Challenge #9: In your own space, promote at least one canon that you adore (old, new, forever fandom).

I really debated going with Harry Potter on this one, as it feels so obvious, but it really is my forever fandom. And the entire reason I got into this fandom, was because of the books. They are certainly not perfect (and neither is their author) but they really are wonderfully crafted, beautifully inspiring, immensely captivating, and just all-around magical. One thing I've noticed in a lot of more recent fics and fans is what feels like a like of knowledge, understanding, and/or respect for canon, and while I can absolutely understand how and why we might want to push back against some aspects (lack of POC representation, the retconning and extra canon stuff, etc) it does sort of baffle me how people can immerse themselves in a fandom without really knowing or enjoying the rich canon tapestry we've been given with HP. When I read fic, I want to recognize the characters and the setting and the magic that made me fall in love with the series, and I never fail to geek out when it's clear that authors share that knowledge and love of canon through the little references and details in their fics. I'm actually planning on doing a low-key re-read of the series later this year with the idea of reading one book a month. I did this a couple of years ago and I figured its time for a refresh, as it's always super interesting rereading the books now with all of my experiences reading and writing fanfiction.

Challenge #10: In your own space, talk About A Creator/Someone Who Inspired You.

There are SO many amazing creators who have inspired me over the years, and I was struggling to think of how to possibly narrow it down. But then I thought about the realization I've come to over the past few years that one thing that I find particularly inspiring is when I beta. I'm blessed to be friends with a number of amazing people who, beyond being wonderful humans, are also insanely talented. Getting to work with them on their ideas is so much fun, and seeing their passion for their stories reminds me why I love fandom and writing so much myself. Part of the reason why these friendships formed in the first place is because we tend to share similar headcanons or enjoy the same kinds of themes/stories/content, which makes the process extra enjoyable. I think I'm a fairly decent alpha/beta, and it also gives me the warm fuzzies to be able to provide feedback to help bring their visions to life. Many of the people below I beta'd for multiple times throughout the year, and all but one of them had a fic in hd_erised. So while I was betaing for them for that fest (and proofing and doing other Erised modly duties) I was also writing my  Advent Fic which is the second longest fic I ever wrote. And part of that was possible because I was so excited and inspired by the content I was betaing. 

Thank you so much to the lovely, wonderful, talented: dracospungen, firethesound, icarusinflight,kedavranox,nerdherderette,shiftylinguini,thistle_verse, &writcraft for allowing me the pleasure of betaing your fics in 2019 and for inspiring me! 

♥