Hi, everypony!

My name is HMXTaylorLee, and though I've been a member of the group for a while, I've recently been promoted to administrator. That's right - another person to read and evaluate stories to see if they qualify for the group!

So, a little about myself.

There's a school of thought that divides describes the two authoring styles pretty well - Storytellers versus writers. I fall into the storytellers side of the spectrum, believing that a great and interesting tale is better than a perfectly written but boring one. That's not to say that solid writing doesn't bear merit. I'm not a perfect writer, and I don't expect others to be either. Grammar is important, don't get me wrong, but as long as it doesn't actively distract or take away from the story, I won't reject a story for that alone. I've seen plenty of wonderful tales that were rough around the edges, but are miles more enjoyable than stories that may get featured on other popular sites and groups that have a focus on proper conventions.

However, don't think that means I'm complacent!

Now that I've established that I like stories, I'll tell you what I like in those stories.

Emotion is my big one, heartfelt emotion. You could have a story about Celestia travelling to the ends of the earth to search for her parents, and then discovering that she and her sister were born of an anomaly, and were doomed to never embrace the true love from a parent, yet blessed to never experience the sorrow of losing them, but if there's no emotion, it won't mean a thing. I guess realism is what I look for. Not necessarily in the physical sense (magic and talking ponies rather invalidate that), but in a narrative sense. Does Twilight act like Twilight? If not, is there a reason for her to be acting so strangely?

Is someone sad? Is someone happy? Either way, was it earned, and did it make me feel the same way? Stories that make me laugh or cry (I tear up at fanfiction, what of it? ) are quick to gain my approval.

That's not to say that every story I like needs to be a sprawling drama. There is beauty in simplicity too. To quote a friend I know, "execution is everything." There's potential for every story to be a good story, as long as it's executed well. As such, I try to approach everything with an open mind, even if the concept seems uninteresting or unappealing. Pleasant surprises are the best kind.

Now, what turns me off of stories that you may submit? Fad stories and crossovers can be quick to irk me. I don't have cable, I don't watch youtube, and I rarely go to movies, so a lot of pop-culture is lost on me. If your story mandates knowledge of Doctor Who, or assumes that I am well versed in the mechanics or characters of a video game, I probably won't enjoy it. Likewise, sequels to stories you've written that leave no room for newcomers are a tough sell as well. That's not to say that there isn't a place for those stories in Nonpareil Fiction, but again, it's the execution.

Stories that are extremely sexual or violent/gory in nature are also a turn off. That's not to say that great stories can't have them, but I approach them with a grain of salt, expecting the worst. But hey, you can surprise me!

I think that's about it for now from me. As you can tell from this, I can tend to carry on about things. I'm pretty passionate about stories! A good thing about that means you'll likely get a fairly nice sized review from me!

I look forward to working with you guys!

Welcome!

Is someone sad? Is someone happy? Either way, was it earned

This.

4260491

I don't have cable, I don't watch youtube, and I rarely go to movies, so a lot of pop-culture is lost on me.

I'm glad I'm not the only one. There have been a few times I've asked on the forum if anyone knows about some show or game.

Pleasant surprises are the best kind.

Yes! As I always say, "surprise me!"

4260491 Alright! Welcome aboard, newbie. Feel free to jump right on in, the water's great.

Heck everything you said is what I love about this group. We are folks who love stories and we've managed to find quite a few gems. Have fun, I'll see you at the next chapter.