" meetings, I'd say you Julie, Julilly, Sakabelle, Jen, basically everyone I ran into on the 2011 cruise. Before that I'd never met anyone from the fanfic world in person. It's been crazy in an awesome way.

[RokofAges75]

The first online friend I actually met in real life was Laureen.  She doesn't write fanfic, so some of you don't know her, but she does read it and had read my stuff and sent me feedback, which is how I got to know most of my online friends LOL.  Anyway, we used to chat on AIM just about every night, and she lives just a couple of hours north of me and had gone to a lot of the Chicago shows I'd gone to, so we finally decided we needed to go to a show together.  That was in 2008.  It was the first time I drove up to Chicagoland for a show by myself, which was really nerve-wracking, but the experience of going with another devoted fan instead of one of my family members or a friend I'd dragged along was totally worth it.  It was weird because she was different than how I'd imagined her from her IMs, but we still got along great and are still friends today; I just hung out with her this past weekend, actually.

The second one I met in real life was Jen (FrickFrackGirl) later that month for another Unbreakable show, and then I don't think I met anyone else until the 2011 cruise, which is when I met Rose, Steph, Julilly, Hannah, and a bunch of people!

We really do need to have an AC convention someday for people who can't do the cruises!

[FrickingKaos]

The first time I met anybody was last cruise. I met Sakabelle, Julilly, Julie, foreverfrick, and Jennay too. I was really really nervous because of my anxiety. I think I didn't talk enough lol. I am sorry!  But it was super amazing meeting everyone for the first time.

[Rose]

The first online friend I actually met in real life was Laureen.  She doesn't write fanfic, so some of you don't know her, but she does read it and had read my stuff and sent me feedback, which is how I got to know most of my online friends LOL.  Anyway, we used to chat on AIM just about every night, and she lives just a couple of hours north of me and had gone to a lot of the Chicago shows I'd gone to, so we finally decided we needed to go to a show together.  That was in 2008.  It was the first time I drove up to Chicagoland for a show by myself, which was really nerve-wracking, but the experience of going with another devoted fan instead of one of my family members or a friend I'd dragged along was totally worth it.  It was weird because she was different than how I'd imagined her from her IMs, but we still got along great and are still friends today; I just hung out with her this past weekend, actually.

The second one I met in real life was Jen (FrickFrackGirl) later that month for another Unbreakable show, and then I don't think I met anyone else until the 2011 cruise, which is when I met Rose, Steph, Julilly, Hannah, and a bunch of people!

We really do need to have an AC convention someday for people who can't do the cruises!

Yes we do! And since everyone wants to come to Vegas I'm very okay with this LOL.

[RokofAges75]

Vegas seems like a good place to go because it's easy to find cheap flights there even in areas like mine that don't have direct flights to a lot of cities.  I'm speaking for people in the States, of course.  I would love to meet people from outside North America, too, but that would be a lot more expensive.

[FrickingKaos]

 went to Vegas when I was like 21.  I loved it out there. Been meaning to go back.

[rebellious_one]

Have you guys met online/fanfic friends in real life?  If so, who was the first one you met, and what was it like?

The only person I've ever met through this fandom was Sel (luna610). It was actually through LD, and I found out that we both resided on the same island, not too far from each other! Then, it just so happened that the boys were coming down to Hawaii for the PGA tour, and Sel talked about wanting to go to see Brian and AJ. She had asked me to go with her, but I had explained that I didn't want to meet them, as crazy as that sounds, which most of ya'll know that side with me, lol.

Anywho, she told me that she had two tickets cause her husband was supposed to go but ended up not going or whatever, which left her with an extra ticket that she wanted me to go with her and use. From there, we decided to meet up over coffee at Starbucks near where I lived (during this time, I only had my permit and didn't have my own car). She drove out to me, and I took my parent's car to meet up with her. Now, this is when the story gets crazy funny:

So, on my way out, I noticed a cop tailing me behind; I was nervous because I only had my permit with no license driver, but thought nothing of it. As soon as I had pulled out onto the main road, the cop flashed his lights and signaled me to pull over. I was seriously ready to gas it and run from the cops, lmao!! He pulled me over for an expired safety and found out that I was driving with only my permit. While he had gone back to his cruiser, I called Sel and had explained to her what had happened... my first time ever meeting up with a fellow fan ended up with me being pulled over by the cops, lmao!! Luckily, the cop let me go and I had met up with Sel at Starbucks and had her follow me back to my place. There, we just sat outside and talked about the fandom and about going to the PGA tour, lol.

I'mma text Sel tomorrow and have her join in on this convo, lmao! I texted her today talking about the fandom... I totes miss that girl. She was the only fellow fan I've ever met, and she's the reason why I had gone, met and took pictures with AJ and Brian; hell, she gave me a ticket that was paid for, wanting nothing in return! For those of you who don't know, I don't want to meet the boys and didn't want to take pictures with them when they came down to Hawaii; Sel was the one that talked me into taking a picture with them because I would forever regret not doing it. I'm forever indebted to that woman. <3

[rebellious_one]

I really keep my two worlds very separate.

No one really knows I enjoy BSB as much as I do, let alone have a forum and run a site dedicated to them. Most of my real life friends think I'm completely computer illiterate. Which I am to a certain degree but maybe I play off of that a little more just to keep my fanfic batman identity a secret. They all know I'm a writer but not of fan fiction. And no one calls me Mare. I'm Marianne to everyone. The ironic thing is, If I was honest, I could probably get hooked up. LOL

Personality wise I'm pretty much the same across the board. Although I am not as assertive in my real life. I am just as anal and tend to be the first to always be done with my grades, planning, always first and waiting for my friends etc...

I did the same thing Reb did at first. I really didn't want anyone to know what I looked like and what my real name was and any real information, that's why I called myself Mare. It took me a really long time to share pictures of myself. I think once I realized that none of you were ax murderers I started to feel more comfortable. Back then there was a real stigma with just talking to people online without really knowing them. I may have told a few white lies when I first started out in this fandom which I never bothered to correct. But when I went into this forever ago, I never expected to forge real bonds with people. Who knew, right? LOL

I feel a twinning action going on right here Mare, lmao!! Everything from our alter egos to our roller coaster fandom... our differences being you're one of the best writers I know and you don't take years to update; nor do you particularly fall off the face of the earth like I did! Lol.

I kinda like having it kept separate, a secret life so to speak, lol. I like the mysterious person I've created for forum purposes, but how I am here isn't very far from who I am. I'm just as crazy and talkative, and I love to make people laugh. Like I said, only a good handful of people know what I look like and know about my personal life, you wouldn't think I've chat on fandom forums and wrote fanfic. Before, when people first started calling me Reb (for the life of me I can't figure out who dubbed me with that name, lol) I was just like maybe I should just give my real name, it wouldn't hurt... but the name really stuck with me ever since, and I've come to love this alter ego known as Reb; gets me excited and makes me happy whenever I see it, lol.

I had a different penname for Vaffel (I think it had rebel in it somewhere, lol) and had changed it when I came over to AC; simply put, it was during my rebellious years of trying to figure out and find who I was, but not wanting to blend in with the norm and I'd do whatever to stand out in my own way; guess that's another reason why I really love the name Reb that was given to me, lol.

[mare]

Same here.  I was obviously still a minor when I started posting my fanfic, as many of you were, and I was paranoid about talking to strangers online.  There was definitely more of a stigma to it than there is now that social media is a thing.  Back then, it was just email and IM.  I made up a fake name and fake birthday and fake names for my family.  I think I may have even had a fake dog at one point? LOL  That was more me being 14 and silly than me being paranoid, but I am glad I at least kept the pen name now that I'm a teacher because it keeps my kiddos from finding me.  But it made it really awkward when I did start making actual friends online and then had to find some way to tell them I had lied to them about my name and so on.  Luckily, they all understood, and some of them had done the same thing too.  But for real, who knew we would end up making such good, lifelong friendships out of this silly fanfic thing? LOL

I know! I never thought I would forge these bonds. So, when you see these people in real life do they call you Julie or use your real name? I've always wondered about that. LOL

[mare]

I have met four people online.

The first people I met were Amy, Kat and her good BSB friend Stacey. I had been talking to Kat for years and when I decided to go back to Nashville for a visit while Brian's HHC golf Tournament was going on. Kat and Stacey were going to the event as well as Amy so we all met at the hotel and hung out together. I was nervous because it is kind of a nerve wracking thing, wondering if it will feel weird or strange but we just kind of clicked. We ended up spending all our time together. I drove them all over Nashville and showed them everything. It was a blast. Kat, Stacey and I also did a weekend at Hershey Park, and Scranton to see the boys and we all went to the Poconos during Thanksgiving break with Kat's parents and her older brother.

I have also met Maria which was AWESOME! She came out to see me during last year's Christmas break since she has family that lives in Jersey. Again I was nervous because even though I consider her one of my best online friends, English is not her first language and I was so afraid there would be a language barrier but not at all. We spent HOURS just talking! I'm hoping she'll make it up this way again this year. I ALMOST got to meet Julilly face to face. She was stopping in Buffalo during her marathon trip, but I missed her by one day!