mr_pikachu
6th August 2011, 12:34 AM
The Fanfiction Forum E-zine ~ September 2011
Call for Contributions
Hello, fellow Fanficcers!
Many of you remember the wildly successful Fanfiction Forum E-zine here on TPM a few years back. For those of you who don't, a quick glance through the Fanfic Archives (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=29) should be a sufficient primer. Basically, the E-zine was dedicated to TPMer-written articles on all aspects of fanfiction, of writing and reading, and of the creative process as a whole.
Well, it's about time to bring back the E-zine! We're seeking articles for our next issue, which we'll be publishing next month. Anyone here can contribute -- if you're reading this thread, you can be in the E-zine. Feel free to write on what you like, and you can talk about what you're thinking of contributing, as well. (We'll keep track of everything in this thread, too, so you can see what's already being written.)
"But mr_pikachu!" you say. "How do I sumbit an article for the E-zine?"
Oh, my friends, it's simple. Here's the three-step process:
1. Write the article.
2. Paste the article into a private message.
3. Send me that private message no later than September 5, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. (American) Central Standard Time.
It's that simple! And keep in mind that you can write on something entirely of your design, or you can feel free to use of our "requested articles" below!
Note: The colored section beside each heading refers to who has committed to writing that column, or if it is still open for a writer. Red tags means the article has already been taken by a member, and green ones are open for someone to claim (or are open for all members to submit simultaneously, as may be noted).
1. News. OPEN
This would a more journalistic take on the general goings-on around Fanfic, around TPM, and/or in the writing scene beyond our forum as well. A single piece doesn't have to report on all of these; we might have multiple articles dedicated to news, or you may just choose to focus on whatever seems especially interesting.
2. Interview with a TPMer (this has traditionally been called "Interviews with the Stars"). OPEN
Gabi, is this a column that you want to take again?
3. Top Five _____________ of _____________. OPEN
This one is very loosely structured. The general idea is to approach the author of a fic and ask them a handful of questions (no more than half a dozen or so). Often, this will be used as a way of interviewing a fic character, so the questions will be answered in the voice of the character in question. (Fic and character choice would be up to you in this scenario, as would be the questions; just keep things tasteful.) Other "Top Fives" have included sources of inspiration or favorite books for prominent ficcers, and other things like that. It might be worth asking people around the boards what they'd like to see, which you could do using a public poll. That also might engage the readership more. But there’s no obligation to do that, of course -- if you want to make the decisions yourself, we trust your judgment. Who wants this one?
4. Author’s teasers/trailers for future chapters/storylines. OPEN TO ALL
This is open to EVERYONE. If you’re writing a fic, you can submit a short teaser or trailer of no more than 200 words to be run in the e-zine. (Even something as short as a sentence would work, if that's what you want.) All teasers and trailers will be run, so if you want to promote the next chapter or story arc in your fic, this is your chance.
5. Best Line of the Month. OPEN
It would be great for someone (preferably someone who reads widely) to collect for him/herself some of the funniest, most poignant or most memorable lines -- the best -- that have appeared in fics, poems and one-shots during August, and make a short list of the best lines this month. Other members can also PM their suggestions of the best lines to the member who takes this column on board. After that, we could take a poll, or the person who does this could just choose their favorite. I think I’d lean toward a poll being taken so we can make this a forum-wide kind of decision, but we could go either way. Who wants this one? Someone who reads a lot would be ideal. :)
6. A fic or poem spotlight. OPEN
It would be great to have a nice review/discussion of a new or underappreciated fic or poem or one-shot. It can be formal or casual, and interviews with the author will only serve to enrich the spotlight. Who wants this one?
7. Fic backstories. OPEN TO ALL
This would be a section where the author would take us through some deeper details of their fic -- for example, a detailed description of a setting or a character’s backstory, or a scrapped plot arc -- that were too extraneous to appear in the fic itself. If YOU would like to tell us a bit about an aspect of YOUR fic’s backstory, write it up and PM it to me. No minimum word limit, but let’s keep it under, say, 1500 words max. (We can negotiate this.) The more, the merrier; anyone can submit.
8. Feature articles. OPEN TO ALL
Some potential ideas for feature articles:
- Readers: How can you be a good one? How do you deal with a lack of readers? [b]mattbcl
- Time management: How can you find the time to write while handling everything else in life? Mikachu Yukitatsu
- Fanfiction philosophy - What does it mean to be a fanficcer? Why do we do it when we can't be published? Is fanfiction good? Can fanfiction be good? Why does it have a reputation otherwise? Is fanfiction plagiarism, and what does it mean when others plagiarize fanfics? Etc., etc. OPEN
Most of the first seven items in this list are regular column ideas, but what would be great would be new and interesting feature articles on various aspects of fanficcing, writing, reading, reviewing, editing, planning, getting time to write, etc. If you have an idea for a feature, post here and let us know, and get writing! It would be great to see your ideas in print!
If you want to contribute and write one of the columns above (or if you'd like to craft a column of your own or do a feature story), post here to say what it is that you'd like to take. You can ask for more info/guidance if anything's unclear, or you can discuss your ideas here with the editor, other contributors, and other members before going out and writing it. Totally up to you.
When your piece is finished and proofread, PM it to me. Again, please send it no later than [B]September 5, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. (American) Central Standard Time.
I know there are loads of you who are actively keen on contributing and also loads of you who are hanging back in the shadows wondering whether you should step forward or not, so I’ll just say I hope to see you all here in the newsroom. Can’t wait for this team to start working!
-mr_pikachu
Call for Contributions
Hello, fellow Fanficcers!
Many of you remember the wildly successful Fanfiction Forum E-zine here on TPM a few years back. For those of you who don't, a quick glance through the Fanfic Archives (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=29) should be a sufficient primer. Basically, the E-zine was dedicated to TPMer-written articles on all aspects of fanfiction, of writing and reading, and of the creative process as a whole.
Well, it's about time to bring back the E-zine! We're seeking articles for our next issue, which we'll be publishing next month. Anyone here can contribute -- if you're reading this thread, you can be in the E-zine. Feel free to write on what you like, and you can talk about what you're thinking of contributing, as well. (We'll keep track of everything in this thread, too, so you can see what's already being written.)
"But mr_pikachu!" you say. "How do I sumbit an article for the E-zine?"
Oh, my friends, it's simple. Here's the three-step process:
1. Write the article.
2. Paste the article into a private message.
3. Send me that private message no later than September 5, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. (American) Central Standard Time.
It's that simple! And keep in mind that you can write on something entirely of your design, or you can feel free to use of our "requested articles" below!
Note: The colored section beside each heading refers to who has committed to writing that column, or if it is still open for a writer. Red tags means the article has already been taken by a member, and green ones are open for someone to claim (or are open for all members to submit simultaneously, as may be noted).
1. News. OPEN
This would a more journalistic take on the general goings-on around Fanfic, around TPM, and/or in the writing scene beyond our forum as well. A single piece doesn't have to report on all of these; we might have multiple articles dedicated to news, or you may just choose to focus on whatever seems especially interesting.
2. Interview with a TPMer (this has traditionally been called "Interviews with the Stars"). OPEN
Gabi, is this a column that you want to take again?
3. Top Five _____________ of _____________. OPEN
This one is very loosely structured. The general idea is to approach the author of a fic and ask them a handful of questions (no more than half a dozen or so). Often, this will be used as a way of interviewing a fic character, so the questions will be answered in the voice of the character in question. (Fic and character choice would be up to you in this scenario, as would be the questions; just keep things tasteful.) Other "Top Fives" have included sources of inspiration or favorite books for prominent ficcers, and other things like that. It might be worth asking people around the boards what they'd like to see, which you could do using a public poll. That also might engage the readership more. But there’s no obligation to do that, of course -- if you want to make the decisions yourself, we trust your judgment. Who wants this one?
4. Author’s teasers/trailers for future chapters/storylines. OPEN TO ALL
This is open to EVERYONE. If you’re writing a fic, you can submit a short teaser or trailer of no more than 200 words to be run in the e-zine. (Even something as short as a sentence would work, if that's what you want.) All teasers and trailers will be run, so if you want to promote the next chapter or story arc in your fic, this is your chance.
5. Best Line of the Month. OPEN
It would be great for someone (preferably someone who reads widely) to collect for him/herself some of the funniest, most poignant or most memorable lines -- the best -- that have appeared in fics, poems and one-shots during August, and make a short list of the best lines this month. Other members can also PM their suggestions of the best lines to the member who takes this column on board. After that, we could take a poll, or the person who does this could just choose their favorite. I think I’d lean toward a poll being taken so we can make this a forum-wide kind of decision, but we could go either way. Who wants this one? Someone who reads a lot would be ideal. :)
6. A fic or poem spotlight. OPEN
It would be great to have a nice review/discussion of a new or underappreciated fic or poem or one-shot. It can be formal or casual, and interviews with the author will only serve to enrich the spotlight. Who wants this one?
7. Fic backstories. OPEN TO ALL
This would be a section where the author would take us through some deeper details of their fic -- for example, a detailed description of a setting or a character’s backstory, or a scrapped plot arc -- that were too extraneous to appear in the fic itself. If YOU would like to tell us a bit about an aspect of YOUR fic’s backstory, write it up and PM it to me. No minimum word limit, but let’s keep it under, say, 1500 words max. (We can negotiate this.) The more, the merrier; anyone can submit.
8. Feature articles. OPEN TO ALL
Some potential ideas for feature articles:
- Readers: How can you be a good one? How do you deal with a lack of readers? [b]mattbcl
- Time management: How can you find the time to write while handling everything else in life? Mikachu Yukitatsu
- Fanfiction philosophy - What does it mean to be a fanficcer? Why do we do it when we can't be published? Is fanfiction good? Can fanfiction be good? Why does it have a reputation otherwise? Is fanfiction plagiarism, and what does it mean when others plagiarize fanfics? Etc., etc. OPEN
Most of the first seven items in this list are regular column ideas, but what would be great would be new and interesting feature articles on various aspects of fanficcing, writing, reading, reviewing, editing, planning, getting time to write, etc. If you have an idea for a feature, post here and let us know, and get writing! It would be great to see your ideas in print!
If you want to contribute and write one of the columns above (or if you'd like to craft a column of your own or do a feature story), post here to say what it is that you'd like to take. You can ask for more info/guidance if anything's unclear, or you can discuss your ideas here with the editor, other contributors, and other members before going out and writing it. Totally up to you.
When your piece is finished and proofread, PM it to me. Again, please send it no later than [B]September 5, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. (American) Central Standard Time.
I know there are loads of you who are actively keen on contributing and also loads of you who are hanging back in the shadows wondering whether you should step forward or not, so I’ll just say I hope to see you all here in the newsroom. Can’t wait for this team to start working!
-mr_pikachu