Hi Theresa!  I'm terribly behind on just about everything these days, so sorry for my late reply.  September is one of my busiest months work-wise, and moreso this year because I was off for a few months due to medical issues. Coming back and being bombarded was a bit of a shock to the system. :-P  

I'm definitely more of a plot-centered person than a PWP-person when it comes to my writing. (she says as her one PWP was just recognized for Featured Story this month! *g*)  I mean, sure I enjoy the smut - both for reading and writing purposes - but I tend to prefer...a reason for the smut to be there, not just "I'm/we're horny".  I have to admit that I sometimes find it difficult to write a lot of smut without feeling like I'm constantly repeating myself.  Whether or not I do doesn't even matter - it's that I *feel* like I am.  If that makes sense.  I always want there to be something unique in each fic, especially when it comes to smut, but then there's the whole "pattern of progression" of sex, which is a hard trap to break. Plus, you don't want to make it so complicated or put them in positions that only skilled acrobats could manage,  where it becomes silly or unebelievable. :-P   

I'm always in awe of those authors who can churn out smutty story after story.  Then again, I think I'm harder on myself - less forgiving, and that gets in the way more often than it should.  But my interest in the characters goes beyond their sex lives, and I like having them interact with others. There's a fine line sometimes - especially in one-shots - and I'm always worried about writing a story that screams, "ooh, look, my pr0n is pastede on!"  Even when I'm writing for exchanges where "it's all about the smut" like merry_smutmas and hpspringsmut, or where my prompt asks for "hot sex at the Burrow" like with this particular fic, I'm always conscious of that.  Granted, I don't always succeed, but I try to make it more than the sum of the parts, I guess.  With "Games", my prompt was basically "R/S established relationship, mild D/s, Remus wants to try a new kink/toy; Sirius freaks out." I could have gone the PWP route with that quite easily, but I chose to go a different route because the PWP way was, well, unsatisfying, for me as a writer.  So there's that, too. 

The fic I'm working on now, I came up with what I think is a pretty decent premise for the pairing requested, but I spent weeks agonizing over how to integrate the smut into the plot without falling into the 'pastede on' trap.  We'll see if I succeed. :-P   

I really enjoy Orson Scott Card's stories despite my issues with a number of his political and religious views, and his anti-fanfic stance.  I met him once (and got a bunch of my books signed!) and he was very pleasant and intelligent.  His book has a lot of really good insights into writing as a craft, so I decided it's best that we simply agree to disagree. :-P    And of course it's okay.  As you can see, I'm very talkative - when I find the time, anyway!

Thanks again!   I'm really glad you enjoyed the story!

~Lisa