Doing it since I posed it.
Talk about BL fic authors. Tell us what you like, dislike, what their strengths and quirks are. That way a newbie might have a guide on what they ought to try and/or avoid.
Be specific. Also, polite. Encourage other BL members to make comments on your work if you're a writer.
I'll update these first few pages with comments on the authors, as well as additional authors as they crop up.
Elf
Chaple: Writes an awesome Archer. Seems to to love vampires. More average output speed, great quality. Characters feel more human than I normally see.
Radiantbeam: Queen of porn. Also very Archer-centric, and one of the reasons I fell in love with him as a character. Only real complaint is some minor spelling errors, but those are pretty easy to fix otherwise.
Five_X: She seems to have a fixation on having her female characters fold their arms under their breasts.
Tobias: I think elf is a great writer over all, but her and I disagreeing on so many things makes reading her work similar to trying to enjoy a style of music you like live because the singer is famous.
ItsaRandomUsername: Famous/Infamous(?) for writing lengthy, often novel-sized stories that focus on the various adventures that Archer has, often dealing with Hollow Ataraxia styled alternate universes where the Servants of the 5th War are still alive and well. Note that these are usually written for the express purpose of writing Archer-centric porn stories since Elf is a firm believer of Plot With Porn...not that we usually have a problem with this. Because of this tendency with her writing, Elf is endearingly known as the Mistress of Porn.
Techlology: It's like reading porn.
Spinach: Dialogue is always great in Elf's stories, character development almost always feels spot on but sometimes I'm like "wut", lemons oh god the lemons. I find fights written by Elf boring.
Moczo: The porn has already been brought up gleefully, so I won't go into that. Instead, I'll hit on Her Elfishness's fantastic skill with making characters just plain fun. Both her original works and her fanfiction feature casts that seem to be filled with people who would be fun to hang out with, when they weren't out killing vampires at least. She makes her characters very human, believable, and above all likable, and that's a rare gift.
Flere821: Arguably one of the best writers on BL. Focuses more on emotion rather than fight scenes. The title of 'Mistress of Porn' is well-deserved. Rank: A
Kieran: The grand dame of Beast's Lair fan fiction, and its most skilled writer of lemons and badass characterisations. One of the most prolific (but hardly only) Rin/Archer shippers, though she can be talked into writing almost anything that involves Archer, period. Very friendly and approachable as a mentor to beginning writers, for those who are hesitant as to how well they write.
RanmaBushiko: I'm a reading addict, and her new chapters are like a moth to a flame for me. Her characterization of Archer and the like is pretty much exactly how I think I'd see it going, but I'm nowhere near good enough to write it out like she can.
Keyne: Her stories are awesome from the first to the last word and keep the reader anticipating the next part. She has a good grasp of the characters she uses and writes very illustrative descriptions. You can actually see the plot like a film inside your head and I appreciate that greatly in a work of fiction.
Arch-Magos Winter: Mistress of Porn. One of the best, if not the best author on the site. Mainly writes Archer focused stuff, really really good Archer focused stuff.
hatori: Self-Styled, and hailed as the Mistress of Porn. She does a mean lemon that'll make even the most hardened of readers pucker and HNNGNGH.. That said, her biggest strength is writing Rin/Archer pairings, although she has also branched out with various other pairings with the white haired emo who only wants to kill himself. Not to mention, her Law Unto Herself series is a must read as well, with Forest kicking ass and taking names.
lhklan: If I want to see an Archer pairing, I'll look for Elf. Actually, if I want any story about Archer or Lancer, I'll just look for her.
Pata Hikari
Kyokushi: His (or her, I don't know) stories can sometimes be confusing but they're beautifully written and almost like poetry.
Alulim: One of the precious few authors that write Tsukihime. He/she does the series the justice that it deserves
deviatesfish: Pata Hikari takes you on a wild ride; you don't know where you are going and you can't bring yourself to care all that much because the present--the journey--is just that awesome. But then you arrive at the ending and you are shocked: the ending is even better than the journey there. It's a pity that Pata Hikari doesn't write more.
Radiantbeam
Radiantbeam: I write lots of yuri, and one of my OTPs for the FSN fandom involves incest. So if either of those things bother you, please be sure to check my story tags before reading, I usually make note of pairings and such in the title.
Chaple: I've only read the one fic. Herpderp. It was really good though.
Guy: I find Beam writing very emotional, one of the few authors who can move me.
Hymn of Ragnarok: Beam makes me go d'awwwwww. WAFF incarnate. When she's trying to be sweet, it works. And when she goes darker, like her HF Normal End fic? It's good. I love stories that earn their happy ending. Also, yuri. When Beam writers it, it almost always works. And I say almost because I might have not been entertained by one of her yuri fics. Maybe.
ItsaRandomUsername: An inherently kind, laidback type of person. The girl knows emotion and writes it well, often dealing with romance but not afraid to turn from fluffy and happy to sad and melancholic as her work needs. Notable for her predilicetion for romantic, yuri couplings, especially Rin Tohsaka x Sakura Matou.
Techlology: Great variety. Her fics are easy on the eye and can be filled to burst with WAFF. Writes smooth lesbian incest.
Spinach: Beam makes me feel fluffy, happy feelings.
Moczo: Best fanwriter I've ever seen at capturing subtle emotion, hands down. She is a girl who can say in a sentence what most authors need a page to get across, and has the distinction of writing the only fanfic that has ever made me cry. Also, funnier than she thinks she is. And just a generally fun person, and a dear friend. If I had one critique? Girl has yuri on the brain. Even when a story isn't supposed to be yuri when she starts, it ends up yuri as she writes it. She can't help herself. ...This is not actually bad, really, and doesn't impact the quality of her writing, I just like to tease her for it.
Alulim: Wonderful author. Her stories are good enough that my dislike for yuri became irrelevant when faced with them.
Elf: She handles romantic situations between other girls very well. Which is a rather hard thing to do. She also does angst and WAFF pretty well. My one thing I would say she needs is to get a bit more "bite" in her work. There needs to be a . . . meanness in writing, and I'm not just talking angst. I'd suggest getting out of her comfort zone and writing something involving anger or something, which she can in turn bring into her normal stories. I like her stuff, that's why I'm giving such the long comment.
Flere821: Rank A(+). IMO, in terms of the what (eg plot, characters) she writes she generally surpasses Elf (outside of drama or serious fics), though Elf has the how (grammar, punctuation) of the writing better grasped.
Kieran: A romantic, which is something we always need more of.
Keyne: An excellent mixture of crack, fluff and sol fiction. I always like a good laugh and her stories are very laughter-inducing.
Lycodrake: As an author, probably one of the best I’ve seen when it comes to WAFF, especially in usually morose story settings, while keeping it believable and making it fun. I enjoy reading her works and the discussions that come along with them, too. She’s also one of the reasons I enjoy Irisviel and Saber(Arturia) moments, because she’s able to write it so well and in character, while putting the bittersweet aspect of canon to the side, or at least on hold.
The Sylentnight: loves to Yuri writing but can do very emotional pieces. She's great with fluff and reading will put some sort of emotion in you while it be happy or sad.
NamesAreHardToComeUpWith: Makes great fluff. Is also not afraid of making darker stories, like MoS Rin. Versatility coupled with quality is a great thing, and so is Beamu's writing.
Suncofold: I LOVE YOU. Okay, moving on to more serious things. The thing I like about Beam is that she's not afraid to write crack and is also great at writing deep yuri goodness. That may be my teenage hormones talking. I really like how Beam can make a yuri romance work, and how diverse she can be when the plot bunnies attack en masse.
Arch-Magos Winter: Mistress of Fluff. Has more Yuri in her head than a parallel universe filled with Eastern European phone books. Which are from a parallel universe where everyone is named Yuri. I love her anyway. Needs more of the Ayaka/Shirou snippets to be written, but otherwise, I love her. Great at fluff.
hatori: Fluffy, sexy, hilarious and cute, all mixed into one package. what can i say.
lhklan: Might as well name her FlufflyLady. Nuff said.
Kieran
Kieran: The Lair's greatest egomaniac, holder of the self-assigned title "Lord of Self-Insertion." He has no compunction about torturing Type-Moon characters for the sake of storytelling, and often makes errors regarding established Type-Moon lore, since he's never actually played the games. Also completely insane. But if you're into that sort of thing . . .
Chaple: He has an impressive output speed and genuinely entertaining content. Threads tend to be long as hell though. Easy to talk to and will explain his reasoning to fans.
LeopardBear: Has a marked tendency to use OCs. He's also the only person who I've seen who does it really well, but he does. Make your own judgement.
ItsaRandomUsername: If you can get past his thing for OCs and certain Self-Inserts, his writing is actually a pretty great way to pass the time and enjoy yourself. Warning: Much of his work is intertwined with itself, so it pays to pay attention/read past projects he wrote.
Techlology: His use of OCs is off-set by his ability to give all the characters equal attention to the point where they stop feeling like OCs. Has great balance between dialogue and action. Writes amazing villains and can spin a tale like no other.
Spinach: I feel like Kieran succeeds in all fields, and excels in none. My only complaint is that he has sooooo much work that it's hard to get into it, because it feels like a lot of them are connected, and you need to read a previous story to understand any that came after them.
Kyokushi: A great writer, no questions act. His stories are great and his character development is amazing. His Legacies of Fate fanfic is the main reason I even bothered to join Beast's Lair
Bloble: One of the few SI writer's I can read without hating. He knows his characters, and isn't afraid to use different portrayals of canon characters to shock people. He also churns out an absurd amount of text in an incredibly short amount of time. His stories are easily novel length.
Alulim: While the content may be questionable at times (what with the all the Self Inserts and OC's he shoves in), he is fast (so much so that it is almost ridiculous) and consistent. And really, what more can you ask for?
Flere821: I've only read 2-3 of his fics (Trinity Prologue, ZnT crossover and FFX crossover). Best Self-Insert writer I've ever came across, and have a good grasp on canon NasuVerse characters. The FFX one is also a good read. Focuses on (eventual) action/drama, with a side dish of good humour. Rank: B(-) (minus modifier for using SIs, does not apply if you don't care about SI-fics)
RanmaBushiko: I utterly abhor the Harry Potter series. To make me actually interested in reading new chapters in his Trinity series? Enough said right there. His self inserts surpasses most of the work done by Carrotglace, now known as ContraBardus, who could've been called the most realistic self inserts to date. And his Tsukihime stuff is great.
Elf: Ah, Kirean's was one of the first FFs I've read on the Lair. His and Mereo's. Normally SI's are . . . well, they're Sues and Stues. However Jester/Galen etc is so realistically done with his physical problems as well as his rather messed up mindset that it makes him a pleasure to read. (In fact, if pressed, I'd say that Jester/Galen is a better realized creation than his other main original character, even though she's pretty neat too.) Does Grimdark very, very well. And is getting better at romance.
alguLoD: An excellent writer. He's good with the technical aspects of writing and updates at an extremely rapid pace unmatched by most any other author. He might not have the best understanding of the Nasuverse's mechanics, but the superb quality of his storytelling more than makes up for it.
The Sylentnight: makes some great Self Insert stories and I like how they don't detract too much from the plot or shelve off any of the main characters.
Suncofold: Great writer, I find his works to be extremely engaging and he's not afraid to take leaps of faith with the plots of his works. Also the amazing dedication to the speed of his writing, not to mention the quality of said updates.
hatori: Self-mutilating, brutally honest and also a veritable cynic with a library of information within him, this author is one particular person who I draw a lot of inspiration from. In fact, if it wasn't because of Legacies of Fate, and his much missed Scions of Destiny, my own attempt at fanfiction writing, Destined Legacies, would never have been born. SI is a reflection of himself, quite literally, but also is one of the most relatable characters in any story read so far. And his OCs are also a very interesting bunch. Don't take it from me, read his work, and you'll see for yourself.
ItsaRandomUsername
LeopardBear: Is tremendously good with writing humor, but hasn't updated his major fics in a while. IRUN UPDATE
Guy: I have only read two of his stories (due being new to the forum), but he has a very fun writing style, is not afraid of bringing things to a more darker side, he also has a good understanding of the nasuverse mechanics. A very good author that I look forward to reading more.
Techlology: Doesn't update enough, but when he does, my body is ready.
Spinach: Everything I could say has been said. Update MOAR, IRUn.
Alulim: Wonderful author. The only problem is that it has been a while since I read anything of his that I cannot give a concrete review of his style. (Hint: That was me urging you to write faster, IRUn.)
Elf: Needs to update more! Seriously.
Flere821: Rank: A. Author of 'Xth Loop', and is a must read if you're a Archer fan.
Keyne: A genius in crack. Nothing more needs to be said.
The Sylentnight: I enjoy his stories a lot. They seem brilliant and very well thought out. Then again, I've only read the Xth Loop: Sword & Stilled Time and seen the one - shot with Nanoha and Fate crossover so probably doesn't mean much.
Alulim
Alulim: I write what I want, when I want. I also am able to keep my personal opinions about characters, events, and other things from interfering with my writing. I put the plot above all.
ItsaRandomUsername: Not afraid to get violent, dark and oppressive, but also not afraid to get random and silly. Bi-Polar writing in the best way possible. (apologies to anyone who actually is biploar, this is not meant to offend and is in good fun)
Xamusel: He can be funny when he wants to, and it's no surprise that he can make a mecha franchise mix well with the Nasuverse (even though I haven't read or seen said mecha in my life, I'm more inclined to read it soon, as he made me interested in Linebarrels of Iron just by my reading the story). I wouldn't be surprised if he wrote a story based on the Tsukihime franchise next, because he knows enough to make the stories interesting.
The Sylentnight: I like the guy. I think his story Fate MACHINA Vardant is enjoyable. I never thought it be possible to do a Fate/Stay Night crossover with robots. Glad this guy prove me wrong.
VelspertheCat
Arashi_Leonhart: I really love his ability to go between the serious and the seriously funny without whiplash. His ideas make me think of something like, say, Ouran High School Host Club in how he can do very amusing things but use the humor to edge in some seriously awesome characterization and moments.
Guy: Vesper is awesome, his fics are creative and give lulz, he can make the most disgusting situation very funny.
ItsaRandomUsername: The man knows how to write damned good action-comedies. Able to seamlessly make readers laugh at his jokes and squee in the face of awesomness. Better than he thinks at writing action scenes, too. Also, Velsper isn't afraid to take it dark if the story calls for it to great effect. All in all, Velsper likes having fun with his work.
Spinach: Takes creativity to the next level. Velsper isn't afraid to try something new, and his ideas always feel fresh and exciting. His awesome premises are only rivaled by his amazing sense of humor.
deviatesfish: Velsper is boss.
Techlology: You never know what you're going to get. Awesome action scenes interlaced with cracky humour make for an engagingly unpredictable experience.
Alulim: His stories are unadulterated awesomeness. He regularly pulls of the ridiculous and makes it believable
Elf: His fic was so awesome that I convinced him to post it here. He does great comedic work and can handle horror and pathos as well. Romance is a little on the weak side, and my one complaint would be while the Archer doing Old Spice is hilarious, there's only so much suspencion of disbelief a reader can take. If he went a tad more realistic, he'd be pretty much perfect.
RanmaBushiko: Dear god, some of his stories are epic. Period. There is no feasible way to make them more over the top in epicness than they can go.
Keyne: Lengthy but interesting. Always a good read.
The Sylentnight: What can i say. I love his story I Put On My Robe And Wizard Hat. He's funny and a very talented author. I hope to see more soon.
Five_X
LeopardBear: Is a very good technical writer, and for his main fic, the Manhattan Project II, has created a excellent new setting. However, monster updates abound, be warned. (Also really really OP stuff that may cause rage)
Spinach: Interesting concepts that Five is well read on make his works interesting, impressive fight scenes that can really draw me in and are easy to visualize in my mind.
deviatesfish: is aroused by things Roman, Latin, or of history. Very receptive to ideas and suggestions and is not afraid to challenge or be challenged. Certainly reads more than I do. Has a good sense of humor. Tends to desire fan art. Has promised me his soul in exchange for a few oil paintings. Does his research in great detail and is easily one of the best technical writers I have read.
Bloble: Has the uncanny ability to take a story and turn it into a sprawling epic. Is able to juggle dozens of characters and story lines without getting confused or tangled up, and is an excellent creator of atmosphere. Is also skilled in designing characters who are unique and believable without seeming overdone.
Flere821: Rank: B(-). 'Negatum Seipsum' is the fic I follow, can't quite get into Manhattan Project. The minus is solely there because I'm not quite sure if he's as good as other B rank writers. Good with both drama and action. Quality of lemon writing to be determined.
Guy: The other reason I joined the forum, one of the best action scene writer I've ever seen, his main work (Manhatan Project II) is awesome incarnate, but due it's lenght the author has sometimes to kill servants without giving them much depht (which is understandable).
Radiantbeam: Very good with emotional writing when it calls for it, and quite good at building up character relationships and interaction. A merciless tease.
Tobias
Arashi_Leonhart: About as solidly a "wham-bang!" sort of emotional writer as you'll find here. I don't think I've ever read something that had me so quickly in a headspace as when I read his "Letter" series.
Alulim: This bird of the raping variety can and will pull your emotional strings. If the letters series doesn't make you feel something, nothing will.
Verg Avesta: To be honest, rapebird's "Dear ---" series was the one thing that inspired me to write the "Faker" Christmas special last year. I must admit that the raw emotions his text was awakening was simply amazing. Although sometimes his text can be incomprehensible, I feel that as long as that "barrier" is overcome, his works are (almost) always worth reading. Just......work on that grammar, okay?
Keyne: Very emotional writing, judging from the "Dear ---" series. I'd like to see more of his stuff.
RanmaBushiko
RanmaBushiko: I started writing fanfiction because I was bored, and I was curious enough on how my plot bunny would turn out, that I thought I'd write it myself. I'm still quite stunned that Blades Under a Crimson Moon was so well recieved, honestly. Still a bit shocked that people LIKE my writing, too, considering how bad my characterization is, in my eyes, compared to other people's. As for my stories, I prefer plots that have layers of subtleties as well as little hints, where when you look back at it, it all makes sense, but up until that point, you might have no clue what on earth is going on. I blame the PS1 game Xenogears for this. I really do. I also insert a lot of things I've learned about how Ki works into my stories, as well as some of the more interesting stuff I've picked up over the years, and use that to tweak character development slightly. Not so much a rewrite of how the abilities work, so much as "Well, if this trick I know works in real life, what if one of the characters ran into it by accident, and figured it out themselves?". Surprisingly, it makes my characters overpowered, but it works out well, too.
Kieran: A possible successor to MrTags' title as Beast Lair's God of Overkill, judging by a number of his works. Much of his works deal with video games, and esoteric mysticism, but he makes the oddest combinations work well.
Erlkonig
ItsaRandomUsername: Writes unadulterated awesomness, both in fanfiction and as a Role-Playing GM.
Twelveseal
Twelveseal: I have a tendency to go on hiatus for extended periods of time, and may lose motivation. I use a cast size that could easily be too large. My grammar isn't bad, but it's not perfect, either, and I'm prone to some truly insane ideas sometimes. Also, I've been known to use OC's, though usually not very many.
ItsaRandomUsername: Totally friggin' awesome. Killer action, fun humor, good atmosphere, isn't afraid to fuss with canon in a believable way in order to tell a story, throws in shout-outs to canon/other franchises as fun Easter Eggs. Also, super-powered jailbait lemons for his fanfiction project. Roleplays in his spare time.
Alulim: Does great stuff and is able to pull multiple, seemingly-unrelated plots together in a seamless and deep storyline. Plus lolis.
Nerroth
Kieran: A scholar, a Sakura fan, and the author of the only Fate/Transformers fusion I've ever liked - mainly because I didn't think writing one was really possible.
deviatesfish
Neir: I find fish's writing to be very... charged. Powerful.
ItsaRandomUsername: Fish's writing has a lot of heart. The blood, sweat, tears, and time spent are readily seen and contribute to the overall experience of Fish's stories.
Techlology: Very descriptive narrative, lots of detail. Emotionally charged. Tends to not finish his works...
Spinach: I feel my thoughts return to what I thought of Kieran. Fishie does everything very well, without overly excelling anywhere.
Froggie: I greatly enjoy reading his stories. Since I started reading his works he has improved greatly as his most current stories are extremely vibrant compared to his initial attempts at fanfiction. He has developed a great talent for writing charming scenes and has a knack for interesting usage of sometimes overlooked canon elements. Simply put, his stories and characters are lively and very engaging. Everything from mundane scenes to combat to pensive moments is handled with great care and attention to detail. However, he's very fickle and starts many projects that advance either at a glacial pace or not at all. Damnit, Fishie, gimme more TTM.
Flere821: Rank: A. 'The Third Magic' is one of the best fics I've read. Haven't updated for a while so him being one of the top-tier writers I've come across is all I can remember.
solopy567: Only, IF ONLY, you would finish your fanfics. There are well done and they are good ideas. I really liked The Third Magic, yet Y U NO FINISH THEM?!?!?!
Guy: Has some of the greatest fics of the fandom, can be quite dark when he wants to, I find his ideais very original, he takes a normal concept and modifies it alot, but from what I've seen he does not update regularly.
alguLoD: Whose name I keep reading as "deviant fish," and I can't ever keep the idea of deviates writing lemons involving fishes practicing BDSM out of my head whenever I read fish's name. An amazing writer, to put it lightly. One of the best fanfic writers whose works I've ever read, just all-round. Deviates' stories have an unfortunate tendency to die off or slip into hibernation, however.
Verg Avesta
Tobias: Verg avesta has an ability to capture a moment, be it action or comedy I think is probably the best on the board.
Spinach: Verg can pull out emotions like nobody else. Everything he writes really pulls me in and has me feeling exactly what he wants me to feel. Everything. Sometimes makes small grammar mistakes, but I'm so enraptured by his writing that it doesn't bother me.
Flere821: Only read 'twelve days of Saturnalia' and 'Fate/somnium Summer redux'. Rank: B+. (subject to change after reading his crack poem on Roa. Epic lulz is Epic. Possibly A-)
RanmaBushiko: Sheer awesomeness for the Christmas stories. "How the Roa stole Christmas" was just hilarious. Sheer, raw hilariousness in it's finest form.
Froggie
Techlology: Needs more Iskander, like now.
deviatesfish: is very detail oriented yet able to say much in a few words. Froggie's mastery of the English language far exceeds mine; Froogie is able to describe thing in a few, elegant words that I can understand right away, yet am unable to think up when I try to write on my own. Froggie has some problem with updating expediently, mainly because Froggie is being distracted constantly by /a/ and the role playing games on this forum. Froggie has no problem with taking criticism and is very receptive to new ideas. Needs to update more.
Flere821: Rank: B+(+). Think of him as a very slightly less-awesome version of deviatefish. Rank subject to change after reading some more Alexandriad.
Guy: One of the reasons I joined the forum, her fics awesome simply put. She takes normal concepts and turn them into awesome, it is impressive what she can do with a normal concept like Louise (FoZ) summoning another person instead of Saito.
alguLoD: Incredible writer. Much of the same praise that is heaped upon deviatesfish and the complaints leveraged against the same can also be applied to Froggie - their writing greatly resembles each others - to the point where a lot of people mix them up - but unfortunately they also share the unfortunate tendency for their stories to die off.
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Originally Posted by ItsaRandomUsername
