Subject: Re: [FFML] [FF][Ranma] Scoop of the Day, Chapter Four
From: Sebastian Weinberg
Date: 9/9/1996, 9:29 AM
To: Fan FictionML


On Mon, 9 Sep 1996 raphael@asu.edu wrote:

:     Okay, here's part four of my little story! Response to last edition 
: was kind of tepid, so hopefully this installment should be interesting 
: enough to warrant some response.

Ooooh, it was!


: As I stated in the beginning, response to my last posting was tepid at 
: best. Do you guys want to see this story finished?

YES!  Keep 'em coming!


: I don't know very much about Principal Kuno at all, and have had to go 
: from what I've heard and what P-Word sent me (thanks!). If I'm doing 
: Principal out of character, please let me know (specific details will 
: help) so that I can fix it in the rewrite.

Nah, he seems pretty much in character.  It's not so hard to keep
him IC, since he isn't really a major player in the Manga.  :)


: Okay, next: Noriko's moves. I think they're a bit outlandish for the type 
: of story this is, and for the type of person Noriko is. Still, I couldn't 
: resist the temptation of having my main character know journalism-style 
: martial arts. Any comments?

It was pretty cool.  Although it only utilized the tools of a
*writer*.  Except the glue, there was nothing journalism-*specific*
about it.  But don't get the wrong idea - I loved that scene.


: Also, Noriko's dilemma isn't coming out quite the way I want it to. It 
: seems a bit forced right now, but it's important that she have a real 
: dilemma to deal with. Any ideas (Zen, Travis, Mike...anyone?)?

No, no.  The dilemma you show is quite all right - it's just
underutilized.  After only very short soul-searching, she decides
to follow the honourable path and research the subject.  I'd have
her put it off until later, and find excuses why she just can't do
it right away. :)  Then she sees the photos and is *forced* to
accept that she did wrong, and her journalistic integrity won't
allow her to ignore the truth when it's thrust into her face. 


: And some people have wrote me commenting that I shouldn't use so many 
: add-in characters as it detracts from the Ranmaverse. Well, I wish I 
: could have done this without having to create a single character (well, 
: except Noriko; I'm starting to take a liking to my main character :P), 
: but the more I thought, the more I needed more add-ins to flesh out the 
: story. I tried to put "real" Ranma characters where I could, but there 
: came a certain point where it stretched credibility to put an 
: already-established character in there (I'm particularly pleased at 
: Gosunkugi-the-photographer). Any ideas on reducing add-ins?

Just tell those busybodies to buzz off.  The original Manga added
new people *all the time*, often only for one single story arc.
Your characters are fully realized, well motivated, and original
(i.e. not simple self-insertion).  If anyone has a problem with
that, it's decidedly *their* problem, not yours.


: So, in conclusion, send me comments of all sorts about this installment! 
: Please! It's what keeps me writing. Thanks all for listening to me 
: babble, and have a good night!

You want comments?  Stop begging and *write*!  I'm getting
impatient, already.  :)


Sebastian
-- http://enterprise.mathematik.uni-essen.de/~bastian/ Comics reviewed.
-- Experience is what you get when you were expecting something else.