Legilimens

Minerva/Rolanda was my first “OTP” femslash pairing for Minerva (a misnomer, of course, because I have many “OTPs” for her), thanks largely to Kelly Chambliss’s fabulous “What a Lovely Way to Burn”.

Pride Month Recs: Augusta/Minerva

Augusta/Minerva is always fun because of the canon hints at backstory between these two very opinionated (ahem) and formidable ladies. Neville’s potential reaction to a relationship between them is a lovely bonus.

Pride Month Recs: Amelia/Minerva

In honor of Pride Month, I thought I’d do some recs based on my favorite femslashy pairing for my favorite witch.

New Story: Cailleach

I wrote a Minerva/Sirius for the 2024 Rarepair Shorts Summer Wish List.

Fic Recs: Unusual Characterizations

Today’s rec is for a trio of older fics that feature great and somewhat unusual characterizations.

Fic Recs: Even After All These Years and Purple Lace

I love Alastor/Minerva, and this pair of fics demonstrates why.

New Fic: Fools Rush In

At nearly 100, Albus is surprised to find that he is, very improbably and most inconveniently, in love.

Fic & Art Recs: Year of the Thestral & Five Kinds of Love

Two new favorites added to my list recently. One, a searing portrait of an uncompromising Minerva McGonagall forced to make intolerable compromises; the second a series of pieces showing the joys and sorrows of one Severus Snape over his lifetime.

My Writing Process

I’ve been writing for a living for a few decades, and my process has gone through a few iterations, but in the end, I tend to do it the same way I’ve always done it: blood, sweat, and tears. Plus whisky and Oreos.

New Story: Severus Snape and the Unbelievable Postwar Outcome

I wrote this for the 2024 Salt & Pepper Fest at HP_Goldenage.

New Story: Hag Tales

I had the great honor of closing out the very last HoggywartyXmas fest with my new story.

Recs from HoggywartyXmas + Bonus Art Rec

This year marks the final HoggywartyXmas fest, and a banner year it was.

My Selections from the 2023 HP Rec Fest

The 2023 HP Rec Fest just concluded on Tumblr, and I managed to do almost all the days. I thought I’d share my selections here.

New Story: De Aegypto

This short piece was my contribution for the 2023 Ladies of HP Monthly Minifest.

Till A’ the Seas Gang Dry (Finally) Complete

Fic, Epithalamium Series

The second novel in the Epithalamium Series is complete in nine chapters.

Wattpad Featured Story & Interview

Shameless Self-Promotion

Hey, here’s a nice thing that happened: WattpadPotterverse featured A Slant-Told Tale for February.

Don’t Quit Your Day Job, AI

Or: How Squibstress Fic Would Sound If It Were Written by a moderately skilled but very dull twelve-year-old.

Recs from HoggyWartyXmas 2022

HoggyWartyXmas 2022 has finished posting, and once again, I find myself in the difficult position of selecting just a few from the bounty of wonderful works the fest has offered up.

Fic Recs: September 8, 2022

Phew. It’s been a hot minute. (And I do mean hot—as I write, it’s over 100 °F/80 °C for the fourth consecutive day chez Squibstress.)

Secrets of Dumbledore – Magical 3-Card Monte

Let’s get this out of the way: Fantastic Beasts – The Secrets of Dumbledore is a hot, hot mess of a film.

Thoughts on Harry Potter & the Cursed Child

This weekend, I finally saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

It’s a Retcon. Nothing but a Retcon.

Apparently, the second trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore dropped last week, and Minerva McGonagall is in it.

Squibstress’s Shipping Manifest(o)

I ship whoever I want, and I don’t care what you think of it.

February 2022 Recs

This year’s Snapecase fest yielded, as usual, a crop of terrific works.

January 2022 Recs

I’m slowly working my way through a huge backlog of fics I’ve wanted to read.

New Story: Rest with Your Dream in My Dream

My contribution to this year’s HoggyWartyXmas fest was this story.

Recs from HoggyWartyXmas

Headcanon, Epithalamium Series

For anyone who doesn’t know, HoggyWartyXmas is the Best Xmas Party of the Year™.

Tom Riddle

Tom Riddle is both an open book and a mystery.

It’s That Time of Year Again

The preparations and shopping are done, the friends and relations duly toasted (and gotten toasted) and chivvied off into the frigid December night (or not so frigid, if you live in ParadiseTM, as I do), and Mr Squib and I settled down with a cup of eggnog and an improving book.

Wizengamot

Have you ever wondered how the Wizengamot worked in Harry Potter? Well, here’s my take.

In Which Squibstress Weighs in on an Authorial Dogfight

I rarely get sucked into literary drama; the circles in which the Jonathan Franzens and Jennifer Weiners of the world exchange barbed bon mots are just too lofty for me to flitter around in for long.

A Slant-Told Tale Wins Golden Snitch

Shameless Self-Promotion

A million thanks to the folks at the Seeker Awards on Wattpad for honoring my story with a Golden Snitch Award for 2021.

September 2021 Recs

Wow, it’s been awhile since I’ve done a recs post.

The Best Xmas Party of the Year Is Coming, and You Can Be Part of It

Pimping

Yes, I know it’s only September and most of you haven’t even had your first Pumpkin Spice Latte yet (I’ve already had two, but only because Mr. Squib presented them to me, and far be it from me to hurt his feelings by not drinking them), but Fest Season is nearly upon us, so it’s time for fandom folk to think about what they want to create this year.

Welcome to the New Website

Shameless Self-Promotion

I’m baaaaack.

Castle Isleif

In the Epithalamium Series, Castle Isleif is Minerva McGonagall’s family home.

Because It Is Bitter, and Because It Is My Heart — Revised

I’ve finally done something I’ve been meaning to do for years: I revised my Epithalamium series story Because It Is Bitter, and Because It Is My Heart (Epithalamium Book #4).

New Fic: Mind the Gap

Severus never thought he minded the gap. Until he did.

Writing Resources — Dictionaries & Style Guides

Over my mumble-mumble years of writing and editing, I’ve collected a toolkit of resources to help me not screw things up too badly, and I’m constantly discovering more.

Why You Need SPAG (or, YOU Get a Style Guide, and YOU Get a Style Guide …)

I’ve seen lots of complaints about the “terrible quality” of lots of fanfic.

April 2021 Recs

Recs!

Filius Flitwick

Filius Flitwick has always been one of my favorite characters in Harry Potter.

Desert-Island Art

It was a busy month, chez Squibstress, and I didn’t read much completed fic, but I thought I would harken back to my post on desert-island fic and present my desert-island fan art.

My Reading Compulsion

Hello. My name is Squibstress, and I’m a compulsive reader.

February 2021 Recs

This month, a mix of new and older fic and art featuring Minerva and her colleagues.

Poppy Pomfrey

In honor of Poppy’s birthday, here’s my heacanon for Poppy Pomfrey from the Epithalamium series.

My Top 10 Harry Potter Ships

Ships ahoy!

I Got a Gift Fic!

How lucky we are, dear peeps, how lucky we are!

New Fic: Within a Forest Dark

Now that the HogggyWartyXmas reveals for 2020 are up, I can reveal that my contribution was a short-ish Minerva/Severus story, “Within a Forest Dark.”

Severus Snape

In honor of his sixty-first birthday, I’m posting my backstory for Severus Snape in the Epithalamium series.

HoggyWarty Xmas 2021 Goodness

Along with tinsel and latkes and eggnog, the holiday season brings with it other good things, including the best party of the year: the fabulous HoggyWartyXmas on LiveJournal.

January 2021 Recs

A new year, new (to me) Harry Potter fic and art.

Thank Merlin That’s Over

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty glad to see the tail end of 2020 in my rearview mirror.

November 2020 Recs

This month’s crop of recs comes from a pair of fests focussing on short works, HP_Halloween on LiveJournal and Dreamwidth, and Minvember on Tumblr. In between shopping, decorating, baking, and other holiday deeds, give yourself a few small treats and read these.

How Editing Works

Editing is like tasting a dish for salt before serving it: You can skip it, but you’ll probably be sorry.

Einar McGonagall

Minerva McGonagall always struck me as the quintessential older sister.

Bonus Story! One to Keep an Eye On

“One to Keep an Eye On” is a new short story I did for Minvember, currently running over on Tumblr.

Thorfinn McGonagall

Since my new story in the Epithalamium series, “From Jupiter’s Head,” is largely written from the point of view of Minerva’s father, I thought I’d share my bio of him.

New Story: From Jupiter’s Head

“From Jupiter’s Head” shows us young Minerva McGonagall through the eyes of her father as she grows, and he learns what an unusual witch he has on his hands.

October 2020 Recs

This month, I’m reccing two Minerva-centric series, one older and one new, plus an older stand-alone fic that will give you a much-needed smile in these troubled times.

How Not to Not Write a Fanfic

Trolling around Wattpad, I’ve run across a number of stories titled “How Not to Write a Fanfic,” or some variation thereof.

Why I Hate the Pottermore Backstory for Minerva McGonagall

So, I have problems with JKR’s Pottermore biography for Minerva McGonagall.

Desert-Island Fic

Since 1942, BBC Radio 4 has been doing a program called “Desert Island Discs,” in which famous guests are asked to name several music recordings, a book and a luxury item they would take with them if they were stranded on a desert island.

September 2020 Recs

This month, I found two new Minerva McGonagall fics I really loved.

Squibstress’s Rules for Writing

I have only two rules for my own writing.

Interview for the Petulant Poetess

I recently ran across an interview I did in 2013 for The Petulant Poetess on their Facebook page.

Printable PDFs & Ebooks Now Available

Print files and ePubs and .mobi files, oh my!

More Recs from Hoggywarty

Hoggywarty Xmas has ended over at LiveJournal, and, as usual, there was a fabulous set of stories and art.

Art Recs

To distract you from the sad news about Notre Dame de Paris, I’m posting links to a series of fanart works I found while rolling around Pinterest.

The Best Xmas Party of the Year

The HoggyWartyXmas fic and art fest has been running since 2010 and has produced some of the best Harry Potter fanfic and art around.

Squibstress’s Hierarchy of Canon Sources

Harry Potter canon is a lot like the Judeo-Christian Bibles. No one really agrees what belongs in it, and people will get in the most God-awful fights over it. But, as with the various versions of the Bible, I find I’m not too fussed about any of it.

COG WTF?

First off, I didn’t hate it. I didn’t exactly like it, but I didn’t hate it. It seemed very much an interim story that was just setting up plot points to be explored in the future films.

Fic Recs from the Fabulous HP Beholder Fest

The HP Beholder (as in, beauty is in the eye of) Fest on InsaneJournal (mirrored on LiveJournal), for anyone unfamiliar with this fabulous entity, was created to showcase characters not considered “attractive” by the general population and give ’em a little lovin’.

Death Becomes Us

As Hogwarts grows quiet after the events of HBP, it’s left to Poppy to make the trek to the Hog’s Head and speak to Aberforth.

The Thing About Travelling

It’s a rare fic that makes me believe Minerva and Hermione could become romantically involved, but if there were more MM/HG fic like this, written for the 2012 HoggyWartyXmas fest, I could begin to buy it.

The Headmaster

Decent human beings couldn’t or wouldn’t do the things the Headmaster was required to do — ergo, he couldn’t be decent.

Once Burned

This very short fic (from 2002) is an atmospheric, bittersweet moment between Albus and Minerva after his hand is cursed.

Fic Rec: June Week

This fic (from 2002) is an angsty but sensitive coming-of-age story for Minerva McGonagall with detailed and insightful charactarisations, an engaging plot and exciting action scenes.

Fic Rec: All Too Well