BotP is the only series I've seen (pause for lamentation at the lack of Gatch eps in PAL VHS format.) It clearly struck a chord, made an impression and stayed with me. It made me sit up and take notice of anime. It also had inordinately good music.

I really can't say. To my mind, nearly all the characters have value and I can't really pick a favourite.

Need you ask? I have always found Zark's inaccuracies, untruths, patronising platitudes, silly giggle and absurd costumes profoundly irritating. A robot with a birdstyle... and that number seven sweater is just disturbing.

I love writing. Always have, always will. Fanfic gave cowardly little me a "safe" forum to start showing work in. It's safe, it's supportive, and it's fun to be able to share.

Oh, I'd have to say beta readers, beta readers, beta readers, beta readers and beta readers. The List and the Talker provide wonderful brainstorming and information gathering environments... and did I mention beta readers?

I remember "Conversations" by Ennien-sama and Kat "The West Texas Condor" for its well crafted structure, descriptiveness and character development. The actual content was quite eye-opening and showed me once and for all that I have indeed led a sheltered life. :)

I'd have to say "The Enemy Among Us" because it's the most mature piece of work I've posted thus far, and it was a lot of fun to release. There was much silliness mixed in with a bit of seriousness, and it was good for a giggle.

They're all hard to write! "Fledglings" was the hardest, I think, because I was on a steep learning curve, there. I'm rewriting "Fledglings," by the by.

"That First Step" was the easiest. It just flowed.

Yes, I'm in the process of rewriting "Fledglings." In retrospect, it's a thing of shreds and patches. I overlooked huge points of canon and my characterisation was weak. Time for a major overhaul.

I love to see well-written, well tooled work where language has been used to craft a story, to draw the reader in and engage the senses. My favourite authors are Jane Lebak, for her understated exploration of raw and sensitive emotional issues and her strength of characterisation; Naa-Dei Nikoi, whose wonderful left-brained descriptions nonetheless take me right into the action and hold my attention with unrelenting flair; Ebonbird, whose sensuous descriptive art is nothing short of luscious; and Terri-Anne, whose craftsmanship in character development is coming along so very well. I am a big fan of many other writers on the list including Mark (not Mark) Stalter, Kat Ross (I love her alternative stuff, it's raw and gutsy), Margo (aka Princess) for her "Multiverse" story which weaves numerous threads into a beautifully complex tapestry and many others. I'm sure I've left too many of you out!

I detest laziness in writing: spelling mistakes, missing or inappropriate punctuation -- all of these things indicate rushed and hurried work, implying a lack of respect for the reader. Thankfully, the overall calibre of the vast majority of writers in this group is generally very high.

Two, huh...? Hmmmmm.... let me see... Probably Mark, so I could give him a long, long lecture and possibly box his ears; and Princess, so I could give her a long, long lecture and possibly take her to a decent hairdresser.

Security Chief Anderson, so I could order Zark taken apart with a rusty screwdriver... then I'd have to confess to my sex change operation, grow out the hair, find a decent boutique and get contacts... It would be gratifying to know just how those glasses stay on!

No. My life was inexorably changed by "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." After that, well... there was no hope.

I've always liked SF. I used to be quite the Trek-addict, but I've grown out of that in the way I've never grown out of BotP. I like the X-Files, Stargate SG-1, and Farscape has grown on me. I also like South Park. I'm a big fan of "Yes, Minister," and "Yes, Prime Minister," and I'm currently enjoying "Monarch of the Glen." I will watch anything that has David Attenborough's name in the credits.

I confess I was once an Anne MacCaffery fan, but it was about into the third book that I realised all her characters were actually the same set of characters with the names changed, and became terribly disillusioned. Such a disappointment.

I'm now a big fan of Julian May (read her books with a dictionary close at hand) because she makes her reader work to keep up with her. I like that. Katharine Kerr's Celtic stuff is wonderful and of course Tolkein was the original Master. I loved Marion Zimmer Bradley's "Mists of Avalon" but was disappointed in the prequels. Sara Douglass' essay, "The Betrayal of Arthur" is well worth a read for those who are interested. I also have a copy of Shakespeare's Complete Works which I enjoy reading from time to time. Douglas Adams' Hitchiker series was wonderful, and Richard Bach's "Illusions" was literally a life changer. If you only ever read one book, read "Illusions."

They're fairly diverse. I'm nearly finished my training as a wildlife carer specialising in raptors and am working on building a rehab centre in the back yard with my partner; I'm doing my Certificate III of Art and Design specialising in Metal Jewellery; I like to draw, to write, to read (of course); I have an active interest in Native American cultural issues (my partner is Lakota) and play the Native American Flute passably well. I am active in a local women's group and was known in my youth to have stood in front of bulldozers on environmental issues. I also enjoying exploring Celtic mythology and am a bit of an Arthurian buff.

I'm from the Government... I'm here to help you.

Ah, well that depends on the person, doesn't it? I'd like Bill Gates to think that I'm a fifty year old protestant farmer with a wooden leg, residing in Harrogate, Yorkshire, because that would be terribly comforting, but it's unlikely.

Let's just say I'm weird, but I'm saving up to be eccentric, and leave it at that.

May be found at Murphy Galah's BotP Archives http://members.iinet.net.au/~whiteowl/gatchlist.html

The filk jokes are the worst, I've put a lot of effort into making them especially execrable, mind, so make sure you go "Aaaaaagh!" and "Oh, that's awful!" in all the right places, now, won't you?

Cheers

Nancy