--- In madmarthafics@..., "avus1927" <avus1927@...>
wrote:

Hi avus,

I'm glad you liked this :-)

>>And even more so because it's being unexpected! Though I confess to
have wondered why things were so silent with you.<<

Ah. Well I am a bit of a slow worker, as I expect you've already
noticed, and this is partly because I don't like posting WIPs; I edit
and change things when I've finished the first draft, and sometimes
even add whole scenes to the story late in the process. So the gaps
tend to reflect how long it's taken me to complete the whole story.
Plus, real life has an annoying habit of interfering with my writing
time - it's very frustrating. I write as much during my lunch hour
at work as I do during evenings and weekends at home; I'm not sure
why, but I think it's something to do with the noise and bustle
around me, which ought to be off-putting but instead stimulates my
imagination. Just lately I don't seem to have so much time to write
at work, which has a knock-on effect unfortunately :-(

>>As always, you develop your characters well, creatively combining
canon of character with twists on canon of house. Harry, for example,
is almost heart-relievedly happy/content -- healing in a way,
considering the brutalities of his canon-life. And yet, he's nicely
canon, too -- his manoevering Slytherin Ron -- topping from the
bottom as it were -- shows that his Slytherin tendencies might not
have been completely dependent on his Voldemort "Boy Who Lived" link
from canon. Though his manipulation is very loyal & Hufflepuff, and
not at all for self-aggrandizement.<<

Harry's manipulation of Ron is very much for Ron's benefit -
the "topping from the bottom" for example is done purely so that Ron
can save face and maintain his own illusions of being in control.
Harry recognises that Ron needs that idea of control because he has
so very little real control in other areas of his life. It's a
difficult balance to maintain, though, and sometimes Harry just has
to get into Ron's face and say the things that need saying. But
again, he's good at doing this in a way that allows Ron still to save
face.

I think what this really shows is that Harry's affection for Ron is
very genuine :-)

>>And there's just the hint of family sadness, with the separations
between father & mother. Again, a good balance that never intrudes by
straying into a parallel tragedy of canon.<<

This Lily and James would never survive living together in a
traditional way; their relationship is based on some tricky
compromises! Harry manages to live with one foot in each of their
lives, but I think sometimes it must result in friction between him
and them - well, witness his comment about not wanting to live with
Lily full-time, and equally he doesn't always see eye-to-eye with
James. In fact, being Sorted into Hufflepuff really says an awful
lot about Harry's character in this universe, because his parents
were both Gryffindors and everyone was surprised by the house he
ended up in. Everyone but him, that is.

>> So I object to your notion that this is "just" the Harry/Ron. No,
no -- there's plot impetus here, much more so than, say, Coming Home.
Your tying in, say, Ron's divining grandmother & his birthmark, and
now Dumbledore & Voldemort-sort- of. You've got some real
anticipation going, and just not that of the fangirl's, "Oh, I do so
want them together. NOW!!!" I agree it's not the drive of "Two
Houses", at least not yet. But it does seem to be headed that way, at
least somewhat. And that's most pleasing, even tantalizing.<<

I don't think I'd make a good romance writer - I need at least a wisp
of a plot! So … yes, agreed, it's not "just" about the Harry/Ron,
and it never could be because I need more than that to write about.
On the other hand, I do like focusing more on the relationships in
Checkmate. Really, I warn for the relationship focus in case the
plot doesn't live up to expectations, especially as the plot is
taking its own sweet time in developing :-)

>>Like all your fans, I'm glad that you seem to be working yourself
up to a major story here. You have a nice story going, and I hope
that your dozing muse (male is it? hmmmm....) won't keep us waiting
for our yearly & lengthy installments.<<

My muse went away for a while last year (I'm sure it was sipping cool
drinks out of coconuts on a beach somewhere), and when it eventually
came back it had a distinctly masculine feel to it. I'm not sure how
that happened :-D I'll nudge him into action if I can, and hopefully
the next story won't be as much as a year away …

>>Well done, Mad Martha -- *applause* -- take a bow!<<

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it :-)

Mad Martha