Disclaimer:
The opinions are by me alone. Hear that me. So you might
disagree, but I once again repeat this is just me and free
speech is my middle name, so if you don't like it do with
as you will. Oh, by the way, Andrew Huang's essays and
posts were a great help as well with Mike Loader's essay
and quite a few other. But mainly this stuff is by me and since
I am not infallible I have the privilege to make a mistake.
Please send mail to me privately if your flame is going to
be as hot as wasabi. If not post it to the ML !
A LONG STRANGE WALK
OR
A HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO FANFICTION ^_~
Essay written by Elsa Bibat, while in a state of writer's block
*******************************
Intro or Got Your Backpack Ready ?
Oh, hello there ! To those who've been on the FFML for awhile
you should know me. I'm the nut who reviews the fics that get
submitted to Synopsis List. To those who're new to this fanfic
thingie, I'd like to introduce myself.
The name's Elsa Bibat, sometime contributor of fanfics to the
ML and reviewer at large. As I said I'm one of the resident nuts
here in the FFML. To the new members who have the very
unfortunate chance of getting this as there first post from the
FFML, I give my sincere condolences. Anyway, as the byline
says the Block has hit me. Currently in my fanfics, Hotaru
Tomoe is in a conversation with her father, Dark Mercury is doing
something icky, Kaeri, the immortal gunslinger, is about to be
blown to bits ,Usagi Tsukino is about to drink a goblet of blood,
Lina Yanazaki is dating Quincy's nephew and all the stuff that
we fanfic writers like to do to the hapless character's of the anime
world. And they're trapped in stasis for awhile as I try to get
my brain unscrambled.
So I'd like to take a little trip. Well, little may not describe it since
I'm going to go look around at the things that comprise our little
hobby which is fanfiction. To be exact, anime fanfiction. I'll also
be answering the question of what the hell is a twenty-one year
old college graduate doing this sort of stuff when they're better
off going full time on a job.
So I'll do something that Stephen King did for me quite a few years
back. He asked me to dance. This time instead of asking you to a
dance, I'm asking you to join me on a little trip. Yeah, that's a pretty
big piece of real estate we'll be walking through. But, hey, you've got
me with you. And besides I'm really cute if I wanna be.
So, you've got your backpack hitched up ? Let's go.
By the way, don't forget Ryouga's umbrella.
*********************************
Let Us Begin or A Slight Recap
To those seasoned professionals out there you might want to skip
this chapter. This is a slight recap of the basics of the fanfic world.
Ok, the oldtimers are off to the next section, so you newbies'll have
to listen and listen good. Fanfiction is, to put it in academic, a branch
of literature that is written based off of original ideas. People who
usually do this are fanatic devotees of the idea. The ideas are usually
from movies,books or ,as in our case here at the FFML, anime and
manga.
To put it in simple language, this body of work is entirely comprised
of works by fans of the original work. Most of the time this is done
without the permission of the creator. In answer to those who are
saying that this is illegal, yes, it is. So after this meeting you will
be contacted by FFML Moderators and they'll put you in a safe house.
Sorry, just kidding. But really what were doing is totally illegal. The
only thing that is stopping the cops from breaking down our doors is
the fact that we don't get any money from this. So, another lesson
for the nuts out there who think they can make money off fanfiction.
I have an interesting anecdote about that,but I don't want to embarass
anyone.
Now back to the lecture, fanfiction, as you already know, is based on
already existing material and written by fans of the work. The quality
of these works are usually decided by the those fans who choose to
write it. This is well and good, because of the diversity of the fans. You
might get a fanfic which is intended to be a continuation of the original
series to another which creates another timeline for the original work.
Sadly, this also means that there is a possibility of total idiots making
fanfics. Ask any of the oldtimers about "Artemis' Lover",they'll tell
you how evil it is.
Fanfics are usually divided by genre. I have my own weird personal
division system for all fanfiction. I divide them by these genres:
Continuation, Original Flavor, WAFF, Alternate Timeline, Dark, Crossover,
Unusual Setting, Self Insert, Parody/Humor, Original and the ever-popular
Lemon. They are further subdivided into subgenres and the like but these
are the basics. We'll be discussing these in awhile so hold on.
Well, recruits, the briefings over. Time to join the veterans.
********************************
What The Hell is WAFF ? or Fanfic Genres
Well, now since everyone's up to speed time to get into business.
I think the elders here will try to kill me for this, but hey my writer's
block is still here so I might as well babble until it gets removed.
The genres I stated above need some explanation I think. Ok, here
goes nothing. If I seem to go nuts in the following paragraphs please
ignore me and just enjoy the scenery.
I have decided to divide fanfiction into ten genres as stated above.
I'll try to explain each genre ,give an example and explain some more.
I sure hope I finish before the sun rises.
The first genre, the Continuation. It is mostly what the name suggests.
It is a continuation of the original series. Such works are signs of
great dedication. Hell, if you asked me to work on something as
comprehensive Kimagure Orange College or Daigakusei No Ranma
I'd probably threaten you with a BFG and say 'Are you crazy ?'. These
works are signs of great love from the authors who work on these
monsters. These are all multikilobyte works, ranging from at least
500 kb to megabytes. Hell, the guys who've wrote this have put in
serious hours. All of the Continuation works I've encountered are
, I thank the heavens, very good. The two above are the descriptions
of the college life of the charcater's of their respective series, though
KOC focuses on Ayukawa and Kyosuke. Evangelion R is at the very
least one of the best pieces of NGE fanfiction and fanfiction in general.
It doesn't hurt that their webpage is a visual treat and their work is
used _with_ permission. Yes, you heard me _with_. Though that would
mean it isn't technically fanfiction then, wouldn't it ?
The next one, which is usually confused with Continuation is Original
Flavor. This genre is by far one of the most popular. Fanfics are usually
like this. Original flavor keeps the flavor of the show but do not continue
it. These are what you usually get from the normal fanfic writer. Yes,
those fics were the normal hi-jinks of the show usually ensue sometimes
with a new character added to the mix. Sometimes these are flashbacks
to times and places that are not covered by the anime or manga. The
difference between Continuation and Original Flavor is that the Continuation
really continues the fic, a logical progression. That's the difference between
, for example , DnR and Cris Angel's Siblings. DnR has new characters but
the setting has changed drastically, Ranma and Co. are in college while in
Siblings they're still in High School. DnR moves with time since it continues,
Siblings stops at a set time. The difference between them is kinda like the
difference between an entire series and an OAV. Since the genre is popular
you have tons of this stuff coming out. Usually most of the fics that come out
are good enough, some even are classics. But as there are always a few bad
apples there are some terrible,terrible fics out there. I won't name names you
know who you are.
On with the next. WAFF is an acronym for Warm And Fuzzy Feeling. That's
what you get from reading this fic. You feel the urge to curl up with someone
you love and cuddle. Since I usually don't have anyone, I usually use my
pillow. Anyway, prime example is the entire Seasons series and Colors series
by Joseph Palmer. This guy makes you feel goooooood. Usually when I'm
depressed I read his stuff and after that I'm all right. That's what a WAFF should
be. Let's you feel the love oozing from each scene.
OK, enough with that. Next, we've got Alternate timeline. This means the fanfic
writer pulled a fast one over Sailor Pluto and changed the original timeline to
reflect his or her twisted needs. The Elseworlds series by John Biles and
Shampoo 1/2 by D.B. Sommer are prime examples of temporal manipulation.
This is another favorite genre since people always wonder what would have
happened if Genma died, Ranma was born a girl and all that stuff. There are
some very good stuff like this but the situation is the same with Original Flavor.
There are some really bad stuff out there. Be afraid.
Now this is a genre that I've come to mildly dislike. Yeah, unbiased as I am
I usually hate it when some nut out there kills a character I like. Yes, folks
we've come to the Dark genre or more popularly as the darkfic. Anyway, perfect
example of this genre is Zen's Bitter End. I wasn't there when it was released
but I bet the fans must have tried to hunt you down, Zen. Anyway, this fic is
also probably what made the darkfic vogue. Tons of darkfics have come out
after Bitter End, but nothing has been able to match it , in my opinion. The
darkfic is a very grim affair indeed. It is usually filled with death, insanity and
tons of angst. To those who really don't like seeing their heroes slaughtered
or emotionally and mentally scarred for life don't try to read anything with a
[Dark] tag or warning.
The next genre is another one of the favorites. The Crossover genre has a lot
of classic fics under it's belt. It is also one filled with some of the most idiotic
examples of fanfiction out there. To create even an average crossover fic needs
skill. Lots of it. As someone once told me about writing crossovers, you better
pray you survive the experience. Some crossovers have no logic behind them,
no rhyme or reason to the crossover happening. But in the hands of a master
a crossover is a literary treat. Cris Davies' "Together Again", Lurker's " Onna:
Red Side" and, IMHO the best of all crossovers , John Bile's "Dance of Shiva",
are some of the best. Under expert hands a crossover becomes an epic of
sweeping proportions. Under an idiot's, you get a twisted piece of sewn together
parts that rival Frankenstein's Monster.
We're not moving yet to the next genre since we really have to discuss the
Crossover's subgenre, the Fusion. Fusions are what result if you throw in one
series with another one into a blender and press "MAXIMUM PUREE".The
results are usually masterful like Curtiss Nelson's Night Sabers, but some
are akin to the results of throwing mango,avocado and bananas into the
aforementioned blender and pressing the button again.
OK. NEXT ! Unusual Setting is what happens if you put the characters into
very unusual places. Mark Doherty's still uncontinued fic, (Take a hint, Mark)
Knights of the Saber is a prime example. Putting the Knight Sabers in a
medieval environment, NGE in a steampunk world and Ranma1/2 in the far
future are just a few examples. My advice with this is the same with the
Fusion. Try not to get Mangvocadonana on your shirt. It's really hard to
clean off.
Then something that we've all either consciously or unconsciously guilty
of, the Self Insert. Come on, don't tell me you don't want to mess around
with your favorite anime heroes lives ? That's the basic premise of the SI.
All of us have did it in our imaginations. The guys who do this stuff are
just taking it one step further. It puts the author into the anime world. There
are two types of this stuff: You're a god-like being that can kick anyone's
ass or you're just an ordinary guy with some really neat talents. The first
type I personally dislike, I go for the second one since I go for at least a
little realism. Not that I don't like the SI's winning, I just want them to go
through hell to win. Case in point, Bert Van Vliet's excellent fic "The
Bubblegum Zone". Bert is hurt physically,emotionally and mentally and
that's what I want. That the SI get's hurt. I dont like it because I'm a sadist
but because I like the fact that they jumped dimensions but that doesn't
mean they can win everything. And a note about the SI genre, it is also
the genre of a classic of the fanfiction universe, "Undocumented Features".
Now that is a _fic_.
Next is the Parody/Humor genre. To the new guys on the FFML here, you're
in for a real treat. Go up in your Inbox. I'm willing to bet that there's something
there from a guy named Ryoucilo. Read it. I'll wait till you finish. Ryoucilo is
one of the best writers of short, funny and often really sick pieces of the Humor
genre. I think you guys need more of an example. I think something bigger like
John Bile's "Lemon Sherbet" would be it. It is one of the best examples of a
really big humor fic. It must have been hard to maintain that humor for 13 chapters.
The next one is a very tricky genre. It is the Original. It takes elements from
an existing anime _but_ it starts with totally new characters, totally new
storyline and all that. This is a very rare genre, since people most of the time
really aren't interested in the adventures of people they don't already know about.
James Eade's " Macho Caballo" is a prime example. It borrows the Jusenkyo
curse from Ranma 1/2, modifies it and plops it down with new characters into
Mexico. Kinda like Ranma without the martial arts, fiancees and it's a Western
to boot. I recommend it to anyone.But the rest of the Origs....well, let's just
say there's an occasional gem,but hell, how in heaven's name could you find
it in a mountain of garbage.
The final one is the Lemon genre. To the newbies this is a kind of fic that makes
you all tingly. Sex usually fills the entire fic, prime example of that is Larry Mann
and Kris Overstreet's sexfest "Bubblegum Pink", but I personally prefer Caroline
Seawright's "Ranma Nibunnoichi" series. And I do really like Cindy Toler's and
Lara Bartram's lemon works. How good a lemon is dependent on the reader if you
know what I'm talking about.
Well, we've finished my rant on that. Onward !
**************************************
Fanfic Writers Anonymous or A Brief Anecdote
Since you're stuck with me for awhile and since the block isn't going
to suddenly disappear in a puff of magic smoke, I might as well tell
you how I ended up on the FFML. By the way, got a cigarette ?
No ? Oh well, that's all right. Anyway, where was I ? Ah, yes. To
really get into the roots of why I'm here is let's begin how I began
watching anime.
Awhile back, I didn't care for anime. I thought , it's just cartoons for
heaven's sake ! Heck, I didn't even know what anime is. Well, all
that changed one Saturday afternoon. I was bored so I turned on
the TV. Click. Drama. Blech. Click. Agricultural program. Boring.
Click. Idiotic children's show. I'm too old for this. Click. That's when
I saw IT.
IT was a short skirted girl with really weird head ornaments fighting
a monster. Yep, you guessed it. Sailor Moon. Here in this corner
of the world they dubbed it. Usagi was called Bunny and she had
this really whiny kind of voice. Anyway, I wasn't immediately interested
but since there was nothing else to watch....Hey, why not ? After
a few Saturday afternoons watching I was hooked. I had friend who
were really into anime so borrowed from them a few times and I
even managed to buy some anime stuff from a local comic store.
Heck, I sweated blood for the anime picked up. Now how I ended
up here on the FFMLis next.
After awhile, my family got an Internet connection. Well, I was
delighted as I hooked it up and set everything up. When everything
was OK, I started up and logged on. The very first thing I did was
do a search on anime. One of my search results was the Anime
Turnpike. I went there and went nuts as I went around looking at
some of the stuff. Anyway, back then I was in a Ranma 1/2 phase
so I started another search on Ranma. What I got is something
I never forgot. On my first search result were the words: Ranma
2096. Ranma 2096 ? That seems interesting. I'll take a look.
And thus I was introduced to the weird realm of anime fanfiction.
Yeah, it was kinda cool seeing all this stuff. So I got the files
from the web page and started to read. Once again,I was hooked.
I visited the Anime Turnpike and looked around for some more
of the interesting stuff called fanfiction. Well, in the early days I
went through Andrew Huang's page, Mark Doherty's and some
of the others I forgot.I tried to visit Biles' page once back then
but my browser was slow and stupid back then so when I waited
for awhile and nothing showed up I decided to go elsewhere.
Nowadays I can visit Biles' page anytime I want. Anyway I got
on the FFML when I think I got a copy Careful Destiny from it's
homepage. I saw something at the bottom of the page about
something called the FFML. I decided to join since I wasn't
getting much mail anyway and the idea was interesting. And
that's how I ended up on the FFML.
Not much of a story ain' t it ? Anyway that's to clear a few
things in my head and my block is still there so this time I'll
discuss on fanfiction again.
********************************
Are You Crazy ? or Writing Fanfiction
OK, so you read a few of this fanfiction stuff and you think you
could do better ? Well, alright everyone's got a right to try, but
fanfic writing is some thing to be taken a lightly. Well, yeah the
Ryoucilo fic looked easy but you have to think of the hours that
he must have put in to write something that sick and funny.Yeah,
it could have come naturally but not everyone has fics coming
to naturally to him or her.
Anyway,let us begin by deciding what to write. You could write
about any anime or manga that you want,no matter how obscure
it is. If you're a fan of it then that qualifies. Anyway you should
know about the series too. If you don't know anything about it,
how do you expect to write about it ?
You've chosen your series then let me tell you about a few things.
Always include a disclaimer. It may not legally get you out of
trouble but it's a sign of respect to the original writer if he or she
ever read your stuff. Next is somewhat of a personal philosophy,
If you're gonna do something do it well ! If you're gonna write
something do it to the best of your abilities. That's something I
hate. If you do something go for it with the best that you got. If
you're just gonna write a so-and-so work if you could have done
a masterpiece then you have no place here ! If you're gonna write
a fanfic, it's a show of love for the original work. Hell, it's an insult
to the original if you don't put your heart into it. And putting your
heart into it is something that makes a piece of fanfiction great.
In the best fanworks you can feel that they love the original and
they're showing it in their own way.
Now on with the next thing. This is a common failing of fanfic writers.
Make your work clean ! What do I mean by clean ? I mean that in a
grammatical sense. Look, some of the works that I've seen come out
here on the FFML are littered by typos, misspellings and all the things
people consider as the little things.Well ,I'm someone who notices
the little things. A fic is also judged by how visually presentable it is.
Case in point, if you would notice some of the best fanficwriters out
there have incredibly tidy fics. Nice format, only a few typos which are
then fixed before they're posted or are unnoticeable, minor misspellings
only and they're common mistakes. But that also works on the opposite.
Some of the most pathetic and stupid examples of fanfiction are littered
by misspellings and grammar mistakes that even a eight-year old won't
make. And what's really sad is sometimes a very good fic comes out,
original idea and all that but is plagued by the above mistakes.To everyone
out there who usually make these mistakes, get a copy of Strunk and
White's Elements of Style. If you're gonna write bad fanfiction at least
make it a grammatically correct and presentable bad work of fanfiction.
Well, I'll help you in the basics of writing. You should know a little plots
and all that sort of stuff.
First, let's begin with plot. There is a big difference between story and plot.
Story is " Ranma died then Akane died ". Plot is " Ranma died and in her
grief, Akane killed herself ". Plot is made up of three C's: Causality, Character
and Complication. The first two are illustrated in my sample plot. Causality
is the fact that Akane killed herself because Ranma died. You have a reason
for the action. It means everything should be set off in a chain reaction of
events leading up to the end; A must lead to B and etc. Character is shown
by Akane killing herself in grief, it is a characterization of Akane. Everyting
event in your chain should be logical that means it also depends on the
character. Case in point, in Cris Angel's " Shieldsman ", Crimson does his
suicide attack to protect the woman he loves, Sailor Mars.Cris' characterization
of Crimson helps in giving this action a motive. If Crimson were portrayed as
a total unfeeling bastard then his suicidal action would have not meshed with
the plot. Thus a good characterization helps the plot in many ways. The final
C is Complication.Or much easier to understand, it is the conflict in the plot.
It is the problems that the characters face. Now,in a normal long work of fiction,
when a complication is solved , the characters must face further complications
getting worse until we reach the climax of the work. Like a staircase, each step
is a complication and a goal and the top is the climax. For an example, we have
John Bile's excellent "Dance of Shiva". Each chapter new complications which
are overcome until it leads to the final confrontation against SHIVA and his
minions. See also Rob Barbra's "Tales of Shampoo 2 : The Phoenix Eye Saga"
for the masterful use of complications.
Well, that is plot. Now let us go to plotting. Plot is the basic outline of the story.
Plotting is _how_ you tell the story. The three pillars of plotting are pace, point of
view and continuity. Pace gives how fast you get from point A to point B in your
plot. It gives how you set up scenes.If you're gonna write a 50 page battle sequence
where a 5 page one would have worked is wrong pacing. If you introduce a scene
with a sentence when it needs a paragraph to setup is wrong pacing.Right pacing
is setting it up so that the reader is neither caught off guard or bored by a scene.
RpM's works are all excellent examples of pacing, especially his Act 2 of TPOH
" The King of Nerima ". Next is your point of view. It relates to pacing in that the
POV gives information out in increments influenced by the knowledge of the
character. Andrew Huang's "I Musn't Run Away" succeeds in this by using Shinji's
POV, enhancing the overall effect and setting the pace of the story to Shinji's POV.
The two pillars above can be ignored or bended to one's needs but the final one
can't. Continuity is the feeling of togetherness,wholeness of the entire piece of
work. It's not just how tall the character is or what he wears it's the weaving of the
plot. John Biles' work are primary examples of continuity. Each plot point connects
with the other plot points in a seamless tapestry of a literary masterpiece. Along
with Cris Davies, Biles is a master of interweaving plots.
Well, OK,enough with plot points. Let us begin on a subject that is very near to
the heart of many fic writers, that is the characters and characterization. Let us
begin with the characters from the series you're writing about and their charac-
terization. As the hilarious "How To Write Really Good Fanfiction" says on
the chracterization of the characters "You can't.....Just try to fake it." And that's
good advice. You really can't be expected to make a perfect chracterization for
characters you didn't create. Just do your best at what you interpret as their
characterization. Heck,there are enough people here on the FFML who'll shoot
you if you make a mistake, so why worry ? The teeming masses will judge if
your Ranma or Usagi is OOC or not.Though please try to stick to what they're
supposed to be.
Well, next is we discuss original characters. Yes, those new guys that the
authors introduce down the line. We're in luck today, by the way. See that
pick-up truck ? Hold out you hand like this and if it's who I think it is.....
Ok, Mike we're gonna hitch hike with you awhile then I'll explain some of your
points in more detail.
*********************
How Not To Write An Annoying New Character
by
Mike Loader
There's been a lot of discussion on the ML lately of new
characters, self-insertions, and other things of that ilk. The
topic's a pet peeve/concern of mine, and hence you get the
following essay.
A disclaimer: I make no pretense of being the sole authority
on fanfiction. This is all my opinion, and I reserve the right to
be completely and totally wrong.
********************
So you've decided to write your very own fanfic. You have the
motivation. You have the talent. You have the spare time. You
even have the plot: a mysterious teenager shows up at the
Tendo Dojo one day, and...
Right. Stop right there.
There's nothing wrong with adding a new character to a fic.
All of the greats have done it, to various degrees of success,
and it helps add a bit of uniqueness to the field. However, be
aware that this character will make or break the fic, and if
you do it incorrectly you'll get autodeletes faster than you can
say "Jusenkyo curse".
So how do you make a memorable character? Well, first,
here's what NOT to do.
1. Don't have the fic revolve around the character. This is a
horrible, almost always-fatal mistake. Your audience, as a
rule, doesn't care one fig for the new guy until he grows on
them, and if the plot involves him from the get-go you'll have
your masterpiece consigned to the Great Fanfic Dustheap.
For an example, I offer The More Things Change by RpM, one
of the greats of fanfiction. TMTC contains Ryo Muhoshin, one of
the most famous and memorable new characters, with his very
own fan base and art galleries.
And yet, TMTC and it's sequel are not _about_ Ryo and his
encounters in Nerima. It's a story about Ryouga and Ukyou. Ryo
becomes a major factor in this, true, but it's a gradual
process, and he never quite takes center stage.
2. Why should Ranma & Co care? Your new guy shows up. He
says hi. He's a martial artist. Well, big deal. Ranma & Co have
their own problems, and new martial artists usually mean
trouble. They aren't going to immediately latch on to him,
invite him to stay in the dojo, etc. By doing so, all you're doing
is insulting the reader's grasp of character development.
It's perfectly possible for the Nerima regulars to get to know
a new character. But, as in real life, it takes time.
For that matter, are you even certain you _want_ your
character to be best buddies with Ranma? It smacks of wish-
fulfillment, to be honest, and it limits the plot to some degree.
For a truly original character, try someone who Ranma trusts
just as far as he can throw him, and vice versa. Good guys,
after all, don't have to be on the same side.
3. Play with a handicap. Take a hint from Takahashi herself.
Most, if not all, of her characters have a fatal flaw or two.
Ranma is arrogant and too quick to talk. Ryouga has that little
navigational problem, a quick temper, and is constantly taken
in by Ranma's ploys. Shampoo talks funny and has irritating
mannerisms. Mousse is half blind, and makes a fool of himself
over Shamps.
Perfect characters are boring, folks. I don't wanna read about
a person who's good, nice, caring, considerate, and a decent
martial artist. I want to read about someone like Lardizabal
from DnR, who's an out-and-out rotter at times, can't fight
worth spit while not drunk, and can be truly obnoxious. (Note
that even the author admits, however, that his introduction
could have been handled better.) Or Skeride from Ranma 2096,
who's basically a good person but who'd kill Akane at the drop
of a hat if she found she was a ghost. Even the pros have
trouble with this, at times - ask Richard Lawson about the
comments he got on his initial version of Nouma.
Personality flaws are what bring out the life in a character.
Ability flaws help bring out plot. Would Mousse be as
interesting if he wasn't constantly mistaking hatracks for
humans? Don't be afraid to give your creation a defect that
makes him seem, at times, like an idiot.
Keep in mind that, as a rule, a Jusenkyo curse is NOT a flaw.
It's wish-fulfillment. Admit it, it'd be neat to be able to turn
into something else with a splash of cold water, especially
something impressive, like a hawk or a tiger or a wolf. Bleah.
If you want to give your new guy a curse, make it something
that truly is a detriment. Spring of Drowned Hamster, anyone?
SoD Banana Slug?
4. Why are we here? Don't just have your fellow show up at the
dojo to train. I mean, please, at least make it look like you put
some thought into it. Original characters need motives, and
ones that don't make the audience hit the 'd' key.
Revenge? Well, it's been done. Repeatedly. By Takahashi and
by fanfic writers. If you go this route, take a tip from a master
and examine the introduction of Ryo Muhoshin in TMTC.
Ryo makes his plans. He makes his attack.
He gets the living spit beat out of him. There's no "why are
you doing this? Let's work things out!" No, Ryo gets a royal
thrashing from a very irate Ranma Saotome.
And after the attack, aside from a idle thought or two, no-
one gives much thought or worry to why he tried to kill Ryouga.
Because this is _normal_ in Nerima. Another day, another
wacky villain.
Your motive should fit into the larger plot of the fanfic.
It helps a lot if the character has a tie to Nerima somehow.
One fic featured Kuno's cousin, who was very well presented. It
doesn't need to be a blood tie either: Noriko, in Raph See's fic
Scoop of the Day, is the editor of the Furinkan newspaper. Make
the new character an _old_ one, someone who's been around the
entire series but who we've never seen. One of Nabiki's
henchmen. One of Kuno's Kendoists.
Resist the urge to make the character a tragic figure,
bursting with angst. This, too, is the dreaded wish-
fulfillment, to be avoided at all costs. It's in the same
category as daydreams of how sorry everyone would be if you
died, or went blind. Fine as daydreams go, but don't inflict
them on the rest of us.
5. Power. How much of it should your character have? R1/2 is
a story about martial artists, so it's reasonable to expect that
your new guy might be one himself. But how good?
Well, a lot of the answer to that depends on what sort of
fellow he is. Villains, as a rule, are allowed to be more
formidable. If your character is on the side of the angels,
however, I'd recommend halting his power level around
somewhere between Akane and Ukyou.
Why, you ask? Well... there's something about ultrapowerful
people that get one's teeth on edge. Then too, remember, the
spotlight isn't supposed to be on your new creation. He's
supporting cast, not the star.
In the end, it's hard to pin down specific reasons for limiting
the power level. But the results are there. Readers will
sympathize a lot more with your character if he _isn't_ the
new God of Martial Arts.
In fact, are you even sure you want him to be a martial
artist? Not that there's anything wrong with this, but non-
fighters can be just as dangerous. Ratiko, from Ranma 2096, is
out of shape. Heck, look at Nabiki. She outmaneuvers the cast
on a daily basis without a bit of physical might to back it up.
You want a villain, a scary one? Picture a Nabikilike plotter-
manipulator actively out to make life miserable for the rest of
the cast.
6. Love and Relationships. There are plenty of single,
attractive men and women in the Ranmaverse. It's tempting to
pair up your creation with one.
If you choose to do so, do it over time. Large amounts of
time. If Nabiki is glomping your character by the third or
fourth episode, you're doing something wrong.
Why? Because relationships between a cast member and a
new character are a source of scrutiny by the readers, who
will be waiting to pin the dreaded twin flags of wish-
fulfillment and OOC. The way you avoid this is by making the
relationship as realistic as possible, something that is
unsought for; which begins as friendship and slowly blossoms.
And we do mean _slowly_.
Friendships may, at first, seem less worrisome than a
romance. Don't be fooled by this. Avoid having Ranma and Co
become best buddies with your new guy at the drop of a hat.
Make it clear that although he may be likable enough, most of
them will cheerfully ignore and take advantage of him if the
situation calls for it.
Remember that in the Ranmaverse, your 'friends' have a habit
of trying to kill you, trying to drug you, trying to erase your
memory, etc.
Keep in mind that there are factions at work. If Shampoo
sees the new guy talking with Akane, her first reactions will
be unfavorable. She may even make the Takahashi Martial
Artist Standing High Jump To Conclusions and label the new
guy as a friend of Akane's and, hence, her enemy.
One sign of a poorly-done new character is a lack of people
in the normal cast who aren't friendly towards him. If everyone
likes the new guy, you blew it. Apathy and hostility should be
the rule from this crowd.
7. Self-insertions. This is a genre that requires considerable
care.
Take all the rules above, and escalate them. Extremely.
If you've been picked up and plopped down in the Ranmaverse,
do not give yourself martial arts skills. None. Nil. They won't
do you a whit of good. Even if you have them in real life, edit
them out.
Why? Well, simply because it's ludicrous to expect that you
could beat any of the cast. Or even hold your own.
Let's look at the weakest of the regulars, Tendo Akane. This
is a person who's been training since childhood in an advanced,
family school. She has at very least a black belt, and very
probably several Dan ratings. She breaks bricks with her bare
hands for jollies. Before Ranma came, she defeated multiple
attackers (some of whom were sumo types and kendoists)
every day without them ever posing a serious threat to her.
I don't care that belt you have in real life. Unless people call
you 'sensei' on a regular basis, Akane will wipe the floor with
you. And she's years away from the level of Ranma, Ryouga, and
Shampoo.
Besides, you have an advantage already, that being your
knowledge of the series. Set me down in Nerima with only a
knowledge of Japanese and the clothes on my back, and I could
kill almost every cast member within five days. Face it, folks,
it's a powder keg waiting for a few judicious sparks.
Avoid super powers. Self-insertion is will-fulfillment by
definition, but there's no need to be blatant about it.
A note on Gaijin protagonists. If the character in your story
is one, everyone will automatically assume it to be a self -
insertion. Whether it is or not. Just ask Greg Sandborn.
Self-insertion is best done with a sense of humor. There
should always be a "we're not really serious here, this is a
put-on" air about it. If your fic is funny, people will forgive a
lot. If your character spews drama and angst, well, it's D-key
time.
Never come across as wiser than the cast. It may well be
true, but this irritates the audience to no end. Nobody likes to
see people blow their own horns.
Try to keep romantic entanglements to a minimum. If you
really must have romance, try another original character, or
one of the background ones.
8. In closing. Not all of these rules, of course, are absolute.
Greg Sandborn breaks several of them in Nabiki: New Horizons
and still turns out a first-rate story. However, I humbly
submit that following the above guidelines will produce not
only a better fic than otherwise, but a greater positive responce.
********************
Thanks, Mike !
OK, Mike Loader just told you some of the basics of the original
character. Though intended for the Ranma 1/2 series it also applies
for any series. I once got some really interesting advice concerning
characters to make them memorable from Chris Willmore, that is
make them as weak and psychologically messed up as possible.
This, he says, makes for more interesting characters. Taking a look
at Chris' Ranma 2096 series, the most memorable characters there
have really big .....um..... mental problems. That's what makes them
memorable. Though you could do some other details that would make
the character memorable; a strange hobby like collecting mushrooms
or a distinct quirk like nyctophobia can go along way in making your
character memorable. Remember, a balanced character has both
good and bad traits. If he has a very good skill he also must have a
very big disability, kinda like Ranma's Nekoken.
A subset of the original characters are the villains that you introduce.
Yeah, you can make them bad to the bone like another run of the mill
villain or you could do something to make them more memorable.
And what is that you ask ? Well, let us look at some of the most
memorable fictional villains and I'll show the trait that makes them
that. Hannibal Lecter is a cannibal but he is also a gentleman.Don
Corleone from the Godfather is a person who likes to play with his
grandson and orders horse heads to be put into a person's bed.
Faber in Ken Follet's Eye of The Needle hate's killing women. And
to paraphrase someone's opinion: Lady Macbeth maybe the most
ruthless villainess of all time but she's not all that bad. She has
a conscience. Yeah, it maybe as big as a spot but she still has one.
And that's what makes her more memorable. In her closing speech
as she scrubs her hand trying to get rid of the imaginary spot, she
becomes, for a moment, an object of pity than contempt. In something
closer to home, in Rob Barbra's sidestory to TOS, Mango, one of the
villains slaughters an entire village.All that is left is one single girl.
For a moment, a brief one yet the most powerful in the entire story,
Mango considers adopting the child, raising her and living an ordinary
life away from killing and death. But the rage within Mango returns
and she kills the child, in the most quick and painless way she can.
Now _that_ is a villain.
What does that mean ? Make the reader _like_ the villain, even for
a brief moment give the guy a break and make him show a little
humanity. RpM's Ryo Muhoshin and Mark Doherty's Emerald are
prime examples of this principle for me. I like them, I really can't
help myself but like them. And that applies also with the heroes.
That's what I try to do: Every hero somehow has a small devil on
his shoulder and every villain has a tarnished, sometimes very
tarnished, halo.
OK, I'm making a little section for beginning fic writers. I've noticed
a few common mistakes by newbies, so I think I should help a bit.
One is concerning modifiers, some of you new guys either describe
too much or describe too little.You must learn to strike a balance.
The next one is a common mistake about new characters. When
you right a new character, you're not writing yourself, except if it's
an insert.Yeah, it all begins with the character looking like you then
you'll end up with a thinly veiled otakufic. To practice, write up a
character that's your total opposite. If you're man write a woman.
If you like chocolate, make the character allergic to chocolate. It's
good practice for characteriztions, too. Heh, as a little challenge
to you guys , try writing up a fic with a new character like that.
Anyway, another one is the too quick shifting of viewpoints. If you're
gonna change the POV, at least warn us in advance, with a marker
like this "***************" or "---------------" or whatever you like.
****************************
A Last Dance or In Conclusion
Well, see that place up ahead ? Just set your backpack to the side
and follow me. By the way, give Ryouga his umbrella. He's inside,
playing the piano.
Well, here we are at the very last of our little trip. Do you know what
I'm gonna conclude with ? Well, why we're here of course. It's gonna
take awhile to explain and Ryouga _is_ playing my favorite tune, so
let's dance. Oh, I don't care if you're taller or shorter than me. <snap
fingers> There, were the same height. Just put you hands on my hips
and we'll talk as we dance.
Well,there are many reasons why we're here, but the biggest is we
love anime.We love the flights of fancy they give us, the dreams they
make us envision. The adventures of skimpily skirted girls fighting
evil in the moonlight.The dangers that women in hardsuits in the far
future face. The lives and loves of martial artists in a small district in
Tokyo.
We love all of them in our own weird way. We love to see them face
new dangers, meet new friends in the worlds that some of us create.
There are many ways to love. John Biles and Chris Davies show their
love of them by creating a magnificent world for them to live. The
Eyrie guys and Bert Van Vliet showed their love of them by living
with them. Heck, I bet even Zen and DDFA loved them when they
created their respective dark masterpieces. All of us love them, each
in our own strange and sometimes twisted way, as attested by some
of the character churches I visited on the web.
We wouldn't be here if we didn't love them.We'd be out there,slaving
away in the real world, beyond the realms of fantasy. Away from
the fun we can experience in their company. All of us, I think are
either still children (Yes, I know some of you guys and gals haven't
passed the age of 15) or are still children at heart. That's nothing
to be ashamed of. It's nice to be a child even for a little time, in these
the realms of dreams and beauty. It's nice to see that there are
people out there who still dream.
Well, since we're about to say goodbye to each other, how about a kiss ?
****************************
Smoking In Bed or The Afterword
<sigh>
The Writer's block is still there.
Well, you maybe wondering what brought this on. Must have been
that weird dinner I had. Anyway, you guysmust have noticed the big
time lapse down there ? And where I used Andrew Huang's essays ?
Well, this thing is supposed to be longer. I cut out one big section,
I'll send it out a little while later.
You're asking what it is ? Well, it's the ALSW FFML Author Review & Encyclopedia.
It's ruefully incomplete since I put in only the authors I like. I'll send it out in a little
while, after I polish it and give instructions how to contribute sections to the
encyclopedia.
Anyway, thanks to Mike Loader for the essay.
And Andrew Huang, I think I should qualify for the Anime Overnanalysis page
and can I reproduce your essays for the encyclopedia ?
As Ryoucilo would say ' Until I find better things to write about. Ja ne'
I'm off to sleep.
May 5, 1998 10:03 P.M. - May 6,1998 1:59 A.M.
May 6, 1998 10:30 A.M - May 6,1998 5:29 P.M.
Elsa Bibat,Somewhere in Asia
____________________________________________________________
' Writers are the torchbearers of civilization. We're set in a corner only we
can illuminate.Some of us are searchlights, able to cast a beam into the
far reaches of the human soul.Some of us are candles , barely able to
sustain a glow against the darkness. Nevertheless the words I write
are important, because light is additive. Another's light doesn't diminish
my own. Our lights together make us stronger.'
- (After much paraphrasing and reaaranging) Roger Martin
' ... there's a hell
of a universe next door ; let's go '
e.e. cummings ' Pity the Busy Beast Manunkind '
' How can a person live in a world where she can hear voices only she
can hear and visions that only she can see ?'
- (Paraphrasing) Shirley Jackson
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