Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1998 14:38:48 +0000
From: Brandon Wallace <ranmakun@uswest.net>
To: ffml@fanfic.com
Subject: Re: [FFML] [Essay]  About Self-insertion

Ouch!  I was thinking about doing a S.I. fic myself but now I'm not so
sure.  In the rough copy I am inter mingled

Quick nitpick: intermingled, not inter mingled or inter-mingled (unless 
you have a smaller screen or for some dumb reason your writing program 
does that).

with the cast and the story
does NOT revolve around me, but still...  I am going to finish it
though.  Ouch.....
Selonian

Hey, hey, hey, hey!  No need to do that!  Just because some people say 
things doesn't mean you have to listen.  With an S.I. fanfic, I have to 
agree that it should be just focused on you entirely, unless it's a 
first person, where we see things through your eyes.
  Remember this, the story must FIRST please you because if you don't 
like the story, who will?
  You are the harshest critic you are ever going to have.  Run through 
the story as if you had never seen it before and were reading it for the 
first time.  See if you can spot the type-os that might get caught by 
others.  And most importantly, never give up because someone tells you 
to.  
  And do it in a format that YOU like.  I've written about eight S.I.s 
now (most not yet available to the public yet), and I've preferred to 
take a first-person sort of approach.
  Lastly, I know I'm not invincible and I put that into my writing.  If 
I'd feel depressed about something, my character feels depressed.  If 
I'd feel good, my character feels good.  If I'd make a comment, my 
character might think the comment if it's for his health.  The person in 
the story IS you, so make them as much of YOU as you can.  Reflections 
of the writer is what people get normally, so don't be afraid to reflect 
some of your own emotions into the story.  Just because Sebastion 
comments on people getting too angsty is his opinion and his alone.  He 
has no right to reply for a group, unless said group is standing right 
next to him telling him to reply for them.

Ben McCrillis
Goofball
Novice Paladin of Ucchan
Proud S.I.
Author

reply at akun15@hotmail.com if you have any questions on being an S.I. 
or would like a review of an S.I. story.

  Just because it's a S.I. doesn't mean it can't be good!  Some of the 
best writers are thinly disguised S.I.s anyway!  So what if they take 
centerstage?  If it's a first person perspective or if the story is 
funny, who cares?  It's the story itself that matters, not who's in the 
spotlight!  Look at Sailor Moon, is Sailor Moon ALWAYS in the scenes?  
Is she ALWAYS helping everyone out?  Look at Tenchi Muyo, is _Tenchi_ in 
every scene?  Is _Tenchi_ the only one in the spotlight?  Maison Ikkoku, 
Ranma 1/2, Dragon Ball Z, Ninja Scroll, Neon Genesis Evangelion.  Is 
there one single character who ALWAYS on the screen? No!  So, stop 
whining just because an S.I. wants to do what we're all here to do, 
write! - Ben McCrillis, Master of Ranting.

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