Subject: Re: [FFML] [FIC] [DARK] [R1/2/MAGE]
From: "The Eternal Lost Lurker" <EternalLostLurker@worldnet.att.net>
Date: 1/2/1998, 3:09 AM
To: <fanfic@fanfic.com>, "Drakkus" <samael@deathsdoor.com>

Normally, I would stay out of something like this...but I do believe
someone needs a bit of a reality check here.

I'm not terribly fond of competition, folks, but that doesn't mean
I can't
function in a competitive environment. Mr. Farber has chosen to
begin the
same sort of project I'm working on. Fair enough. 

First point: Just because you are working on a similar project, does
not give you exclusive rights to the idea. If it did, there would not
be two similar Ranma/MKR crossovers out there, with similar titles.
If it did, I wouldn't be able to write Nibun no Senshi Sailormoon
because of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Ranma. There's no "rights" to an
idea around here. There's also no competition. But I'll get to that
in a minute.

Once I got over being upset at what I was, for a time, inclined to
view as a
usurpation, I realized that this incursion provides us both with an
opportunity to motivate ourselves to produce work of truly
exceptional
value. This is of especial use to me, because with the passive
attitude of
the readers on the list, I feel no pressure to complete my project
in a
timely or quality manner.

Lack of quality is your problem, not ours. If you're going to bitch
about reader passivity, then quality is the *main* thing you need to
improve on.

Therefore, I challenge Jon Farber to a competition. I will match
him, part
for part, in his endeavor. We will each have a week to finish our
submissions. Due dates will, with Mr. Farber's consent, be every
Saturday.
Since I am three sections ahead of him at this point, I will wait
for him to
catch up before submitting anything new. On Saturday, if I am taken
up on my
offer, Mr. Farber and I will submit our first sections, revised and
polished.

You know...this sort of thing is almost as rude as Dr. Thinker's
"steamfic". This isn't a race. This isn't about who can write the
best fanfic in the least amount of time. You're writing fanfics
because you *want* to, not for recognition, not for glory, not for
fame. If those are your reasons for writing, then you should quit
writing fanfics and try writing original, publishable material, that
you might stand a chance of earning something from...because that is
*not* the purpose of writing fanfiction.

The readers, if they will be so kind, will vote on the chapter they
like
best. I invite some impartial party to handle the votes. With any
luck, this
will drive us both to extend our skills to the maximum and
generate,
hopefully, two quality fics.

No...if you're imposing a deadline on yourself, what will result is
two shoddy, unproofed, slapped-together hack jobs. But then,
considering your remarks about timeliness and quality, I can only
assume that you're satisfied with shoddy, unproofed, slapped-together
hack jobs.

Drakkus, I think you need to back off and re-evaluate *why* you write
fanfiction, and maybe take a break from the FFML for a while. This
isn't a place to compete. We're here because we like to write
fanfics, and we're here because we like to read fanfics other people
write...why are *you* here? 

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---
The Eternal Lost Lurker
EternalLostLurker@worldnet.att.net
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Garden/9502

Thus, with a kiss upside the cranium with an 
aluminum baseball bat, my name is mud.
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