THE FANFICTION FORUM E-ZINE
~December 2009~
From the Editor: Breaking New Ground
Gavin Luper
This month just gone, I competed in NaNoWriMo for the very first time.
It was a new experience for me: never have I pushed myself quite so hard to write to daily word count targets and deadlines.
There were nights where I found myself sitting at the dining room table, knocking back one cup of hot English Breakfast tea after another, tapping away at my laptop and gazing through the window in bleary-eyed astonishment as the sky lightened outside and dawn descended upon me.
There were days when I caught myself daydreaming at work, my brain winding itself into knots over how to plug the latest plothole, the glittering trophy of 50,000 words barely visible through the mindfog.
In short, the NaNoWriMo experience was new territory for me as a writer, and the feeling of joy and achievement I had upon completing the challenge (see below) was phenomenal.
In a similar fashion, the members of this forum – those of you reading this now – all embarked on a quest in November, charging boldly into unexplored territory.
We created a new form of e-zine: an e-zine that reflects the breadth and strength of the community from which it now springs. We started to brainstorm together and work together. We started talking more. We took a step into the unknown by creating a more community-run publication, and each contributor pushed him or herself to achieve new things: new expressions of ideas, new initiatives, and new levels of professionalism.
The success of this venture is, I think, wholly self-evident.
So, it is with more than a little pride in all the contributors that I, as this month’s editor in residence, present to you the new-look Fanfiction Forum E-zine! Soon to be given a new name in time for the commencement of its fourth straight year of publication, the success of the e-zine is snowballing; now, more than ever, it resembles a professional journalistic publication.
And it’s thanks to all of you that we’ve come this far.
Congratulations, Fanficcers! You've done a brilliant job!
I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and look forward to seeing this publication rise from strength to strength in 2010.
Gavin Luper.
Editor
THIS MONTH IN THE FANFICTION FORUM E-ZINE
The Grapevine: Keeping Fanfic in the TPM Loop
Houndoom_Lover
The New Look E-zine
PancaKe
Conversations with the Stars ~ Mew Master
Lady Vulpix
NaNoWriMo News
PancaKe
Of Pen and Pastel:
Putting pictures in stories to make them more appealing
Mew Master
The Hall of Fame
Houndoom_Lover
4 Minutes: with Ryou from Kingdom Heartless
Samchu
Author’s Teasers
Various Authors
Fiction Writing 101:
Overcoming your fear of the blank page
Samchu
Best Line of the Month
Pichu_Luver
Fic Spotlight: Pokémon: Empire of the Sun
Kyuuketsuki
Top Five: Albums That Inspire Chris 2.1
Gavin Luper
10 Great Ways To Get Readers
PancaKe
The Grapevine: Keeping Fanfic in the TPM Loop
Houndoom_Lover
Hello TPM, the Moon says hallo!
This forum has been a hive of activity these days! I can see that some people may have trouble keeping up with it all, so let me recap for you:
Cutenews has been booted out! Now instead of logging in and posting on the main site, contributors can now post their news in a shiny new section at the top of the page called “The Pokémasters Website” and have it appear at the time. The rest of the forum is also hooked up to the main site, so every time a new post is posted, visitors can see it! This has been a big step forward to interlacing the main site and the forum, no?
Next up on our list is another new section called Mt. Moon. The section is not available when you first join. You must be approved by a Mod or someone important like that. But once you do, an entire world opens up to you. It’s a free spirit chat area, were you can kick back and have a good time.
The Video Game forum is a shade of red that people are complaining about.
The ASB has just handed out awards! If you were nominated, I suggest you go and see. There have also been three contests recently: two Halloween (one for old hands and one for freshies) and a Thanksgiving related one. And on top of that, Abilities are finally going to be allowed in ASB! Go discus them now.
Here at Fanfiction, we’ve been busily putting together articles and reviving fun threads to try and boost membership. There has been a great influx of Fanfictions, including the return of Smiley Fics back to our beloved board!
The Role Playing Game section has recently tailed up the votes and finished their award ceremony. If you were nominated, I suggest you go and take a look- you may have won!
Voting for the Unown awards has finally finished up in the Polls, Clubs and Games forum. If you were nominated or won anything, you can now find it all in the Main Archives!
Well, that about does it for the news around TPM. Until next time, be well, play hard, and catch ‘em all!
The New Look E-zine
PancaKe
What spawned from an attempt to increase reader replies has resulted in a revamp of the Fanfic Forum’s E-zine. Currently in the middle of a name change, the monthly zine now features a new range of articles and a new behind the scenes news room discussion that parallels industry structures.
Updates to the e-zine include several feature sections, including a top-five with several writers, spotlight fics and poetry and a hard news section covering the latest in forum decisions and events. Even with dramatic changes, old favourites like Interviews with the Stars will still call the zine their home.
“We’ve decided to try making the e-zine a more member-written publication,” Gavin Luper said in the Newsroom topic, “where an editor will be responsible for shaping the e-zine and running it all smoothly, as in a newsroom, while delegating the responsibility of writing (most of) the articles to the members (reporters).”
Conversations with the Stars ~ Mew Master
Lady Vulpix
Lady Vulpix: Mandatory first question. How long have you been writing?
Mew Master: Oo ... Gee... I started really back in 98... so a little over 11 years I suppose.
Lady Vulpix: Over 11 years... Has your writing style changed much since then?
Mew Master: I'd say it has. There's a noticeable difference in writing styles as one progresses. If you take a look back at one of my first fics, Pokemon: Dimension Shifters; there's a noticeable difference between that, and Dragonoid, and even a drastic difference between Dragonoid, and Scourge and some of my more recent works such as the World of Darkness fics.
The same thing with my drawing style.
I'd even say a big difference between PKMNDS and Ribbons of Destiny, both trainer fics.
Lady Vulpix: That's interesting. Can you name some of the main differences between those two?
Mew Master: Well besides the plot underlying the trainer fic, it's also a matter of what the description concentrates on. For PKMNDS it was more descriptive about character interactions rather than environmental detail, because it basically took place in the same realm as the Anime. Same settings that everyone had seen before, so little explanation was needed to set the place.
PKMNDS also had another longer panning theme which was bouncing into Metaphysics with Parallel dimensions and tapping INTO those dimensions as artists ("borrowed" the idea from Darkwing Duck) create the worlds we know.
For Ribbons, I simplified things a bit and wanted to concentrate more on aspects and plots of the games that get brushed over as small plot points but are still a major force behind the games themselves.
For example, Team Rocket's operations in Mount Moon are highly simplified, when such a digging operation would require lots of man hours and equipment for digging WITHIN a mountain. I also tried to describe (for those interested) a bit more of the physics and biology behind Pokémon, things that really don't get played that much in the games or anime, but are rather taken as simple mechanics to be manipulated. It was also more of a combination between the "Pikachu Shocks Back" manga (which I really enjoyed), the games, and even the Pokémon Special Manga for some things such as characters, their Pokémon, and the tech level of the world.
There's also a change in trainer age. Ten is REALLY young to be going out on your own without so much as a basic understanding of the world outside your home. Much less any kind of qualifications to begin Pokémon Training. That was a concept I took highly from the Pokémon Manga, as well as trying to describe many of the scenes of the manga. Because lets be honest. If you can hold organisms as electronic data within a small sphere, and then hold them in a computer ... there is some HEAVY tech at work in the world. And I think it's something that no one really expands upon in Fics.
Lady Vulpix: So basically you're exploring things with a greater depth?
Mew Master: Yes … and sorry, I should have warned you, I'm long winded. I want to try and explain how things in the Pokémon actually work. Granted we're dealing with essentially Science-Fiction, but there can still be some things that can be explained, such as Pokémon Biology and Physiology, temperament changes, behavioural ecology, interactions with people and other animals, etc.
Lady Vulpix: Of course.
What about the characters? Are your current characters different from the old ones? Aside from their age.
Mew Master: Actually, yes. While the main character is still the same, I tried making him more like myself and what I would really want to do in Pokémon. I'm not the best battler (as ASB has shown ... harshly) and I'm more an artist than a full-blown scientist. So in Ribbons, Denny isn't trying to save the world or master it, he's just experiencing it for the first time outside of Pallet. In PKMNDS, Denny, Mark, and Bobby are chosen to save the Pokémon world, and thus start their adventure there.
Although in all honesty both characters are around the 15/16 year mark.
While Denny is still in Ribbons, he's different, and I guess not as arrogant as the PKMNDS incarnation.
Other main characters differ as well. We had Mark and Bobby, two of Denny's friends from Earth Dimension Prime (Basically OUR world), and then Tina from the Pokémon world.
In Ribbons, Denny starts out on his own, but runs into Rose (who's character was based on my long-time fan and friend mewtrainerrose from TPM), and eventually Jake (who's based on my real-life friend, college buddy, and fellow Paleo-head). And since in Ribbons, Denny isn't trying to save the world by beating the Elite Four, he's more an observer and artist. Rose is the Pokémon Trainer, and Jake is a Pokémon Scientist.
Aside from the human characters, the Pokémon are different too. In PKMNDS, Denny basically gets handed a Mew, then four more Pokémon, before finally catching the Aerodactyl from Season one. In Ribbons, he cares for an abandoned Mew, who then comes back to full health. However since he can't legally keep and care for her without a licence, he takes the exams, barely passing, in order to care for her. His Pokémon are more like the ones commonly caught along the usual path players take from Pallet through the game.
Eventually he'll get the same team Denny had in PKMNDS, but that's much farther down the road. I also eventually want to get into the subject of Pokémon deaths, since we hear about them in the Anime and Game, and I can imagine a few authors have explored the concepts in their writings, since death is a part of life. You can't just ignore it and be super-kid-friendly.
I want the reader to see the pain and imagine the emotional turmoil someone losing a cared Pokémon in a stressful situation can bring. I hope everyone can have an understanding of what would be going through their minds.
I want empathy, not pity.
Lady Vulpix: Death is present in old children's stories.
Mew Master: Yes but in our current society we try to shy our children away from such subjects because we're too concerned with their mental health to expose them to the things that help them grow up.
It's one of my pet peeves with current parenting that get on my nerves. You can't shelter your children forever … but that's another subject for another time …
Lady Vulpix: OK, so, going back to our current subject. Do you think much about your readers while you write?
Mew Master: Mostly I write … not to impress the readers, because for one, if I did it just for them, then would I really gain much pleasure from writing? And two, if I worried about what might offend someone, then who's really in control of the keyboard?
I write to tell a story. A story that spawns from the images and sounds bouncing around in my mind. A story that I want to share with everyone else.
Whether they enjoy it or not. There's the written media, as well as the visual media that I try to convey the images, scenes, and characters in my mind onto paper.
And also, if my stories can stand on their own merits, and people enjoy them anyway, then I really don't need to worry so much about the reaction.
Feedback, positive of negative, is good feedback to get. Even if some of the responses are similar to "YOU BEAST" to quote a Sherlock Holmes fan when Doyle 'killed' the character.
It may sound arrogant, but I don't mean it like that at all …
Lady Vulpix: Have you ever received that kind of feedback?
Mew Master: Negative along "YOU BEAST" lines? Not that I recall honestly. Most of what I get is along comments on how the story has progressed, how the characters have grown, or a particular way some characters were represented or used in a setting. And it's really encouraging when you get that kind of responses. But then again you also get the gramer issues and the like, but it's all something we have to work on.
Lady Vulpix: Gramer?
Mew Master: Grammar... I can't spell either 
Lady Vulpix: Do you read other people's fics?
Mew Master: Not as much as I really should. I did read Starynight's Shinnoh/Davinci Code cross over which did have some promise, however I lost track of it and didn't get around to reading it. I did just read Pancake's Tofu one, mostly because it reminded me of an MST3K joke "Earth vs. Soup" so I had to read it to see what it was.
I used to read some of the Yu-Gi-Oh Fics that were on waaaaaaaay back when. But after they ended... and then the continual sequels, not to mention my disinterest in Yu-Gi-Oh for Magic the Gathering... I kinda dropped out reading them.
Lady Vulpix: Hmm... are there any Magic the Gathering fics?
Mew Master: No, but then again Wizards of the Coast do produce their own literature. Since every set is basically another Plane of existence, the stories and characters change every year or so.
I did make a Magic RPG though...[/shameless plug for old RPG]
But I'm talking about TPM mostly... I've heard of some Magic fics over in various sites.
So um..that's it for my thoughts on that...next question? <<U
Lady Vulpix: Next question is... since you do both RPGs and narrative writing, what are some similarities or differences in the way you write for each of them?
Mew Master: It really depends on what mood I'm in really. Some RPG posts I make shift from third to first person, while writing is usually done in third person.
The major difference, as I see it, is that for an RPG you're drawing from the characters perspective, so you're literally writing as if the camera is following the character themselves as opposed to being all knowing on everything else. Much of my writing has actually improved because of this. Especially if I want the audience to be as … surprised as the characters are when the bomb is dropped.
The other difference, is with a narrative, you can drop more hints to the audience to see if they can pick it up and start to see the clues unravel. In an RPG you're limited to who knows exactly what about the world or situation … given if any of the Player Characters know anything of course.
So in RPGs, the characters AND players are left in the dark. This is why they're fun to play in. In writing, the audience is part of the experience, and can be used to put the puzzle together or be along for the ride as the characters themselves.
Lady Vulpix: I see. Tell me, do you like reading?
Mew Master: I do. Well I guess I did when I was much younger. In my schooling I was forced to read more for book assignments and research papers. Which was more of a chore than enjoyment cause I'll be honest. Scientific papers, are not written for entertainment.
Lady Vulpix: So you don't read for pleasure now?
Mew Master: Well not as much as I really should. I do have an extensive Manga collection that I pick up occasionally, usually for pointers or an idea how to draw a certain reaction, but I haven't gotten any new Manga in about a year or so to read. I have lots of novels. In fact I've got a large box full of Star Wars novels I've had for years. Read most of them actually.
Got part way through the Wraith Squadron before I stopped.
Of course my English teacher in Middle School didn't like the fact I was reading them before class. Don't ask me why …
Lady Vulpix: OK, I won't ask.
Mew Master: Well I really don't know WHY … so yeah …
Unless that was sarcasm … in which case I blame the internet.
Lady Vulpix: Don't blame the internet. My sarcasm is usually hard to recognize.
Mew Master: Point … but I can still blame the internet XD
Lady Vulpix: OK, sure, do as you wish.
Mew Master: XD
Lady Vulpix: OK, I think it's a good time to round things up. Is there anything else you'd like to say?
Mew Master: Let's see … As much as I'm a bad example, everyone should read something and comment. Feedback is an artist's life blood, and without that feedback (in the shapes of critiques, comments, enthusiasm, or distaste) writers and artists just.... fade away into the shadows.
Lady Vulpix: Are you planning to follow your own advice?
Mew Master: Eventually. I've been planning on reading some of the smaller stories around Fanfic and leaving a comment or two, but then again with my work and other obligations it's a bit difficult.
Lady Vulpix: OK. Thank you.
Mew Master: No prob.
NaNoWriMo News
PancaKe
The hottest topic of the month in the Fanfic forum has undoubtedly been NaNoWriMo.
NaNoWriMo is the National Novel Writing Month, and is a challenge for writers all over the world to complete a fifty thousand word novel in the space of thirty days.
Coming first, with almost a week to spare, was Amy (Wolfsong), who completed her fifty thousand words on the 19th of November. “I was actually surprised that I made it before the running out of my outline,” she stated. “I know that I still have a little way to go before I can think of ending the story.”
While some have used the NaNoWriMo challenge to pen new creations, Gavin Luper has taken this time to focus on the completion of Lisa the Legend, which has been running for almost seven years. Constant cries of “I CAN DO THIS” on both his status and throughout the NaNoWriMo Topic reaffirm encouragement for himself and others. He finished on 50 484.
The only other person to complete the NaNoWriMo challenge was Phoenixsong, who ended on 50 254 words.
Of Pen and Pastel:
Putting pictures in stories to make them more appealing
Mew Master
As writers, we try to express ourselves, our emotions, our thoughts, and even our lives into the written word. Descriptions of far off places, just down the street, or even areas of our own imagination. We want to bring these images to life in a form that others can all enjoy and appreciate.
However the biggest issue isn't getting these feelings across. It's getting readers interested.
Readers are a fickle bunch. If they aren't grabbed by the title, then perhaps they are off-set by the writings style, or setting, or the same Ole 'save the world' story arc that's been used since antiquity. Maybe they don't have time, and thus many stories go un-read, un-commented, and slowly fade into the far off pages of the forum.
One way, to perhaps stir interest is adding a visual media to the story in question.
Art is a powerful motivator, just like writing can be. But it's subtle. One may not be sure about what they are looking at, but the image can stir up thoughts, emotions, and even a little bit of curiosity.
Deviant Art is an artist website that also allows for the posting of poetry and prose. Along with the story, the author has an option of uploading a 'Preview Image' along with the text. This sparked an interesting idea. Could a visible media entice readers to get more involved and read the stories in question?
This called for a little experimentation and asking questions.
When first asked, several members of The PokéMasters noted how seeing images before the text may grab their attention, and start reading. A few others, in the minority, mentioned that it wouldn't change the fact if they would read it or not. Over all there seemed to be support for the pictures.
Using images within the topic of a story or fic is not a 'new' thing. Smiley fics rely solely on simple sprites and images to help convey a story. Other authors have used a single picture for the starting post of their story, but then just have text all the way until the end.
What if, similar to Deviant Art, the picture was a preview of one scene happening in a specific chapter in a story? Would that grab attention? Perhaps… It would have to depend upon what is happening in that chapter, to determine the scene. After all, you don't want to give away the epic conclusion in the first chapter, visually or in writing.
For example:
If you were reading a story chapter by chapter, and the fourth chapter in, the first thing you saw was an image like this...
Would you be more inclined to read the chapter and follow up to see what is going on? What if this scene never happened in this chapter, but several chapters ahead? Would it feel like a waste of time?
Let's be realistic about this idea, however. Not all writers are artists, and not all artists can write. There's a fine line between being able to describe what is in our mind's eye, and bringing it forth in a physical media. Some artists have a knack for it, while others have to work on the same piece for months before they are satisfied with it.
However, would this idea be effective? Time will tell. And if it does, would it be worth the time and energy to add more than just one image to the story? What do you think?
The Hall of Fame
Houndoom_Lover
That may be the world’s lamest title. But, anyway, the Hall of Fame for the Fanfiction section works on a democratic principal, where one can nominate writers from past and present. Once the nomination is over, the voting can start!
Here are the past winners:
Hall of Famers
Gavin Luper
mr_pikachu
PancaKe
Currently, the fourth one is going on. Yes, the fourth biannual election for the Hall of Fame. The nominations are:
Captain Pringle: This old Captain was before my time so I did some searching around. I found a very nice short story and poem, and several amusing posts. I suggest you do a search of him and find out more!
Chris 2.1: Chris 2.1 is the evolved form of Chris 2.0. He has written many, many things, and I do believe he was a moderator at one time. His most recent Fanfiction is a Contest fic called Show-Off. The fanfiction is really very witty and fresh. Mmhm, yep, go search him up for more, yes.
dratinihaunter13: I remember this person! He has tons of stuff knocking around TPM. Some very, very good stuff. You need to go look them up right now!
JulieDacta: I couldn’t find anything about her, but don’t let my ignorance fool you into thinking that she’s not worthy. Because she is.
mistysakura: She recently stepped down from Moderator-dom, she has written long-running fanfictions, short stories, and frequently contributes to the Fanfiction circle! Go check her out for more, please.
OzAndr-
Hold on, the list just was updated. What’s this crap, how can I write a new article if you’re going to update crap?
You know what?! Look at you, just click on this link and read the freakin’ posts how about?! I’ll be in my office!
The Fanfiction Hall of Fame Link: http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=19660
4 Minutes: with Ryou from Kingdom Heartless
Samchu
Samchu: Hello Ryou. *offers seat * Welcome to the first character interview.
Ryou: Hi. *takes off headphones and sits*
Samchu: So Ryou, how are things going with you? I heard you've been having a tough time lately.
Ryou: Things have been...’wonderful’ *tone dripping with sarcasm*
Samchu: But it seems that your sufferings have not gone unnoticed by the members of fan fiction. Recently you were awarded the 'Give A Guy A Break' award, isn't that correct?
Ryou: Oh, and it was the highlight of my career... Knowing people see my suffering and yet refuse to do anything about it. Yes, thank you Fanfic.
Samchu: Yes I supposed that is pretty harsh. I take it you're not all that impressed with the members of fan fiction at the moment then?
Ryou: Nope. *fake smile*
Samchu: Well this is your opportunity to express yourself Ryou. Tell the people out there what you're really thinking.
Ryou: If they really want to give me a break, they can stop Crystal Tears. The woman is going to get me killed... Or you know, give me a different award that doesn't remind me of hospital bills, doctors, or numerous yellow-eyed freaks.
Samchu: I hope they listen to your request.
Ryou: They won't.
Samchu: We can hope that they will.
Shall we move on?
Ryou: Sure.
Samchu: Forgive me for my bluntness Ryou but, you tend to come across as...well as a bit of a bastard, and yet you never seem to get any time away from women. Would you care to elaborate on this phenomenon?
Ryou: *smirk* I suppose I could enlighten you... But…*shrug* I really don't want too.
Samchu: That is a shame. Perhaps I can entice it out of you later.
Ryou: You can try, you're probably gonna fail... But whatever floats your boat.
Samchu: What floats your boat Ryou? I'm sure of there are a lot of eager fan girls out there who would love to know how to peak your interests.
Ryou: Ehh ... I don't know. I don't really think about it.
Samchu: Well what sort of things do you like? What interests you?
Ryou: Uhh ... *shifts uncomfortably* Well talking about myself is definitely not on the list ...
Samchu: You're safe to talk here Ryou.
Ryou: Sketching I guess... Cars, video games, certain types of music... *shrug* I'm not that interesting to be honest. Typical rebellious teen.
Samchu: You consider yourself typical?
Ryou: Yes. With you know, running from hellish monsters on the side.
Samchu: Typical teenage antics.
Ryou: Completely typical.
Samchu: So Ryou, give us a little more background information about you. Where were you born? What have you been studying?
Ryou: I was born in Traverse City, Japan. It's close to Tokyo, about a fifteen minute train ride away... Studying? *laughs* That implies I go to school.
Samchu: I assume you used to go to school.
Ryou: Oh, and it was terrific... *rolls eyes* In terms of what I excelled at, it was general arts. I didn't pay enough attention to the other subjects to give a damn what I got.
Samchu: Did you graduate high school or did you not make it that far?
Ryou: *raises eyebrow* I made it that far, yes. My father would've killed me if I hadn't graduated.
Samchu: Can you tell us any more about your father? We know very little.
Ryou: He's a business tycoon, he owns the majority of big companies in Traverse City, and is President of The Organization. His current 'masterpiece' is Sea-Salt Ice Cream, which is somehow tasty despite the idea of licking salt all day.
Samchu: Fair enough.
So how did a man like that end up with someone like your mother? They don't sound like the type of people who would be interested in one another.
Ryou: My mother... Apparently she was “to-die-for” when she was younger, and was you know, sane at some point.. *smirk* She was a hostess at some big restaurant if I remember correctly, but she doesn't really talk about it…Nor are we exactly on small-talk terms at the moment. I think the tale went it was love at first sight, but doomed to end in disaster.
Samchu: Not an uncommon tale.
Ryou: Nope... She didn't take any money either... Kinda odd... She could be living in a nice house, not in a run-down piece of crap. *shrug*
Samchu: That's interesting. Maybe there's more to your mother than you realise.
Ryou: I highly doubt that...
Samchu: She might surprise you some day.
Ryou: I gave up hoping for my mother to change a long time ago.
Samchu: That's sad to hear.
Well, it looks like our time is nearing an end. Is there anything you'd like to say to the people of Fanfiction before you go?
Ryou: *slips on headphones* Nope I- *pauses, rummages through sweater pocket, opens a note* I mean... "Thank you for reading and being patient with Kingdom Heartless, I promise it gets better, stay loyal <3" *frown* ... Can I go now before I find another idiotic note?
Samchu: You may. Thank you for your time, Ryou. Good luck with those Heartless.
Ryou: Thanks … Maybe I'll get my Keyblade soon. *heads for the door* Cya.
Samchu: Bye!
That was Ryou Saito, star of Crystal Tears’ Kingdom Heartless. Will CT ever grant him a break? Only one way to find out!
Author’s Teasers
Various Authors
Want to know what happens next in your favourite fic? Then take a squiz here, and see what your authors are willing to reveal about the upcoming chapters in their fics!
*
Werewolf: the Forsaken: Sins of the Flesh
by Mew Master
Chapter 4: Skeletal Horror
Vincent Nelson has an interest in the occult, but now it seems that the occult has an interest in him. Hunted by a vampire, a werewolf pack, and other horrors of the world, the detective must use every trick he's got to try and turn the tide against his pursuers. Lest he become one of them.
As he finds himself in an abandoned warehouse, there's more going on than just a condemned sign. Vicious beasts of skeletal construct hunt the area as their own, draining the blood of whoever is foolish enough to step inside their domain. Vincent tries to out-wit his pursuers, as the world continues to shift around him.
Instincts roar in the detectives mind, hiding him from the monsters of legend that he had only dreamed about. With fear and self preservation driving his every movement, Vincent knows what it's like to be at the bottom of the food chain.
There's another presence in this den of monsters. One that threatens the world if it goes unchecked. Planning to drown the world in its own lusts and desires: Carnala, the Scarlet Whore.
A fire burns to the surface within Vincent, demanding to be unleashed. When the hunters become the hunted, and the warehouse becomes a blood bath of chaos and fury, can the detective control his own fate, or be consumed by his own RAGE?
*
Pokémon: The Extinction
by Kyuuketsuki
You're probably wondering why Pokémon: The Extinction wasn't moves to the archive. No? You weren't? Anyway, it's because I've been working on solving the things I left unsolved, for the last few weeks, I've added some extra stuff as well, and I will reveal what Pokémon hatched in the last scene, although it should be pretty clear. I made these stories chapters, they will all be posted at the same time and possibly in the same post, since they are pretty short, here's a sample:
The Pokémon opened its eyes and looked at the four faces staring at it; it recognized Sally, Ursaa and Dan. And it knew by looking that the girl was Sally's daughter.
One final note: if you like the story as it is, this might ruin it for you as it gets pretty generic in some parts.
*
Lisa the Legend
by Gavin Luper
Chapter 65 – Rogue.
Last time we saw Lisa, she was trapped in Redwood Hospital, under siege by the criminal organisation known as the Union. Finally defeated, she was knocked unconscious ...
When Lisa wakes, everything has changed. She is held captive by the Union, subjected to the whims of their violent, ruthless agents, who are preparing to use her for their own corrupt means …
Find out what happens next in Chapter 65 – Rogue, which hits screens today, December 1st!
Fiction Writing 101:
Overcoming your fear of the blank page.
Samchu
The path of a writer is a terrifying one. Not only do you have to overcome your own inner critic (tips on how to do this will appear later) but you must also deal with the pressures of third party criticisms, rejections, and the dreaded “0 replies”. But before you can even get this far, you have to have a story. And to type a story, you first have to begin with a blank page.
Now some of you may have been fortunate enough to have never experienced the fear of the blank page, but it is something that affects all writers at some stage of their careers. It is that moment where you sit down in front of that white screen and either lose the ability to write, or end up deleting anything that actually manages to make it onto the page. You waste hours and hours getting nowhere; ending up even worse than you were before you started.
So how do you overcome this problem?
The answer: you write. Yes that’s right, you defeat a blank page by writing on it. “But what do I write?” I hear you cry. Well, that’s what we’re going to try and help you with; by offering you three techniques to help you get started.
Stream of Consciousness:
This is going to sound a bit strange but bear with me. Grab a piece of paper and a pen and start writing. Don’t think about what you’re writing, don’t bother with punctuation, just pull words from your brain and put them on the paper. This isn’t about making sense or creating a work of gold-star fiction. It’s about filling up that white space. Now go and do that for five minutes. Go on. We’ll continue once you get back.
Finished? Ok, now here comes stage two. Look back over your writing. You are NOT allowed to say “this is rubbish” or “I really am a terrible writer”, the purpose of this stage is to go through what you’ve written and underline anything you like the sound of; it can be a single word, a sentence or even a paragraph. As long as you think it’s good.
So go and do that. I bet you find at least one thing to underline in your work and I bet it’s actually pretty good. Now, I want you to take one of the words/sentences/paragraphs that you’ve underlined and use that to start a new stream of consciousness. Five more minutes. Get going.
Ok guys, same as last time. Have a look over what you’ve done. I’m guessing it looks a little more like an actual story than your last one and I bet it’s full of good ideas. And look at all of the white space you’ve filled. Now, try taking some of the work you’ve created and see what you can do with it.
Close Observation:
Grab a nearby object. It can be a complicate object (like a figurine) or a simple object (like a pen). Now I want you start writing about it. However, you are not allowed to say what it is. For example, if you are writing about a pen don’t say “it is a pen” or “it is a biro”. Tell me about the shape of the pen. What does the shaft look like, what are the colours on the nib? What does it smell like? What does it taste like (obviously, use this one at your digression). Bring in your senses. What’s it like to hold this item? Is it hot? Cold? I want you to explore your object in a way that you’ve never explored it before.
And, just to make it a little bit more challenging, you aren’t allowed to use words that you’d normally associate with that object. For example, if we go back to the pen, you can’t use words like “ink”, “nib” or “lid”. Try and find interesting ways of describing them instead. You’re an alien: you’ve never encountered this item before. What is it like? Do this for a few minutes and you’ll hopefully end up with a few interesting descriptions or things you would normally overlook. Even if you don’t like what you’ve got keep practicing and keep a hold of your ideas, you’ll need them when we look at de-familiarisation later.
Creative Visualisation:
This is very closely linked to the first stage of the writing process (planning). Here’s what I want you to do. I want you to sit down and relax. Take some deep breaths, clear your mind. Now, close your eyes and imagine yourself in a situation; you could be sitting under a waterfall or in a forest. Now let your senses loose. Imagine the sights, the smells the sensations; explore every inch of your sensory capacity. Get a real feel for where you are. Believe in where you are. If it helps, put on a meditation CD. Just make sure you use all of your senses to explore the scene. Finished? Good. Now write it down.
Write down every last detail; list it if you have to, just make sure all that information gets onto the page. Now, actually write a scene. Pull on as many things from the list as you feel you need to (and it’ll be a fair bit). Then look back at your work. What do you think? Not half bad is it?
Congratulations, you’ve generated a host of ideas, learned something new about a familiar object, written a detailed scene, and destroyed a chunk of white space. Not so hard now, was it?
Best Line of the Month
Pichu_Luver
Holders of ban-hammers, peons who worship them and shadows that have not yet confirmed citizenship, gather round! Your choices have been tallied these past two days and the voting is complete. Here below are the best lines of November as chosen by you; the writers of wondrous words and readers of rigorous regard. Fanficians I ask you to behold...
Congrats to the writers of these winsome words, hope to see more great stuff from ye! To all who lost out, next month is just the chance so keep on scribing. Three writers won out this time, will they do as well next edition? Or will you be the one to win the Best Line of the Month? Send your suggestions on to me, and on the 26th of December I shall post your choices. There shall be at least 10 to choose from, up to 15 if I get a lot of PM's. See you next month!
Fic Spotlight: Pokémon: Empire of the Sun.
Kyuuketsuki
The story is relatively new; it was started in the last week of November. The story is set in feudal Japan time-period. It starts out as any Anime or Movie you have watched or Manga you have read set during that time; that is, until it gets connected to the Pokémon World. Pokémon are enslaved as well as humans by powerful families. The story follows Beni, a slave, who has had enough of being enslaved; his action of running away is encouraged when a Pokémon he got attached to was ordered to be "removed".
Here's a quick interview with the writers:
Let's start with how you came up with the idea.
Well, me and Hikari had just recently finished writing Yu-Gi-Oh!: Queen of Games, set in Elizabethan-era England, and we both discovered a liking for writing in past time periods. Ancient Egypt, feudal Japan, you know? Then I caught Hikari playing one of the later Pokémon games and we sort of just...clicked, I guess.
I see, do you currently have the entire plot in mind? How it'll end and how everything will fall in place? Or are you just trusting you instinct and waiting for Inspiration?
Wish I could give you a really in-depth answer about how Japan is the 'Land of the Rising Sun,' but to be absolutely honest, we just thought it sounded cool.
It does sound cool, moving on to characters, did you just make them up, or are they based on a certain person you know, or a character in a movie or a TV show?
We sort of twisted some existing Japanese concepts. Beni is mainly inspired by the dirty ronin characters from Usagi Yojimbo and Seven Samurai. We have one who will show up later who is a noble-blooded shrine maiden but is spiritual in a...a-heh-heh...different way.
I see, I guess that means you have planned ahead more than you think you did. Following the success of Yu-Gi-Oh!: Queen of Games, do you hope this story will be as successful, or do you have other plans in mind?
We're glad that Queen of Games was a success, and while getting the same reader reaction for Empire of the Sun would be nice, we're just doing it for our own enjoyment. It's very comforting to know that people enjoy our work, and if the attention equals or outdoes Queen of Games, that's a bonus.
Well, do you find yourselves having any particular writing style? As in, do you follow a pattern?
We do try and vary ourselves in the way we write, but ultimately I guess everyone's got a technique they are most comfortable with. So stylistically, Queen of Games and Empire of the Sun are probably more similar than we like to think.
Well, we're almost at the end, anything else you would like to point out to the readers?
Well...ah...we're glad people are enjoying our work, we hope they keep reading and maybe one day we'll have some real things to point out. A-heh-heh ...
Alright, thank you for the interview, I hope we will see more successful stories from you in the future.
Thanks, we were surprised to get the interview, you've just inflated our egos to about five times their original size.
Well, that is it for this month's Spotlight,, I would definitely recommend the story for both new and old readers.
Top Five: Albums That Inspire Chris 2.1
Gavin Luper
This month, for the first run of this new column, I decided to ask my mate Chris 2.1 about the top five albums he listens to to get his creative juices going! His answers explore a broad musical palette and reveal some of the sounds that get this absolute monster of fanfic tapping away at the keyboard!
1) Basement Jaxx - Scars. It's only been out a couple months, but this is the fifth album by the UK based DJ act. It's littered with guest vocals (Kelis, Paloma Faith, Yoko Ono, Chipmunk, Sam Sparro, Santigold etc) and has drifted from a funky cool-as-cats dance album to this broody tribal offering. The music drips with muggy misery in some of the slow tracks, and even the upbeat ones have this grimy minimalism about them. I find when I write, it makes me think inwards; I think about mind, character and things like that.
2) Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak. This is a great concept album. The most honest and open album Kanye has made to date, his voice and his notes are coated in robotic Autotune. It's like he's being his most open and vulnerable when he's encased in metal and robotic components. I love the angst and pure emotion in this. I think metaphor and hyperbole can sometimes ruin poetry and writing. Put things down as they are. It's so natural.
3) The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love. Breakthrough band in 09! Great album. It's raucous and brash, with clever words. It makes me think of a celebration, but an ironic one. Instead of wallowing, these guys parade around with their hearts on their sleeve - very inspirational.
4) Miike Snow - Animal. Quite a journey of an album. Like Scars, it sort of drags you into this whimsical world, and when the album finishes, you jerk back into yourself. It's so over-thought out, with every noise and echo planned meticulously, yet has this amazing simplicity about it.
5) Arctic Monkeys - Humbug. A bit of a controversial album for the Sheffield boys. It's very luxurious and brimming with clever wordplay, funny lyrics, but very deep, and honest lines. 'Cornerstone' is a particularly beautiful track.
10 Great Ways To Get Readers
PancaKe
The most important ways to get readers, is in fact, to be a reader. So here are ten tips on how to be a good reader, because being a good reader to others will ensure that others are good readers to you too. So really, the title of this should read 10 Ways To Be A Good Reader. But that’s not as interesting.
1) Be consistent
A good reader is a regular reader. If you cant commit to every story on the board, that’s fine. It would be silly to expect that. But choose two or three and commit to those. It’s not fair to read once, and never read again. It’s discouraging to the writer.
2) Tell them what you liked and didn’t like
Whether it be about a chapter or a whole story, tell them what you liked or didn’t like. We’re all grown ups, we can take criticism as well as compliments. Make sure you explain why you felt the way you felt about something. Why you felt that way is more important than what you felt.
3) Tell them what you think will happen
Can you see two characters getting together? Do you want to see that? Tell them your thoughts on their plotlines, on their characters, on their settings, tell them where you think they are being taken. It’s always fun as a writer to hear from your readers where they think the story is going. Give other writers that same privilege.
4) Write notes as you read
This has become a favourite of mine. It’s a little nonsensical, and hard to read once your done, but sometimes when I read a chapter, I write down my immediate thoughts. If characters are walking through the woods, I might scribble down “Oh now they’re in the woods? Does that mean this will happen?” If it does, three paragraphs later, I’ll scribble another note, such as “Oh wow! I was right!” It’s a good way to share your immediate thoughts with the author themselves.
5) Pick out your favourite lines
Sike Saner is fantastic at this. Just single out two or three lines that made you laugh, really impacted you, made you cry, whatever. Tell them how they made you feel. Tell them why the lines made you feel this way.
6) Talk about a character
You might notice some interesting development in some characters. Talk about your thoughts on the character, once again, did you like or did you disagree with what the character decided to do?
7) What would you have done?
Share with the author the way in which you might direct the story. It doesn’t mean, tell the author they’re doing a crap job, but sometimes sharing what you would do is equally good feedback.
8) Spelling
If you’re a gun for spelling errors and fixing them, as some of us are, point out mistakes and help correct them. Think of it as proof reading.
9) Grammar
Same as above. If you’re a grammar Nazi, show off your skills.
10) Ask the author questions
This is the most important way to respond. Ask questions because then you’re showing the author that not only have you read and enjoyed their work, but you’re taking interest in it as well. What author doesn’t like answering questions about their work?
Hopefully these tips will help you to build better responses and overall be a better reader. As the age old saying goes: To have a reader, you need to be a reader.
Although in saying this, we all need to be fair. If we’ve got plenty of readers reading our fics, it’s our job to go and read theirs, to reply and comment on theirs as well. They are making the time for us, so we need to in turn make the time for them. I know of plenty of dedicated readers who give such detailed feedback, yet receive no replies to their own stories. Be fair people. Read as often as you write.
The Fanfiction Forum E-zine ~ December 2009!
Originally Posted by mr_pikachu
Or maybe, its just because we're all writers therefore give long long answeres!
Thank you Saffire Persian. (Complete list coming soon)
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Kudos to all of you.
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