I am a lover of words with an English degree to prove it. I read a lot, but I don't write. I go through phases with reading or other entertainment, so I may read a ton on this site for a couple of months and then spend a month reading nothing but fanfiction or watching a series straight through. At the time I am writing this, I don't have access to a library, but some of the stuff on here is better than the books in print, so that's okay.

I have to warn you: I'm a very picky reader. Most authors can't write, and even if they can, their stories are uninspired. I only read the good ones. Of course, if you are reading this, I probably reviewed your story, which means I really liked it or I saw potential in it.

I read romance on this site, but only certain kinds. Supernatural, fantasy and humor.

I filter out all stories less than 10,000 words- less chance of stories that stop halfway through, and of authors that post 300 words at a time in hopes of more reviews.

I only read stories that have a lot of reviews (100+ in general, 10 a chapter for longer ones), for the most part. If other people thought it good enough to comment on, there's a chance I'll like it, too.

I only read stories with appealing summaries. This means good English. No aim talk. Few cliches (' soandso never expected this' 'throw in this, that and the other thing and...'). No 'I'm bad at summaries, just read' (that's rude).

I don't read slash. Personal preference. Gay men and lesbians don't interest me.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: I MUST like your characters. I'll read a dull plot if I like the characters. This means three dimensional, yes. This means redeemable with some good qualities, at least. This means, especially, strong females. If a character doesn't stand up for herself, she deserves whatever she gets. Being dense is one thing, being stupid is another. Self-respect is key (you can have self-respect without self-esteem). A girl, by the way, is not strong just because she explicitly thinks she is, which I've been seeing a lot of lately; it means she's a narcissist with identity issues. Stereotyping people can also get annoying.

The story MUST be believable. I'll let small descrepancies slide, but not too many. If you must have an unbelievable premise to make your story work, you better have a very believable explanation for it. This is the quality that is most lacking in stories and why I'll stop reading well-written stories, even with good characters. Contrivance ruins a story- don't make a character go against his/her character because you need him/her to for your plot. Change the plot. If you can't make someone believe your story, then you can't write stories.

Write in good English. I know not everyone is as educated in grammar as I am, and that's okay. There are some rules that are exploitable for the purposes of style, dialogue, or just plain efficiency. Some grammar rules are inane, and I know that, too. I also know there are typos. But you need to be comprehensible. Don't murder my language.

I don't read stories when the summaries imply cheating, incest, rape, statutory situations (big age differences with one person being a teen). I won't like any characters participating in those situations. I rarely read boss/employee fics because I like a relative balance of power. In a story, I'll stop reading if an entire relationship is based only on lust (particularly the 'unexplainable' sort), no matter what the author calls it.

I LIKE stories with best friend scenarios, love/hate relationships, lycans and other supernatural creatures, mythology, and even cheesy and cliche situations if they're done well.

So there you go. Very picky. Recommendations that fit those guidelines are welcome, but please don't be upset if I don't like them.

~Icy