On Sun, 14 Apr 1996, Ryoga Hibiki wrote:

[All of the Following is actually written by a friend of Ryoga's who 
preferred to lurk and have Ryoga post this, instead of him.  When we 
reach Ryoga's ending comments, This is noted below]

 > > 

	"Through various friends' email accounts, I've noticed something 
unusual and rather disturbing passing through the ML.  It is the current 
'How to Write a Fanfic' guide.  Though one need not listen to me, I will 
pass on one small piece of advice to those endeavoring to instruct 
others. . .don't.  

So trying to help people write better is bad?
If so, why would this list exist?  

Certainly these recurring "What makes a good fanfic" threads do not force 
anyone to read them, nor are they being imposed as a standard which all 
must live up to, but are rather intended to help those who want 
guidance.  

The true cornerstone to writing a 
fanfic, writing anything, creating anything, is a gift we call 
imagination.  With it will come its sister, inspiration.  If one is 
properly inspired, the writing will become a temporary passion.  Like all 
passions, it will take you into its uncompromising grip and it will break 
you until you are each the other's master.  You will struggle with it in 
an endless dance.  It will take your form, and you will take its.  You 
will achieve the paradox of creation. . .

While this is delightfully metaphysical, why does this mean that an 
effort to provide helpful advice on how to write fanfiction is bad?

	Imagination is the fuel to the fires of the passion.  With it, 
the passion will either burn out, or it will consume you in its wild 
parade.  The Child of this flame is called Creation.  Creation is brought 
about by something I could only call a spiritual enema. . .forcing out 
all that does not belong to the new form.  What is left will envelope the 
owner in a purer world.  He will be forever seeing yet eternally blind, 
because that will is always changing.

Again, what does this have to do with your statement that a fanfic 
writer's guide is bad?  Again, interesting metaphyscial statements, but 
not to your point.

	Things like proper characterization will become something of a 
moot point.  The character will right true within the writer's secret 
world, it will be there for the story.  Anything given to those wishing 
to learn the art of writing will inevitably be tailored to suit the 
writer's needs.

So are you saying proper characterization is unimportant for good 
fiction?  

I assume your last sentence means that anything given to those wishing to 
learn the art of writing will be inevitably tailored to suit the need of 
the person giving the advice, not the person recieving it?

If so, do you oppose making any comment on another person's stories at all?

If yes, why should this list exist?  Secondly, what should be said to a 
person who does seek advice?  It would seem that your philosophy 
logically results in never telling an author anything at all about his or 
her stories.

If no, how is this compatible with your rejection of advice 
to prospective writers of fanfiction?  

 > 	One wishing to write, to create, should not look to others for 

guidance.  Those maps are not false, they merely provide one way to 
travel in another country.  One would do better to follow the roads that 
run through his own heart. . ."

But what if you haven't found your own roadmap yet?  Some people want 
guidance, and I would argue that anyone can benefit from constructive 
criticism.

While one can teach oneself almost anything (Please don't take this as an 
excuse to go teach yourself how to fly airplanes, though :)), I fail to 
see why Writing is somehow immune to the utility of guidance, help, 
advice, and wisdom from others.  

Certainly, the writer ultimately has to decide for himself, but it seems 
a supreme act of ego to dismiss the usefulness of all guidance from other 
human beings.  

As with most other things in life, if you don't like it, no one is going 
to make you read it.  Some people need help, some want help, some don't 
want help.  Is it horribly wrong to try to provide help for those who 
want it?



[Cut to Ryouga's closing comment.]

	I think I probably agree with the above myself.  Trying to create 
a set guideline for writing a fanfic is as moronic as the thought of 
'civilized warfare'.  It looks good in theory, but not in practice.  I 

I suppose you dismiss the entire profession of the Academic study of 
literature then and all of the guides to writing fiction that have ever 
been written as moronic?  (Aristotle must be screaming right now 
somewhere :)

Or is Fanfiction somehow special and different from other literature in a 
way that renders there no need of assistance for its authors?  If so, why?



John Walter Biles :  MA-History, Ph.D Wannabe at U. Kansas         
ranma@falcon.cc.ukans.edu   http://falcon.cc.ukans.edu/~ranma/falcon.html 
                            http://www.dhp.com/~wraven/john/index.html

If you've ever watched the game warden through a gun sight...
     You might be a redneck.