I would like to say that I was surprised and a little overwhelmed by the
reaction to "Raves,Rants,Reviews,and Requests."  I don't know whether to 
avoid or encourage so many responses in future postings.

-------------------------

Awhile back, someone wrote that the ranmafic was dead.  I would like to 
challenge that assertion.  It is true that there is something of a 
lifecycle in fanfiction of any popular series.  There are the first 
generation authors who use the obvious variations on the theme. 
However, because they are first generation, they write with no burden of 
fanfic conventions.  Successive writers frequently take the same plots 
and devices that the first generation created and extend them further, 
incorporating and strengthening the fanfic conventions, eventually 
turning them into cliches that overpower actual manga or anime.  Of 
course, any fanfic writer should have more than a casual acquaintance 
with the series and keep the  original characters and storylines in mind 
and so hopefully avoid the dread cliche.

But returning the matter of ranmafics,the advantage of the Ranmafic is 
its familiarity.  There are few series that are as well known.  However, 
it would seem that the obvious ideas and their variations are probably 
pretty well covered and they are.  That only means that more thought 
must be put into new ideas and plots.  This effort will produce fresh 
fics less influenced by previous fanfics and fanfic conventions.  In the 
matter of ranmafics, for example, I have seen little or none of the 
following:

- Ranma involuntarily without any fiancees.  I don't mean the stories 
where Ranma gets fed up and runs off, but where Ranma stays in Nerima, 
or perhaps goes on a short trip and returns to find that all of his 
fiancees and prospective fiancees have dropped him for separate and 
independent reasons (i.e. no burakumin plot devices).  Maybe Akane has 
decided to be an actress and believes a husband or fiancee would inhibit 
her career, maybe Shampoo was defeated by someone like Ryu Kumon who was 
willing to marry her and she figured a strong husband in hand was better 
than a stronger but obviously reluctant prospective husband. And so on 
and so forth.  What does this mean to Ranma?

- Post vol 38 Ranma opens a dojo which attracts lots of students, but 
none, including any children, want to put in the time and effort to be 
his successor.  Is he the last master of the school?

- Examination of Ranma, Ukyou, Mousse, Nabik etc... as they reach 
midlife crisis (which all happens about the same time).  What life 
decisions do they regret, what opportunities do they wish they had 
taken, what are they proud or satisfied to have accomplished?  Use 
whatever matchups you desire.

- Write a plausible Kuno/Akane fic that involves no drugs or magic.

and so on and so forth.  Many of these can be adapted from standard 
fiction.  And one can still create a new perspective on what may seem an 
overused idea.  Thousands of novels, stories, and poems have been 
written about marriage, but is the topic stale?  Hardly.

So sally forth young fanfic writer and create.

  - whimsy



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