Hiya boys and girls!
To the old timers and adolescents of the list, this little
essay of mine has become somewhat a tradition. It needs no
explanation nor introduction to them.
For the newbies, this essay is technically the yearly
event where I blow off some steam and do a little contemplation.
Not that I don't do enough of that in my fics. ^_^
This also heralds the start of the nomination period for
this year's FFML AE inductees. So anyone I want and anyone you
may want and I approve of gets in. An initial list is as
follows:
Morgan Hudson for Ronin Summer and his natural talent.
Ace Sanchez for Pokemon Master for being the Robert Jordan of
the Pokemon world.
Jack Staik for The Bet: Another Approach and his Romantic
Chemistry.
David Pascal for A Terrible Swift Sword and his obvious
intelligence.
Kus Kus for Never Forgotten and for making insanity down right
cool and an Escaflowne fic.
E.L. Toh for HERZ and for making a slam-bang ending.
Joanne Wojtysiak for Synthesis and for finally making a decent
Matrix crossover and a good Lain fic to boot.
Mark Davis for I Can See Clearly Now and for giving Mousse a
fighting chance.
Shunsuke for the epic poem, Naga and the Serpent and for writing
a really long fic in verse form.
Steve Pardue and Deborah Goldsmith for Genma's Daughter and for
actually keeping me awake after reading thirty six hours
straight.
That's only the initial list. I think I missed a few
people and I think some of these guys are already in the AE, but
as always go over the FFML AE first at:
http://calicatcafe.megami.net/ALSW/
If you didn't find your author send in a nomination send
it in. Well, not yet. Rob Barba, the greatest site maintainer in
the entire world ^_-, will probably send out the forms to fill
in for a nomination. _Then_ send them over. Anyway, let us begin
once again.
Another year has passed and the world didn't go kablooey
as expected.
So I hold out my hand again and extend an invitation to
walk with me for awhile...
****************************************************************
A LONG STRANGE WALK
2000
or
A LONG DISCUSSION ON FANFICTION
AND OTHER SUNDRY THINGS
****************************************************************
"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes-and ships-and sealing wax-
Of cabbages-and kings
And why the sea is boiling hot-
And whether pigs have wings."
-Lewis Caroll
Through The Looking Glass
Well, another year and another rambling walk. If you�ve
walked with me before you�re probably expecting a normal
covering the bases kind of thing, going over fan fiction as a
whole.
You�re in for a surprise. Hopefully a pleasant one.
This year I decided to change my style for these things.
I�ll be using a more or less stream-of-consciousness approach to
discussing fan fiction and how to write them. Which means we�ll
probably be going off on meaningless tangents now and then. They
may amuse you at times and sometimes they may not. Well, that is
to be expected. And once again I put in the disclaimer that
these are my opinions and sometimes the person or persons cited
as examples may or may not agree with me. You know who to flame.
Having cleared that up we shall begin. Also the reader may
note that I have done away with section titles to facilitate my
current style, so you will get confused at times. I assure you
of that.
Tut, tut, smile a little. I am doing this for your
pleasure and entertainment.
Well, it is true I will probably enjoy this more than you
do, akin to the feeling a dentist gets when he drill a few teeth
out of someone�s jaw, but I assure you I will try to make this
walk as amusing as possible. Most of the time.
To begin, we start once again, with fan fiction, an
obsession shared by all those present. Some like to read them.
Some like to write them. Also some like to do both, a category
which most of the more vocal members of the FFML are part of.
I am also a member of that particular group in this online
community. I have written quite a few fics, though none to match
those fics I love adore. Also I have read, to be modest, a lot
of fics. A lot of them. Considering I read that many fics and I
read almost as much original fiction as both my habit and duty,
I sometimes wonder why I haven�t had a nervous breakdown yet.
This year I had planned to examine quite a few fics on
what makes them tick, draw some parallels to some of the
original fiction and literature I have read and probably come to
a something that at least remotely resembles a conclusion by the
end of this little walk. I had also hoped to include a little
insightful look into a few writing processes and reading
processes, since I know some idiots that probably have never
read anything and tried to write what they consider a magnum
opus anyhow. And they complain. I hate whiners.
Ah, back to the matter at hand.
First, we shall discuss probably the only man for me, John
Walter Biles-sama. ^_^ Now, now, Biles-sama, no running away
this time. I won�t exactly discuss the man, though that would
probably quite interesting considering his writing. He claims
otherwise, of course, saying his life story will probably put
someone to sleep. Anyway, I�ll discuss him another time, after I
have someone hack into his records. ^_^
Biles-sama is the author of a ton of works, from �Putting
Your Heart In The Right Place�, his debut work, a script-form
fanfic which was quite popular and something, even though
written in script form, I find quite enjoyable, to his current
offering, co-written with another fave writer of mine, Rod M.,
the Neon Genesis Evangelion/Cthulhu Mythos fic, �Children of an
Elder God�.
I will, however, be discussing his opus, the world he
created in the fics, �Dance of Shiva�, �Black Moon Rising�, and
�Sailor Moon Z�, a fic he co-wrote with another favorite,
Jeffrey Hosmer.
Now, I have a confession to make.
I technically hate almost everything Biles-sama has
written. Technically. I also hate almost everything that has
ever been written by every fanfic author on the FFML.
Technically
Technically, because that is how I was trained.
Indoctrination in college and literature seminars is something
that I sometimes have to struggle with as I read a novel or a
written work, hell, even sometimes when I watch a movie. And the
fact that I read every fic that comes down the pike, and I am
sometimes subjected to grammar and writing that is sometimes
physically painful for someone who loves the English language as
much as I. Terry Eagleton, Jeffreys, Russian Formalists and a
multitude of other narrow-minded idiots have given me something
that disables my enjoyment of most fics.
But strangely, I also love them. Biles-sama�s work just
touches me in a way that breaks through the training. Maybe it�s
because I just love dreaming too much, and I�ve probably already
read too much stuff before the College Professors got to me. I
also love other people�s works because of this. An example would
be why I like Bert Van Vliet�s Bubblegum Zone. One part of my
mind hates it. A lot. It sometimes reads like a schoolboy
fantasy, with all the gadgets and weaponry. And of course the
fact that Bert�s avatar has done the nasty with Priss. ^_^ But I
like it, overriding my dislike for it. I like the schoolboy
fantasy. I like the way Bert portrays his character and the BGC
cast. And I was literally mouthing words of amazement when I
first read it. And I like Skyknight and his chivalry. Perhaps my
subconscious wish for a chivalrous knight in shining armor to
save my day? ^_^
Well, enough of the digression. Let us return to Biles-
sama�s work. I dislike the Biles trilogy, a term I coined for
referring to Biles-sama�s world, for quite a few things. Well,
my literary training aside, I dislike it for the same reason
Sean Gaffney doesn�t like it, or so I heard. I remember Sean
disagreeing with Biles-sama�s approach of �Then she happily
lived ever after. And after seven hundred years someone
assassinated her�, a way of really messing with the storybook
ending. I like happy endings and I really don�t like seeing the
heroes die. But I can accept heroes dying for the need of a
story and dramatic effect. Another niggling reason for my
dislike is more of a personal one, it is the fact that Setsuna
ends up with Professor Tomoe.
I don�t like this for the pure and simple reason that
Setsuna is mine! MINE! MINE! No white-haired, skinny beanpole of
a mad scientist is going to take my Setsuna-chan away from me!
-_-;;;;;;;
Plenty irrational, yes. But I have been reading those
Chris Davies fics too much lately. ^_^
Anyway, that aside, I love Biles-sama�s world. References
to mythology, anime and fantasy/sci-fi literature abound in this
vast universe of his. I also love the way he writes, humorous
and somewhat minimalist in approach. Though Tolkien seems to
influence his works a bit, Biles-sama�s style, as I mentioned
before in an earlier article, is reminiscent of C.S. Lewis and
we also see C.S. Lewis a lot in Biles-sama�s themes. Christian
themes abound in his opus, though most of them are in disguise
or subtle. There was one time where Biles-sama let C.S. Lewis
out of the bag. In an episode of SMZ, I believe. I keep on
forgetting. I�ll have to refresh myself after this.
Once upon a year ago, I promised Biles-sama to show the
parallels of two of my most favorite ancient epics, the
Mahabharata and the Ramayana from Hindu mythology, to his works.
Well, during the interim, some slimy piece of shit managed to
steal my only copies of those two texts. May he rot in hell,
that bastard. Considering those copies were probably the bst
ever translation from Sanskrit and rare items, I will probably
have to work ten years to get another copy. Anyway, I do
remember the sum of the both of them. Mahabharata is the story
of five brothers: Bhima, Arjuna and the three others have
sufficiently confusing names that I forgot them, and of their
single wife, (Yes, you heard me right they were all married to
one woman.) Draupadi. Ramayana is the story of King Rama, his
wife Sita and his destined war with the demon king Ravana.
Strangely, the five brothers of the Mahabharata parallel
the Senshi quite well, give or take a few things. Serenity would
probably be a better fit than Usagi, making a nice queenly
Drudhistra (did I spell that right?) and Minako is not as crazy
as some people portray her to be. She�d make one hell of a good
Arjuna, while Makoto would make one good Bhima. Which results in
Mamoru becoming Draupadi. ^_^ Now that makes one good fic idea:
in Crystal Tokyo, all of the Inner Senshi are married to Mamoru,
along with the Queen, resulting in one very satisfied King. ^_^
Anyway, the Mahabharata tells the travels of the five
brothers and the wife after being banished from their kingdom.
They go through battles, diplomacy and a hell of a lot of
things: arrows that destroyed worlds, a weapon that would bring
death to any who thought of battle and killing, killing most of
their relatives and meeting up with Krishna, a manifestation of
that cool guy with four hands and wrecked worlds, Shiva. I
think. Along the way we are treated to stories within stories,
like the story of Indra, the thunder god and how he crafted
lighting from the bones of giant from an earlier age. Another
parallel is seen in this, since Biles-sama seems to be a
proponent of the �History is a Circle/Cycle� thing from eastern
philosophy. Age after age goes and the Wheel of Time rolls. ^_^
Another parallel with the Biles trilogy is the somewhat
pseudo-tragic/happy ending and the appropriate test for
worthiness that is a common denominator in most myths and epic
from Gilgamesh to the story of Arthur. As the five brothers and
Draupadi journey they come upon a dog which they take in their
care. Unfortunately, they somehow ended up near the vicinity of
Tibet/Nepal. Starving, one by one, they die. In the end only
Drudhisthra is left with the dog. Sharing the last his food with
it he trudges on. Inevitably, the dog and him die at the same
time, cold and hunger finally taking their toll. Drudhisthra
awakens to find himself in heaven with the gods welcoming him.
And he is quite happy about that, but as he is about to enter,
he remembers the dog. The faithful dog that stayed to the last.
So he asks the gods for a request, to take the dog with him into
paradise. They say no. Again he requests, putting his charm and
diplomacy to work. Again a negative response. He requests a
third and final time. The gods refuse again. Only he can enter,
they say, the dog is nothing more than a dog.
Then Drudhisthra does something that is technically
stupid. He rejects paradise, to keep the dog company, to reward
its faithfulness. And if I remember correctly, he berates the
gods, too, and gives vent to quite a few insults. And as he
walks away from paradise, dog in tow, the truth is revealed.
It was all a test, to see his purity of heart. He was rejoined
with his brothers and they lived happily ever after in Paradise.
Along with the dog. ^_^ Please correct me if I am wrong in the
telling of the tale, but it has been quite sometime since I have
read the book, and any correction would be nice. By the way, if
you noticed, Drudhisthra parallels well with Usagi/Serenity,
especially the way Biles-sama portrays her. You know sacrifice
and all that.
For the Ramayana, Shiva is the hero of the story. So that
rules it out, since SHIVA is the villain of Biles-sama�s piece.
^_^ Just kidding. Shiva is the hero, or to be more exact, one of
his four parts is the hero. Shiva divides himself into four
pieces when he came to the world to born as a man, so he would
be able to destroy Ravana, the demon king who was blessed by
Brahma to be never killed by any god, demon, spirit or any
supernatural being. So Shiva exploited Ravana�s only chink in
the armor. He became human, exempt from Brahma�s ban. He was
born as Rama with his twin brother Lakshmi, another aspect of
Shiva. His father�s second wife also bears a twin, containing
the third and fourth parts of Shiva.
Because of political maneuvering by their half-brother�s
mother, they were banished from their kingdom, though they bore
no ill-will against their half-brothers. So they wandered around
doing quite a few heroic things, one of which was bringing
salvation to a monk who had turned into a monster because of
temptation, the theme of which is Biles-like in nature,
salvation for the lost and confused being one of Biles-sama�s
big themes. And finally Ravana kidnaps Sita, Rama�s wife and the
most beautiful woman in the world. In their search for a way to
battle Ravana, Rama and Lakshmi meet probably the most popular
and enduring character of the Hindu mythos, Hanuman the monkey
prince, brother to the silver-furred monkey king, whose name I
have forgotten. Hanuman is the a great warrior, tactician and
trickster in the world. And he is totally devoted to Rama. With
his help, Rama gathers his army of monkeys, bears, squirrels,
nagas and a multitude of other beings and animals as they mount
their attack on Ravana�s island. Hanuman plays big role as both
scout and tactician, also the monkey that guards Rama�s back.
The monkeys and squirrels build the longest bridge in the world
to mount their attack. And of course they eventually win, Ravana
dead by Rama�s hand. Technically, this is where the story is
supposed to end, but another parallel with Biles-sama�s work is
that these stories never end when the bad guy�s ass has been
kicked to hell and back. Sita, a child of the Earth, is driven
away from her husband by rumors spread to make her loyalty to
Rama doubtful. She returns to Rama only to have herself
swallowed up by her mother, the Earth. Lakshmi dies, of no other
reason than that he dies. And in the end Rama leads every
creature in the Age to the Great River, probably the Ganges, to
plunge into it and continue their journey to Paradise,
reminiscent of the departure from the Gray Havens by the Elves,
Gandalf and the Ring-bearers, the passing of an Age. The passing
of an Age in Biles-sama�s world isn�t exactly that dramatic but
it is quite noticeable when an Age has passed, cataclysmic
changes and all that, still similar to Ramayana and Tolkien�s
LoTR.
But there is another parallel, though a bit weak. Hanuman
does not join in the Great Passing, where everyone else dies.
No, he remains, along with his friend the King of Bears, charged
by Rama to protect what was to come. Or something like that.
Take it of course with a grain of salt. I did read the Ramayana
at least four times, but I haven�t read it that recently as
given by the reason above. Thank you oh so much piece of shit.
Anyway, Hanuman refuses to stay and wishes to go with Rama and
in probably one of the most memorable scenes in any mythology
rips his body open with his bare hands, revealing every bone he
has, all of them tattooed with the name Rama. Of course, Rama
heals the gigantic wound with a touch of his hand and repeats
his charge and tells the King of Bears and the Prince of Monkeys
that they would live as long as someone remembers the story of
Rama. Hanuman finally accepts of course, and at the final scene
of the story, where the poet is conversing with his friend on
what it all means, he finds his hat gone. And when he looks up,
he sees the monkey prince Hanuman having a laugh at his expense.
The parallel here is well�Pluto. Yes, her. Setsuna has survived
the passing of Ages and I�m willing to bet Hime-chan will
probably survive another Age or two, as long as someone
remembers. And I somehow like the idea that Setsuna has
Serenity�s name tattooed somewhere on her body. ^_^ It is a bit
tenuous, more appropriate for Davies� Setsuna than anyone
else�s, but I think it fits all of the Setsunas written as a
whole. Besides imagining Setsuna as a monkey can be quite a
relaxing experience. ^_^
The mythological parallels cannot be only found in Biles-
sama�s work. Most of the better epic fanfics I know of share a
parallel with the world�s mythology, or at the very least refer
or have elements of it. A case in point, Alan Harnum�s �Waters
Under Earth�. Though I was awfully tempted to just make a
careful annotation of his work, something that would take me
months and probably have me working on a dissertation, I�ll just
settle for the short road.
Alan freely admits he intended to use Joseph Campbell in
his work as a guideline, following the Hero�s path. I�ll
probably have problems in describing Campbell�s elements since
my copy of the book is currently going the rounds among my
friends, being used for the summer classes they�re holding.
Anyway, if you haven�t read Joe Campbell, I advise you go out
and read it and also advise to buy some of the available
translations of world mythology. I mean translations like my
copies of Ramayana and Mahabharata, straight and full of detail,
not summaries. I advise you start with Bullfinch�s Mythology,
starting with the Greeks. Then I think you should go out and get
the Hindu mythologies, look for the prose translations and the
Bhagavad-Gita. A warning, these are thick books and unless you
have my reading speed or have undergone similar training during
college, they will probably take five days minimum, except for
the Bhagavad-Gita which will probably take half of a day
minimum. After the Hindu pantheon, it is optional to get
Gilgamesh. Though I prefer the Norse mythologies, however it is
quite hard to get a translation of the Eddas and you�re better
off looking for Gilgamesh. I was lucky enough to borrow a copy
of the Eddas and I should say that they are preferable, with the
Ragnarok section being the most imaginative and compelling part,
though the post-Ragnarok world of beauty and serenity is on par
with it, I think the Age is called Voluspa. It even has this
cool final stanza that refers to an ominous �One Who Rules Above
All� that would arise after Ragnarok. I always assume it�s
Serenity. ^_^
Anyway, to continue, after Gilgamesh, I say get Malory�s
Le Morte De Arthur along with Charlemagne cycle. They�re not
exactly myths but they�re quite interesting and the themes are
quite universal. Also go look for folklore books; they usually
have these epic myths sometimes. I�ve read quite a few
Philippine epics, from the Biag ni Lam Ang to the Mindanaoan
Sandayo, and they also follow Campbell�s path with a few
variations. Japanese mythology and Chinese folklore is quite
rich, too. They are quite a great mine for ideas, as shown by
Krista Perry�s Hearts of Ice and Phil�s An Awakening of Demons.
Celtic mythology is pretty neat, too, and quite probably be more
accessible to the fellows in European and American countries.
Russia has cool stuff, too. And Tibet has that King Arthur-like
Story of a king. World mythology is quite a gold mine for ideas
and guides for new writers in the art of simplistic plotting,
though some like the Mahabharata have pretty complicated plots,
and vivid descriptions. And if you want simpler reading go get a
copy of Sir James Frazer�s �The Golden Bough� preferably the
unabridged edition. It has tons of stuff on myth and religion.
And of course violate the old rule of W.H. Auden�s, �Never read
the Bible for its prose�. Read it for its prose, especially the
King James version. Read the Old Testament for a few stories of
bloody gore, sex and betrayal. And they said reading the Bible
was boring. ^_^
To return to Alan Harnum, if you�ve got eyes and you�ve
got Campbell, you notice the elements. The hero�s voyage, both
resulting in self-discovery and boost in power. The element of
three, symbolized by the three ladies, probably one of the more
memorable elements of both mythology and �Waters Under Earth�.
You would note that the three women motif is seen in quite a few
cultures. Three ladies are present in Celtic mythology, Queens
of Earth, Sea and Sky, also the Furies of the Greeks; the Fates;
the Norns and etcetera, etcetera. Another interesting sidenote
in the three phenomena, is that quite a few professional writers
believe that three is the most effective number of repetitions,
so you have an event in a novel being foreshadowed three times
before it happens and a point being sometimes repeated three
times to put the point across. To return to �Waters Under
Earth�, we see the trials that the hero undergoes to achieve his
power. The self-sacrifice of the hero is also seen in �Waters
Under Earth� along with the circle, another mythological motif
that always seems to crop up. Also that the characters are never
the same when it ends, is a prerequisite of all sorts of
fiction, ancient or not.
Legends and folklore are probably the oldest of stories,
and are quite essential in any writer�s training. If anything
else, you�ll pick up cool symbolism and motifs and ideas that
are quite deep and thought-provoking if one just thinks on them.
From which we come to another point. How the hell are you
gonna read? I�m not joking. Some writers on the Internet do not
know how to read properly, thus they cannot write properly. Not
just because the English language is beyond them, they don�t
know what makes a story even if they�ve read one a thousand
times.
For this one must learn to read. I have two modes when I
read, surface reading or cosmetic and deep reading. Usually I
start with surface reading. This is just basically reading the
story, looking at the cosmetics, how it looks and how it feels
to the mind reading it. Deep reading is reading between the
lines, when you want to analyze and draw the elements if the fic
out. I also use this when I have to discuss a book in class.
Deep reading needs a sharp mind and emotional involvement. You
have to literally feel the story and try to find out if it
really is as good you think it is after a surface read and why
it�s like that.
Also when you read something try to cultivate an interest
in it. Look at me, I read books on a daily basis and at an
incredible rate. I find a way to make a book interesting even if
it seems nothing more than a sleeping pill. This reminds me of
an incident when a twelve-year old girl came up to me and asked
if her book report could be on Crime and Punishment. The kid was
reading Dostoyevsky! She�s only twelve and she manages to keep
awake reading a Russian author, authors who have the reputation
in the literary world as being more effective than sleeping
pills. Sheesh, the only Russian I�ve ever read without sleeping
was Tolstoy and that was because of Anna Karenina.
Reading books in a way that you absorb how they work and
reading stories/short fiction in the same way is a sure road to
being a better writer. You do have to practice writing, though.
^_^ You will find that most of the better writers on the FFML
and in the real world are voracious readers. That and natural
talent and practice it what makes them good writers. So what
should you read that would improve your skills. Usually I just
advise a kid whose excited about writing to read a few books of
the genre he likes and then deconstruct, not in the way that
most expect, but to deconstruct a book by what you feel makes it
rock. I myself prefer old books, the classics. Dumas� �Three
Musketeers�, �Twenty Years After�, and �The Man In The Iron
Mask� are always featured prominently on the bookshelf for easy
location, since these are the original swashbuckling adventures
I like. The Bronte sisters, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Louisa May
Alcott and Jane Austen provided me with how people work in the
emotional department, besides being good reads. �Les Miserables�
is an excellent period piece, along with all of Dickens� work.
For adventure and suspense, I would advise H. Rider Haggard, a
precursor of the pulps with his lost cities, and Arthur Conan
Doyle�s works, not just the Sherlock Holmes stories. Edwardian
scientific romances have the utopian feel to them that I love
and Carnacki the Ghost Finder by William Hodgson is a classic of
the supernatural genre. Older works like Boccacio�s �Decameron�
with its lustful nuns and priests are quite alright and
sometimes even get me quite horny, Chaucer�s �Canterbury Tales�
is good reading too. Lord Dunsany�s �King of Elfland�s Daughter�
is quite enjoyable alongside with his �Gods Of Pegana�.
For more twentieth century fare, I would like people to
enjoy reading the pulp novels of the 1920�s, the Hong Kong
action movies of their time. C.S. Forrester�s �Hornblower� saga
is also a nice addition to any library. Try to read some of the
more established names in science-fiction and fantasy. Also read
the established fanfic names, too. That way you�ll know what�s
been done and what hasn�t been done yet, also it would help you
with your skills to first model your style after someone else�s
and slowly develop it to fit your own.
Another source for stories and how they work is, of
course, the movies and theater. Remember a written story also
has dialogue and nothing has more dialogue than plays and
nothing has more pure action than some of the better HK action
movies I�ve seen.
The theater has a pretty stable list of plays and scripts.
New plays are nice, but as always it is always better to begin
with what works: Shakespeare. Richard Lawson does have that
Shakespearean kick of his for a reason. Reading plays, however
is not a very good option. The only way to savor Shakespeare is
to watch it being performed. I personally prefer the Takarazuka
Review company performing their version of �Twelfth Night�, a
version set in Meiji-era Japan. Now that would make one cool
Rurouni Kenshin episode. ^_^ For those who don�t know about
Takarazuka, it�s an all-woman troupe of actresses, playing all
of the parts, male and female. The otokoyaku, those who play the
men in their productions are trained to walk, talk and
essentially act like men, for ten years if my source is correct.
The otokoyaku are quite handsome in costume and I find them
really cute. ^_^ Anyway, when you watch a play, any play, try to
concentrate on the dialogue and the plotting. Most plays have
excellent dialogues and the plotting of plays sometimes rival
some novel. After Shakespeare, I would advise watching Oscar
Wilde, �The Importance of Being Earnest� being the most
advisable one of his plays. �Cyrano De Bergerac� and the Greek
tragedies are also quite wonderful to either watch or read.
As for movies, dramatic movies have these cool scenes that
are quite an example of good dialogue and good setting. Action
movies are usually good for an idea or two, but I usually just
eat popcorn and watch the mindless violence. Hong Kong action
movies are also quite admirable. Watch all of John Woo�s stuff,
the plots and themes alone are really great, though you have to
sometimes suspend your belief while watching them. There are
also quite a few gems in the HK movie industry, I personally
prefer Tsui Hark�s work on �A Chinese Ghost Story�, �Once Upon A
Time In China� and �Blade�. Watch the cop movies and noir movies
of HK, they provide a plethora of images that work well on
paper. Japanese cinema is quite great, too. I personally love
the samurai dramas, with the cool sword fights and political
manipulations. The Crimson Bat, a blind swordswoman who always
wears a red kimono is a big favorite of mine from this genre. I
would also recommend Hideo Nakata�s �The Ring�, probably one of
the more horrifying films I�ve ever seen. If that video in the
movie ever exists, a lot of otaku are gonna die very painful
deaths. ^_^
After you�ve absorbed all of that, you�ll probably be
confident enough to start writing. My advice is that you work on
your English first above all else. I have read too many
beginner�s works with English painful enough to kill a man. Work
on your English first and have a good grasp of the language or a
lot of people will kill you. After reading the many books I�ve
recommended, you�ll probably be ready. As long, of course, you
understood all of them. ^_^
Anyway, writing advice can be found in many books. I
recommend �The Writer�s Handbook�, a yearly compilation of
writing articles that give help to any prospective writer.
There�s also the market listing in the back to give you a chance
when you want to go professional. There also quite a few books
out there that would help, so go out and look for them. A must
have for every writer is Strunk and White�s �Elements of Style�,
a little booklet that I still refer to when I�m writing
something seriously. It has grammar advice and a simple guide to
writing in it, too. And get a prereader or an editor for your
works, that way you are guaranteed C&C, no matter what happens,
and you have someone to check on your work before the general
release.
Then we come to another point, C&C. Everyone here probably
knows of the Synopsis List Review. My C&C there is not as
detailed as I want to be. I personally would like to emulate
Gary Kleppe�s style when dealing with C&C. He is comprehensive
and honest when putting out C&C. Me, well, I try not to offend
anyone and like to put someone down nicely. If you intend on
writing C&C you may try either approach. A blunt and honest
approach can sometimes get you a few flames, but it is efficient
and will inevitably beat improvement into an idiot author,
unless of course he�s a stubborn idiot who personally thinks
himself the greatest thing to happen to writing since the coming
of the pen. The nice approach is soft, though it does have an
effect sometimes. But I personally prefer the nice approach,
since a few new writers really just need a little polish to
shine, and scolding them would probably make them go back into
their shell.
Anyway, back to writing. It is my opinion that a writer
should always try to do his best on any story, short or long,
original or fanfiction. That�s how you get a good story, you
pour your heart into it. And that�s how you develop your style.
Every time an author writes he imparts a little of himself into
his story, which is evident in his style. A writer�s style is
technically an extension of himself/herself. A well-trained
analyst could guess the gender of the writer an build a simple
psychological profile for any work he or she has read. Hell, I
could do it, and I must say there are quite a few really fucked
up assholes on the internet. ^_^ Though there are also really
nice people here, too. But style can also be quite deceiving.
Most of my professional colleagues comment on the fact that my
writing style is somewhat like Lois Mcmaster Bujold, a
commercial sci-fi author who happens to be a woman. We both
write like men. ^_^ Though that doesn�t prove anything, since
masculine and feminine stylings in writing are more or less
idiosyncratic or developed. For example, some male SM fanfic
writers have a definite female touch, more feminine than my
writing, while female Ranma writers have a more masculine
approach than some of their male counterparts. And some, I can�t
even begin to guess what gender they are. ^_^
Well, another thing about writing is the what authors
mostly write about. Women authors have a tendency for
introspection and emotional stuff, while male authors have a
bigger tendency to write thinly veiled self-inserts. ^_^ No,
really. Anyway, the plots for fanfics range from a simple short
introspection of characters to world-spanning adventures. I
advise most of the newbies to start small and work up to your
dream project, that way you gain experience and skill so that
when you start that dream project of yours, your skills are good
enough to do justice to what you want to show to the readers.
As another aspect of what fanfic writers write about, we
should discuss the anime we authors write about. Well, Ranma
though a bit dragged around a lot still has potential, but come
on. Ranma is a good starting point, but if you want to stand out
in the genre you must be a pretty good writer and have a pretty
good concept that captures the imagination of the reader. SM is
pretty much the same, but hey, SM is a bigger playground than
Ranma can ever be. A statement that will probably have the Ranma
fans kicking my ass. ^_^ Anyway, there are tons of other anime
you could write about. Rurouni Kenshin is a pretty good setting
for a fic, and some of the current crop of fanfics in it are, I
hate to admit, below average. Though that makes the better fics
shine a lot brighter. ^_^ Saber Marionette J is another great
setting, though it seems to have a lack of fanfic writers. Well,
at least David Pascal, one of better writers I�ve read, is
writing in it. Tenchi Muyo is another anime that I�d like to see
more standalone fanfics, it seems that most of the TM! Fanfics
are usually crossovers, but I think the TM! world has a lot
potential for fics. There are a lot of excellent anime series
and I love to read more about them. Heck, I have a Jigoku Sensei
Nube fic on the drawing board, along a Kaze Makase Tsukikage Ran
fic and an Oniisama E (a.k.a. The Greatest/Most Fucked Up
Lesbian/Otherwise Love Triangle Ever Shown ^_^) fic around here
somewhere. And I know I have a Hana Yori Dango fic outline along
with a Kodomo no Omocha one, lying around here. So try to expand
a little on your fic choices. And if you�re worried about C&C
just send them to the SLR, and I promise if the fic is for an
obscure anime I like I�ll do a line-by-line, something I rarely
do nowadays, except for when I check student�s works.
Another thing to remember when writing is to keep control.
Yes, sometimes a fic does things that surprises us, but always
you are the writer and you must keep everything as orderly as
possible. You have to have a vision for you work, and try to
keep up with that vision as long as you�re working on a fic. If
you lose that vision or you lose control of your fic, that is
the single most disastrous thing you can do, Your fic would
degenerate into an aimless pile of ambulatory crap. So try to
keep a modicum of control over what you write, �kay?
Now that I�ve started rambling, it�s probably time to end
this. So let�s go over to the dance hall.
Don�t worry, you�ll be well dressed enough when we arrive.
See? Anyway, once again we�ve come to the end of this
little walk. I put out my hand and I ask you to a dance�
Let us dance for awhile, as I whisper something into your
ear. Besides, Haruka-chan�s playing my favorite song. ^_^
IN CONLUSION
You know, because of what I am and what I do, I�ve always
been there.
I was there when Oliver Twist started on his long journey
towards his fate. I was there when Little Nell died in the snow.
I was there when the little nameless match girl died of the
freezing cold. Heck, I�ve been there many times as the world was
made by Jehovah, Allah, Bathala and thousand other gods and
goddesses.
I�ve read too many things you see. And whenever I read I
immerse myself into the story. The same happens whenever I watch
a movie or play and, of course, when I watch anime.
I was there with Bonny and Clyde as they were gunned down,
their car peppered with bullets. I was there with Cool Hand Luke
when they finally shot him. I was there as Romeo drank the
poison to join his beautiful Juliet. I was there when Macbeth
committed his treachery. I was there when Usagi Tsukino first
met Luna. I was there when Tenchi Masaki let Ryouko loose from
her cave prison. I was there when Ichinomiya Fukiko found her
little sister, bleeding with slit wrists.
And I�ve also been there for other things. Thanks to you
guys and gals.
Thanks to Alan Harnum, I was there when Ranma Saotome faced
down with the Oldest One Of All.
Thanks to John Biles-sama, I was there when SHIVA danced
for one last time.
Thanks to Chris Davies, I was there when the Defender met
with the Adversary.
Thanks to Krista Perry, I was there when Akane Tendo
finally came back from the Kami plane.
Thanks to the lot of you for giving me the chance to be
there, for all the times Ranma Saotome met the Tendo sisters.
For the many times a new Senshi was found. For the many times
that a boomer went on a rampage. For the countless martial arts
battles, fleet actions, fighter combat, gigantic robots clashed
with aliens and a countless other things.
I was there when Love and Justice triumphed over Evil.
I was also there when Love and Justice got handed its head
on a platter by the harsh realities of Life.
These are only a few of the countless reason why I love all
of you guys and gals out there. Those who put finger to keyboard
and pen to paper and try to give their dreams life.
Keep up the good work�
And considering what and who I am, I�ll probably be always
there.
So as this night finally comes to an end, I leave you
again with what has been a tradition for three years standing.
A goodnight kiss.
With tongue. ^_-
- Elsa Bibat
English teacher and
Substitute Guardian of Time. ^_^
April 20, 2000
5:00 pm - 8:07 pm