Adrian Tymes wrote:
Umm...not to rain on your parade, but FORMULA FIC!
I'm not sure just why, but I do this even to myself...
---
Ranma slowly crept away from the manuscript in front of him, an
expression of mild terror on his face.
"Raaanmaaa..." Akane's hand landed solidly on his shoulder. "You *did*
read it, right?"
"Umm...well, that is..."
A certain hammer blinked into view in a certain hand, in a maneuver that
Ranma swore he would get Akane or Mousse to teach him some day.
"Yeah, I read it. It's...oh, hell, you're gonna hit me anyway. I've
seen *Oscar*fics better'n that!"
Ranma braced, but the expected blow did not descend. Instead, Akane
pikued. "Oscarfics?"
"Yeah, you know, fics by Oscar."
"Who or what is Oscar?"
"You don't know? Consider yourself lucky. Genma forced me to read
Artemis' Lover again and again until..." He shivered.
"You...didn't like it?"
"Didn't like it? Akane, you didn't even spell check, grammar check,
format...the thing's in yellow on neon pink, for crying out loud!"
"Hmph! I wrote it for myself."
"Yeah, and with that attitude, you're the only one who'll ever like it.
Kasumi's got the right idea, you know: writing a good story's like
chemistry. Mix the right plot elements, follow the right formulas -
follow them exactly if you want factory-standard fics, or try varying
things if you wanna get creative. But ya gotta have some idea of how to
proceed. Even Kodachi knows that."
Akane shivered. "Have you *read* some of her stuff? They're like cheap
horror novels!"
"Yeah, but they work. And Kasumi's...heck, just look at her trophy
case. Or her publishing contract."
---
Cogito ergo thud. (Roughly translated: I think, therefore I facefault.)