[FFML] [Ranma 1/2] Three final writing exercises, and: Goodbye, FFML

[Gary Kleppe]

Let's toss off some quick comments before it's all over.

Overall, I think these were pretty good for what they attempted. I 
would've rather read them as part of a complete story, but hey, we all 
have lives, and at this point I'll take what I can get. I will say that 
there's a temptation with dialog scenes to use the dialog as exposition, 
a way of passing information to the reader. This information might be 
plot points, or it might be characters explaining how they feel. This is 
okay up to a certain point, but in your first scene it was maybe a 
little too obvious. What I think works somewhat as a cure for this is to 
spice your dialog up with some sort of conflict. This could be a dispute 
between the characters, or it could be something internal, like a 
character trying to decide how he really feels about something. I do 
think your third vignette was better in this regard. Anyway, I hope this 
gave you something to think about.

And it's so long, FFML. I've been involved with the list in a number of 
different capacities, including reader, writer, frequent critic, 
cartographer (it's a long story), assistant Tybalt, FAQ maintainer, list 
admin, and probably more that I'm forgetting. When I started out here, I 
really couldn't write prose, and had to do my first story in script. 
It's been overall one of the great experiences of my life, to be able to 
put stuff out there and have it become in some small way part of the 
collective consciousness. So, I guess that's it. Best of luck to 
everyone in any future writing projects. If anyone wants to reach me, I 
can be found at www.garykleppe.org, or if you prefer, 
facebook.com/GaryKleppe/