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Post by Belle on Mar 21, 2007 8:47:51 GMT -5
[glow=blue,2,300] Illusen Writes the Editorial?[/glow] At first I was wondering about the question mark in the title (and, for that matter, the image), but it all became clear after the first paragraph. XD And yay, another editorial article from you. ^^ You have a way with imitating various types of writing in a realistic and fun way, and your editorial articles feel very realistic. The captioned images are a great genuine touch, and Leafy’s personalit comes across smoothly in the writing, which is full of amusing cheeky humor. Whee. ^_^ A review from Nut.  Thank you. *le glomp* Oh, and writing editorials and picking images is fun. The introduction started off by getting us prepared for an Illusen article, only to bring us crashing down with the abrupt change in tone as Leafy took over. I enjoyed the last line about junk mail in the introductory paragraph—Leafy said it so casually and naturally that the underlying meaning caught me by surprise and made me want to read on. Leafy loves taking people by surprise. XD *cackles* *blink blink* Well, that was random.  I think there’s a couple of typos in here... if I read this right, I don’t think there should be a comma in the first sentence, as in “Besides giving away prizes, I mean…” I’m not quite sure about the second one’s meaning, but “this” is definitely out of place. ^^; Eep, I didn't notice. I put in that comma intentionally but now I'm starting to doubt if I did that right. As for the second one, oops. Where did that 'this' come from? XD Hehe, this reminds me of my Illusen story last year. It looks like Trika wasn’t the only one who wanted to have tea with Illusen and her plushies. XD; Aha! So that's why the scenario sounded familiar. ^^; It was your short story. XD Ehehe...I remembered it and in fact, it's where the question came from. My favorite questions were the ones about losing weight (hehe, I wouldn’t have guessed Gross Food would be the answer to that), chocolate (an interesting theory about why she asks for so much of the stuff, and it makes sense ), and Kadoaties (the line about shedding a tear was amusing). All in all, a very well written and fun article. ^^ I’m glad to see you back in the Times. Yay. I'm glad you enjoyed it. You don't know how long I've been wanting to write for the Times again. But I just seem to have no time. Working with a deadline sure pushed me into writing again. ^_^ Again, thankies for the review. |
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Post by Birdy on Mar 21, 2007 10:04:04 GMT -5
Thanks, Birdy! ^^ I'm glad you liked it. Ooh, and you noticed the Leaf Shield. Yay. XD You're welcome! |
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Post by Nut on Mar 22, 2007 17:37:40 GMT -5
Eep, I didn't notice. I put in that comma intentionally but now I'm starting to doubt if I did that right. As for the second one, oops. Where did that 'this' come from? XD Hrm... actually, I'm not sure if removing the comma is correct either. Let me go back a sentence: Why write a book when you can be hoarding expensive items, right? Besides, giving away prizes, I mean (how could I forget?). You don’t want to know how many pets this I’ve given cream cookies to (Illusen likes giving me the dirty work).I don't think taking out the comma makes any difference, actually. :/ The second sentence seems like it would've fit better with something like, "What else could you want to do besides hoarding expensive items?" (not very well worded, I know ><  , in which case it would be correct to take out the comma. But that's not what you wrote, so... er, suffice to say that I think it could've been worded more clearly. ^^; Aha! So that's why the scenario sounded familiar. ^^; It was your short story. XD Ehehe...I remembered it and in fact, it's where the question came from. Heehee. x3 Maybe the Wocky is one of Trika's playmates... You're welcome for the review. ^^ *glomp* |
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Post by Nut on Mar 23, 2007 12:33:09 GMT -5
Comics
[glow=blue,2,300]And the Meepits Outgrabe[/glow]
Your artwork is always so cute. <3 I love the family scene with everyone clustered around the Chia-print chair. Heehee, Miles’s suggestion was cute. ^^
I’m not sure the names outside the word balloons are needed so that we know who’s speaking; the most confusing one is Suzer’s, and that one is clarified by the next line addressing her as Suz.
To be honest, I didn’t quite get what “Fun-size” was referencing, if anything, and I probably would have found the comic funnier if I had. It had a nice setup, so I wish the punchline were a little easier to understand. Still, Suz’s last comment was amusing, and it was a cute comic. ^^
[glow=blue,2,300]Knick Knack – Illusen Special[/glow]
Hehe, cute. I like the little Krawk’s expressions. ^^ The shelves of potions are interesting; it makes the Soup Kitchen feel a little less homey than it’s always made out to be, and the idea of the Soup Faerie mixing potions feels odd. But that’s interesting. XD
I agree that the random event should have been placed inside the panel rather than above it. Also, it struck me as a little hypocritical for the Soup Faerie to suddenly look accusingly at the Krawk, when it was her own research that brought her to the conclusion that he was poor. Wouldn’t she be less likely to trust a passing faerie (even one as respected as Illusen) than her own judgement, or at the least not act as if it was the Krawk’s fault after discovering she was wrong? But I’m being nitpicky. It’s a cute comic. ^^
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Post by Nut on Mar 23, 2007 15:23:20 GMT -5
Short Stories[glow=blue,2,300] The NeoCola Factory[/glow] That was a really intriguing story, one that I didn’t know quite what to make of but which kept me interested throughout. Your idea of hierarchy at the NeoCola Factory was interesting. You managed to mix the just-barely-plausible with the realistic images so that they formed a believable story. The sudden revelation about the poisonous jelly and lunchbox seemed a bit wacky to me, but it made more sense when I found out it was part of a dream; I wouldn’t put any wacky scenario past a dream. And the dream itself seemed cliché at first, but you added a bit of uncertainty that leaves the reader wondering just what it all really was, and if it was a dream, is poor Donny going to be plagued with these meaningless dreams for all eternity? Having read the other reviews, I’m kind of confused about this issue about the story being mostly in italics. I only saw italics for a few lines at the beginning and in one sentence in the middle. o_0 I enjoyed this story, though. ^^ You never really explained anything, leaving the reader to wonder and make up his own mind. [glow=blue,2,300] Illusen’s Day Off[/glow] I really enjoyed this story. It flowed well, and the descriptions were enjoyable. Illusen and Jhudora’s characters came across clearly, and there were a handful of clever lines scattered throughout that were fun to read. The idea of Jhudora running Illusen’s glade just begged for disaster, and you managed to pull off the disasters in a way that they weren’t just funny for what they were but for the distress they caused Jhudora. She does seem to fall back on that Mortog spell a lot, doesn’t she? *chuckle* It took me by surprise when Jhudora called Illusen “darlin’”.  I guess that’s her pet name for her? It seemed to fit the first time, but the second time I thought it felt a little strained… or maybe I was just still recovering from the shock that she’d used it at all. XD I liked the old grandfather who refused the lollipop out of concern for his grandchildren’s health. XD All in all, this story was a lot of fun to read. Good work. ^^ [glow=blue,2,300] The Journal of a Moody Faerie[/glow] This story started out rather slowly, and picked up speed around the time after Jhudora came. Until then, there wasn’t much about it that set it apart, but after that happened it was interesting to read about Illusen’s conflicting emotions and how she dealt with it. The Tuskaninny’s letter was sweet, and I love Illusen’s reaction to it. ^^ I think the ending would’ve been stronger without the last line about writing more later, because it leaves things hanging rather than ending on a single strong thought, but that may just be me. This was a cute story and the last couple of entries were especially well done. ^^ [glow=blue,2,300] Illusen, Victorious[/glow] I enjoyed reading this story. The fact that it was told from Jhudorá’s perspective was a clever twist on an Illusen Day story. The descriptions were vivid; as you said, it was a bit repetitive in places, but nevertheless I could see everything that was happening and that’s nothing to scoff at. I loved the idea of Jhudora with a Meridellian accent. XD The scene where the ivy took over the house seemed a bit slow to me, especially where phrases were repeated, but it was still fun to read (especially when the ivy takes over Barty while he’s doing the laundry XD). The ending is perfect, where you echo Jhudora’s earlier laughter. You really get the sense that Illusen won that last round. XD All in all, I thought this was a lovely story. ^^ The ending made it feel complete, and I went away satisfied.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2007 19:32:18 GMT -5
Illusen's Day Off*smiles* Cute story, I liked it. I like this line. Thankies. ^_^ Illusen's Day Off by Wolf I don't usually read short stories, but for some reason this one grabbed my attention. Possibly because the description foretold amusing catastrophe. Having read it, I'm glad I did; it was very descriptively written, it flowed nicely, Illusen and Jhudora were kept in-character, and all in all it displayed a level of quality noticeably above what I've usually seen in the handful of short stories that I've read. Keep up the good work! From a person who doesn't usually read short stories, this means quite a lot to me! Thank you so much. [glow=blue,2,300] Illusen’s Day Off[/glow] I really enjoyed this story. It flowed well, and the descriptions were enjoyable. Illusen and Jhudora’s characters came across clearly, and there were a handful of clever lines scattered throughout that were fun to read. The idea of Jhudora running Illusen’s glade just begged for disaster, and you managed to pull off the disasters in a way that they weren’t just funny for what they were but for the distress they caused Jhudora. She does seem to fall back on that Mortog spell a lot, doesn’t she? *chuckle* It took me by surprise when Jhudora called Illusen “darlin’”. I guess that’s her pet name for her? It seemed to fit the first time, but the second time I thought it felt a little strained… or maybe I was just still recovering from the shock that she’d used it at all. XD I liked the old grandfather who refused the lollipop out of concern for his grandchildren’s health. XD All in all, this story was a lot of fun to read. Good work. ^^ Oh, thank you so much! I really appreciate your lengthier review. It's almost depressing no one picked up on the pin scene...but I guess it's for the best. ^_^ lolI thank you all again for reading my story! It really means a lot to know you did. |
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Post by Nut on Mar 24, 2007 9:15:58 GMT -5
Continued Series[glow=blue,2,300] Super Chel: Part Two[/glow] Chel’s friends are being total jerks; I can’t wait to see Eric show them what’s what. Everyone knows super heroes are awesome. This was a sweet part. Chel’s game of super heroes with Eric was cute. It felt like games I’ve played with little kids before… I did a bit of a double-take when they decided on the name Lulu for the Kiko, because my Kiko is named Lulu. Coincidence, eh? Or maybe it’s just a popular name for Kikos. XD Poor Chel, giving in to those bullies. I hope Eric helps her see who her friends really are. [glow=blue,2,300] Vanity: Part Three[/glow] This part made sense and explained a bit of the last one, so that’s good. The writing is still very enjoyable, and the friendship (relationship?) building between Chastings and Andrea is very sweet—at least, that’s how it looks. I can’t bring myself to fully trust the Ogrin, charming as he may be; I suspect that all his flowery words and gifts are an act, though I have no idea what his real motive might be. Until I do, I’ll just hope for the best and say “Aww” with everyone else when he does things like buying a necklace for Andrea. ^^ I’m glad Andrea helped out the sand peddler with the statue, and I agree that the lightning was very strange. The fact that Sarah’s comb is being “shined” is awfully suspicious, and I wonder if either she or the comb is responsible for the lightning, and what meaning or powers the comb has. Very intriguing. The trip over to Brightvale was written well, and I could understand Andrea’s worry about the dinner. I’m eager to see how that goes. [glow=blue,2,300] Catching Up: Part Six[/glow] I really like your whole idea of how the academy works and little details like the color coding in the library. I have been waiting for several parts for a real “story” to start, and I am beginning to believe it never will, but that seeing the faeries’ everyday lives and how they go though the time at the academy is the story—and really, there doesn’t need to be any more than that. I find myself interested in the characters, in the little details of the world you’ve made, enough to keep me reading eagerly even without a strict plot to follow. Ooh, and NeoQuest names for the racing teams! Yay.  I agree with Wolf that the POV change was a little unclear—I didn’t even notce that the viewpoint had changed and had read for quite a ways before thinking, “Wait, this is Emm? How did that happen?” Aside from that bit of confusion, though, I enjoyed this part. ^^ [glow=blue,2,300] The Mirror of Memories: Part Eight[/glow] So, Aina has discovered tht she can change the future with the journal. It’s nice that this was revealed through such a simple event as dinnertime. This part was full of intriguing mysteries to keep me wondering. I wonder if the red-eyed Cybunny has anything to do with the plot, I wonder how things will work out with Enzie (based on what I’ve seen of her behavior, I really have no idea whether she’ll be a help or not, even if she is alin’s “best friend”), and of course I wonder about the twist at the end. That was quite a surprise. It’s nice that Cel has finally come into the story, yet now I want to know about him more than ever. Is he the Tonu or someone else? What is the jewel, and does Malin’s grandmother have anything to do with the story? I guess I’ll just have to wait to find out. I have to say, of all the characters in the story, I find Malin the most appealing and I think it’s rather sad that the people around her tend to take advantage of her. [glow=blue,2,300] Sword of the Shapeshifter: Part Eight[/glow] Aww, such a sweet ending! I don’t know if the flashbacks were recounting earlier stories (I really must read those) or if this was the first time they’ve been mentioned, but they were touching and shed a little light on the two characters’ past. This part was focused more on emotions than on action or witty banter, and was thus a little slower paced, but it seemed right for an epilogue to take a break from the style of the rest of the story. It seemed almost dreamlike, and then Tenultra came and broke the spell. Having her appear in her Gruslen form was really sweet. ^^ I like Tenultra’s reason for not going back to Meridell… ^^ And of course it’s very sweet that Darigan is letting her lodge at his citadel. A sweet ending to a beautiful series. ^^ [glow=blue,2,300] Legend Seekers: Mysterious Magic: Part Nine[/glow] Ohh, Jen and Pemero are finally getting back together! ^^ I wonder what Pemero’s going to do when he sees her again… It was a surprise to me when Pemero threw away the staff. I like how you described it, and I also like how you didn’t dwell on what Pemero did with the staff, instead skipping to the important thing. I am a little disappointed that Pemero got his silver coat back so easily. That is… I wish that his Shadow color had meant a little more to the story. Still, though, his rejecting the staff was very well done. And almost immediately, Jen finds it… I am glad that the staff didn’t just disappear, and also that it is a means for bringing the two back together. The staff is intriguing and I am interested to see what sort of trouble it’s going to cause (I feel that’s inevitable, after seeing everyone say what a dangerous artifact it is). I also like how you brought Fyora back into the story after her earlier appearance. Another very well written part. I can’t wait for the next one. ^^ [glow=blue,2,300] Another Hero’s Journey: Part Ten[/glow] Aah, lots of action in this part. It’s a bit refreshing to have things happening, even if a lot is ging on at once. I am curious to see what effect this little girl will have if Reuben takes her along with him. I want to know more about Dark—he’s been a very mysterious character so far, and the fact that he seems to be Rohane’s messenger makes me all the more interested. Like Wolf said, it was a little odd how he said so much during battle, especially since he’s supposed to be a spy, but I’m definitely curious about his message and why he’s taking interest in this whole scenario at all. There are a lot of names in this series and it’s a little tricky to keep them straight at times. Just when I had gotten the cave pets figured out, I was brought back to the villagers. XP But as I read, it gets easier to keep track of them. And it was sweet how Li and Reuben rescued each other. XD I can see how it would be hard to choose for him… >>
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Post by kittygirl on Mar 24, 2007 10:48:29 GMT -5
Thanks Nut for your reviews. ^_^
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Post by Nut on Mar 24, 2007 12:31:49 GMT -5
New Series
[glow=blue,2,300]Illusen’s Bad Hair Day: Part One[/glow]
Well, this is looking like an interesting series. XD It’s an amusing plot for a story, a quest for a bottle of shampoo. Heh, I’m amused that both your story and Jason’s mention that Jhudora looks ugly without makeup. I had never thought about it before. I guess she does wear some pretty heavy makeup.
I thought the paragraph about the mirror was worded a little awkwardly in places, but it was pretty amusing to see Illusen’s revelation play out.
Obviously Illusen knows something about Illusen Day that we don’t, and I wonder if it has anything to do with her missing shampoo. At any rate, I’m curious to see what happens. Trevor is cute. ^^
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Post by sarahleeadvent on Mar 24, 2007 15:49:57 GMT -5
[glow=blue,2,300] Sword of the Shapeshifter: Part Eight[/glow] Aww, such a sweet ending! I don’t know if the flashbacks were recounting earlier stories (I really must read those) or if this was the first time they’ve been mentioned, but they were touching and shed a little light on the two characters’ past. Thanks for the review! Yes, the flashbacks mostly elaborated on bits of Rising Shadow, revealing a little more of what had been briefly touched on in that series. I was also kind of using them to illustrate just how much this situation meant to Darigan, and how deep his friendship with Tenultra had become. I like Tenultra’s reason for not going back to Meridell… Heh, I can just imagine how things would go if she were to settle down in Meridell! As sweet, unselfish, and compassionate as she is with people she likes (or people she doesn't like, but who need her) she absolutely cannot stand rude, selfish, well-to-do hypocrits like Skarl. As she very vividly pointed out. (It has some lovely comic possibilities, doesn't it? *plots*) |
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Post by Tyrannitar on Mar 25, 2007 2:24:09 GMT -5
Thanks a lot! I had a lot of other hierachal things in my mind that I was going to expand on, but that never happened and the info was removed. I guess that's why readers could draw many blanks. ^^
As for the italics... when it was first published, the entire piece was italicized by accident. I asked Droplet to fix it, and when you read it, it must have happened.
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Post by Kat on Mar 25, 2007 5:44:37 GMT -5
Another Hero's Journey: Part Ten by KatI quite enjoyed the amount of action that was in this part; it's something that I feel has been lacking in quite a bit of this story. My only "complaint" was that Dark seemed a bit too talkative in the midst of battle when he ran into Reuben. Nothing terribly bad with that, but it just seemed unreal. *sigh* Nevertheless, I once more had a great time reading this, and I do await more. [shadow=purple,left,300]Thanks for the review. ^_^ It's mostly been talking and running and crying for a while, no? XD Apparently...whoops. XD Guess he got too excited when he saw Reuben.[/shadow] [glow=blue,2,300] Another Hero’s Journey: Part Ten[/glow] Aah, lots of action in this part. It’s a bit refreshing to have things happening, even if a lot is ging on at once. I am curious to see what effect this little girl will have if Reuben takes her along with him. I want to know more about Dark—he’s been a very mysterious character so far, and the fact that he seems to be Rohane’s messenger makes me all the more interested. Like Wolf said, it was a little odd how he said so much during battle, especially since he’s supposed to be a spy, but I’m definitely curious about his message and why he’s taking interest in this whole scenario at all. There are a lot of names in this series and it’s a little tricky to keep them straight at times. Just when I had gotten the cave pets figured out, I was brought back to the villagers. XP But as I read, it gets easier to keep track of them. And it was sweet how Li and Reuben rescued each other. XD I can see how it would be hard to choose for him… >> [shadow=purple,left,300]Dark is one heck of an excited spy. XD Sorry 'bout the sudden influx of names. ^^; Yeah, I still don't know whom Reub should end up with... XDDDDDD Thanks for the review, Nut![/shadow] |
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Post by Nimras on Mar 28, 2007 15:23:04 GMT -5
Slime Trails by squire_genevieve Slorgs! Ohh, and the little black one looks just like Fwick! In my experience, that’s usually the way it goes… I am however crushed that the Black Slorg didn’t make it to your top ten colors. How can you say no to this little face?  About the only other thing I’d have added to this article was a list of the not-mentioned other colors. Just because I’m obsessive like that. I adore the descriptions each of your ‘top ten’ got though… Especially the Plushie Slorg. |
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Post by Nimras on Mar 28, 2007 15:34:45 GMT -5
Illusen Writes the Editorial? by ladyariel32 *laughs* What a lovely first bit of thing to start an article with. Leaf, is an awesome character, *grin* he’s just so… I want to say blasé. *grin* And I love how you put the little captions under the picture like they do in the real editorial. *dies of laughter* |
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Post by Nimras on Mar 28, 2007 15:51:07 GMT -5
Illusen's Secrets to Staying in Shape
by lassie_nikki
You know, someday I’d love to see a fat Faerie. Ursula Vernon’s painting “Walking the Frog” aside.
I am slightly disturbed about how the only thing that apparently is necessary for something to be “healthy” is if it has a low fat content… Though I suppose it would have to be simplified for the NT.
The living Neocola. You know, that’s a very scary thought. Terrifying, really.
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Thank you. *le glomp* Oh, and writing editorials and picking images is fun. 
I guess that’s her pet name for her? It seemed to fit the first time, but the second time I thought it felt a little strained… or maybe I was just still recovering from the shock that she’d used it at all. XD I liked the old grandfather who refused the lollipop out of concern for his grandchildren’s health. XD
