This week on FanLib, we’re setting sail on the high seas.  We have stories of pirates, mermaids and even an original story set on the Titanic. If you’re an ocean lover, you’ll find even more stories in fandoms such as Pirates of the Carribean, Horatio Hornblower, H20 and Finding Nemo - just to name a few.

Do you have a favorite ocean-themed story?  Let us know in the comments below.

When it comes to hot fandoms, Twilight is still on the rise. It’s number five in our list of Top Fandoms and it’s closing in on Harry Potter. Will the Twilightites knock the boy wizard down a notch?  I’m betting it will happen before September 1.

That’s it for me but later this week Schinders will be by with her comic news, Dee will have your weekend movies and Marphlets will cover all the sci-fi news as Comic Con attendees descend on San Diego this weekend.  Don’t tell anyone, but I may end up face-to-face with my favorite TV actors in the next few days, so I’ll tell you how that came out next Monday, right here on No Hiatus.

The San Diego Comic Con is only two weeks away and the excitement has reached a fever pitch!  Even if you’re not going, it means there will be plenty of scoop and photos of your favorite actors popping up all over the Internet.  Bones, Supernatural, Stargate: Atlantis, Prison Break, Fringe, Dollhouse — they’ll all be there, along with the top names in comic books and previews of cool new movies and toys.

Oh if only I could travel through time and not have to wait those two weeks…I could if I was a character in one of this week’s carousel stories.

It’s all about traveling through time!  From a Time Lord in a TARDIS to a cybernetic teenage girl from the future, these stories all prove that you’re better off just living one day at a time.

Finally, we’d love to hear your thoughts about this summer’s crop of blockbuster movies.  Which ones have you seen so far?  Which ones are keepers?  Losers?  And which ones sparked your fannish muse?

That’s it for this week.  Keep writing, drawing and vidding!  We couldn’t do this without you.

Summertime means vacation time and that means travel! Paris, London, Rome — this week’s carousel is a virtual trip around the world and that’s just the beginning. Pop the name of your favorite place into the search engine and see what stories you come up with.

Looking to kick start your muse? Why not send your favorite characters on a trip to an exotic city. Never been more than a mile from home? No problem. The Internet is a gold mine of travel information. With just a little research you can find all the details you need to drop your characters in the middle of Spain, Africa or on top of Mount Kilimanjaro. Think of it as a mini-vacation for your mind.

While you’re on the front page (to read the carousel stories) check out the Top Fandoms in the left sidebar. Twilight is slowly creeping up the leaderboard. I’ll bet it cracks the number five slot in the next two weeks. Any bets on when and if it will overtake Harry Potter for fourth place? Certainly by the time we reach December’s movie release, don’t you think?

That’s all for now folks. Stick around for member contest news, more Five Q’s and some very interesting “rare” fandom 411’s in the next few weeks.

Have a good one.

Can you believe June is over already?  It’s the dog days of summer for many of us - a perfect time for lounging around doing nothing but reading fan fic! Did you know that you can format any story on FanLib for printing with the touch of a button? Look for the printer icon just under to the left of the page count drop down box. Click that and you’ll get a simple layout perfect for printing.

Want to save a tree or two? Use an ebook reader that can handle HTML pages for perfectly portable fic with no waste!

The end of June also means that July 4th is quickly approaching. This week’s carousel is themed for this most patriotic of all holidays. Look for Dr. Who, Hellboy, Equlibrium (that’s a new one for us) and National Treasure.

Before heading out into the world, take a look at the recent posts here at No Hiatus.  This past week purplepopple wrote about getting more readers for your fic, Evai gave us a rundown on what’s hot in anime, we got a short vid from FanLib Studios and I pondered fandoms that go overboard, just a tad. All of that was in addition to our usual columns about movies, TV, comics and, of course, FanLib fic.

Thanks for stopping by, now go forth and create.

Your favorite TV shows have a schedule and we do too!  Here at No Hiatus, we’ve got a dozen regular features designed with our fannish writers, readers and artists in mind.

Cynthiab (that’s me) starts the week with a round-up of news from FanLib.  I talk about the week’s carousel theme, keep you updated on contests and point out interesting threads in our forum.

On Monday afternoon, Schinders comes by to highlight some of the member contest winners of the past week.

On Tuesday it’s the FanLib 5 Q’s — a chance to get to know a little more about some of the people you see all around the site.  Sometimes they’re members who have been with us from day one, sometimes they’re newbies - but they’re always interesting.

On Wednesday, Schinders is back with her Comics Chick column, filling you in on what’s hot in the comic book world.

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I hope everyone is staying cool because here in Southern California we’re having a heat wave like no other.  I spent my weekend working as a Second Assistant Director on a short film in a studio with no air conditioning.  Add the ultra hot filming lights and the actors and crew were melting before our very eyes.  Maybe we should have changed our short comedy into a sci-fi flick: The Incredible Melting People!

And speaking of the heat, this week’s carousel is Summertime themed.  We have family vacations, school breaks, summer love and a villain that sends shivers down your spine even when it’s over 100 degrees outside.

Finally, for writers with a pressing problem, check out the “Writing Help” section of our forum.  Whether you’re questioning your choice of tense, need help finding the name of a restaurant in Dallas (to give your story an authentic feel) or simply need a push over a plot hump, this is the place to go for answers.  And while you’re there, don’t forget to click on a question and leave an answer of your own.  You don’t have to be an expert to chime in - all answers are good answers. So go help a body out.

That’s it for me.  Stay cool, have fun and let’s use those summer vacations to stimulate the creative muse.

School’s out!

Or close to it for most of you in the US, I venture to say. Whether you’re a student relishing the break or a mom dreading it, I hope you’ll find time to pen a story or two for FanLib. Doesn’t have to be an epic - short and sweet works too. Maybe your favorite characters are on vacation - what would they do? Where would they go? Would it be an action packed summer or perhaps one of unexpected romance? There’s story potential in even the most mundane topic, just put your fingers on the keyboard and let your mind flow.

And speaking of going with the flow, I want to extend a welcome to all of the HarperTeenFanLit writers who have joined us. Last year, these teens participated in a group writing event hosted by Princess Diaries author, Meg Cabot. We found some fabulously talented writers in the bunch and the level of enthusiasm for the project was amazing. I hope you’ll all take a moment to read some of their works, which you can now find right here on FanLib.

Finally, our carousel this week is devoted to dear old Dad. It was Father’s Day in the US yesterday and so it seemed only fitting.

That’s it for this week. Keep reading, writing and creating.

One year ago today, hundreds of FanLib members joined forces to help create the largest group project we’ve ever had - a script for an episode of Star Trek. But this was no ordinary script, mind you. These writers had to find a way to incorporate that age old debate, “Kirk vs Picard.”

And thus, KvP was born.

We had some bobs and bobbles along the way (character count, formatting), but the level of enthusiasm kept everyone going strong. In addition to our in-house FanLib cast of characters (myself included), we had three guests who went above and beyond to make the event truly special.

First off, Star Trek writer Andre Bormanis brought his story ideas to the table, crafting the scene scenarios that kicked off each week. Then we had the sterling duo of Wil Wheaton and George Takei filming weekly video recaps and sharing their best Star Trek memories. And who can forget those fabulous line readings by Wil, acting as Ryker, Kirk, Picard and, of course, Wesley Crusher.

And then there were the writers and readers who never gave up, even in the face of a one-star response. They wrote and read and commented and, slowly, a community began to emerge. Everyone wanted to win, but that didn’t stop them from offering up advice and support for their fellow writers.
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This week we’re celebrating a milestone — it’s been one year since we launched KvP (aka Kirk vs. Picard), our big scriptwriting collaborative contest. Hundreds of people entered each round and we’re so happy to see that many of them are still here with us at FanLib. Not only are they here, but they’re active members of our community and have branched out into other fandoms and areas of the site.

So in honor of KvP, we have this week’s carousel with stories from four writers who came on board with us then and still fly with us now. And here’s thanks and good wishes to all of our KvP writers.

That’s it for now, but keep watching FanLib for more great contests and writing challenges.

June is busting out all over! That means that many of you will soon be busting out of school, others may be planning vacations (fannish or otherwise), and hopefully everyone’s been out to see at least one summer movie. For me it was Indiana Jones, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

This week our carousel picks came from the FanLib community. Over in the forum, you’ll find a “Featured” thread where you’re invited to leave your choices for best fic, video, or artwork on site. Each week we feature four related fics in the photo carousel on the front page, and below that is a daily feature which can be fic, video, or art. We’re always on the lookout for works that deserve recognition, but we can’t read them all so please do suggest your favorites.

Lastly, I’d like to give kudos to all of our guest bloggers. We’ve had several new people join us in the past few weeks, and we’ve been delighted by the range of opinions they bring to the table.

That’s it from here. Now go forth and create!

Speed Racer may not be zooming along at the box office, but he’s a pretty popular fellow around here. The Five Finalists have been chosen and you have until tomorrow at noon (PST) to rank them. Remember there are prizes for voters and commenters, too, so don’t miss out.

Our friends in Canada are celebrating Victoria Day today, so in honor of her majesty, our carousel has a royal theme. It’s good to be queen.

Lastly, we hope you’ve been enjoying the efforts of two of our new FanLib columnists. Marphlets offers up a dose of SciFi every Saturday with a recap of what’s happening in TV, Movies, Conventions and other fannish fun. And Evai has recently come aboard to spread the good word about Anime — look for her column to appear once a month.

Do you have an idea for a monthly column or even a single fan-related post? Let us know here or PM me; we’re always looking for interesting topics for No Hiatus.

Greetings, all! I hope the FanLib moms all had a lovely weekend and got in some writing and/or reading time. I did a little of both, so I’m good. I also dedicated this week’s carousel to the joys of motherhood — from naming the baby to watching them grow.

On the contest front, Speed Racer’s first round comes to a halt tomorrow at 3 pm, so put the pedal to the metal and finish that submission in time! Finalists will be announced on Friday, and then we need you to help us choose the winner.

For those of you (like me) not gifted in the area of drawing, check out DGTrekker’s Drawing Classes on the FanLib Forum. The step-by-step instructions will have you dashing to the art store for new pencils before long (or at least a new eraser!).

If you’re looking to sharpen your writing skills instead of your pencil, stop by our Critique Group for an in-depth look at what makes your stories tick. To have your story critiqued by the group, simply join in and leave your thoughts on the current story. It’s a hands-on process, so you only get as good as you give.

Now all we need is a tutorial on making fannish videos. Any takers? Get it going, and we’ll be there!

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Not a holiday I ever celebrated back in New Jersey, but here in California it’s a real party day! It’s all about freedom and cultural recognition; just like everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, in Southern California, everyone is Mexican on Cinco de Mayo! So have some Mexican food for dinner and break a pinata if you get the can.

We’re also celebrating the start of the summer movie season. Our carousel is themed with fics from some of the blockbusters that will be gracing the big screen in the next few months. And keep watching No Hiatus for our look at the summer movies.

Have a little spare time? There’s still one more week left to enter our Speed Racer contest. Grand Prize is a trip for two to LA! We’d also like to know what you think of the excerpt from the LJ Smith Night World book, Secret Vampire.

And if that’s not enough to keep you busy, we’re still looking for writers to take on our Fandom 411s. Leave your interests in the comments below, and if we haven’t covered it already, we’ll look you up.

Good day to all of you! It’s hot, hot, hot here in Southern California while my friends in Australia complain that they’re freezing. But here at FanLib, it’s pouring buckets on our weekly carousel of featured fics. It’s Rainy Days and Mondays, and it does get a few people down.

Speed Racer premiered in Hollywood this week with a red carpet bash that included several members of the cast of both Friday Night Lights and Moonlight.

Remember, you have until May 13th to enter the FanLib Speed Racer contest where you could win a weekend for two in Hollywood! Entries are beginning to come in, so take a moment to read, rate and review, and you could win some Speed Racer swag, too!

But before Speed Racer hits town, Iron Man bursts on to the big screen. Catch the premiere this weekend then come back here, and tell us what you thought of it. Better yet, write an Iron Man inspired fic, draw a pic, or create a video. We have a feeling this is going to be a big one.

Hello all you FanLibbers!

This past weekend, several members of the FanLib crew set up shop at the New York Comic Con. They offered swag, showed a great fannish video and just generally informed the world that we’ve got a site full of fabulous fan writers, vidders and artists. They had a great time and I’m sure we’ll here more about it once they’re all home and settled in.

Couldn’t go to the con yourself?  Me, either.  So this week’s carousel brings a bit of the con to you with stories from some of the hottest properties represented there.

On the contest front, we’ve got a big one! It’s Speed Racer, just in time for the new live-action movie which hits theaters in May. The winner of this contest will win one of our best prizes yet, a weekend for two in Hollywood and a VIP tour of Warner Brothers Studio. All you have to do is write a story about Speed’s weekend gone wrong and you could win. Visit the Speed Racer Contest page for details and eligibility requirements. Deadline to enter is May 13.

That’s it for now.  Go forth and create!  We can’t wait to see what you come up with.