On Wed, 5 Jun 1996, Jon K. Hayashi wrote:

One-shot fanfics that change the tone of the series tend to be incomplete.  
The reader sees the changes and the effects on one or two characters, but then 
is left with an unsatisfying ending.  It is unsatisfying because the changes 
are almost never explained and there is a lingering question of what was the 
point of the fanfic.  

Unsatisfying, yes.
  
That's usually the *point* of such fanfics, not an unfortunate 
by-product.  "Angel's Spit" just showed you that Akane didn't love Ranma 
anymore, leaving the reader to wonder why.  In my mind, that's *far* 
more interesting than any author-given explanation could have been.  In real 
life, and even in anime, few things have tidy explanations...Why  
can't fanfic be the same way?

purpose.  But if you are devastated by what you put the character through even 
though you planned it, then it was the right decision.

That rule probably only applies to darkfics ^_^.  

It is important to remember that these changes must be believable and within 
the bounds of the character.

I dunnow.  Having to suspend belief can make for a fun read.  "Must" 
sounds so definite.
I'm an impartial judge, but I thought the first "Take Off Your Clothes" 
was pretty cool, and that made a story out of not being within the bounds 
of the characters.

should have something.  Fanfic writers have two other potential sources:  the 
original manga/anime (and others) and the readers on the mailing list.

It's sometimes acceptable to ignore that the setting is Japan.  How 
effective would "Whose Life Is It Anyway?" be if it was accurate to the
subtle nuances of Japanese culture?  I know most of it would have gone 
over *my* head...

All of this is IMHO,

Jeff

****jdrutsch@ucdavis.edu***********************Jeff Rutsch************* 
"Ranma's not a boy...he's a girl!"
"Akane is MY fiancee!  You TOUCH her, and I'll KILL you!"
"Ranma, change back into a boy while I buy you some time."
"But if I seem to act unkind/it's only me, it's not my mind."
"Ranma [sic],/give your heart to Akane [sic]. /Soon,/right away."
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