I posted this a long time ago, but it seemes relevant for now,
especially with all this "Crusifix" crap going around.
'Why you are wrong', and a short Essay on fic writing and logic, not a
flame to anyone.
I'd like to start by saying I am just as guilty as the rest of you for
some of this stuff. Also a warning that this is pretty big, you can
scroll right down to the list after the essay part if you must, but I
suggest you don't.
I just thought I'd post something interesting for the list. It is
relevant for both fic writing and mindless C&C post.
First, there is a growing amount of mean spirited and just plain cynical
C&C being spread through the list. Not all of it is unjust or even
boring. It is beginning to be a bit much though.
I like being deconstructed occasionally, [Thanks Synopsis guys!]. It
helps me realize mistakes I normally wouldn't see, as well as problems
and mistakes in the story itself, including grammar and clarity. The
first thing an experienced poster will tell you is "You don't see allot
of mistakes until after you post a fic," this is what I call the "Magic
mistake." They are errors that you could swear weren't there because you
wouldn't be so stupid as to miss them in the pre-reading stage; Therefore
they must have appeared after you read it. It's the only logical
explanation. Another annoying problem under the same line is "The
mystical disappearing letters!" They are letters that you know you saw or
typed, but when you look at your post, it seems to have vanished. One of
the most common ones is the "R" in YOUR. "The amazing appearing letter."
is yet another of these seemingly mystical occurrences.
Another thing I recommend doing is reading the C&C for other fics. I
know you do sometimes because that's all that gets posted on some days.
Why? Simple it helps you notice the kinds of mistakes others make and
learn from them, You may also see errors you missed when you read the fic
the first time. How does that help you? You'll see them in your own works
more often if you start noticing things in other people's fics.
It also can help with information you don't have. If someone post a fic
that has flawed logic or just bad characterization in it people will tell
them. It seemed perfectly rational when they wrote it, but other people
had access to other information or just had more intelligence.
You can ensure you don't do the same thing they did. I'm not talking
about lifting story lines or anything either; I mean little details like,
Akane malleting Kasumi. That just wouldn't happen, but not everyone knows
this. This does not mean that everyone who has a difference of opinion is
right either. You should not listen to some moron who argues that Ranma's
hair color is black in the manga, therefore it should be black in the
fic.
If someone is corrected more than five times about a single thing on the
list then it is a pretty good idea to listen to the correctors, just as a
rule.
This brings up the idea of personal taste. [Read: The Happosai
impersonator from a while back.] Not everyone has the same taste as you,
remember that.
"Just because not everyone has the same desires and experiences as you
does not mean they are stupid."
This applies to things that seem like a great idea to you, but the rest
of the list is repulsed or angered by. The door swings both ways, be sure
to properly label your fics, not everyone here is an adult. Remember that
when you give C&C to fics as well. A harsh flame can be pretty
disheartening to a young fic writer. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't
give criticism either. Try to avoid such words as "crap, worthless,
stupid, moron, etc. etc."
Now comes logic. "Logic?!" you say? Yes, logic. An acceptable level of
illogical behavior is allowed, but if you become too irrational things
just become confusing. This is what OOC, or Our Of Character behavior
falls under. Tenchi isn't Tenchi if he doesn't act like him. That is
logical. You can change him if you want, but not without explanation. All
illogical behavior or occurrences must be explained in a good fic.
Otherwise it just doesn't make sense. Just because he slapped Ryoko once
doesn't mean Tenchi is a woman beater. That could make a good fic, but it
would need explanation or rationalization for it to work. Understand?
Tenchi would need a reason for beating the girls. He wouldn't just 'feel
like it one day'.
Common sense, this is what you should use when you write fics that delve
into gray areas. Such as Ranma vs. Ryoga; Ranma would know not to stand
and let himself get beat up in this situation for no reason. Believe it
or not, some people are not aware of this, I have seen several fics where
Ryoga just comes along and beats the living crap out of Ranma; no extra
training, no new technique, no explanation. Basically and 'I like Ryoga'
fic. There is nothing wrong with liking a particular character, but we
don't want to read your poetic justice. Write something with a plot for
god's sake, or at least try.
That's what this is all about!
Then comes little mistakes, Ranma would not try to put out a fire using
a flamethrower for example. Unless you're going for a comedy with Ranma
being a total moron that is. Ranma isn't the sharpest knife in the
drawer, but he's not the dullest one either. Try to use an acceptable
level of idiocy in fics. Unless you're, trying, for complete stupidity in
which case it should be obvious.
Over application of Occam's Razor and Failure to understand things have
multiple causes.
This is one I see allot. The most common is: Ranma and Akane fight all
the time. Therefore, Ranma hates Akane.
Sorry to burst your bubble folks, in all cannon [the manga and anime
stories by the original author.] Ranma likes Akane more than any of the
other fianc�es. I know it's hard to accept, but it's true. Akane hits
Ranma out of jealousy most of the time, sometimes out of genuine anger
for stupid things he does, often out of pure embarrassment or personal
confusion. It's a pretty complex relationship that involves more than
"Akane hits Ranma with her mallet." Most of the time she doesn't even use
a mallet. She just kicks him.
You need to give an explanation, or at least hints to one, if they hate
each other in your fic. At least say it's an 'Alterniverse' or something.
Faulty cause and effect.
Simple, Akane hits Ranma allot when she gets angry with him. Therefore,
she must be a sadist. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but most people
hit things when they become angry. Takahashi samma has never given any
good reason to believe Akane is a sadist.
But this is fanfics it's acceptable to write things like that if you
want. This is more for people who believe it to be true.
Circular reasoning.
"Ranma beats up allot of people and is the greatest martial artist in
the world. Ranma is the greatest martial artist in the world because he
beats up allot of people."
See how stupid this sounds? Don't do it.
Besides, Ranma isn't the best, he often wins just because of a fluke.
He's just the luckiest martial artist in the world.
The few are the same as the whole.
This anime has naughty tentacles in it. Therefore, all anime is
perverted.
That covers most, [but not all,] of the common problems with fics that
I've noticed. I know some of them seem to mean that you should only write
'Cannon' stories. That's not what I mean here, I just mean you need more
explanation to write a story like that. You need to give a reason for
Ranma to hit Akane beyond "She hit me first."
If you want to write a fic, by all means do! Share it with us! Just use
this as a guideline to help keep you from making common and often stupid
sounding mistakes, when you do. This is to help make your fic more
enjoyable for others to read, you understand because you can work out all
of the little details in your head. Things we might need to know to
understand your fic. Things you don't write down because it seems to make
perfect sense to you without the information. Even though it's only
because you all ready know it.
Basically this is a guide to help you think about what you're writing
down. It can help you realize. "This doesn't make any sense! I need to
change it."
I'm not trying to keep you from using an idea, I just want you to be
smart about it when you do. You want to write a sadist Ranma fic? Do it,
just make sure you give enough explanation so we know what's going on and
that the fic isn't supposed to be cannon. Allot of people need to have
that explained to them. Remember, everyone likes to think they are smart,
even if they are not. This means they'll take any opportunity to prove
it, often proving how ignorant they really are in the process. That's how
flames are born.
Now comes the fun part. "Why you are wrong."
This list is relevant to the list because its idea's can be used in both
fic writing and C&C, basically any situation. Make a hard copy, you'll be
surprised how often you can use it...
Scott Adams of 'Dilbert' fame wrote the following. [Before anyone even
asks, I have read all of his books.] It is from the book 'The joy of
work'. I highly recommend you read this. It has such wonderful chapters
as: Laughter at the expense of others, Office pranks, Cubicle flatulence,
The joy of sarcasm, infecting your co-workers and pretending to be
psychic.
The last part of the book is very useful, it explains humor in a way
that I've never seen before. A must read for aspiring authors. Trust me
you won't believe how useful this book is.
For your convenience, I have circled the brain malfunction[s] that most
closely resemble the one[s] you recently made on this topic of [fill in
topic]:________________________________________________________________
1. Amazingly bad analogy.
EX. You can train a dog to fetch a stick, therefore, you can train a
potato to dance.
2. Faulty cause and effect.
EX. On the basis of my observations, wearing huge pants makes you fat.
3. I am the world.
EX. I don't listen to country music. Therefore, country music is not
popular.
4. Ignoring everything science knows about the brain.
EX. People choose to be obese/gay/alcoholic because they prefer the
lifestyle.
5. The few are the same as the whole.
EX. Some Elbonians are animal rights activist. Some Elbonians wear fur
coats. Therefore, Elbonians are hypocrites.
6. Generalizing from self.
EX. I'm a liar. Therefore, I don't believe what you are saying.
7. Argument by bizarre definition.
EX. He's not a criminal. He just does things that are against the law.
8. Total logical disconnect.
EX. I enjoy pasta because my house is made of bricks.
9. Judging things without comparison alternatives.
EX. I don't invest in U.S. Treasury bills. There's too much risk.
10. Anything you don't understand is easy to do.
EX. If you have the right tools, how hard could it be to generate
nuclear fission at home?
11. The ignorance of Statistics.
EX. I'm putting ALL of my money on the lottery this week because the
jackpot is so big.
12. Ignoring the down side of risk.
EX. I know that bungee jumping could kill me, but it's three seconds of
great fun!
13. Substituting famous quotes for common sense.
EX. Remember, "All things come to those who wait." so don't bother
looking for a job.
14. Irrelevant comparisons.
EX. A hundred dollars is a good price for a toaster, compared to buying
a Ferrari.
15. Circular reasoning.
EX. I'm correct because I'm smarter than you, and I must be smarter than
you because I'm correct.
16. Incompleteness as proof of defect.
EX. Your theory of gravity doesn't address the question of why there are
no unicorns, so it must be wrong.
17. Ignoring the advice of experts without a good reason.
EX. Sure, the experts think you shouldn't ride a bicycle into the eye
of a hurricane, but I have my own theory.
18. Following the advice of known idiots.
EX. Uncle Billy says pork makes you smarter. That's good enough for me!
19. Reaching bizarre conclusions without any information.
EX. The car won't start. I'm certain the spark plugs have been stolen by
rouge clowns.
20. Faulty patter recognition.
EX. His last six wives were murdered mysteriously. I hope to be wife
number seven.
21. Failure to recognize what's important.
EX. My house is on fire! Quick, call the post office and tell them to
hold my mail!
22. Unclear on the concept of sunk costs.
EX. We've spent millions developing a water-powered pogo stick. We can't
stop investing now or it will all be wasted.
23. Over application of Occam's Razor [Which is the simplest explanation
is usually right].
EX. The simplest explanation for the moon landings is that they were
hoaxes.
24. Ignoring all anecdotal evidence.
EX. I always get hives immediately after eating strawberries, but
without a scientifically controlled experiment, it's not reliable data.
So I continue to eat strawberries every day, since I can't tell if they
cause hives.
25. Inability to understand that some things have multiple causes.
EX. The Beatles were popular for one reason only: They were good
singers.
26. Judging the whole by one of its characteristics.
EX. The sun causes sunburns. Therefore, the planet would be better off
without the sun.
27. Blinding flashes of the obvious.
EX. If everyone had more money, we could eliminate poverty.
28. Blaming the tool.
EX. I bought an encyclopedia but I'm still stupid. This encyclopedia
must be defective.
29. Hallucinations of reality.
EX. I got my facts from a talking tree.
30. Taking things to their illogical conclusion.
EX. If you let your barber cut your hair, the next thing you know he'll
be lopping off your limbs!
31. Failure to understand why rules don't have exceptions.
EX. It should be legal to shoplift, as long as you don't take enough to
hurt the company's earnings.
32. Proof by lack of evidence.
EX. I've never seen you drunk, so you must be one of those Amish people.
End list...
There you have it, you can edit your own C&C and fics with this to keep
from sounding like a complete moron. [Like anyone is going to take the
time to do that.]
A more reasonable suggestion is sending these rules along with your C&C
or return them to the C&Cer to illustrate your point [Be sure to send
back the part you are referring to as well, or they'll just be confused].
They will either accept it or become angry. Either way you have
accomplished your goal in some way. I get warm fuzzies just thinking
about it.
I hope this was informative and enjoyable.
I will now return to my fic writing, Ja!
C&C to Carrotglace@juno.com
Carrot Glace, the artist formerly known as Catbert25. Web page at:
Http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/fountain/3203
"Ohh, shit! Someone else is out of Alcahol!" -Fujisawa Sensei.
"It's a wonderful warm fuzzy feeling in the pit of my stomach, like I've
had too much beer or something." -Phil