Question about a FanFic

[marephraim]

No: HPFGUIDX 72747

Mods feel free to shift this tread to the OT forum  :-D

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, rayheuer3 at a... wrote:
> Around the time when OotP was due out (was that really only a 
month ago?), 
> there was a file floating around the Internet that purported to be 
Chapters 1-6 
> of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.  Of course, it was 
nothing of 
> the sort.
> 
> The fanfic was obviously the work of an amateur, and judging from 
the style, 
> grammar, and spelling (or lack of it) an American in their teens.  
> Nevertheless, it was a promising beginning to an interesting story.
> 
> Do any of the fanfic mavens on this list know who wrote this file 
and whether 
> there are chapters beyond 6?  I'll be happy to send a copy to 
anyone who asks 
> for it (OOF-list, please) for comparison.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
>   --  Ray
> 
> "Imitation is the sincerest form of plagiarism"
>

I'm not sure but I believe the fic in question was "Harry Potter and 
the Psychic Serpent," which is the first of a trilogy by an author 
named Barbara (who is American). I've read her stuff and enjoyed it, 
although what you characterise as poor composition really seems to 
be the result of poor beta editing. Babs is definitely American 
(she's never denied it) and does betray a tendency to make all her 
characters speak like Northerners (/UK/ Northerners, that is), 
however this is no more jarring than subtle evolution in speaking 
style in OoP. Yes there is sex in her work, but it's done quite 
discretely (no ramming adjectives, pationately moaning adverbs, or 
imperiously dangling modifiers) and is consistent with her 
(included) discussion on the counter-world she created. 

The only thing that really seemed to me to be a cheap ploy in her 
stories was a 'parallel universe' strand that still was better than 
most I've read, short enough to be not quite so onerous, and 
actually proved to have plot driving potential for the remainder of 
one story and one that followed.

Not being an avid reader of FF, I was interested to note the 
differences in description, emphasis, and development as handled by 
an author intent on following the style of JKR. When Barbara is on 
target it truly is like reading JRK, when she's not it takes a 
moment to adjust. 

I will note in conclusion, that my initial reading of OoP was 
perhaps influenced by having read Psychic Serpent et al. and have 
wondered if others on the list feel that the reading of FF may have 
had an effect on their initial reception of OoP. 

Check out http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Psychic_Serpent/ to read 
Barbara's works.

M.E.