Reader Rayna

Month: November 2018

  • Fan Fiction Galore & Why You Should Read Some

    So, as I briefly mentioned in my last post, I’ve been reading – and writing! – a lot of fan fiction lately. Like. A lot, a lot. I’ve kind of slowed down, though, but I still find fan fiction to be a very interesting genre.

    What’s fan fiction?

    Simply that! It’s a work of fiction based on characters or a setting from a published book that fans write their own story on, either with those characters or in that setting.

    It’s all non-canon and really just fun bits of story for the fans to enjoy and divulge theirselves in when the story is over.

    What kind of fan fiction is out there?

    Well, there are various websites dedicated to fan fiction, such as:

    And many more, I’m sure. But what kinds of stories of fan fiction can you find out there?

    Pretty much if there’s a fandom for something, there’s bound to be fan fiction for it, such as:

    • Book/manga/comic fandoms: Harry Potter, the Mortal Instruments, My Hero Academia, etc.
    • Video games: Final Fantasy, League of Legends, etc.
    • Movies/TV: Arrow, Supernatural, etc.
    • Celebrities/Real People: BTS, EXO, etc.

    If you have a favorite of anything you can probably find a fanfic or two written about the characters from that series somewhere, which also means you can most likely find your favorite ships that may not be canon in those other forms of media.

    There’s the soft, fluffy kind of writing that gives you all the warm fuzzies and makes you want to snuggle your dog close to you, and then there’s the hard smut that makes you heated and want to take a cool shower. But don’t be fooled: not all writing is well done, just like a book would be. Some stories have no plot, some just have horrible grammar, and others are just a mess and why do they exist?

    But when you do find those gems? Oof, be prepared for the rabbit hole you’re about to fall into.

    But doesn’t it take away from the original at all?

    Not at all! There have been instances that I’ve heard of where the fanfic is better than the original, but that’s not always the case at all. It’s really just a fun and engaging way to keep the hype of the fandom thriving, to reach out to a community of likeminded people, and to just have fun.

    The whole reason I got into one of my favorite anime/manga pairings, Bakugo Katsuki x Uraraka Ochako (aka Kacchako) from My Hero Academia, was because of fan fiction. I just happened to be scrolling through the tag on tumblr one day and saw someone post the next chapter to their story there. I’d never read fan fiction before that day, and boy was I sad I hadn’t done since then because WOW was it good! The writing was very atmospheric, very well done, and just had you wanting to read the next chapter and the next chapter without stopping.

    That fanfic is “Two Black Dots” by Tharros. I highly recommend it if you’re looking to either get into the pairing or just as a way to see what fan fiction is like.

    Through this work, I found many others like it that were written well, had a fun and engaging story, and brought me closer to the community as a whole. That’s how I found a bunch of friends that I’ve made in recent months, and even why I started to write my own fan fiction!

    Here’s a few more recommendations of Kacchako fanfics:

    I could link some dirty stuff, but I’m not going to. You’ll have to find that on your own lol

    Writing fan fiction is…

    Fun. It’s so fun! Seriously, I get to take these two characters (or more or less), whom I love, and have them engage with one another in a situation that I’ve cooked up in my head and that’s just so incredibly amazing to me. It’s like I’m writing my own personal stories, but just borrowing the characters and setting/world from someone else.

    Of course I would never claim these characters to be my own. Their not, and I don’t want that kind of responsibility for such a huge series right now, haha!

    But I’ve found something in writing fan fiction that I hadn’t expected to: happiness.

    I had forgotten the joy of writing and how bringing a smile and happiness to other people could really just make me feel fulfilled. That’s why I mostly write fluff pieces that involve cute romances, flustered bad boys, and brave sweet girls. Seriously, it’s great.

    Here’s a few of my favorites that I’ve personally written:

    • Show Me More – (ongoing series) In this pop idol AU, Bakugou Katsuki is still hellbent on becoming the number one hero and proving to himself and Japan just what kind of hero he can be. That is, until one day when he saves Uravity, a pop idol sensation that he really likes (but would never admit publicly) from a drunk man at his favorite ramen shop that everything begins to change. But will his goals be so affected from this chance encounter that he loses sight of what he’s craved most in the world since his childhood?

      As for Uraraka Ochako, living lift as an idol was something she had been doing for years now – and she loved it. She was finally able to provide for her family and make so many people happy with her music. But the longer she’s in the spotlight, the more she longs for a quiet life outside of it. She just wants to live a life where she isn’t constantly being hounded by paparazzi or having to please everyone around her. So when she meets a grumpy-faced young man at a ramen shop she snuck off to without anyone knowing, she could have never guessed how much her life would change as result.

    • Puppy Love – Bakugou gets hit by a quirk that can turn the person hit with it into any animal or object the person who hit them with it desires. Well, they turned him into a Pomeranian and he is NOT having it. Plus, someone has to take care of him until the quirk’s effects wear off in about a week, but who’s going to take care of him? Certainly not any of his friends. But then Uraraka offers and he figures it’s better than the alternative. But while in this form he realizes a few things about the brunette that he hadn’t been willing to admit before.
    • I’m Here – A group of villains attacks the facilities in which Melissa Shield works, causing a lot of destruction in the process of their endeavors, including injuring Melissa. One particular streak of green lightning comes in to save them all, but can he? And what can Melissa do to try to help, if at all?

    To check out the rest of my works, you can check them out here!

    Overall, I can’t believe I never gave fan fiction the chance until several months ago when I just happened upon that one link on tumblr. Since then, I’ve been supporting my friends by reading their works, writing my own, and just having a lot of fun with it.

    Let’s Chat! ^w^

    If you haven’t checked out any fan fiction before, what’s stopping you? You should really try a few and see how you like it. It’s fun to see what people can come up with outside of what the author originally did in their work. Let me know in the comments about your thoughts on the topic!

  • Gemina Book Review

    geminaTitle: Gemina
    Series: Illuminae Files #2
    Authors: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
    Illustrator: Marie Lu
    Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
    Publish Date: October 18, 2016
    Genre: Young Adult – Science Fiction
    Pages: 659
    Format: Hardcover

    Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

    The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminaecontinues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.

    Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy’s most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.

    When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station’s wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.

    But relax. They’ve totally got this. They hope.

    Guys.

    Guys.

    I LOVED this sequel. I can’t believe I waited so long to pick it up because I remember loving the first book so much that I couldn’t wait for this one to come out.

    Well, here I am, sobbing into the void that is Gemina because wow, was it amazing. As this is a sequel there might be minor spoilers, but I’ll give you my general thoughts about a few things, but just know that you should definitely read this book to find out all of the things that happen!

    Okay, let’s talk about the aesthetics of the book before I jump into anything else. Like the first book, Illuminae, Gemina‘s pages were filled with files and chats and pictures that encompassed the story from different points of view, and I think that that really helps you to get into the story. Seriously, the format with which the pages are in just bring this storytelling to a whole new level. I especially loved toward the end of the book the dual perspectives. That’s all I’m going to say about that because I thought it was SO cool and very well done.

    Now, for the main characters we have Hanna, the Commander’s daughter, the “Princess” of the ship, if you will, and Nik, a criminal who lives with a family of criminals. Hanna, I thought, was actually not like I was expecting her to be as the story progressed. I was expecting a sex-driven, gets-what-she-wants, piss-poor attitude of a girl, but instead what I got was a sassy, funny, strong, unafraid-to-kick-ass girl with military and martial arts training, who did have a sex drive, but it wasn’t the focal point of her character. Many times I was surprised by her wit and comebacks and I loved that about her. As the story progressed, I could see her struggle with the situation unfolding around her, but that never stopped her from trying to do what needed to be done.

    Nik was also not what I was expecting, either. Yeah, he was kind of a smartass like I was expecting, but even through his sexual flirting he had a heart of gold, and let’s be honest, who doesn’t love that in the “bad boy?” I wasn’t as surprised with his character and his development, but I still found that his family-oriented pride was really in the right place, and that he was willing to do anything for those that he deemed family or those he deemed close.

    There were also important side characters, too, such as Dr. Grant, Ella, Jackson, and the BeiTech SpecOps people, and I found each of their character unique and compelling and hiding so many facets that I wanted to see uncovered throughout the story – especially those of Ella and Jackson, and I was not disappointed.

    Ella, especially, was my favorite side character. She’s a 15-year-old hacker genius who was disabled due to a plague, but her dad spent a fortune on the best medicine and medical treatment he could to save her (she’s Nik’s cousin, so the family thing is also on her side). She’s super sassy and smart and so not putting up with anyone’s bullshit when it comes down to it, and I love that about her.

    The story was action packed from pretty much beginning to end. Not only were there human threats and space-type threats, but there were also parasitic threats. Like. Creepy parasitic threats that will give you the creeps kind. Honestly, I thought that was a nice touch and really expanded upon this being a science fiction novel. Plus the way they were written was believable for the setting that they were in, which I thought really sold it. They also just added to the atmosphere of “oh shit we really need to save these people now.”

    We get some surprises throughout the story that I had to dig into my memory banks to remember because it’s been forever and a day since I read Illuminae, but OMG THE PLOT TWISTS. When I read certain scenes, I felt myself confused and trying to click what exactly happened when I read it, and then something happened later and it clicked and I was mind blown. Seriously. This book had so many twists and turns, and I’m usually pretty good at catching onto those things early on in books, but this one? Not so much, which I thought was executed really well.

    I was on the edge of my seat reading this book to the point where when I reached a certain scene in the book, I literally couldn’t stop reading. I finished this in practically one day and I have no regrets about it. It was fast paced, heart wrenching, mind blowing, fun, and there is so much to look forward to in the final book of this trilogy that I cannot wait to start reading it.

    Overall, I highly recommend this second book and I rate it 5/5 stars.

  • 10 Things I’m Thankful For

    Hi peeps! So today is Thanksgiving here in the United States, so I wanted to talk about some of the things that I’m thankful for this year. It’s been a year of ups and downs, but I still have plenty to be grateful for.

    1. My husband. He’s always with me through thick and thin, and he’s my biggest supporter. I don’t know what I’d do without him.
    2. My best friend. She’s always got my back and is always willing to have girl time – even with her new baby!
    3. The opportunity to teach overseas. I’ve been working with a recruiter for the past few months to be able to teach English as a second language in South Korea. I don’t have a job lined up yet, but I have all of my documents ready and I’ve been applying to various positions through the recruiter, so I’m hoping that early next year I’ll be able to take this opportunity.
    4. Having experience teaching. I took a class that started in December of last year and completed in April of this year to get my certification to teach English as a second language, and it was a very interesting course. Part of it was needing to get field experience teaching, which I was able to do at a local college in my state with a really great teacher and students. This helped to give me just a glimpse into what the teaching world is like and what I can expect when I do it.
    5. Kpop. Okay, this might sound like a silly one, but I’ve been into kpop since about 2015 when I discovered groups like Big Bang, SNSD, BTS, EXO, Monsta X, etc. This year, however, my love for kpop has grown and is pretty much all I listen to in my spare time (or lo-fi music). There’s been so many people I’ve grown close to as friends because of it, and there’s also been a lot of songs and groups that have just stuck out and my love for them has grown exponentially. I never knew how much I could love a group or their music, and yet, here I am.
    6. Kacchako. If you don’t know what My Hero Academia is, it’s a manga series by Kohei Horikoshi that was also turned into an anime and it’s just SO GOOD. And like anything there are ships that can happen within the series and within the fandom. One of the fandom (unofficial) ones is Kacchako (Bakugou Katsuki x Uraraka Ochako). I don’t really know how it happened, but one day I was just like, “I love them,” and discovered fan fiction that then lead me to tumblr and found the tag for it that then lead me to a discord server where I’ve made a bunch of friends and where I found a lot of happiness the last few months. It actually leads me into my next point:
    7. Writing fan fiction. I have written SO MUCH this year, it’s incredible, and most of it has been fan fiction. I’ve written a bunch of one shots on Kacchako, as well as other ships from the series, and have received a lot of positive feedback which just makes me feel so over the moon. If you’re interested in reading any of them, you can check out my works over on Archive of Our Own (AO3).
    8. BTS concert. I got to see one of my favorite kpop groups perform live in Canada for their Love Yourself concert tour and it was such a great experience. I took a crapton of photos, and my husband and I got to meet some friends we’d made, which was great. Seriously a great experience.
    9. My parents. Though things are still kind of hard, I’m thankful that my parents are able and willing to help my husband and I when it comes to house hunting. Not only did we receive a nice down payment amount from them (which they’d been saving for a long time for just that reason), but they’re willing to help in whatever way they can. Though we didn’t end up finding a house this year, we hope to in the future.
    10. The internet friends I’ve made. Seriously, I’m so grateful for all of the friends I’ve made this year. They’ve mad me smile and laugh, we have discussions about things, we’re there for each other to talk if needed, and they’re all just wonderful.

    I’m glad for a lot of things that have happened this year, but these are just a few of the things that I wanted to highlight.

    Let’s Chat! ^w^

    What are you most thankful for this year? Let me know in the comments!

  • NaNoWriMo 2018

    NaNo-2018-Writer-Facebook-Cover

    Guess who’s participating in NaNoWriMo again this year? Meeeee~

    Hey guys, how’s it going? Long time no see. Hope you’re all doing well!

    So what’s NaNoWriMo you ask? National Novel Writing Month is a 30 day writing challenge that takes place from November 1-30 where you are challenging yourself to write 50,000 words in 30 days. It’s a super fun (and kind of exhausting) challenge, and if you love to write or you have a story idea that you’ve been dying to tell, then this is probably the challenge for you!

    Of course you don’t have to write 50,000 words if you’re unable to or if your story doesn’t need to be that long, but the goal is to reach that word count if you can in 30 days.

    I’m determined this year to reach that goal (and beyond) because last year I did terribly (only over 500 words, ouch), and they weren’t even good words. BUT THIS YEAR (since I’m writing this on the 3rd of November) I already have over 6k words of content for my story. I’ll admit that most of those words were written over the last couple of months when I had the inspiration to write them, but eh, who cares? They’re still part of my story and they still count toward my end goal, so that’s all that matters.

    What’s my story about?

    Mahlia is unknown. She blends in with the crowd as much as possible and tries to just go through her day to day life without bothering anyone. But she has a secret that she can’t make known unless she wants to forfeit not only this life that she’s made, but also her freedom. If she keeps this secret any longer, though, it may just consume her – body and soul.

    Vex is the third prince in line for the throne, and as such he gets away with pretty much whatever he can. As he was forced to choose between priesthood and the military, he decides to join the royal army alongside his second eldest brother. Fire courses through his veins just as it does through his second brother and his mother, but his magic is stronger, different, and one that could ignite a change he hadn’t expected.

    In a world where elemental magic is abundant, the threat of war is upon the country of Arkin from their neighbors across the sea – Nyrrin, who craves their lands and their very prosperous resources. But these once comrades of Arkin come with weapons unlike that which Arkin has ever seen, and it could change the outcome of the war for the worse for Arkin.

    It’s a fantasy story full of elemental magic, inner and outer demons, discovering yourself, saving those you love, and the power that darkness and fear can hold and just how one simple thing can change it.

    I don’t want to share too much about it as I have a lot of ideas and I want to write them all out to see what path comes into fruition and which one doesn’t. I have high hopes for this novel, though, because it deals with a lot of real emotions and themes that I have dealt with myself (depression and anxiety), so I want to take my time but also rush through it to get it all out, you know?

    What are some of my goals for the month?

    Here’s what I’m aiming for and hoping to make happen:

    Word Count Goals

    • By 11:59PM November 3rd: Have 5k words written – COMPLETE
    • By 11:59PM November 10th: Have 15k words written
    • By 11:59PM November 17th: Have 30k words written
    • By 11:59PM November 24th: Have 45k words written
    • By 11:59PM November 30th: Have 50k words written

    I’m giving myself full week stretches to reach these goals. I think they’re realistic to my writing style, and they’re in line with the actual NaNoWriMo word count goals.

    Other Goals

    • Reach one major plot point by each word count goal above.
    • Flesh out the need and cause of the war more.
    • Determine what is actually going to happen at the end or toward the end, and how will it play out after that.

    I think that having these simple goals in mind will help me to successfully write my novel this month.

    Anyway, I’m excited about this novel. I’ve already got good response from my husband (who isn’t just hyping me because he’s my husband but because he’s genuinely interested in my story) and some friends and acquaintances from snippets I’ve shown. I finally found a character that can handle the darkness I want to write about, and with elements (literally) that I love.

    Let’s Chat! ^w^

    Are you participating in NaNo this year? What genre is your story? Do you have any goals that you want to reach this month that doesn’t involve the word count? Let me know in the comments below!