Well, I'm back. With a restored home address and
a fixed stomach, I'll finish this before I start on my fics.
Note:
All thoughts put into this essay/rant are opinions.
Which means I also have the right to be wrong. That also
means that some people will probably dispatch death squads
for disagreeing with them.
******************************************************************
A LONG STRANGE WALK....AGAIN
OR
A LONG RANT AFTER A LONG HOSPITAL
STAY
by
Elsa Bibat, Fanfic Writer and Agent of the Shadow !!!
******************************************************************
Well, hello once again. To those who joined the FFML since the last
one of these came out, I think I should introduce myself. My name is Elsa
Bibat, former active fanfic reviewer and intermittent fanfic writer a.k.a. The
Lady Who Tried To Review Every Fanfic That Came Out, Was She Crazy ?
I am also an agent of that intrepid and mysterious opponent of crookdom:
The Shadow !!! (I've been reading the stash of pulps I found, does it show ?)
Aaaanyway, new members who don't know what this is all about can go
to the A Long Strange Walk Webpage at the following URL:
http://members.tripod.com/nekohanten/
Checked it out ? Good. I am once again in the throes of Writer's Block
which is quite irritating since I was hoping to finish my fics and send them out
to face the world. But I've got my stomach to blame for that, since it sent me to
the hospital recently. Let me apologize first to everyone that needs apologizing
to okay ?
So, to Curtiss Nelson, I'm sorry that I haven't preread the latest part of Night
Sabers, can you please send it over again ? To Chad Yang, a young man who
wanted my services from the Comment Patrol, I'll get around to your fic, just give
me a little time, OK ? To a few other authors out there, names I've forgotten due
to the long time away from my e-mail terminal, sorry for everything, I'll try to play
catch-up.
Still here ? Thanks for waiting for me. Anyway, this year I'll be ranting about fics
and fic writing again. I went over the basics last year. This year I'll try to cover
new ground. Well, as new as it can get.
Time to walk, then.
********************************
It All Begins With An Idea
or
What if Ranma fell into the Pool of the Drowned Fanfic Author ?
It's been said that, everyone has at least one good story in him/her.
That's true. I think everyone on this ML has experienced that moment
of inspiration, when a something slams into the brain's synapses and
lo and behold !, a story idea.
Let's concentrate on that idea shall we: What is it about ? What
needs to get done ? Who are the cast members of this piece of coordinated
insanity ? Is it feasible ? Is it logical ? Will it work ? The last three questions
is the most important. For bloody Serenity's sake, why the hell write about
a Quake/Ranma 1/2 crossover ? a Urotsukidoji/ Sailormoon crossover ?
a fic about how Kuno found religion and became a T.V. evangelist ?
Now, let's follow that idea. For some, those who don't think they can write
it or don't have the time, the idea dies an early death. It flounders on the
consciousness' muddy banks and just plain dries up. The person thinks that he
can't write it or he won't have the time.
For others, that idea has a slow death. It gets bounced around in the head
a few times and it disappears. Some people send it off to the FFML to see what'll
happen. And sometimes that idea becomes a fanfic.
Now let's look at that idea as it becomes a fanfic. Some people just sit down
and try to write that idea down. I sometimes imagine John Walter Biles just sitting
down and writing "Putting Your Heart In The Right Place", probably one of the best
debut works I've ever read. They just plow through, letting the idea dance in the
theater of the mind, showing them what to write.
Some people plan it. Yes, plan it. They get down and write an outline, a
skeletal framework. That's me. I put up the skeleton then I give the fic it's flesh.
Sometimes, I have to take bone out, but I almost always follow the skeleton. I
work on the opening then a scene strikes me for the finale then I scoot over to
the ending and write it. That's probably one of the reasons I don't finish my fics
on time.
As we discuss the idea, we also touch on two of the subjects that are related
to it: Plagiarism and Originality. Now, originality in the fanfic scene today is a
very hard thing to do. Most of the major series have all had the story possibilities
sucked out of them. Though Mark Page's "Usagi is Dead" and a few other recent
works by several authors break new ground, there is still the fact that most story
ideas are raised from the dead and run to the ground, to be raised again and be
run to the ground again. There are a few ways to avoid the originality trap. Write
a fanfic about a series which people don't usually use for fanfics. If you're the only
writer in the series then you're very original. The other is putting a twist to old ideas
or giving it a new treatment.
Plagiarism is another subject that strikes home to the fanfic writer. Admittedly,
it is sometimes tempting to just "borrow" from existing works. My advice, repeated
often, is don't. Ripping off someone else's work will just lead you to being ostracized
by the fanfic community in general. If you want to use story elements by other authors,
at least get permission. Most authors are flattered if you ask to use their story elements,
and would let you use them, as long as the asking party could assure the quality of
the fic that they'd be used in. If you really can't help it do what I do: don't distribute it.
Some of the fanworks on my hard drive would get me into trouble with some outstanding
members of the fanfic community, I just don't distribute them since I wrote them for my
personal enjoyment.
<sigh> Another reason why I don't finish my other fanfics on time. ^_-
*****************************
You Really Wanna Write ?
or
The Making of Ranma Saotome and the Temple of the Golden Wombat
Okay, you've been on the FFML for a few months and you've read a few fics.
It seems easy enough, besides you've got this great idea and all you need is a
keyboard to get crackin', right ?
EEEEEEYYYYYYNNNNNNNNGGGGG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is the beginner's trap. Beginner's works are either moderately good or are
bad enough to deserve an Oscar, and I'm not talking about the Academy Awards.
There are exceptions of course, but it seems to be a rule that most beginner works
suck. Hey, I think my early work sucks and I think most fanfic authors would agree
that their early works sucked. Hell, I think my current work sucks, but a lot less
than my early ones.
Writing fanfics aren't as easy as they look. It takes a lot of work and practice.
I'll discuss a few pointers for the beginner before we start on the fic writing discussion
itself. Let's begin with pointer number one: language usage.
If you want to write a fic you better know at least high school English. That
means both grammar and spelling. I'm not saying you have to have perfect grammar
and spelling. Just enough to be understandable. You have to have a good command
of the language before writing anything in it. For punctuations, all you have to know
is how to use these four symbols : . , ? , ! and ". If you aren't sure about your grammar,
follow a simple rule that all language teachers I know teach, play it by ear. Meaning
read it aloud. If it doesn't seem to make sense, rewrite the sentence or paragraph.
Language also means the usage of Japanese or whatever language you've got to
show off. My advice is use them if you think you need them, just as long as you know
the language you're using. Japanese is a good example of this. In the Japanese language
there are differing levels of politeness used. "Iku", the Japanese word for come can
be ikimasu, iku, itte or ike, depends if you're addressing a superior or a subordinate or
you're an educated person or a common street thug.
Next pointer: begin small. Most beginning fanfic writers make that mistake of
trying for an epic immediately, only to find themselves disappointed or discouraged.
Try to work on small works first, one-shots , 50-75 kb or 5 - 10 chapter fics first before
trying for the 200-400 kb range. This also helps build up your fanbase and makes
your name known. Besides, you don't have to make epics to be recognized. Look at
Ryoucilo, the sterling example of a writer who just writes and writes short humorous
pieces but gets himself recognized anyway. Remember, size doesn't matter except
if you're Godzilla. Quality is what counts. Once, you think you've honed yourself enough
in shorts, go for the big ones.
Now that you've seen my general pointers, let's go on to the main part, 'kay ?
As most of you who have taken literature classes or have at least passed through
the English subject in high school knows, a story is comprised of several elements:
setting, character, plot, theme, conflict, language and style. All of them are self-explanatory.
I'm just going to put my comments about the above elements.
Setting is easy. It's the, for lack of a better word, the setting, where all the action
goes on. Place and time period are most usually associated with this, but let's add another
dimension to it. The setting you make for your fic is your universe, unless you're sharing it
with someone else. That means you determine the rules, physics and everything. That
means if you think Ranma and his friends can die by getting shot, then it goes. Why ?
Because, you're in charge. _You_ determine what's good for _your_ story. But this doesn't
mean that you can totally ignore some of the natural laws such as gravity and etc., you're
just in charge of the elements of the setting that affect your story.
The setting also has an effect on the story you're writing. Make sure the way
you descirbe your settings and locales fit with the genre you're playing around with. For
example, writing a dark fic, emphasize the dark side of things. Choose the write description
to give the right atmosphere. For a more concrete example of this, let's fish around in my
fic archive , 'kay ?
We came upon the glassed in room that housed all the newborns. Row
after row of hospital cribs filled the sterile sanctuary. However, only
a couple of them were filled. Two, to be precise. Mine, and the other
guy who had just been called not more than ten minutes ago.
I scanned the name tags latched on the baby cribs. My eyes fell on
mine first, which instantly drew my gaze upward. I looked upon
perfection at that moment. There's that instant where the whole world
vanishes, and all that remains is you and your child. A baby boy. So
innocent looking, yet quiet and determined, like his old man. A
powerful wash of pride the likes of which I had never felt transcended
my being. Every fibre that made what was me became electrified. I
inhaled deeply, suddenly loving the anticeptic odor of the hospital. I
blinked back the few tears that threatened to escape my eyes. This was
the greatest moment of my life, absolute and unchallanged.
-Philip Masters, "Father"
Released 11/17/97
I cut and pasted without modification to show you newbies something. Even
with the few spelling and punctuation mistakes, it brings the emotion across. The
way the setting is described gives the reader a sense of what Soun Tendo feels
as he is about to see his baby daughter, Kasumi, for the first time. It also brings
up another point that I'd like to make. No matter the grammar or language mistakes,
if it's still understandable and it can bring the emotion across those little mistakes
will be ignored. That is what newbies should aim for: to be understood.
Next element: Character, another very important part of the fanfic author's
writing. People keep on complaining about IC and OOC, FFML parlance for In-
Character and Out-Of-Character, characterizations. These discussions sometimes
get out of hand and another pile of shit gets dumped on the FFML. My only say
in this is no one except for the original creator of the characters we're borrowing can
do an IC characterization. Most fan authors' characterizations are colored by their
prejudice and other factors. The best we can hope for is by being faithful to the
character's traits from the anime or the manga we got them from.
For example, Ranma, from what I can see from his characterization is
arrogant, insensitive and stubborn. He is also determined, courageous and tries to
be as honorable as possible. That is my characterization, others may disagree but
that's how I see it. That's how most fanfic authors go about in their characterizations,
their own views and and extrapolations, which can cause a few problems for some
characters.
Haruka Ten'ou from Sailormoon is one of those characters. Let's dip into my
fic archive again, shall we ?
"I have reached a decision," Serenity said, her voice wavered slightly.
The room immediately became quiet as all looked to their Queen. Taking a
breath, she started again, "I can not interfere in this trial." She
gazed around the room and noted that Haruka, in particular, was looking
rather pleased with that information, "I, as a matter of duty and honor,
can not stop due process, no matter what the circumstances are that
surround the case." She saw that Minako was scowling and added, "We are
not under martial law, nor in a state of war. I must abide by our laws."
<Gomen nasai, Sako-chan.> She sank back slightly. She hated feeling
helpless but she could do nothing.
"Elder Venus, as Senshi Commander, we wish you to be the presiding
judge," Endymion decreed. This wasn't unusual in these types of
proceedings rare though they may be.
"Yeah right!" Haruka snorted, "She won't be able to try this case
impartially." <She'll probably just let her go on some technicality...>
Minako turned and stared incredulously at Haruka. She opened her mouth
to say something but the only thing to come out was a squeaking sound;
she was just too astonished. Endymion put his hand on Serenity's arm,
his wife had started to rise. After she had taken her seat, he said,
"Elder Uranus, as you know, the law decrees that three Elder Senshi sit
as judges. We feel that Elder Venus will be able to be objective." He
looked questioning at Minako.
"Hai, Your Majesty, I will be objective." She then sent a glare at
Haruka, "Who will be the other two?"
"Elder Mercury and Elder Mars," Serenity replied, "We feel that they are
the best qualified to serve as the associate judges." Ami and Rei looked
up and nodded. Serenity looked around the room, "Who among you will
prosecute?"
"I will, Your Majesty," Haruka quickly answered with some jubilation.
She was going to enjoy prosecuting this case. "I will also say now for
the record that the State will be seeking the Death Penalty on all
charges."
- Douglas Helm, "Tales of Younger Venus # 11"
Released 11/18/97
That is one of the unfavorable characterizations of Haruka. Doug
doesn't like Haruka much, does he ? Not that I'm bashing him, but one
of the things I hate is unbalanced characterization. If you're going to show
the bad side, please give a show of the good side. Now, let's see a Haruka
fan characterize her:
"Mother, Father, this is my friend Ten'ou Haruka-san,"
she whispered softly. She didn't look up from her
bowed position. The gravesite lapsed into silence
again.
Several more minutes passed. Usually it was so easy
for her to speak with her parents. Why was she finding
it difficult to do so today? Was it because Haruka was
here? Yes, that was the reason. She tried to pin down
the feeling within her. Guilty, she was feeling guilty.
Haruka was more than just a friend, she was like a
sister. She pushed that idea aside. It was
presumptuous of her to consider Haruka like a sister.
She looked up startled when she heard Haruka speak.
"Mr. and Mrs. Kino, it is an honor to meet you both,"
her head was bowed in respect. She looked up and
addressed the headstones as though her parents where
standing before her there.
"I came here today to thank you for raising such a fine
lady as Makato-san." Her heart leaped at Haruka's use
of such an honorific suffix. "I have only gotten to
know her for a few short years, but in that time I have
seen the results of such good parentage. You would
surely be proud of her. I am proud of her. She has
faced some very difficult situations maturely."
Haruka stopped speaking.
She looked over at the woman she admired so much. The
idea of Haruka thinking of her with such high regards
made her want to jump for joy.
"Mr. and Mrs. Kino, you have brought Makato-san so far,
and she carried herself even further, but this is not
enough."
Her spirits dampened. Did Haruka not approve of her
after all?
Haruka paused to take a cleansing breath before
continuing, "She is lacking in some areas. Things, I'm
certain, that would have never been neglected had you
lived to instruct her."
Her heart fell to her shoes. Haruka didn't think highly
of her at all. She was lacking. She was such a fool to
think Haruka would ever consider someone like her as an
equal.
"And so, I ask your permission to adopt Makato-san into
our family. There are three of us now, she would be a
welcome addition to our home. I have already discussed
it with my partner and our roommate, everyone is agreed
on the idea."
She prevented her jaw from falling open. "Haruka-san?"
she stuttered in surprise.
Haruka's eyes met hers and held firm. "During the last
month, I've watched you. I've noticed how you have been
accepting guidance from Michiru." She looked off into
the distance. "I never had any siblings, but I've come
to think of you as a younger sister to me. Does that
disturb you?"
She swallowed the growing lump in her throat. This
couldn't be real. Haruka couldn't want her to join
their family.
"Setsuna has already prepared a room for you if you
wished to move in. Or you could stay at your apartment
if that makes you more comfortable. What matters is
that we will be there for you," Haruka smiled at her.
She couldn't resist the feeling within her anymore. She
flung herself at the taller woman and tightly hugged her.
"I've never had a sister, but I would love to consider
you as one," she smiled up at her. Haruka gently wiped
away a tear on her cheek.
"I feel the same way Mako-chan. We have sacrificed our
old bonds. Now it is time to form new ones," Haruka
hugged her protectively.
"I think I would like to stay in my apartment," she
answered after a few moments of thought. "But if I
could visit on occasion..."
"We will have a room ready for you. Please don't be
afraid to make use of it or the shoulder of one of us,"
she grinned at her. It was a charming smile that filled
her in a way nothing had before. Haruka had opened up
to her and invited her in for future visits.
Makato looked over to her parents' grave before saying,
"Thank you, oneesan."
- Amanda Anderson, "Family"
Date of Archive Acquisition 6/8/98
See the reeeaaaalllyy biiiiiig difference ? It's as if she was a saint.
But it's just a snippet, the fic's a lot more balanced as a whole.
Now, my advice about characterization is simple. Make it balanced.
Never make Ukyou, a saint or Akane, Evil Incarnate. Except if your story
really has to have an extreme characterization. Always remember, balance
is the way to go. That goes the same for the original characters, or you'll
end up with a thinly veiled Self-Insert. Everyone has a good and bad side,
even villains of the piece, unless of course we're talking about the
stereotypical totally evil villain. But it would be better if you show everyone's
good and bad side. For example, I cite once again, Emerald, Mark
Doherty's greatest creation from his fic "I'm Here to Help". For a more evil
example, we'll take someone made by Dan Simmons for his horror novel
Carrion Comfort, Anthony "Tony" Harod. He's a rapist, mind-controller and
totally disgusting. But, midway through the novel, Simmons made me want
him to survive the novel. I'm not spoiling it for you, go out and borrow a copy.
By the time the novel ends, you pity the guy. That's characterization. Now
let's move on.
Plot is the skeleton of the fic, so is probably the most important
part. It's what makes the fic what it is. It is also entwined with two other
elements, Character and Conflict. The two are the ones that drive the plot
forward. A plot progresses from beginning to end by the virtue of either
conflict or the characters. The plot, to quote in my best English teacher
voice, "is a sequence of episodes or incidents that comprise a story".
Whether it be a comedic piece or a dramatic sketch, it has a plot.
No, not has, _needs_ a plot. A story is nothing more than a collection of
vignettes and anecdotes, incidents without relationship with each other
without a plot. To illustrate what a plot is I'll use the oldest example in the
book: Boy meets Girl, Boy loses Girl, Boy gets Girl. Don't be fooled, it's
much more complicated than that. It's the simplest plot in the book, not a
true plot yet but just a ... outline of a plot. To make it into a plot, we fill
in the gaps between the three: what happens, why does Boy lose Girl, how
Boy gets Girl, the mental anguish, the romance etc. etc. That's what
romance writers do. They base it on that simple plot above, twisting it around
sometimes, giving it a few embellishments, reversing roles, putting in the
supporting characters like the Jealous Suitor, Overprotective Mother, Wandering
Martial Artist and a thousand other Character archetypes. Trust me, I wrote
six of them.
As I mentioned above, two things drive the plot: the characters in the
story and the conflicts. Conflict is best described as the problem in the story. It
creates the tension, the suspense, the challenge to be surmounted. Traditional
teachers class these conflicts as: Man against Man, Man against God or gods,
Man against Nature and Man against Himself. For us, the fanfic authors, these
conflicts can be seen in Ranma up against another opponent, Ranma up against
the Shadowcat in Hearts of Ice, Ranma in a coma and trying to wake up in James
Bateman's Between a Rock and a Hard Place and Ranma trying to deal with
his feminine self in Thy Outward Part. There is always a central conflict that is
either resolved or unresolved at the end, along the way lesser conflicts can be seen
in the fic. Dance of Shiva's plot is like that. A dozen or so lesser problems and
challenges that culminate in an explosive three chapter finale: The Dance of SHIVA
itself.
Plot also depends on three things: Causality, Unity and Complications.
I've already discussed complications, under it's other name as conflict so let's
skip that. Causality is the fact that every incident in the plot is connected to each
other, set together like a watch. The gear turns, pushing a latch, etcetera, my
metaphor meaning that it's like a line of falling dominoes, a chain reaction. Each
step being a logical progression of the preceding one. Example, in Alan Harnum's
Waters Under Earth, Cologne kidnaps Nodoka, logically Ranma will try to rescue
her. How do we know he'll rescue her ? Because Ranma loves his mother and it's
part of his honor system. That's causality. To make the plot more logically progressive,
use foreshadowing and try to use the characterizations to your advantage, like our
little Ranma example. Also always remember Anton Chekhov's rule: If a gun shows
up in Act One, it better go off before the play ends.
Unity is the third element of the plot. This describes the entire fic. It must be
mesh with each part, both character-wise and continuity-wise. Continuity-wise means
that a character suddenly changes the color of his shirt in the middle of the scene or
someone that died in an early part comes back, hale and hearty, with absolutely no
rhyme or reason. Character-wise, it means that the characters are consistent in their
characterizations, meaning no illogical actions or doing something that they won't do.
Everything should move the plot forward or develop the character in some way. It's a
cardinal law, us authors break at one point or other, that the line of the story should
never be broken, muddied up or twisted to fit some external factor, like a sermon or
a battle sequence or to chop up a few more body parts.
With all of this, the plot isn't complete yet. Pacing and Point of View are important
parts, too. Pacing is how fast the story goes from incident to incident. The pace depends
mostly on what effect you're trying to get across, for introspective parts and other emotional
sequences, a nice, slow pace is needed sometimes. For breakneck action, go for an
action movie-type pace, going from scene to scene like a John Woo movie. The pacing is
very important, for an example of this let's look at Moby Dick. Ahab's battle with the great
white whale is fifty pages long, but it works. If it were any shorter it would have fallen flat.
For a more fanficish example, let's see Andrew Huang's "I Musn't Run Away". Shinji kisses
Asuka and time seems suddenly to stop as thoughts go running through his head. If Andrew
had hurried it, the emotional effect would have been lost.
Point of view is next. It has great bearing on the plot since this is how the plot is
set before the reader. First person and Second person views limits the reader's information
to one person, while Third person gives the reader the big view. To those confused, a simple
example. Shampoo crashing through the wall, first person, Shampoo's POV:
Ranma must be hungry already. It's almost lunchtime,
and I just bet that Akane prepared poison for him again. Hmmph !
Why does the girl even bother anyway ? Everyone knows that
Ranma loves me. He lets me hug him all the time, doesn't he ?
I pedal faster as I see where my husband goes to school.
How surprised he'll be by the ramen I prepared for him. As I reach
the edge of the wall, I pull up and give a strong push to the ground.
I love the feel of the wind as passes through my hair ! I
ting the bell as I hit the wall, my momentum and a little assistance
from a hard punch send it crashing inward. I land with a smile
in front of my husband's chair, a smile on my face. Even though,
I've stayed a long time here in Japan, I still can't speak the language
like Great-grandmother does, no matter how I study. So I try to tell
him in my best Japanese why I'm here.
"Shampoo bring food for, Airen !"
It ain't a classic but it's just an example. First person lends itself well to character
insights and bringing across emotion to the reader. But it's hard as hell to write if you don't
understand the character. Let's try Second person, same thing:
You pedal harder on the bike as you see the white walls
of the school in the distance. You are Shan Pu, a Joketsuzoku
warrior and you're bringing your husband his lunch.
You balance the bicycle on the thin walls that surround
the school, as you look for your husband's room. You see his
profile on a third story window and your heart leaps out in joy.
You turn and accelerate faster, preparing for a jump to reach
where your love is sitting. A push from one of your powerful legs
and you are in flight.
You feel the wind in your hair and see the wall that you
aimed for getting nearer. You ting the bell on your bicycle's
handbar as it reaches within striking range. You lash out with a
powerful punch and the bike's force as it crashes into it, collapses
it inward.
You smile beatifically as you stop in front your husband,
unmidful of the stares that you're getting and his other fiancees'
angry looks. You announce why you're here.
"Shampoo bring food for, Airen !"
Creepy, innit ? That's why almost nobody uses this POV, since the reader can't
empathize with the viewpoint character. Third person is easy. It's what you usuall see in
fics. Okay, same scene now in Third person:
Shampoo races towards her goal on her delivery
bicycle. She goes faster as she sees her destination:
Furinkan High.
The bike goes even more faster as she sees her
airen in a window. As she reaches a part over twenty feet
away from him, a powerful leg push sends her into flight.
A beatific smile is on her face as the wind caresses
her hair. She tings her bell as she nears the wall. A punch
and a bicycle crash later, she's in front of Ranma, smile
still on her face. Akane and Ukyou glare daggers at her as
she announces her intentions.
"Shampoo bring food for, Airen !"
That's straight third person. Most people use the omniscient view, a much
more elaborate version of third person, since it's easy and I advise that you use it too
because the person-views are a bit hard to write. As always, being the author it's
your choice of what POV to use for maximum effect.
Another piece of advice that realted to POV: change paragraph or section every
viewpoint person change, to help the reader who the hell's thinking. That goes the same
for dialogue. Example:
"Just great. Of all the times she could've picked to come
visit." Ranma glanced furtively over his shoulder. The rooftop was
still abandoned, except for him and Akane. "It's bad enough having to
hide every time she comes over, but this is..." He trailed off,
slamming a fist lightly against the roof tiles.
Akane shrugged. "I guess it can't be helped."
"I don't like having to keep secrets."
"But if she'd kill you because--"
"Stupid old man and his -stupid- promises!" The fist slammed
down again, cracking a tile this time. Ranma didn't notice. "Man, I
hate this..."
Akane tried to cheer him up. "Don't worry, Ranma. I'm sure
it will only be a few days. We'll find a way to switch back, your
mother will go home, and everything will be back to normal."
- Scott Schimmel "Soulmates #2"
Released 10/3/97
Look at that. You aren't confused at who's talking or who's doing what. Though it is
up to personal preference if you want to do it like that, it's much easier on the reader's eyes
and makes the fic look cleaner if you fix it properly.
Okay, next comes language and style. Language, I've already discussed a bit in
the beginning, so I'll concentrate on style first. Style is the author's wrting voice, it's the way
he/she writes, the way he/she describes actions and events in the fic. For this let's
have a little game. It's called Guess the Author. All you have to do is guess the name of
the author of a scene. I'll rate you afterwards and remember no cheating.
1. He whirled around, pivoting on one foot, while simultaneously lashing out
with both arms as he turned, neatly smashing a perfectly usable board into
so much matchsticks. The Temple's courtyard was a great place to practice.
Roomy, peaceful and plenty of places to put up targets. There was only two
problems with it. First, it made him feel a little homesick practicing like
this. He hadn't gotten any letters from home since he left the dorm, it made
him miss them a bit. He usually practiced with his sisters back in the dojo
at home. He wondered idly to himself how they were doing... he grinned a
little and wondered what they'd think of his current living arrangements if
they ever found out. They'd probably tease him about it.
The other problem, was that he always felt as if he were being watched. He
supposed that could just be paranoia, after all, this WAS a temple, and who
knew what spirits still lived here. But the feeling that he was being
watched always nagged him while he was practicing... Then again, that was
hardly surprising. Since he was usually being watched while he did his routines.
2. Suddenly a flash of silvery fire flickered in his peripheral vision.
He turned to see a bright light, carrying some sort of shape along with
it. *Danger,* his mind flashed. He quickly moved to an attack stance
automatically, ready to maim or kill whoever tried to stop him -
Stop it! Stop thinking that way!
But he knew he would always be a bit like that. There would always
be a part of him that was a killing machine. He didn't have to like it,
though.
3. After getting off of work, Nene walked up the steps to her
apartment. To her surprise, the door was ajar. She tensed. Could be a
burglar. She could hear her TV playing inside and she KNEW she hadn't
left that on. Good thing Lt. Yamano has us carrying guns all the time
now, she thought. She got out her pistol. She heard the familiar theme
music of Magical Princess Evangelia playing.
She kicked the door open and charged in, pistol ready, right as the
TV started to play an ad. "Come see Aino Minako, seiyuu for Princess
Rei, at the Northridge Mall this saturday from 9-12! She'll be
signing autographs and some lucky fan will get the complete Aino Minako
Video collection. That's right, the entire runs of Sailor V, Dread Space
Pirate Bailesu, Dragon Ball PDQ, Hime-chan no Anvil, Dirty Pair
Ultrakawaii Flash, and The first three seasons of Magical Princess
Evangelia!"
4.
Iason stood on the bridge of the Wing of Aphrodite, watching Earth
pull away on the viewscreen. Destination: the Moon.
He was excited, and still a little dumbfounded. He had a talent for
fighting, yes, but he would never have guessed--
"Hey...what's...over there...." He pointed.
With that, the fall of the Silver Millenium began. And within two
minutes, it all ended for Iason Porakos.
------------------------------------------------
Ryoku stared in absolute horror at the explosion....
Chunks of concrete flew outward....
His mother, father, sister fell....
He fell....
And before he lost consciousness, he saw a flash of colors.
"I am the beautiful sailor-suited warrior...."
Too late. Damn you. Too late.
5. The room was very quiet. That was something that Ryouga took notice
of. He could hear some children playing in the distance, but for the most
part he didn't hear much. There was the breathing of course, but he tried
to block it out.
He tried not to think about the fact that he was lying in bed with a
married woman. There was also the fact that her husband and son were very
strong martial artists and would in all likelyhood rip him limb from limb
if they ever heard of what happened.Unfortunately that was all that he was
thinking about. Ryouga's brain processed the whole situation and turned up
with an answer.[This is not good.]
---
Nodoka woke up to find Ryouga already dressed and heading for the door.
She asked from where she was lying on the bed,"Where are you going?"
Ryouga turned around and smiled,"Uh..well I thought I would leave before
your husband gets here."
"Oh well I shouldn't keep you from going. Thank you Ryouga."
"Thank you too, Mrs.Saotome."
Nodoka gave him an odd expression,"What did you call me?"
"Uh well," Ryouga said the next part very softly ,"Mrs.Saotome."
"Why did you call me that?"
"I'm just used to calling people that are much older than-" Ryouga cut
off his sentence as he saw Nodoka glaring at him.
"Ryouga please do not call me Mrs.Saotome. It is too formal."
"What should I call you?"
"How about Nodoka."
"I guess I could do that."
"Why don't you try."
"Okay Nodoka."
Nodoka smiled at him and said,"Maybe we could do this some other time
Ryouga."
As Ryouga left he called back into the room ,"Yes Mrs.Saotome."
Nodoka put her head in her hands and mumbled ,"Why do I even bother."
6. Priss, Nene, and Linna all waved as Sylia headed off for her plane
to Germany. The usually taciturn leader of the Knight Sabres was smiling
a bit ... and it wasn't what Linna had dubbed the "my, the three of you
are idiots" smile that she sometimes wore.
It had only been a few days since the Knight Sabres had faced,
they hoped for the final time, the mad boomer mastermind Largo, foiling
his efforts to cause a meltdown at MegaTokyo's fusion power plant. From
what Sylia had indicated, she had faced Largo, perhaps the ultimate
manifestation of the perversion of Dr. Stingray's cyberdroid developments,
in a deeply personal conflict.
Priss, being Priss, didn't really give a hoot how Largo had been
beaten, as long as the entity that held the ultimate responsibility for
the death of ... a number of people that Priss had cared about, had at
last met its end. Permanently this time.
"Well, well! The three of you in the same place, what a
coincidence ..." she heard an overly familiar voice boom.
That Leon had figured out her own secret identity was probably not
a surprise -- the fool was, after all, mildly obsessed, and she had been
near the site of several Knight Sabres involvements. However, his
deduction of the identities of two of the others, which he had hinted at
over coffee at one point, had forced Priss to take a step back, and
re-evaluate Leon. Just a bit ... he was still an annoying, obnoxious,
unable-to-take-a-hint, lacking-the-brains-God-gave-a-radish, AD Policeman.
But he might just be trustworthy.
Of course, she hadn't confirmed his suspicions. That would
probably qualify as a violation of Rule 1 of the Knight Sabres ... the
one that Sylia had none-too-subtly indicated that she would *definitely*
enforce with Rule 11. Priss had told Nene and Linna about the situation,
and she wasn't surprised that Leon had shared his suspicions with Daley.
Since they were all in a bit of an euphoric state about surviving
the near-meltdown, it was decided that they would go get some lunch. It
was further decided that Leon would pay. (This last decision was made
without the consent of the subject, but it was otherwise unanimous.)
7. I stared at the note for a few minutes. *Way to make a good impression,
Urd, pass notes like we're in elementary school.* I checked the clock.
11:30. Great, I had just enough time for me to clean up and get over
there. I spent the next half an hour getting cleaned up and cursing under
my breath, and flew over to the school. I ran into the cafeteria, and saw
Rachel sitting there.
"Hi," I said, running up, "sorry about this." Rachel looked at me blankly
for a moment, and then her eyes brightened in recognition.
"Chris, right?" she asked me, smiling. "Looking for another book?"
I frowned in confusion. "Didn't you get a note asking you to be here?"
She laughed. I idly noted that it was a very nice laugh. "Why would I get
a note, I always eat here!" I heard a whistle and looked over in the
direction it came from. There was Urd, holding that damn envelope,
Belldandy standing beside her. I got the message easily enough. *I would
have known that if I looked at that portfolio.* I muttered several curses
involving meddlesome goddesses.
"Uhh...Rachel?" If it was a choice between getting shot down and Urd's
helping me, I'd take my chances with the girl. "Would you like to go out
sometime?"
Obviously I startled her, because she became very flustered. "OK, that was
out of the blue," she stalled. "Hmm..." she looked me up and down. I hate
it when girls do that, it makes me feel like I'm some hunk of meat on sale.
"Maybe."
*Oh great, just keep me hanging,* one part of me said. *Would you rather
she said no?* another part countered. *Not particularly,* the first
responded. I have to stop having these conversations with myself.
"Maybe?"
"Well...I don't know much about you, other than the fact you have a little
sister who goes to college with you and you can't stand arts profs." She
looked me up and down again, and I felt myself blush. "How about we talk?"
I sat down and we were soon talking.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Belldandy resignedly handing
something to a grinning Urd. *Great, they're making bets on my love life.*
8. Michie came into her first class just before the late bell
rang. Mr. Muramoto, her teacher, frowned at her and gestured for her to
take her seat. Michie bowed her head apologetically and moved down the
third aisle toward her assigned place. But there was no empty seat.
Michie stopped, thinking she had walked down the wrong aisle, but then
she saw the special left-handed desk she had asked for. Some strange
girl was sitting in her seat.
"Take your seat, Michie-chan," ordered the teacher.
"Sensei, someone's taken my seat. Get out of my seat!"
"Don't make trouble, Michie-chan. You're late as it is."
The girl raised her head, and Michie felt a cold wave of fear as
she recognised her. It was the girl from the store. Licorice.
The girl she had killed.
The girl gazed calmly at Michie, livid scrapes across her cheek
and jaw, flesh partly torn away. Michie stood rooted and speechless.
"Take your seat," the teacher ordered again.
Instead, Michie passed out.
9.
Ranma pounded his hand against the vending machine, waiting for
his cup of hot chocolate to come out. He was standing right outside
the Ryugenzawa Youth Group Hostel, hoping they could help him find
Akane. Unfortunately, they didn't know where she lived, any more than
he did.
Ranma looked down as he felt his shirt soak up some of the
scaldingly hot liquid from the machine. "Shit." He quickly wrung the
hot chocolate off his shirt, trying as best he could to ignore the big
stain. "At least it was hot."
Satisfied that all the excess liquid was gone, he looked back up
at the machine, then to his still empty cup with a scowl. "Stupid!
After you got me wet like that, I should at least get a drink."
He walked away in a huff, every step making a crunching sound as
he crushed the dried leaves beneath his feet. He made his way into the
forest despite all the warnings he received about giant animals. Ranma
didn't believe a word of that nonsense, and should it turn out to be
true, well, he was a martial artist so there should be no problem,
right?
10. The dawning sun was just beginning to peak out in the distant horizon,
its light shedding warmth on the world. The sounds of birds could be heard,
its beautiful music blending gracefully with the gentle whispers of the
blowing winds. The trees rustled lightly as cool breezes blew by, some of
its autumn leaves fluttering to the ground. Akane was leaning against the
outer wall, watching silently as those leaves fell. Her breathing was
slightly heavy, she having finished her usual morning jog.
"Ah, nothing better than a brisk morning jog to get the blood flowing" she
said to herself, brushing aside her bangs, which were matted to her forehead
from the perspiration.
She sighed aloud, wishing Kasumi was there to greet her like she used to
many years ago. She remembered how she would always see her older sister out
sweeping the sidewalk, there to greet her after she finished her morning
jog.
"Good morning, Akane," Kasumi would say, followed by a sweet smile. She
would be dressed in her usual apron-like outfit, consisting of yellow
sweatshirt and white frilly dress, the entire outfit covered by a white
apron.
"Good morning, Kasumi," Akane would respond, smiling in return. From there,
Kasumi and Akane would engage in simple conversation, chit chat to everybody
including them. But those days were gone. Kasumi had moved out of the house
several years ago and married her first true love, Dr. Tofu, a local
chiropractor. It had been a rocky beginning at first, what with Kasumi never
realizing just how much he cared for her or how much she cared for him. They
came to realize their feelings when he finally gotten over his nervousness
around her. Now, Kasumi and Dr. Tofu are living together, their third child on
the way.
The answers are here. After you check yourself we'll discuss Style with a
capital S more deeply.
1. That's 1/2 My Goddess... Part VIII
Scriviner
Released 10/15/97
2. Cycles
Sean Gaffney
Released 12/9/97
3. Dance of Shiva, Draft 2, Chapter 6
John Walter Biles
Released 10/17/97
4. Mourning Star, beta, half of the first part.
Andrew Huang
Released 10/10/97
5. IMMW CH.2
Ryoucilo
Released 10/18/97
6. Itsumo
Chris Davies
Released 12/8/97
7. Oh! My Brother! Ch 6
Christopher Angel
Released 10/21/97
8. Missy Foxglove #2 -- "The Portrait of her Fear" (part one-draft-incomplete)
David Homerick
Released 9/30/97
9. Wasureranai, part 13
Emily Siazon
Archive Acquisition Date 11/16/97
10. Ranma's girls chap 1-5
Jeffrey Keith Wong
Archive Acquisition Date 10/12/97
Sorry if the answers look like a computer spat it out, just the archive program
really. Anyway, let's discuss them. If you've scored a perfect, hell, you need to go get
a life. Some of this stuff's obscure and usually get deleted by other people. The archives
are near to bursting with some of them. A decent score is at least half, means you've
read enough fanfics to match me. Four below means, you're either too busy writing or
have a life. Anyway, back to style.
You would never mistake who wrote #1 with the guy who wrote #5. Scriviner
puts detail while Ryoucilo prefers to let dialogue and simple descriptions do the job. Also
the fact that their respective styles are geared to the genre they favor, Ryoucilo, total
insanity while Scriviner prefers serious works with humour mixed in. That's what an author
should learn to develop, a style of writing for his favorite genres, may it be action, comedy,
introspection or dark fics. It's like a trademark. To develop one's style one should do read
continuosly, look at other's work and to write continuallt forever sharpening that style until
and sometimes incorporating others. I do that myself. I try to imitate some of my favorite
authors but with my own brand of writing. I'll share with some basics of making your own style
, okay ?
First, the writer's adage of show, don't tell should always apply. Showing an action
delivers a more vivid picture to the reader, example:
Kasumi was horrified at the sight before her.
The line above doesn't deliver the same punch as:
Kasumi's face paled. She brought a trembling hand to
her mouth to stifle a gasp as she saw the blood drip.
Second, try to perfect dialogue. Dialogue is an important of writing. It should
sound real as if it were delivered by the characters themselves. Try reciting the dialogue,
playing it by ear. If it sounds fake, ditch it and rewrite. Remember to never repeat what
has already been explained in the narrative. Also remember that each person's speech
is unique, Ranma would never talk like Tuxedo Kamen and vice versa, so try to give each
character a particular voice: the formal way of talking for Kuno, the sly way that Nabiki
talks, Minako's habit of sometimes misquoting, Belldandy's calm and soothing voice or
Himura Kenshin's "Oro" and "Kaoru-dono". Also never use the dialogue to fill in the plot.
When a character is telling someone that also knows about the incident that is
important to the plot use a combination of dialogue and narrative.
Third, Strunk and White's rule #13: Omit needless words. Know when the description
is starting to become too much or the talk is starting to sound too preachy. It also means
tocut down on unnecesary modifiers. The perfect example of this is Ryoucilo, who's works
are short and to the point, also funny as hell.
Four, avoid cliches. Almost every writer has done a cliche or two. My advice is to
either turn the cliche on it's head and give it a twist or not to use it at all. If you really have
to use a cliche you better be damn good to make the cliche sound fresh.
We are about to end this section and we're going to discuss the final element, Theme.
The theme just is. Even if you don't want or intend to write a theme, it slips in. Love, Hope,
Resurrection and a dozen others can be seen in the fanworks I keep her in the archives. So
don't worry about the theme, you're here to write an interesting story not a preachy fable.
<sigh> That was one long walk down the road. I just put in guide pointers. _They_
are not sign posts. You may ignore them if you want, but I found it safer following them.
Time to climb the next mountain.
Let's go.
******************************************
Giving and Receiving C&C
or
How to start a Flame War in Three Easy Steps
This will probably be a short section, don't you think ? Heh, anyway here is
where I tell you what you need to do to get C&C and how to make at least decent
C&C. For this, I'll quote a private letter I wrote to Doug Helm:
Heh, I'll tell you a little something about my reviews, Doug. All my criticisms
, for fanfics and student essays, start with the most scathing,hateful,flippant
review I could make, i.e. your usual I-Am-Right-I-Hate-You-Because-You-Wrote
Something-Wrong-Wrong-Meaning-I-Disagree-With-What-You-Wrote rant.
They're filled with insults and complaints about grammar and spelling and
everything I hate about it. Then I give thought to the good things about it. I
understate them as much as possible.
Then I go back and read it as if I was the author of the piece. I try to feel what the
author would feel. Usually, the results are me trying to hunt myself down with
a machete.
Then I rewrite the review. I consider each of the con, if they were worth it. I
remove every insult. I consider the true worth of the pros.
I read it again. Then I read the piece again. Without my bias. Without my personal
beliefs.
Then I write the review again. I read it.
If I'm pleased with it and it's a good review I send it out, most of the time publicly.
If it was part of the Synopsis List Review, I'd send it out good or bad. But if the
review was bad I'd tone it down, so the author would not be discouraged from
writing.
The bad reviews are consigned to the recycle bin and erased immediately. I
don't want accidental sendings. I just send a simple private note or e-mail to
the author about "suggestions for improvement", specifically stating that the
piece wasn't bad, just a little ....shabby. Just keep on writing and take a hint
from my advice and soon your works will shine.
If I can't help them at all, I won't send C&C. And trust me, Doug, be afraid if
I _didn't_ send C&C. It either means I'm working _or_ your fic is crap.
Well, not exactly crap. I usually just sometimes forget to send C&C.
Anyway, that is how _I_ do it. Try to make a simple procedure like that. Something
that will result in a PG-rated, helpful piece of criticism and not a flame.
We'll return to that later. Let's start with how to get C&C. My advice is
simple if you really want consistent C&C get a dependable prereader or editor.
A fic on the FFML gets C&C, but mostly the emphasis is the other C, comments.
While it is nice to know that you're appreciated, the "keep up the good work"
notes don't help a lot sometimes if you really want criticism. So try to follow
those up. Also always thank everyone who C&Ced you. It's polite and sometimes
helps begin friendships on the ML.
Now, another advisory. Never flame anyone for saying your fic sucked. _Asked_
him _why_ the fic sucked. The only time you have the right to flame someone is if
they flamed you first without provocation. Even then, keep it in private E-mail. No need
to drag the FFML into a flame war.
As you read your C&C, you get what other people think about your fic. Listen
to them. Never complain that they're picking on a nit. Remember, every little thing counts.
But as always, you are the author. It's up to you to take the advice they give. However, if
everyone that C&Ced seem to agree on something, take their advice. If you doubt how
effective C&C is look at "Quantum Destinies". Look at the original, then look at the revised
version after the C&C and the editing.
Now that you've received C&C, it's time to give something back. Read fanfics and
try to C&C a fanfic that interests you or you think the author needs help. If the C&C is bad,
no need to tell it to the world, send it in private. If good and the author permits public C&C
send it out to the FFML so that attention be drawn to the fic. Never ever flame an author
for a fic. It's stupid and a waste of time. If you think the author or the fic is not worth your
time delete it and ignore further works by the author, but don't announce that you're doing
it. Everyone has a right to his/her own opinion and let them read it if they want.
Finished another rough walk.
There's a ballroom up ahead so you better change into your tuxedo or gown or
whatever. Join me when you're ready.
*******************************************
Ending Word
or
A Little Dance With An Attractive Young English Teacher
If you were with me last year, you know what's gonna happen now. A
simple waltz across the dance floor as Ry- oh sorry, it's you, Haruka. What
happened to Ryouga ?
Lost, huh ?
Hmmmm...well better go to the piano and take over. Play a nice little
song... Blue Danube, La Vie En Rose, As Time Goes By, whatever. Something
for a nice slow dance.
Now, you. Get a partner.
Why the hell are you looking around ? No one else but me here.
Why, I'd love to dance with you. ^_^
Hold me closer, idiot. It's as if I was ugly or something. Now, put
your hands right...there. Now isn't that better ?
Well, while we dance, it's time I had my final say for this year. I'll
talk softly so you'll hear the other voices.
What voices ? Why, these voices...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
More often than not, it's an impulse. "Five Minutes", "Images of
Tenchi", "El-Hazard: The Xth Night", "Evangelion: Epilogue", "Project
A-Ko: Losses" ... all these were impulses. My muse -- and yes, I fully
subscribe to the idea of a little entity sitting on my shoulder whispering
me ideas -- grabs hold of my jugular and says "Write this or I start
chewing."
- Chris Davies, 10/22/97
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...Chris, does have the flair for the dramatic doesn't he ?
Why do we write ? A question that has been posed many
a time by either a tired brain or a curious friend. So many answers,
too. What makes us go through with this insanity, this weaving of
threads of characters, events and places to create the stories ?
Just listen to the voices and me as we dance.
Who knows, maybe you'll learn something, you young
whippersnapper. ^_^
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So I write. Like a tap on a barrel, my hands allow the stories in my
head to flow into the screen, to be crafted into the words that form a
story. As they leave me, I feel at ease, like a pressure has been taken
from my shoulders.
Yet I read them, and they're not the same. They summon the images in me,
but I feel, I KNOW, that they don't mean the same things to the others
that they do to me.
I know this, and it hurts. It hurts to know that the the grand, sweeping
epics, the depth of despair and the heights of joy I can feel through my
words do not reach the others who read my words.
So I write more. I write more and I hope that someday, somehow, I will
read my words and be able to feel, to KNOW, that they reach others the way
they do me.
- Christopher Angel 10/22/97
For me, writing is almost an addiction. Despite my school load, my speed
and my volume increases every year. I'd like to hope my quality has
increased as well. I'm often known as an epic writer, which I find
ironic, because everything I wrote was pretty short before I started doing
fanfics. Now, I'm not sure how to write anything short anymore :)
Like CS Lewis, a lot of my stories are driven by mental images that
inspire me to create a story to make it real. Ranmapunk 2033 started with
an image of Shampoo passing Leon and Daley on the road with her bycycle.
Dance of Shiva was born when I had a passing fantasy about Ryoko taking
over Genaros station. Lemon Sherbet was inspired by a mental image of
Makoto seeing Ranma one day and announcing he didn't just remind her of
her old boyfriend, he WAS the old boyfriend.
- John Walter Biles 10/22/97
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I love it here. Here, in this world, no, not world. Worlds.
These worlds of endless delight and despair. Worlds where Usagi
is dead and the ends are bitter, but also worlds full of color and life
where Crystal Tokyo skyline lights up the night sky as soon as the
sun goes down.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Then, my ideas of what a crossover would be like came to mind and for
a while, I tried to write a little thing where Ranma and Usagi became
a couple and called it, "1/2 Moon."
However, I didn't like the way it was turning out. It was DEFINATLY
a Dark crossover, (Mamoru told Usagi to "Go to hell" in the second
chapter.] I HATE writing Dark Fics. I can read them, but writing
them always makes me ultra depressed. Plus, a lot of the things
didn't fit in with either series and making it believable was
impossible.
So I deleted it and for a while the though was abandoned as the King
of The Monsters dueled with the Senshi of Thunder and the Senshi and
Warriors fought to save the past from android enemies.
Then, I saw Dragon Ball Z: Movie 12.
And the spark for an SM/Ran. story, though now with a new element
added to it, was reborn.
And thus... history was made.
-Christian "Flashman" Rogers 10/21/97
How to stand out.
Being the social loner before I found anime and fanfiction, I usually
wanted to do something that would make me seem different than the
others. But, because of my naivate, I didn't know how.
Many years later, in my current state, when I decided to write a fanfic.
I wanted to do something that would make it different than all the
others, yet would be something that I would like.
- Tekkaknight WarHammer 10/22/97
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why do I write ? I write because I see things that other people
don't see and hear things that other people don't hear. And I'm damn
proud of that fact. I write because I love the rush of creation, the joy of
the weaver as I weave the tapestry that becomes a story. I write because
the stark white screen before me challenges me to fill it up with tales
of romance and rivalries, of demons and daredevil martial artists. The
only time I ever feel more alive is when I'm in an orgasm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3:00 AM.
That's what the clock said.
I wake up and find myself sitting in an uncomfortable position. No wonder
I feel like hell. I once more open my word processor and begin to type what
may hopefully come to mind. What happened next came as a surprise. I did
nothing to stop it.
A crazy smile crept on my face.
The feeling of accomplishment drew close as the morning sun slowly rose. I
felt my sould, my very essence guiding me in my writing. people have always
told me that writing was not something you could live on or entrust with
your future. But why should I care as I saw the miracle I wrought before
me. No reward was better than the one I found myself facing.
It was enough.
- Nikholas "Radler" F. Toledo Zu 10/22/97
My writing is a carthetic experience. It is a way for me to remember.
To feel again the ecstasy of my first time making love, to know again
the pain of being a seven year old drunk. A way to remember, and to
make peace.
Words come easily to my mind. They flow in and out, faster then my
mortal hands can type. I could easily spit out megs of shit in a few
hours, if I just sat down and typed, but that isn't what I want. I
agonize over every word choice, trying to have each one stand alone and
create a mood with all the others. Writing fiction for me is the same
as writing poetry. And if I can't get something that good, then fuck
it, it doesn't deserve to be put out until it is that good.
Why do I write? I write because I want to write. I write because if I
didn't, I would probably end up dead.
I write to stay sane.
- Jon Farber 10/21/97
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
But I also love to read, as all writers do. We writers devour
books and stories by the dozen. I have read everything from Marquis
de Sade's Justine and Leopold von Masoch's Venus in Furs to Cyrano
de Bergerac and Romeo and Juliet. I have read pulps, romances,
mysteries, adventures, science fiction and fantasy. I read because...
because...I feel the spark behind all of them. That they are all, in
the end, stories.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I know some people write to exorcise demons. Some write to express ideas
or influence people. Some write to make others think. Some write to make
others laugh. I just write because it's _fun_. When you're tapping away
at the keyboard, and the words are flowing from your fingertips and
everything is _working_... there's no better feeling. The characters
become real, and you can feel their joy, their pain. You stop writing
the story and just become a tool by which the story is told. And the
only way to get it is to write through the dry times, until the well is
full again.
After a moment I reopen the file and start working again. The well has
rejuvinated itself a little. I'm not sure how long it will last this
time, but I intend to take advantage of it. Maybe this one scene will
never be a masterpiece. Maybe no one will ever even get to see it, but
that doesn't really matter right now. Maybe it will matter when I reread
it, or when (and if) I decide to post it. But now, all that matters is
the story.
-The Prime Sagittarian, Alpha Centauri 10/21/97
Before I go, though, a strange impulse seizes me, bringing me to a
stack of printouts. I look through it, searching for one in
particular. Stuck in between "Bitter End" and "Putting Your Heart in
the Right Place", I find words sung with hope, and innocence.
"The young woman stood, katana at the ready, her body and mind in
absolute focus as the sun began to set, its fire dancing off of her
sword, shoulder-length brown hair, and black satin Mandarin-style
outfit. Her adult features, hardened by life but lacking the decay of
age, marked her in her mid-twenties, though the pain shadowed in her
eyes suggested a much greater age. A small amount of that pain escaped
as she and the small dummy before her became an instant blur."
The first fanfic words I posted - the opening to "Sunrise". The
work stays pure and raw in my mind, a beacon to show the beginning, and
how far I've come since then. There have been good times so far, with
people I consider myself honored to know and call friend, and I wouldn't
trade them for anything in the world - including the rough times.
They aren't over yet, I hope - not by a longshot.
- Nicholas Leifker 10/21/97
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have also watched movies and cartoons. I still remember
the first episode of the Star Trek I watched. I still remember the
first cartoon I watched, Astro Boy or much better known as Tetsuwan
Atom, an anime but I didn't know it then. I have always been attracted
to anything that has a story. I remember the times, when I would
sit and listen in rapt attention as one of my parents started that age
old opening line..."Once upon a time"...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was too scared to even pick up a pen. You see, even though
I dreamt, and, like most of you, played the 'What If...'
game, I didn't want to share my ideas. No one reads *BAD*
stories. My ideas are stupid. I can't focus my thoughts.
I feel so much, but can't put it on paper. Sound familiar?
I guess, there just has to be a point where you say,
"To hell with it!" and just pick up that pen. Now, I'm
still relatively new to the writing scene, but come flame
or praise, (or worse, total apathy), I won't stop writing,
because, like most of you, I still continue to dream.
-Anand Rao 10/22/97
The Urge starts about five to ten minutes after that point. About halfway
through my morning shower I can feel my fiction calling me from my computer
on the other side of the house. It sings it's enchanting song that I can
hear well over the sound of the water coming out of the shower head.
I can see what I so desperately want to write. I can SEE myself standing
along Tenchi and the gang, fighting off the powerful attacks of Katago. I
can FEEL Pluto watching over me from her place in time. I can almost smell
the horrible stench that Benton's body made when Sailor Mars was forced to
burn his body.
Its unnerving and delightful at the same time. Sometimes, I think I'm
going insane.
-Tempest 10/22/97
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There's something in these flights of fantasy that attract me to
no end. That dream or nightmare behind them. The dream of a kingdom
on the moon millenia ago. The dream of a martial artists who lives a
life of adventure. In it's heart, every story I have ever loved had a spark of
something that makes the imagination soar.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
explain).. basically i'm just in love with fanfiction (mainly Ranma i'll admit)
and i feel the need to try and repay everyone who has fed my addiction for the
last year and a half.. even if *I* consider my works substandard.. the only way
I can get better is by writing more.. i've always been better at coming up with
ideas then executing them.. which is why i have 17 fics in planning stages, 3 in
production, as well as two original stories on the back burner (also an
Otaku Fic
i wrote the first day i read a fic.. but i'll only ever post that as punishment
for someone else doing something I don't like ie:anything involving ff7).
As such
someday (if it weren't for my blasted pride), i'll just post every single
idea i have,
and let the rest of you finish them.. but that's a cop out for someone who
just doesn't
want to be bothered to do something for others.. I live and breathe fanfics
and i
need to give backsome of what i get, so i'll try workin a bit on OWATL or
illusion's
don't kill (which i may rename 'The Perfect Half'), i'd also like to thank
Dustin Goeller
for guilt tripping me into doing this... his post brought my own thoughts
into perspective,
i'll just get all my ideas out, let other ppl judge it on that.. and when i
finally have
some more writing experience under my belt, then i'll make it look good..
-P-R-P-Chan 10/22/97
I like to fix them up, make them look a little bitter. I write
for cathartic reasons. To heal, to make me laugh, for whatever
reason. My first story in ages was an attempt to bridge a gap.
That is what I wont think about. Its better not to.
But why Ranma and his crew? Because they all have their stories
and their emotions, because some of them make me ache and because
they make me laugh. Ranma reflect my joys and sadness. I
sympathize with Ukyou and rail against unfairness with Ryouga. I
stammer my way through my feelings with Ranma and unleash my mad
desires with Kodachi. And they all have stories waiting to be
imagined. All i need is to find the right music to set it too.
Is it The Ballad of Romeo and Juliet? Maybe its Springsteen's
Thunder Road or better yet Metallica's Enter Sandman.
Not all my stories have to center around Ranma, there are stories
of Heaven and Hell and a fight the battle to end all battles,
theres Sarah's stories and there's even my own story. I hope to
write all those one day, but for today I'll stick with Ranma.
Work might be less enjoyable if i didnt have these movies in my
head that scream for me to write them down in some manner or
another.
Like I said, writing is cathartic for me. A search for whatever
answers I currently need desperately to find again. I think
about my story Insignificant and realize that that yeah it was
autobiographical. Maybe I started it being a story about HER,
but it turned into something more, it turned into a story about
me. I needed to find my answer through it, and while I can't
really follow the path a laid before Ukyou I can sure as hell
try.
-Eric Adams 10/22/97
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There's only one word for it. That spark behind the stories...
that light that glows in the dark... the pulsing heart of darkness in some.
You can feel it in the works of John Walter Biles, Chris Davies, Rob
Barba, Doug Helm, and over a hundred others of us here. Here, where
dreams come true and nightmares dwell. Where Usagi is dead and the
ends are bitter. Where Ranma and Akane tie the knot and Crystal Tokyo
is not a dream but reality.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why I write. Why? Because I have to, because there's an idea which has
grabbed me and won't let go. Or, maybe I'm bored, and I see a snippet that
I'd typed down months ago, and think to myself, "Hmm... should I-?". A few
times, it's even been a suggestion made about what I could write, that made
me think, "Why not?"
- Monica/Akira-chan 10/22/97
While many people say that inspiration strikes like lightning, I've
found that that particular thought, the Ranma and Kodachi pairing, was
the only one that has done so with me. Oh, I've thought of many other
pairings. I've even written about several. (Though only two were ever
put out onto RAAC.) But every thought after that has arraived like...
well, like a gymnast's club impacting with the back of my skull.
If she would actually let me release something, maybe it wouldn't be so
bad. That's the reason I started writing fics in the first place. I
had ideas, awful disturbing ideas, and I have a vicious need to share
them with others. It wasn't because I like writing. I don't. But I
have a profound attraction to the idea of disturbing people. It
probably comes from living with that laugh in the back of my mind
whenever I think of something.
Perhaps not the best of motivations for writing, but it has, so far,
sufficed.
-Thorn 10/23/97
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whether it be dark or light in persuasion, there's
only one word for it. What else but...
Magic.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's 2:00am.
The streets are empty, but there's cops everywhere.
55mph it is, then.
I cruise along leisurely and put good old Harry Connick Jr.
in the CD player.
Brief scenes flicker in the mind's eye.
Converging Series: Ryo Saotome reunited with Belldandy Tendo.
The Pursuit of Happiness: Ryouga dancing with Ukyou.
BGC: Frozen Knights... the tragic Victor Fries reunited with
his Nora.
o/" The rockies may crumble o/"
o/" Gibraltar may tumble o/"
o/" They're only made of clay o/"
o/" But our love is here... to... stay. o/"
- RpM 10/22/97
*******************************************
Afterword
or
It's 2:30 In The Morning And You're Still Awake ?!
<sigh>
The Block's still there. Damn.
This is much longer and much more extensive than the last one, meaning
I have a lot of people to owe it to.
I owe this to the people's fics I mentioned.
I owe it to the essays that the above people wrote. I didn't touch
them, hoping to preserve the feeling that the originals gave me.
I owe this to milk, Milo, Ovaltine, Tang and coffee. Unfortunately, my
digestive system can't stand Coke yet so I can't owe this to Coke.
I'll try to post the final list of this year's nominees for the FFML AE to
the list as soon as I get enough sleep again.
This post also means that I'm back in business. I'll start reviewing every
fic that comes out after this hits the FFML.
And to once again quote my favorite wacky guy on the FFML, Ryoucilo
Until I find better things to write about. Ja ne
Began: April 2,1999 1:40 A.M. - 2:44 A.M.
12:05 P.M. - 3:44 P.M.
April 3,1999 5:00 P.M. - 5:56 P.M.
8:03 P.M. - 1:20 A.M.
April 4,1999 2:59 P.M. - 3:54 P.M.
5:30 P.M. - 7:28 P.M.
8:06 P.M. - 9:57 P.M.
Elsa Bibat, 47o9' S Lat ,126o43' W Long
>From a child's letter to God:
Dear God,
Thank you for my baby brother, but what I prayed for was a puppy.
Joy