Gavin Luper
1st February 2007, 05:10 AM
The FanFiction Forum E-zine
February 2007
Contents
241 Words of Nonsensical Poppycock
Gavin Luper
Conversations with the Stars – Chris 2.0
Lady Vulpix
The 2007 Silver Pencils
mr_pikachu
Selections from a Glossary for the Critique of Yu-Gi-Oh Fanfiction, Part Two
Master of Paradox
The Grammar Nazi – Punctuation 101
mr_pikachu
241 Words of Nonsensical Poppycock (AKA: Editor’s Comments)
Gavin Luper
They said it couldn’t be done. They said we could never reproduce the mind-boggling, spine-tingling awesomeness that was the outrageously gnarly inaugural January 2007 edition of the new and improved Fanfiction Forum E-zine. We said they were probably right.
But we were all wrong! Here is arguably the greatest issue of our community E-zine since the last one, packed chockablock with superfluous superlatives and hard-hitting fanfic-related journalism that will rock you all to your thoughtful, obsessive and slightly-reclusive cores! Writers, readers and general hangers-on of Fanfic, I present to you the February 2007 edition of The Fanfiction Forum E-zine!
And this issue is like, awesome. There’s squillions of articles to enjoy: our special correspondent Lady Vulpix brings us yet another stellar interview with one of the most talented authors in our forum, Master of Paradox produces another fantastic critique on Yu-Gi-Oh Fanfic Faux-pas and our resident Grammar Nazi drops in with his monthly rant on all things textbook! Plus, in the wake of last month’s Silver Pencil Awards, we have a lovely post-mortem, contributed by our very own mr_pikachu.
It must be said that our second edition is really, really, ridiculously good; remarkably entertaining and unfailingly relevant to every fanficcer’s daily life. Indeed, if you don’t charge boldly on into this issue, you can expect to pay the social consequences – do you want to be the only one in Smiley Town who hasn’t read it?
I should think not.
Please enjoy. :D
~ Conversations with the Stars – Chris 2.0 ~
Lady Vulpix
Lady Vulpix: How long have you been writing?
Chris 2.0: I've been writing since about 2001.
Lady Vulpix: Ah. What was the first piece of fiction you wrote?
Chris 2.0: Let's see...it was a very short-lived trainer fic (I can't remember the name, I'd expect something cheesy and simple). The trainer was from Johto, and he had a Cleffa to start off with. He ended up catching a Totodile and Wooper too, along the way. After around 3 or 4 chapters i stopped.
Lady Vulpix: Why did you stop?
Chris 2.0: I remember that most people who replied looked down my nose, criticised it (and me) and just thought it was pathetic. That and I didnt really know what I was doing. Those people are still around TPM but I've gone through a lot of name changes so I doubt they'll know that was me.
Lady Vulpix: Ow. I hate it when people do that.
Chris 2.0: It's horrible. But I'd like to think I've redeemed myself.
Lady Vulpix: Without having read your fic, I wouldn't say it was your
fault alone. In any case, what kind of replies do you post when you read someone else's work?
Chris 2.0: I always say something critical (when I can) because that's important. In fanfic I would say I've been here a lot (5 years roughly) so I do know a lot and have done a lot. I like to offer advice on what could change and tell the author what elements work well, so that I'm not too cruel.
Lady Vulpix: What fics are you reading now? And which ones have you enjoyed the most in the past?
Chris 2.0: Currently....I'm looking at darktyranitar's "gone DP!", Charles
Legend's "Petoskey League" and when I can, EBTV. In the past (when I was much more involved in fanfic) I had a number of fics I
enjoyed. EBTV, LTL, The Emerald League (a fantastic trainer
fic) were the main ones. When Destinies collide (Citrus Crush Chikorita)
was also cool.
Lady Vulpix: Ouch. Yes, it was. Ok, back to your own writings. How many fics have you started so far, and how many have you completed?
Chris 2.0: Wow that's going to have a long answer. The one I mentioned about cleffa... then I started Destiny's Way" a 2-part fic. The first was
standard trainer ficcery with Kenta (the johto trainer from the games) in johto
(I guess I liked the place). That got slammed for sharing the title with an
already popular fic (by a member I won't name, but she knows who she is). I
finished it - it was short but Kenta got all 8 badges. The follow-up was called Lucky Charms and was about Kenta's son Rikki, who was in my first made-up trainer land. That has had, to date, 2 rewrites and neither has been sucessful enough to see the end of its life. After that I developed a fic calledThe Miami League which was a 10-badge league set over a set of islands and visited by a group of trainers. Chris (me), Crystal (Crystal female trainer) and Tony (water pokemon trainer). Again slammed for its unoriginality by a ficcer who is still around these days (he never liked my work :-/) it persevered, being very very popular with fans. That had a sequel, The Indigo Road, a trainer fic set in Kanto with a dark, edgier tone. That was my first dealing with death in a fic, proper death, and love, anger - proper issues that broadened my perspective. I had an 8-chapter 'spin-off' showing Chris and Crystal when they were slightly older, called From Sequel To Trilogy (a joke taken from the title of the first fic in the series). Since then I moved into fantasy, writing Monica's Army, Monica's Revolution (both completed) and the final part, Monica's Vendetta; all deal with adepts and more fantasy characters and I intend to finish that. Monica was featured in The Indigo Road briefly. Finally I have had The Pokemon Masters League, which is still running, ever sucessful and shows no signs of diminishing :) Wow that was a lot.
Lady Vulpix: Wow, all that in less than 6 years? How do you get the time to write so much?
Chris 2.0: Well some of the earlier stuff wasn't very long. In Destiny's Way
(which was later changed to A Boy And His Bear, since Kenta cauht a
Teddiursa) chapters were 3-4 pages. But in TPML a chapter can be up to 40. I guess its such a strong passion I find time when I can. After college, during college (jotting ideas, heh), weekends, around my job that is.
Lady Vulpix: Are you planning to start writing professionally?
Chris 2.0: It's always been something I have considered, and I'm studying english at A-Level (english qualification). But I doubt it. It's quite a shaky career choice.
Lady Vulpix: Maybe you can have a regular job and publish something from time to time.
Chris 2.0: Yea it would be great. Chris Wilson - estate agent by day......but at night, ferocious crime-fighting author!
Lady Vulpix: Hehehehe. So... how has your writing evolved since you began?
Chris 2.0: In every single sense - it's such a broad question but all I have is a
terribly dissapointing answer. When I started, at 12/13 years old, I had no
concept of writing. No idea of plot, suspense, action, empathy... anything
and since then, with TPML, I feel I have really achieved something I can
be so proud of. People love to read it. I love to write it and plan it. I yearn
to see what people have said about the chapters. Theres a real reader/author
connection because I've let them into my world.
Lady Vulpix: :) Do you think of what the readers will think or feel while you're writing?
Chris 2.0: In a sense. I think about how what I write affects me, and try to
project my reaction to my audience, and generally I think we do feel the same things.
Lady Vulpix: What do you find the most difficult about writing?
Chris 2.0: That's a good question. To answer I'll tell you a bit about how my fic works. I plan ahead what happens, and at the moment I know quite a lot of what lies ahead. The exact details for the next chapter are mapped out (usually scene-by-scene) after I put a new chapter up. And by doing this I begin to feel really, really psyched for wanting to write it all down. If I don't start straight away, starting a new chapter, even from a point I left
off in the previous one (a cliffhanger or continued scene) can be arduous. I also find big battles quite taxing, much more than emotional or character-based scenes. It depends how creative I feel I suppose.
Lady Vulpix: I see. Well, this is getting quite long, so let's move on to the
last question. Do you have any advice to give to other writers?
Chris 2.0: Hmm, I suppose if you want to make your material work, then work on it a LOT. Don't type out the first thing that comes to your head - try things from different angles until that scene, character or chapter reaches its full potential.
Lady Vulpix: Thank you.
Chris 2.0: :) Thanks!
The 2007 Silver Pencils
mr_pikachu
The biannual Fanfic Awards have always been one of TPM’s biggest events. This year’s Silver Pencil Awards, directed by Gavin Luper and mr_pikachu, continued this rich tradition. A bevy of voters all provided their input to showcase the very best that Fanfic has to offer, and the results demonstrated a wide range of talents with 21 different members receiving Silver Pencils.
Gavin Luper, author of the famed Lisa the Legend, achieved the highest total of eight Silver Pencils and earned the honorary Awards Award. Among his accolades were Best Plot, Best Chapter, Best Character in a Leading Role, and the coveted Best Fiction Overall.
Andrew and Dragonfree each followed with six Silver Pencils. Andrew’s work on Electric Buggy to Victory won him such awards as the Funniest Moment and Best Original Cast commendations, while he was further recognized as the Quirkiest Fanficcer and more. Dragonfree’s The Quest for the Legends earned exceptionally high marks, winning Best Pokémon Fic, Best Trainer Fic, Best Overall Setting, and several others.
Prolific authors Dark Sage and Saffire Persian followed with four awards each. Victories for Dark Sage, author of many Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfics, included Best Plot Twist and Most Original Character. Saffire Persian, author of Metamorphosis, won Best Writing Style, Best Writer, and more.
The remaining 33 awards were divided among 16 different fanficcers. In summary, it was a strong showing by voters and winners alike, with many ballots cast and many fanficcers honored for their work. Such an impressive display at the Silver Pencils bodes well for the Golden Pens to come later this year.
Complete Silver Pencils List
Gavin Luper: Best Fiction Overall, Best Action, Best Plot, Most Suspenseful Moment, Most Emotional Moment, Best Chapter, Best Character in a Leading Role, Best Villain
Andrew: Funniest Moment, Funniest Character, Best Original Cast, Biggest Drama Queen/King, Quirkiest Fanficcer, Least Likely to Complete His/Her Fic
Dragonfree: Best Pokémon Fic, Best Trainer Fic, Most Improved Fic, Best Overall Setting, Best Un-Romantic Relationship, Best New Pokémon
Dark Sage: Best Plot Twist, Best Single Location (tie), Most Original Character, Least Likely to Become a Couple (with The_Missing_Link)
Saffire Persian: Best Writing Style, Best Battle Scene, Best Character in a Supporting Role, Best Writer
Blademaster: Most Improved Writer, Best Newcomer to the Boards, Biggest Chat Loudmouth
Chris 2.0: Best Single Location (tie), Most Dedicated Writer, Nicest Fanficcer
darktyranitar: Best Dark Fic, Best Short Story, Most Dedicated Reader
eevee-shayna: Most Original Concept (with Samchu), Best Description (with Samchu), Best Romantic Relationship (with Samchu),
mr_pikachu: Most Rounded Member, Most Likely to Become a Couple (with anyone), Most Likely to Overtake TPM
Samchu: Most Original Concept (with eevee-shayna), Best Description (with eevee-shayna), Best Romantic Relationship (with eevee-shayna),
dratinihaunter13: Best Comedy Fic, Best Quote
Lady Vulpix: Best Nonfiction/Alternate Fandom Fic, Best Fantasy Fic
Master of Paradox: Best Yu-Gi-Oh! Fic, Least Likely to Have an Iota of Fun in Life
Evil Mewf0ur: Most Evil Fanficcer
Houndoom_Lover: Best New Writer
Hyperness is a Good Thing: Most Promising New Fic
Mega Horny: Most Unusual Board Member
mistysakura: Best Poem
Phoenixsong: Best Reviewer
The_Missing_Link: Least Likely to Become a Couple (with Dark Sage)
Selections from a Glossary for the Critique of Yu-Gi-Oh Fanfiction, Part Two
Master of Paradox
The following are more terms I find useful for the discussion, critique, and evaluation of Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh GX, and fanfiction based on either series. As before, some reference is made to stories and authors that exemplify certain terms or tropes; I apologize in advance if they take offense to this work.
Big Bad: The villain at the top of the hierarchy, the one who needs to be defeated for the story to end happily. Continually in opposition with the heroes, mainly through the use of Cannon Fodder. Controls the No-Turning-Back Cards. Big Bads favor Fiends and other Dark Monsters; they never carry "heroic" cards like the Elemental Heroes. There may sometimes be a false Big Bad that is the puppet of the original. The first was Pegasus; the most recent is Saiou/Sartorius. Almost always the final opponent; if not, they tend to pull one last shot out from behind the curtains.
Boss Duelist: Any “enemy” duelist who’s a step up from the Cannon Fodder. Usually a higher-ranking minion of the story’s central evil, they tend to have specialized deck themes (and usually have appearances based around them). The first appearance of a Boss Duelist usually coincides with the first appearance of any dark powers being used by “evil” duelists (aside from No-Turning-Back Cards, which are usually demonstrated by the Gurimo). An example from the original series would be the Swordsmen of the Orichalcos; in GX, the Shadow Riders/Seven Stars would qualify.
Cain and Abel Syndrome: Fanfiction characters who have siblings NEVER get along - and to a far harsher degree than mere sibling rivalry. Expect one to either be a nagging rival or outright working for the Big Bad. Usually, the younger sibling is on the good guy's side, and the older sibling is evil. Kaiba and Mokuba were an exception - Kaiba, while a jerk, deeply loved his brother; far closer to this trope is Ryo/Zane and Sho/Syrus from GX, where the older brother hates his younger sibling for his perceived weaknesses.
Cannon Fodder: Any character not destined to play a bigger role in the story. Thus named because their only purpose is to be defeated by the major characters and advance the plot. Unfortunate, but necessary, since not every character can be a star and someone has to give up the necessary plot coupons (in a tournament-based story) or stand in the way (situation-based) (see We Can’t All Be Astronauts for when a major character is in this role). Can be referred to by other names related to the central plot, i.e. Star Chip Fodder, Card Fodder.
- The Gurimo: A lackey of the lackeys, sent out to test the strength of the hero group. If there’s a No-Turning-Back Card in the story, this is the guy who first plays it. The average Gurimo has the lifespan of a gnat – invariably, if he plays a No-Turning-Back Card, he’s also the one who shows off the downside. Named after the first person to play – and fall victim to – the Seal of Orichalcos on Yu-Gi-Oh.
Catch the Bullet: When a duelist wins on a turn in which the next turn would result in an opposing win by the effect of an instant-win card; i.e. Exodia, Destiny Board, or Final Countdown.
Created Card: A card that doesn’t exist in the real game or any other source (the two series or the movie). Yu-Gi-Oh cards are far easier to create than cards for other TCGs, mainly due to the lack of a resource requirement (such as Magic: the Gathering’s mana costs); this leads to all sorts of created cards, good, bad, or ugly. “Created card” and “made-up card” are used interchangeably (although the latter has a slightly insulting tone); the phrase “fake card” is applied only to examples that are blatantly stupid, broken, or unnecessary.
Filing Off the Serial Numbers: The tendency to pick from the most obvious sources when creating made-up cards. Usually the verbal description or name hammers home where the idea came from; sometimes, the author will attempt to forestall any complaints by having a character make a comment concerning the card’s source (occasionally, the character will state that the card was created specifically as a tribute to whatever source it’s from). Generally acceptable as long as it is not overdone.
Freelance Expositionist: Any character whose primary purpose is to explain the current situation and its importance to the protagonists; often much older than the other characters, occasionally it’s hinted that they’ve done this before. Usually they only duel once, if at all, and often have a good excuse why they can’t do the rest of the job themselves. Shadi (and, to some extent, the Ishtar family) was the Freelance Expositionist for the original series’s Battle City arc; Bobasa filled the role for Pharaoh’s Memories, and Chancellor Shepard took over the job for the first season of GX.
Heart of the Cards: An invisible, intangible quality, akin to a moral trait like altruism or empathy. It represents a character’s relationship to the cards in his or her deck; the more the character is “in tune” with his or her cards, the stronger their Heart. In times of emergency, the Heart of the Cards helps to make sure that the one card you need is waiting on the top of your deck. In practice, this is a more noble way of stacking the deck. Villains, by their nature, don’t possess this trait, which is why they’re screwed from the get-go. Denying the Heart of the Cards is a good way to seal your defeat (see Ink-and-Cardstock Speech).
Ink-and-Cardstock Speech: A character denies the Heart of the Cards, delivering a stock speech that declares all cards in the game of Duel Monsters to be nothing more than ink on cardstock. This is always delivered immediately before the character’s humiliating defeat by someone who believes in the Heart of the Cards. So overused that it’s become a cliché, a neat accomplishment for a fanfiction trope. (Almost) always delivered by a villain.
Message Sledgehammer: A card or move used to drive home the author’s point, which is usually verbally delivered beforehand (in the worst-case scenario, as part of a Friendship Speech). Can be spotted on sight, as the verbal delivery usually links the cards to the message. Fans of the TV Tropes Wiki know this as “Anvilicious”.
Needless Villain Abuse (NVA): When a canon villain becomes the target of much insults and cruelty from other characters or the plot for no apparent reason. The all-time champion lightning rod of NVA is Weevil Underwood; whether it's his appearance, his attitude, his behavior, or his dub voice, authors like to go out of their way to insult or trash him. In almost every story set a conceivable amount of time in the future, Weevil is dead... and usually damned. The award for most NVA towards Weevil is "Yu-Gi-Oh: The Thousand-Year Door", which had an original character (Wanda Underwood,his sister) whose only purpose was to insult and denigrate him; in TYD's defense, Brian Corvello admits he regrets doing that.
Just behind Weevil in the amount of NVA received is Arkana; in third place is Stalker/Seeker/Rare Hunter. Most other villains receive little in the way of NVA; the bishonen villains (Yami Bakura and Yami Marik most notably) have no NVA to their records that I can find.
If an original villain is the target of NVA, it's called Norus Syndrome. A lesser case of NVA is Character Underestimation.
Norus Syndrome: There are two parts to this one – 1. A character (usually a designated villain) that is so derided, insulted, and debased by the author via other characters that readers develop sympathy towards them, destroying the author’s intended effect. 2. When characters one would normally describe as friendly turn into cruel, snarling misanthropes whenever they have anything to do with the targeted character. Both halves of the term are named after Norus Ragnar, a character from “Yu-Gi-Oh: Sister of Anansi” who, despite being no worse than a high-school bully, was treated as the scum of the earth by literally every other character, leading several readers to make him their favorite character out of pity.
Pulling a Devlin: To have an incredibly contrived change of heart and join the side of the good guys after one defeat. Named for Duke Devlin’s astonishingly quick friendship with the Yugi Gang after losing at Dungeon Dice Monsters.
Ra Moment: A moment of dramatic spectacle surrounding the playing of an immensely powerful or important card. Usually the villain’s trump card, Ra Moments occur on rare occasion for heroes as well, whereupon there’s usually a Message Sledgehammer involved. Named for the original producer of such spectacles, the Winged Dragon of Ra.
Situation-Based: One of the two main types of duel-based Yu-Gi-Oh fanfiction, the other being Tournament-Based. In essence, the Big Bad is conducting a plot with unpleasant consequences for a major city/Earth/humanity, and the main character(s) stand against him. The Cannon Fodder comprises the minor minions, while the Boss Duelists are the inner circle. As this setup requires both a reason for Duel Monsters being everyone's weapons of choice and justification as to why the authorities aren't involved, it is less commonly seen. The DOMA Arc of the original series and the first season of GX (especially after the revelation of the Sacred Beasts) were situation-based.
Three Lines, Less Repetition: Duel-based Yu-Gi-Oh fanfiction never focuses on a single character. The reason is obvious – after a few chapters, everyone involved would get sick of that character’s deck theme. The logical step would be to add another character, but constant switching between only two characters would just delay the process. Thus the Three-Man Band (see below); having three major decks keeps things relatively fresh, while at the same time keep the author from going berserk trying to keep the characters straight.
For comparison, the original Yu-Gi-Oh switched back and forth between Yugi and Joey for most of the series; during DOMA, Kaiba was added to the mix, and Yugi only dueled (fully) once in all of the KC Grand Prix. GX focuses almost exclusively on Jaden, but inserts the other Duel Academy characters as necessary (usually Chazz or Alexis).
Three-Man Band: 1. the typical group size in Yu-Gi-Oh fanfiction. This applies, interestingly, to both heroic and villainous groups. Typically, the “heroic” Three-Man Band consists of two men and a woman (or two boys and a girl - the terms used depend on their ages); the “villainous” Three-Man Band can be of any gender makeup, but tends to be uniformly male. The female tends to be the love interest of one of the males with surprising regularity. Gender, however, can vary widely; "Three-Man Band" is a slightly misleading name.
2. The central characters of a story; again, there are usually three of them (see Three Lines, Less Repetition), but the numbers go up and down. The members of this type of Three-Man Band usually operate as a group, but not always; often one member denies any connection to the other two – the original series Three-Man Band, for example, consisted of Yugi Motoh, Joey Wheeler (Jounounchi Katsuya), and Seto Kaiba, the last of whom would have viciously denied a Three-Man Band existed. (In GX, there is no real Three-Man Band, as the show focuses most of the attention on Jaden/Judai Yukai.)
Tournament-Based: One of the two main types of duel-based Yu-Gi-Oh fanfiction, the other being Situation-Based. The main character(s) enter a tournament with a much higher prize than the norm. Either the Big Bad is running the tournament, or he/she/it/they plan to subvert it to their own ends. Cannon Fodder comprises the other competitors, while Boss Duelists are drawn from the Big Bad's minions or "ringers". Easier to plan and execute, and thus the more common of the two types. Most of the original series (starting with the second episode) was Tournament-Based.
What? No!: Any catchphrase uttered during moments of extreme stress by every single character in the story. Named after the worst violator, from the works of Brian Corvello.
The Grammar Nazi – Punctuation 101
mr_pikachu
(The Grammar Nazi is not affiliated in any way with Nazi Germany or Adolf Hitler.)
We’ve now established that using spelling and grammar appropriately is crucial for writers of fanfiction. Now we move to part two: what is good spelling and grammar, anyway?
Punctuation is a good starting point when considering this. After all, it’s fairly simple, and it has more general rules than there are for things like spelling. (The English language, incidentally, is notorious for absurd spelling rules and exceptions.)
Let’s consider punctuation in general before trying to tackle some of the rules and regulations surrounding it. So, what purpose does it serve? Why do we use it? What does it do? It must do something other than make writing more difficult – at least, one would think so.
Well, punctuation generally acts to make things easier to read. It guides the reader while remaining fairly inconspicuous. The idea is for it to help but never really be noticed.
Can somebody tell me what the obvious response to that statement is?
“If you don’t want it to be noticed, why don’t you get rid of it entirely?” That’s what I wanted to hear, class. You all really need help with this…
Allow me to offer an example to show you why that would be a problem.
this is exactly what you shouldnt do after all it looks really really bad you should be ashamed of yourself if you write something like this because it is irritating to try to read writing that lacks punctuation
The above is what happens when writers forget that punctuation is more than a hassle. You see, it is necessary to guide the reader’s train of thought. When it isn’t clear where one idea begins and ends, it becomes difficult for anyone to decipher what you’re trying to say. And isn’t the whole point of writing to convey your thoughts to others?
Still, you shouldn’t use punctuation where you don’t need it. A generally minimalist standpoint is best, as you want your readers to concentrate on your words rather than the little symbols around them. If you can use just enough punctuation so that it’s clear what you’re trying to say, but that the punctuation doesn’t take over your writing, you’ve found the proper balance.
If you mistakenly tip, the balance too much in one direction – or another – you end up with stuff that’s way too difficult… so rather than a fun activity, reading it becomes: a chore! You can’t afford to be “careless” in using punctuation; otherwise, no one will notice what you’ve said; do you see what I mean?
In case you hadn’t noticed, the above paragraph was an example of too much punctuation. There were lots of cute markings where they weren’t needed, and they probably drew your focus from the explanation. It’s like driving on some highways – rather than pay attention to the road, you get distracted by all the entertaining signs along the way.
So the lesson here is to use punctuation. Learn the rules of writing, and recognize where you need to apply them. Just don’t use them so much that the point you’re trying to make gets lost in the clutter.
February 2007
Contents
241 Words of Nonsensical Poppycock
Gavin Luper
Conversations with the Stars – Chris 2.0
Lady Vulpix
The 2007 Silver Pencils
mr_pikachu
Selections from a Glossary for the Critique of Yu-Gi-Oh Fanfiction, Part Two
Master of Paradox
The Grammar Nazi – Punctuation 101
mr_pikachu
241 Words of Nonsensical Poppycock (AKA: Editor’s Comments)
Gavin Luper
They said it couldn’t be done. They said we could never reproduce the mind-boggling, spine-tingling awesomeness that was the outrageously gnarly inaugural January 2007 edition of the new and improved Fanfiction Forum E-zine. We said they were probably right.
But we were all wrong! Here is arguably the greatest issue of our community E-zine since the last one, packed chockablock with superfluous superlatives and hard-hitting fanfic-related journalism that will rock you all to your thoughtful, obsessive and slightly-reclusive cores! Writers, readers and general hangers-on of Fanfic, I present to you the February 2007 edition of The Fanfiction Forum E-zine!
And this issue is like, awesome. There’s squillions of articles to enjoy: our special correspondent Lady Vulpix brings us yet another stellar interview with one of the most talented authors in our forum, Master of Paradox produces another fantastic critique on Yu-Gi-Oh Fanfic Faux-pas and our resident Grammar Nazi drops in with his monthly rant on all things textbook! Plus, in the wake of last month’s Silver Pencil Awards, we have a lovely post-mortem, contributed by our very own mr_pikachu.
It must be said that our second edition is really, really, ridiculously good; remarkably entertaining and unfailingly relevant to every fanficcer’s daily life. Indeed, if you don’t charge boldly on into this issue, you can expect to pay the social consequences – do you want to be the only one in Smiley Town who hasn’t read it?
I should think not.
Please enjoy. :D
~ Conversations with the Stars – Chris 2.0 ~
Lady Vulpix
Lady Vulpix: How long have you been writing?
Chris 2.0: I've been writing since about 2001.
Lady Vulpix: Ah. What was the first piece of fiction you wrote?
Chris 2.0: Let's see...it was a very short-lived trainer fic (I can't remember the name, I'd expect something cheesy and simple). The trainer was from Johto, and he had a Cleffa to start off with. He ended up catching a Totodile and Wooper too, along the way. After around 3 or 4 chapters i stopped.
Lady Vulpix: Why did you stop?
Chris 2.0: I remember that most people who replied looked down my nose, criticised it (and me) and just thought it was pathetic. That and I didnt really know what I was doing. Those people are still around TPM but I've gone through a lot of name changes so I doubt they'll know that was me.
Lady Vulpix: Ow. I hate it when people do that.
Chris 2.0: It's horrible. But I'd like to think I've redeemed myself.
Lady Vulpix: Without having read your fic, I wouldn't say it was your
fault alone. In any case, what kind of replies do you post when you read someone else's work?
Chris 2.0: I always say something critical (when I can) because that's important. In fanfic I would say I've been here a lot (5 years roughly) so I do know a lot and have done a lot. I like to offer advice on what could change and tell the author what elements work well, so that I'm not too cruel.
Lady Vulpix: What fics are you reading now? And which ones have you enjoyed the most in the past?
Chris 2.0: Currently....I'm looking at darktyranitar's "gone DP!", Charles
Legend's "Petoskey League" and when I can, EBTV. In the past (when I was much more involved in fanfic) I had a number of fics I
enjoyed. EBTV, LTL, The Emerald League (a fantastic trainer
fic) were the main ones. When Destinies collide (Citrus Crush Chikorita)
was also cool.
Lady Vulpix: Ouch. Yes, it was. Ok, back to your own writings. How many fics have you started so far, and how many have you completed?
Chris 2.0: Wow that's going to have a long answer. The one I mentioned about cleffa... then I started Destiny's Way" a 2-part fic. The first was
standard trainer ficcery with Kenta (the johto trainer from the games) in johto
(I guess I liked the place). That got slammed for sharing the title with an
already popular fic (by a member I won't name, but she knows who she is). I
finished it - it was short but Kenta got all 8 badges. The follow-up was called Lucky Charms and was about Kenta's son Rikki, who was in my first made-up trainer land. That has had, to date, 2 rewrites and neither has been sucessful enough to see the end of its life. After that I developed a fic calledThe Miami League which was a 10-badge league set over a set of islands and visited by a group of trainers. Chris (me), Crystal (Crystal female trainer) and Tony (water pokemon trainer). Again slammed for its unoriginality by a ficcer who is still around these days (he never liked my work :-/) it persevered, being very very popular with fans. That had a sequel, The Indigo Road, a trainer fic set in Kanto with a dark, edgier tone. That was my first dealing with death in a fic, proper death, and love, anger - proper issues that broadened my perspective. I had an 8-chapter 'spin-off' showing Chris and Crystal when they were slightly older, called From Sequel To Trilogy (a joke taken from the title of the first fic in the series). Since then I moved into fantasy, writing Monica's Army, Monica's Revolution (both completed) and the final part, Monica's Vendetta; all deal with adepts and more fantasy characters and I intend to finish that. Monica was featured in The Indigo Road briefly. Finally I have had The Pokemon Masters League, which is still running, ever sucessful and shows no signs of diminishing :) Wow that was a lot.
Lady Vulpix: Wow, all that in less than 6 years? How do you get the time to write so much?
Chris 2.0: Well some of the earlier stuff wasn't very long. In Destiny's Way
(which was later changed to A Boy And His Bear, since Kenta cauht a
Teddiursa) chapters were 3-4 pages. But in TPML a chapter can be up to 40. I guess its such a strong passion I find time when I can. After college, during college (jotting ideas, heh), weekends, around my job that is.
Lady Vulpix: Are you planning to start writing professionally?
Chris 2.0: It's always been something I have considered, and I'm studying english at A-Level (english qualification). But I doubt it. It's quite a shaky career choice.
Lady Vulpix: Maybe you can have a regular job and publish something from time to time.
Chris 2.0: Yea it would be great. Chris Wilson - estate agent by day......but at night, ferocious crime-fighting author!
Lady Vulpix: Hehehehe. So... how has your writing evolved since you began?
Chris 2.0: In every single sense - it's such a broad question but all I have is a
terribly dissapointing answer. When I started, at 12/13 years old, I had no
concept of writing. No idea of plot, suspense, action, empathy... anything
and since then, with TPML, I feel I have really achieved something I can
be so proud of. People love to read it. I love to write it and plan it. I yearn
to see what people have said about the chapters. Theres a real reader/author
connection because I've let them into my world.
Lady Vulpix: :) Do you think of what the readers will think or feel while you're writing?
Chris 2.0: In a sense. I think about how what I write affects me, and try to
project my reaction to my audience, and generally I think we do feel the same things.
Lady Vulpix: What do you find the most difficult about writing?
Chris 2.0: That's a good question. To answer I'll tell you a bit about how my fic works. I plan ahead what happens, and at the moment I know quite a lot of what lies ahead. The exact details for the next chapter are mapped out (usually scene-by-scene) after I put a new chapter up. And by doing this I begin to feel really, really psyched for wanting to write it all down. If I don't start straight away, starting a new chapter, even from a point I left
off in the previous one (a cliffhanger or continued scene) can be arduous. I also find big battles quite taxing, much more than emotional or character-based scenes. It depends how creative I feel I suppose.
Lady Vulpix: I see. Well, this is getting quite long, so let's move on to the
last question. Do you have any advice to give to other writers?
Chris 2.0: Hmm, I suppose if you want to make your material work, then work on it a LOT. Don't type out the first thing that comes to your head - try things from different angles until that scene, character or chapter reaches its full potential.
Lady Vulpix: Thank you.
Chris 2.0: :) Thanks!
The 2007 Silver Pencils
mr_pikachu
The biannual Fanfic Awards have always been one of TPM’s biggest events. This year’s Silver Pencil Awards, directed by Gavin Luper and mr_pikachu, continued this rich tradition. A bevy of voters all provided their input to showcase the very best that Fanfic has to offer, and the results demonstrated a wide range of talents with 21 different members receiving Silver Pencils.
Gavin Luper, author of the famed Lisa the Legend, achieved the highest total of eight Silver Pencils and earned the honorary Awards Award. Among his accolades were Best Plot, Best Chapter, Best Character in a Leading Role, and the coveted Best Fiction Overall.
Andrew and Dragonfree each followed with six Silver Pencils. Andrew’s work on Electric Buggy to Victory won him such awards as the Funniest Moment and Best Original Cast commendations, while he was further recognized as the Quirkiest Fanficcer and more. Dragonfree’s The Quest for the Legends earned exceptionally high marks, winning Best Pokémon Fic, Best Trainer Fic, Best Overall Setting, and several others.
Prolific authors Dark Sage and Saffire Persian followed with four awards each. Victories for Dark Sage, author of many Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfics, included Best Plot Twist and Most Original Character. Saffire Persian, author of Metamorphosis, won Best Writing Style, Best Writer, and more.
The remaining 33 awards were divided among 16 different fanficcers. In summary, it was a strong showing by voters and winners alike, with many ballots cast and many fanficcers honored for their work. Such an impressive display at the Silver Pencils bodes well for the Golden Pens to come later this year.
Complete Silver Pencils List
Gavin Luper: Best Fiction Overall, Best Action, Best Plot, Most Suspenseful Moment, Most Emotional Moment, Best Chapter, Best Character in a Leading Role, Best Villain
Andrew: Funniest Moment, Funniest Character, Best Original Cast, Biggest Drama Queen/King, Quirkiest Fanficcer, Least Likely to Complete His/Her Fic
Dragonfree: Best Pokémon Fic, Best Trainer Fic, Most Improved Fic, Best Overall Setting, Best Un-Romantic Relationship, Best New Pokémon
Dark Sage: Best Plot Twist, Best Single Location (tie), Most Original Character, Least Likely to Become a Couple (with The_Missing_Link)
Saffire Persian: Best Writing Style, Best Battle Scene, Best Character in a Supporting Role, Best Writer
Blademaster: Most Improved Writer, Best Newcomer to the Boards, Biggest Chat Loudmouth
Chris 2.0: Best Single Location (tie), Most Dedicated Writer, Nicest Fanficcer
darktyranitar: Best Dark Fic, Best Short Story, Most Dedicated Reader
eevee-shayna: Most Original Concept (with Samchu), Best Description (with Samchu), Best Romantic Relationship (with Samchu),
mr_pikachu: Most Rounded Member, Most Likely to Become a Couple (with anyone), Most Likely to Overtake TPM
Samchu: Most Original Concept (with eevee-shayna), Best Description (with eevee-shayna), Best Romantic Relationship (with eevee-shayna),
dratinihaunter13: Best Comedy Fic, Best Quote
Lady Vulpix: Best Nonfiction/Alternate Fandom Fic, Best Fantasy Fic
Master of Paradox: Best Yu-Gi-Oh! Fic, Least Likely to Have an Iota of Fun in Life
Evil Mewf0ur: Most Evil Fanficcer
Houndoom_Lover: Best New Writer
Hyperness is a Good Thing: Most Promising New Fic
Mega Horny: Most Unusual Board Member
mistysakura: Best Poem
Phoenixsong: Best Reviewer
The_Missing_Link: Least Likely to Become a Couple (with Dark Sage)
Selections from a Glossary for the Critique of Yu-Gi-Oh Fanfiction, Part Two
Master of Paradox
The following are more terms I find useful for the discussion, critique, and evaluation of Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh GX, and fanfiction based on either series. As before, some reference is made to stories and authors that exemplify certain terms or tropes; I apologize in advance if they take offense to this work.
Big Bad: The villain at the top of the hierarchy, the one who needs to be defeated for the story to end happily. Continually in opposition with the heroes, mainly through the use of Cannon Fodder. Controls the No-Turning-Back Cards. Big Bads favor Fiends and other Dark Monsters; they never carry "heroic" cards like the Elemental Heroes. There may sometimes be a false Big Bad that is the puppet of the original. The first was Pegasus; the most recent is Saiou/Sartorius. Almost always the final opponent; if not, they tend to pull one last shot out from behind the curtains.
Boss Duelist: Any “enemy” duelist who’s a step up from the Cannon Fodder. Usually a higher-ranking minion of the story’s central evil, they tend to have specialized deck themes (and usually have appearances based around them). The first appearance of a Boss Duelist usually coincides with the first appearance of any dark powers being used by “evil” duelists (aside from No-Turning-Back Cards, which are usually demonstrated by the Gurimo). An example from the original series would be the Swordsmen of the Orichalcos; in GX, the Shadow Riders/Seven Stars would qualify.
Cain and Abel Syndrome: Fanfiction characters who have siblings NEVER get along - and to a far harsher degree than mere sibling rivalry. Expect one to either be a nagging rival or outright working for the Big Bad. Usually, the younger sibling is on the good guy's side, and the older sibling is evil. Kaiba and Mokuba were an exception - Kaiba, while a jerk, deeply loved his brother; far closer to this trope is Ryo/Zane and Sho/Syrus from GX, where the older brother hates his younger sibling for his perceived weaknesses.
Cannon Fodder: Any character not destined to play a bigger role in the story. Thus named because their only purpose is to be defeated by the major characters and advance the plot. Unfortunate, but necessary, since not every character can be a star and someone has to give up the necessary plot coupons (in a tournament-based story) or stand in the way (situation-based) (see We Can’t All Be Astronauts for when a major character is in this role). Can be referred to by other names related to the central plot, i.e. Star Chip Fodder, Card Fodder.
- The Gurimo: A lackey of the lackeys, sent out to test the strength of the hero group. If there’s a No-Turning-Back Card in the story, this is the guy who first plays it. The average Gurimo has the lifespan of a gnat – invariably, if he plays a No-Turning-Back Card, he’s also the one who shows off the downside. Named after the first person to play – and fall victim to – the Seal of Orichalcos on Yu-Gi-Oh.
Catch the Bullet: When a duelist wins on a turn in which the next turn would result in an opposing win by the effect of an instant-win card; i.e. Exodia, Destiny Board, or Final Countdown.
Created Card: A card that doesn’t exist in the real game or any other source (the two series or the movie). Yu-Gi-Oh cards are far easier to create than cards for other TCGs, mainly due to the lack of a resource requirement (such as Magic: the Gathering’s mana costs); this leads to all sorts of created cards, good, bad, or ugly. “Created card” and “made-up card” are used interchangeably (although the latter has a slightly insulting tone); the phrase “fake card” is applied only to examples that are blatantly stupid, broken, or unnecessary.
Filing Off the Serial Numbers: The tendency to pick from the most obvious sources when creating made-up cards. Usually the verbal description or name hammers home where the idea came from; sometimes, the author will attempt to forestall any complaints by having a character make a comment concerning the card’s source (occasionally, the character will state that the card was created specifically as a tribute to whatever source it’s from). Generally acceptable as long as it is not overdone.
Freelance Expositionist: Any character whose primary purpose is to explain the current situation and its importance to the protagonists; often much older than the other characters, occasionally it’s hinted that they’ve done this before. Usually they only duel once, if at all, and often have a good excuse why they can’t do the rest of the job themselves. Shadi (and, to some extent, the Ishtar family) was the Freelance Expositionist for the original series’s Battle City arc; Bobasa filled the role for Pharaoh’s Memories, and Chancellor Shepard took over the job for the first season of GX.
Heart of the Cards: An invisible, intangible quality, akin to a moral trait like altruism or empathy. It represents a character’s relationship to the cards in his or her deck; the more the character is “in tune” with his or her cards, the stronger their Heart. In times of emergency, the Heart of the Cards helps to make sure that the one card you need is waiting on the top of your deck. In practice, this is a more noble way of stacking the deck. Villains, by their nature, don’t possess this trait, which is why they’re screwed from the get-go. Denying the Heart of the Cards is a good way to seal your defeat (see Ink-and-Cardstock Speech).
Ink-and-Cardstock Speech: A character denies the Heart of the Cards, delivering a stock speech that declares all cards in the game of Duel Monsters to be nothing more than ink on cardstock. This is always delivered immediately before the character’s humiliating defeat by someone who believes in the Heart of the Cards. So overused that it’s become a cliché, a neat accomplishment for a fanfiction trope. (Almost) always delivered by a villain.
Message Sledgehammer: A card or move used to drive home the author’s point, which is usually verbally delivered beforehand (in the worst-case scenario, as part of a Friendship Speech). Can be spotted on sight, as the verbal delivery usually links the cards to the message. Fans of the TV Tropes Wiki know this as “Anvilicious”.
Needless Villain Abuse (NVA): When a canon villain becomes the target of much insults and cruelty from other characters or the plot for no apparent reason. The all-time champion lightning rod of NVA is Weevil Underwood; whether it's his appearance, his attitude, his behavior, or his dub voice, authors like to go out of their way to insult or trash him. In almost every story set a conceivable amount of time in the future, Weevil is dead... and usually damned. The award for most NVA towards Weevil is "Yu-Gi-Oh: The Thousand-Year Door", which had an original character (Wanda Underwood,his sister) whose only purpose was to insult and denigrate him; in TYD's defense, Brian Corvello admits he regrets doing that.
Just behind Weevil in the amount of NVA received is Arkana; in third place is Stalker/Seeker/Rare Hunter. Most other villains receive little in the way of NVA; the bishonen villains (Yami Bakura and Yami Marik most notably) have no NVA to their records that I can find.
If an original villain is the target of NVA, it's called Norus Syndrome. A lesser case of NVA is Character Underestimation.
Norus Syndrome: There are two parts to this one – 1. A character (usually a designated villain) that is so derided, insulted, and debased by the author via other characters that readers develop sympathy towards them, destroying the author’s intended effect. 2. When characters one would normally describe as friendly turn into cruel, snarling misanthropes whenever they have anything to do with the targeted character. Both halves of the term are named after Norus Ragnar, a character from “Yu-Gi-Oh: Sister of Anansi” who, despite being no worse than a high-school bully, was treated as the scum of the earth by literally every other character, leading several readers to make him their favorite character out of pity.
Pulling a Devlin: To have an incredibly contrived change of heart and join the side of the good guys after one defeat. Named for Duke Devlin’s astonishingly quick friendship with the Yugi Gang after losing at Dungeon Dice Monsters.
Ra Moment: A moment of dramatic spectacle surrounding the playing of an immensely powerful or important card. Usually the villain’s trump card, Ra Moments occur on rare occasion for heroes as well, whereupon there’s usually a Message Sledgehammer involved. Named for the original producer of such spectacles, the Winged Dragon of Ra.
Situation-Based: One of the two main types of duel-based Yu-Gi-Oh fanfiction, the other being Tournament-Based. In essence, the Big Bad is conducting a plot with unpleasant consequences for a major city/Earth/humanity, and the main character(s) stand against him. The Cannon Fodder comprises the minor minions, while the Boss Duelists are the inner circle. As this setup requires both a reason for Duel Monsters being everyone's weapons of choice and justification as to why the authorities aren't involved, it is less commonly seen. The DOMA Arc of the original series and the first season of GX (especially after the revelation of the Sacred Beasts) were situation-based.
Three Lines, Less Repetition: Duel-based Yu-Gi-Oh fanfiction never focuses on a single character. The reason is obvious – after a few chapters, everyone involved would get sick of that character’s deck theme. The logical step would be to add another character, but constant switching between only two characters would just delay the process. Thus the Three-Man Band (see below); having three major decks keeps things relatively fresh, while at the same time keep the author from going berserk trying to keep the characters straight.
For comparison, the original Yu-Gi-Oh switched back and forth between Yugi and Joey for most of the series; during DOMA, Kaiba was added to the mix, and Yugi only dueled (fully) once in all of the KC Grand Prix. GX focuses almost exclusively on Jaden, but inserts the other Duel Academy characters as necessary (usually Chazz or Alexis).
Three-Man Band: 1. the typical group size in Yu-Gi-Oh fanfiction. This applies, interestingly, to both heroic and villainous groups. Typically, the “heroic” Three-Man Band consists of two men and a woman (or two boys and a girl - the terms used depend on their ages); the “villainous” Three-Man Band can be of any gender makeup, but tends to be uniformly male. The female tends to be the love interest of one of the males with surprising regularity. Gender, however, can vary widely; "Three-Man Band" is a slightly misleading name.
2. The central characters of a story; again, there are usually three of them (see Three Lines, Less Repetition), but the numbers go up and down. The members of this type of Three-Man Band usually operate as a group, but not always; often one member denies any connection to the other two – the original series Three-Man Band, for example, consisted of Yugi Motoh, Joey Wheeler (Jounounchi Katsuya), and Seto Kaiba, the last of whom would have viciously denied a Three-Man Band existed. (In GX, there is no real Three-Man Band, as the show focuses most of the attention on Jaden/Judai Yukai.)
Tournament-Based: One of the two main types of duel-based Yu-Gi-Oh fanfiction, the other being Situation-Based. The main character(s) enter a tournament with a much higher prize than the norm. Either the Big Bad is running the tournament, or he/she/it/they plan to subvert it to their own ends. Cannon Fodder comprises the other competitors, while Boss Duelists are drawn from the Big Bad's minions or "ringers". Easier to plan and execute, and thus the more common of the two types. Most of the original series (starting with the second episode) was Tournament-Based.
What? No!: Any catchphrase uttered during moments of extreme stress by every single character in the story. Named after the worst violator, from the works of Brian Corvello.
The Grammar Nazi – Punctuation 101
mr_pikachu
(The Grammar Nazi is not affiliated in any way with Nazi Germany or Adolf Hitler.)
We’ve now established that using spelling and grammar appropriately is crucial for writers of fanfiction. Now we move to part two: what is good spelling and grammar, anyway?
Punctuation is a good starting point when considering this. After all, it’s fairly simple, and it has more general rules than there are for things like spelling. (The English language, incidentally, is notorious for absurd spelling rules and exceptions.)
Let’s consider punctuation in general before trying to tackle some of the rules and regulations surrounding it. So, what purpose does it serve? Why do we use it? What does it do? It must do something other than make writing more difficult – at least, one would think so.
Well, punctuation generally acts to make things easier to read. It guides the reader while remaining fairly inconspicuous. The idea is for it to help but never really be noticed.
Can somebody tell me what the obvious response to that statement is?
“If you don’t want it to be noticed, why don’t you get rid of it entirely?” That’s what I wanted to hear, class. You all really need help with this…
Allow me to offer an example to show you why that would be a problem.
this is exactly what you shouldnt do after all it looks really really bad you should be ashamed of yourself if you write something like this because it is irritating to try to read writing that lacks punctuation
The above is what happens when writers forget that punctuation is more than a hassle. You see, it is necessary to guide the reader’s train of thought. When it isn’t clear where one idea begins and ends, it becomes difficult for anyone to decipher what you’re trying to say. And isn’t the whole point of writing to convey your thoughts to others?
Still, you shouldn’t use punctuation where you don’t need it. A generally minimalist standpoint is best, as you want your readers to concentrate on your words rather than the little symbols around them. If you can use just enough punctuation so that it’s clear what you’re trying to say, but that the punctuation doesn’t take over your writing, you’ve found the proper balance.
If you mistakenly tip, the balance too much in one direction – or another – you end up with stuff that’s way too difficult… so rather than a fun activity, reading it becomes: a chore! You can’t afford to be “careless” in using punctuation; otherwise, no one will notice what you’ve said; do you see what I mean?
In case you hadn’t noticed, the above paragraph was an example of too much punctuation. There were lots of cute markings where they weren’t needed, and they probably drew your focus from the explanation. It’s like driving on some highways – rather than pay attention to the road, you get distracted by all the entertaining signs along the way.
So the lesson here is to use punctuation. Learn the rules of writing, and recognize where you need to apply them. Just don’t use them so much that the point you’re trying to make gets lost in the clutter.