Subject: [FFML] Something I dug up...
From: "Doug Murphy" <draxonx@bellsouth.net>
Date: 9/22/1998, 3:36 PM
To:

I think I came up with this system of reviewing about two years ago, but I
looked over it and everything seems in order.  The text that follows is a
guide of sorts to how I review a fanfiction and what I really mean :)

Draxon's Review Corner
Official Review Process
Revision X (Previous Version 6.67)   [Update -- eew, version numbers! Run
away!]

DRCX has just been completed, the criteria for my ratings of a fan fiction
are below�


Story -- How well did the story connect together?  Did it flow smoothly from
beginning to end?  Was it believable?  With my particular system the ratings
are as follows.

10 -- Flawless and superior.  I have read two fan fictions that I would rate
here in the past year.  The third is out there, somewhere, waiting for me to
review.

9 -- Excellent.  This rises above the standard fiction, with a deep and
involving plot.  This is usually the rating of a skilled and natural writer.

7-8 -- Two levels of standard.  Although it may generally be considered bad
to make a 7 in a ten point system; it is not.  Many fictions will fall
within the 7 and 8 bracket in storyline.

1-6 --  The story lacked several things, which I will mention in my
comments.  I will give constructive criticism, and always try to keep all
comments positive.  Be noted that my writing would usually score a five on
this scale; so there will be no 'looking down' upon anyone.  Also, let it be
noted that the difference between 6 and 7 is small, and a 6 can become a 7
with minor changes (the same is true for every rating and the rating above
it, save 9 and 10.  Perfect fan fictions are hard to come by)

Subsections of Story

Humor -- Will only be applied to fictions with some comical content.  A fan
fiction dealing with the death of the main characters loved ones, best
friends, and the struggle for him/her to recover will not have a rating
here.

Drama  -- Will apply nearly all fictions that are not completely geared
toward comedy (some Ranma 1/2 reviews will be missing this rating)  This is
on the build to a climax -- specifically dealing with the near-climax
moments of the fan fiction, and areas where the characters are experiencing
tough times physically or mentally.

Originality -- Was this the start of the new wave or was this plagiarism?
All fan fictions  will have this rating.  I realize that totally new ideas
can be hard to come by, but how the story is handled will make a large
difference in this rating.

Realism -- HOW many bullets did Priss take before standing back up and
fighting with some unknown attacker?  This is a 'could it happen' scale.
Note that this will not apply to some comedy oriented fan fictions .  This
rating (unless noted otherwise) will usually cover combat scenes or some
type of physical conflict.


Characterizations  --  Was everything IC?  If the characters were OOC, was
there a good reason?  Ratings go as follows.

10 -- Legendary.  This could be used as the plot for an OAV or an episode of
the series it is based off of.  An example here would be Alternate History
of Ranma 1/2: Part One by Hitomi Ichinohei (which was a novelization of the
events of part one of the Ranma � Manga, before Hitomi started spicing
things up in the following parts)

9 -- Excellent. I saw only a few character deviations, but they seemed
necessary to the plot, and were very minor.

7-8 Standard.  The characters are basically the same as they are in the
Anime/Manga, but have made some minor changes.  Some discrepancies are seen
to accommodate the plot.  As with above, most fictions will fall into this
bracket.

1-6 Can improve.  I will point out character discrepancies and errors to the
author, and suggest ways to correct them.  Note that I will not always be
right, and if I make an error (Example: Bubblegum Collapse, I said that the
Knight Sabers were OOC a tad rampant in some areas.  Stormwalker promptly
pointed out that I might not have considered the events of Bubblegum
Collision changing the characters) simply tell me, and if I see merit in
your counter C&C, you will probably gain a point.

Grammar  This deals with the technical flaws that are present in nearly
every fan fiction.  Here I will give points on the good and bad things an
author did with his/her spacing, indention�s, spelling, etc.  I will not,
however, dig through a fan fiction and find every tiny error (unless
specifically asked to do so and given due credit in the 'Thanks' listing at
the end of the fan fiction  :)

[-- Update, now when I read a fanfiction I copy/paste errors into a seperate
file and keep a record of them for private reporting to the author.]

10 -- Legendary. This type of fan fiction  has generally had internal
editing done to it.  The author checked it over several times while in
development, and had assistance from outside sources in checking for errors.
If not, I don't want to know how long the writer of this fan fiction
strived for perfection.

9 -- Above Average.  Refined and skilled writers will make it here as well.
I may have found some minor errors, but they were small and did not affect
the fan fiction at all.

7-8 -- Standard.  This is average.  At this point I may have seen some more
noticeable errors, but they are expected in most people's writing and easily
fixed once noticed.

1-6 Below average.  If you scored here, changing your formatting and running
a spell check are probably necessary.  I will point out several types of
errors and recommend what type of medkit to use. Note that the difference
between 6 and 7 is minimal, 6 can easily become a 7 (one fix may be all it
takes)

Grammar Subsystems

Descriptions  How well could a reader visualize your fan fiction?

10 -- Legendary.  Every little detail is written with SVGA graphics.
Perfect.

9 -- Excellent.  This is what you might expect from one of our lists better
writers after a lot of work.

7-8 -- Standard fare.  What you would expect from most people on the list.
Some areas may be written like "Priss fired her railgun, downing another
boomer." and will be noted.  Generally, however, scenes are well written
with colorful descriptions.

1-6  Below Average.  This lacked many descriptive elements that can make or
break a fiction.  I will point out the general problem areas and try to help
the writer effect solutions that could change the whole view of the fan
fiction.  As usual, note that a 6 is easily a 7 with minor changes.

NOTE - I have received mail from the FFML written by some people that think
�Over-description� is a bad thing and is used by writers who are covering
their weaknesses. (It is months [update - years] old now)  I tend to love
fan fictions that are described to every last detail.  Keep this in mind
when reading one of my reviews - If I give a 10 here you may not like the
�excessive� level of description.  Keep in mind, however, that I also apply
this to description of emotions.

Overall:  How I feel about the fan fiction in general.  I cannot give a
direct ranking system here as the basis on my opinions of fan fictions  will
probably be different each time I read them.

Draxonx@bellsouth.net
Currently debating which fanfics to begin reviews on as he finishes the
outline of ADD chapter 4.