Dog Days Are Over by kickstarts

Do you ever browse fanfiction trying to find just one to capture your attention and keep it until the end of the first chapter?! I'm constantly striving for stories that make me feel that way about them, that ignite me with a passion that tells me 'I want to share this fic with the world'.

‘Dog Days Are Over’ is one of those stories.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6322418

A/U, Naomily. Emily Fitch has a secret and Naomi wants nothing more than to figure it out.

Rated: T
Genres: Drama/Romance
Published: 13th September 2010
Characters: Naomi C. & Emily F.

The concept is rather intriguing; set in an alternate universe where Naomi and Cook don't know Emily, well not entirely anyway. The story is still in its early stages, with just one chapter and a handful of reviews under his/her belt. Kickstarts (previously known as obsessivethoughts) grasps the attention of the reader quickly with not only an intense plot but also a familiar mention of Naomi's beloved Garibaldi's.

As a non-Brit (bet you couldn’t tell she was American from her good grasp of English words!) kickstarts has a good understanding of the Skins world (and Britain) and is happy to change anything within her story that isn’t quite British enough.

If you're able to read just one chapter of a story today (without the distraction of more tempting you away from life), ‘Dog Days Are Over’ is worth being that one.

When you’ve finished ‘Dog Days Are Over’ show your appreciation, tell kickstart what you think of her fic and if you read any other stories, review them too. *

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If you've read any stories you think deserve a mention in this blog, email me at missfpeg@googlemail.com and if you enjoy this page, don't forget to spread the word and let others know where they can find out which fics are worth just one more chapter.

NB: I now have a very lovely assistant who is willing to read and review Effily/Keffy stories, so please pass them along too!

*Please remember that fanfiction is created out of the goodness of authors hearts, we don't get paid to write, we do it for pleasure. One chapter can take hours of a person's time. Writing a review takes just a few minutes.

Just One More Chapter

Have you ever sat in front of your computer doing something you shouldn't? No, I'm not talking about porn. You've probably all been at work/school/etc. and 'nipped onto' Facebook, only to find you're still there half an hour later.

In the Skins fandom I've come to realise there's more than a quick visit to Facebook to contend with - there's a whole world of fanfiction as well. Whether you read about Naomily* on Fanfiction.net or like a bit of RPF* on Livejournal, you've probably done it.

I imagine a common thought to be "just one more chapter...then I'll get back to work/school/life" but do you ever stop after that chapter? I guess that would depend on how good the story you're reading is.

With fanfiction being an amateur's paradise there's a great deal of what we could say are good, bad and ugly fics. That's not to say that any fic deserves to be called bad because I honestly believe anyone who has taken the time and thought to create some writing deserves their due. We all have to start somewhere and for many new writers, fanfiction is where we begin.

But behind the popular, sexy fics you know you shouldn't read on public transport (but do anyway) and the flangst** that keeps many fans reading until the wee-small hours of the night, there are a number of stories that don't get very much attention.

Have you ever started reading a story just because there's a large number of reviews? Or maybe you've read a story from the beginning and you're still there three chapters later wondering 'why has this fic got only a handful of reviews?'

This is my aim, to recommend fics to you; the fics that get plenty of readers, the hidden gems that deserve more attention and everything in between.

But how exactly does someone recommend fics when that one person (i.e. me) is busy working and simply doesn't have time to read every single story under the sun?!

That's where you come in. I need suggestions, recommendations from you of fics that you believe deserve more attention, stories that you want the world to know are good. If you've ever got to the end and wanted to shout about a story, I want to know about it!

Email me your suggestions at missfpeg@googlemail.com

*As I begin this I come to you as a fan of Naomily fanfiction. I can read most other characters, pairings and situations. Except RPF, Keffy and Effily. That's not to say I'll never recommend those kind of stories, but until I find someone to read/review them for me, I will be focusing on other stories.
**Flangst is a combination of fluff and angst, anyone familiar with my own writing will know that a fluff/angst mix is what I like to write (most of the time anyway).