I came to the FFML in hopes of receiving some help with my writing. I
have indeed received what I must consider invaluable help in this
regard. In addition to that help, I have also been the recipient of
complaints which fell well outside the limits of what may rightly be
considered commentary and criticism. The overwhelming majority of the
latter were in private and more than one was vituperative. I have also
received much in the way of praise and encouragement from the FFML
membership, the majority of which was also sent to me in private. On
balance though, my experience with FFML has been negative.
While I do not claim to have been mistreated, I have been witness to the
outright mistreatment of beginners other than myself here on the FFML.
Beginners make mistakes. That is why they come here, to get help in
correcting their mistakes. So here is my question, Ladies and Gentlemen:
How is it that a matter of plot choice constitutes a mistake?
Self-Insertion? Who cares? You have seen too many of them you cry? So?
Does that not mean that you should know how to write a good,
self-insertion piece and be able to help a beginner with such a work?
A Ranma1/2 story that "fixes" everything. So? Oh, you mean you have seen
too many of those as well? That means you should be able to help a new
author write a superbly entertaining one, right?
Now I am informed that a story based upon the Ranma1/2 stories must fall
completely within the realm of "Martial Arts Sex Farce," for it to be of
any entertainment value or, by some other criterion unknown by me, to be
somehow acceptable to veteran members. "Martial Arts Sex Farce" strikes
me as being a rather narrowly specialized field of writing. Further, I
must admit to being deeply puzzled by this emerging rule, inasmuch as
several of the more popular works based upon the Ranma1/2 stories are
nothing of the kind. Is this now the emerging consensus? Must we
indeed attempt to be self-made clones of Takahashi Rumiko before we can
expect help with works based upon these characters?
I have one last question and a request for you, my fellow FFML
Participants. Are we participating on this list to help each other, or
does this list have some other purpose? If there is a primary purpose
for the FFML other than giving and receiving help with the task of
writing fiction, would someone be good enough to explain to me what it
is? I would very much appreciate it. I hate to think that I may be
intruding where I am neither wanted nor welcome.
Thank you very kindly for your attention
Don Granberry.