The Fanfiction Forum E-zine 2009

[Gavin Luper]

WE WANT YOU!

Are you a wannabe journalist?

Hungry for recognition?

Thirsty for glory?

Then why not join the ranks of the Fanfiction Forum E-zine and send us an article for our next edition as we move into our massive THIRD year of publication?

You can write about writing, reading and theories; you can do a spotlight on a poem or underappreciated fic; you can interview a fellow member --- whatever you've got to say about the goings-on in the fanfic forum, we want to hear it!

Anyone can be a published journo, so send your articles to me via PM by the 31st December 2008to be published at the beginning of the new year!

Oh, and post here to let me know if I can expect some articles from you or not!

Cheerio, then!

[Dark Sage]

I have one coming. It may already be in your PM box.

[PancaKe]

Lol mine was too long for the tpm pm box. Is that a bad thing?
So I sent it to your facebook.

[Gavin Luper]

Sweet! Thanks guys, I've received both your articles and they look great!

[Gavin Luper]

~ The FanFiction Forum E-zine ~
January 2009






Contents


The Third Year, The Frost
Gavin Luper

The Evils of Perfectionism (and how to fight it)
Lady Vulpix

New Fic Spotlight: Sinister’s End
mr_pikachu

Avoiding the Trap: Updating Knox’s Ten Commandments
Dark Sage

To Be A Master
mistysakura

Good Times, Great Classic Fics: Spotlighting the Best of FanFic’s Past
PancaKe

The Third Year, The Frost
Gavin Luper

It started as an idea between friends. A fanciful “what if?”. A memory of an old presence in the Writer’s Lounge that had seemingly faded into history.

Two years on, I’m proud to present the twenty-fifth edition of the Fanfiction Forum E-zine; the first issue of 2009, our third year of publication.

But what a huge year our second outing was! 2008 saw a wave of new fics, new discussions, new members arriving and old members returning, coupled with a surge in involvement in the Fanfic Award ceremonies, the Silver Pencils and the Golden Pens, which were also this year restructured to reflect mid-year and year-end milestones for our writers. The Hall of Fame was created, to acknowledge those who have made Fanfic what it is today. There were the traditional Writing Contests and the inaugural Writing Sprints, which were both runaway successes. The Secret Santas were recently revived and were tremendously received. All the while, older traditions like the Fanfic Trivia Game, the FFRO and the Poetry Corner continued to garner activity amid a backdrop of vigorous discussion in the Writer’s Lounge.

Perhaps the biggest event of the entire year was the resignation of darktyranitar as Fanfiction moderator, having served the forum for over eighteen months. The three remaining mods, Gavin Luper, mistysakura and mr_pikachu, unable to decide on the next moderator, held a public election for the position between the two preferred candidates. Amazingly, close to forty votes were cast, with classy_cat18 surpassing PancaKe by a single vote to win the election.

We are all pleased to have Shonta aboard as the fourth mod of Fanfic, especially as we enter into a new year for Fanfic. Not only are the results of the 2008 Golden Pens due out any day now, there are many other exciting events on the horizon for 2009: a new Writing Contest, a third Hall of Fame induction and, hopefully early in the new year, the launch of the much-lauded TPM anthology of poetry, the support for which reflects the strength of the artistic community we have here on TPM.

The e-zine, too, is now arguably stronger and more relevant than ever before: This month, our resident correspondent to the stars, Lady Vulpix, takes a break from interviewing and instead explores a beast that many of us writers grapple with: perfectionism; our other regular columnist, mr_pikachu, temporarily vacates his post as Grammar Nazi to put a new fic in the public eye; Dark Sage looks at one writer’s view on the cliché in fiction; mistysakura provides another awesome instalment in the life of the fanfic writer; and PancaKe casts a reminiscent eye at the much-loved fanfics of years past.

With so much crammed into this issue, I’ll say no more other than, we hope you enjoy this latest publication, and look forward to seeing you all around the place in 2009.

CONSTANT VIGILANCE!

The Evils of Perfectionism (and how to fight it)
Lady Vulpix

Perfectionism... it's a heavy burden I've been carrying my whole life. I've also known, for most of my life, that it hinders me more than it helps me, so I've been trying hard to find ways to deal with it for the last... 13 years, at least. It's hard to take it easy.

But, ultimately, I think it all boils down to realize it what the real purpose of doing something is (especially something you do for pleasure). It's not perfection, as that can't be achieved. In the case of writing, the purpose is to enjoy ourselves and give others something they can enjoy too, isn't it? So you can improve your work as much as you want to, and if you find a little spot you don't like don't beat yourself over it. I still try to fix them when I find them, but at some points even I realize I should simply let myself be. If writings had to be perfect in order to be published, there would be no published writings... and the world would be a far worse place than it is now.

So, here I am, writing this article on the 31st of December because I've been thinking about it for weeks and haven't found anything good enough to add to it until today, just before I got out of bed in the morning, when I finally decided to at least try to do what I preach. It's a hard task, I know it too well. Too many times I've been stuck with my stories for that same reason. Even if I know the general idea of what comes next, I usually spend weeks -or even months- thinking of the details, and wondering if they will be good enough for the readers. If they will be believable enough, if the readers will view the characters in the same way I view them... and so many other questions that only manage to slow down the writing process tremendously (in addition to the lack of time to write, of course).

Now, I'm not saying anything new when I say perfection can never be achieved. We all know it. Then why does it bring us down when someone finds a flaw in our work? The answer may vary for each person, but in any case, we shouldn't let that happen. Writers are not perfect and hey, neither are readers. It's not as if a single mistake will deem you unworthy of being a writer. Most mistakes can be fixed with some work. It's harder if, for example, you realize some key event that plays a major role in how the story will unfold contradicts something you have already written. In that case, you can choose between going back and rewriting what you said before, or restructuring your plans for the future so that the new story makes sense without that event. Or maybe something in between, if that's a possibility. Either option is hard and can have negative consequences: if you take the first option too often, readers will no longer trust what they read as it would seem to be subject to change at any time, and the second option could take a very long time and may take the story in a completely different direction, perhaps even leading to a dead end. I believe, however, that there is always a way to finish a story. A perfect ending? Probably not, but once more, perfection is not the goal. You should try to write a story you like, and keep writing as long as you enjoy it.

So, to sum up, here is some advice for forum writers (I think I'll read it rather often myself).

-Remember what you're posting is a work in progress, no one will think any less of you if you make a mistake, nor if you decide to make small changes to what you've already posted in order to improve it.
-If you or anyone else finds a flaw in what you've written, it's not the end of the world and it doesn't mean you're a bad writer. It's a part of the natural course of things.
-If someone posts an offensive reply to your topic, don't let it get to you. That's his/her fault, not yours. Readers aren't perfect either.
-If someone gives you praise for your work, and you feel your next instalment won't be as good as the last one, don't be afraid and write it anyway. A good reader won't leave you just because you can't thrill him or her ALL the time. On the contrary, a good reader will help you improve your work. And who knows? Maybe your readers will like your next post more than you do. Sometimes we're our own worst critics.
-Striving to improve your work is good. Bringing yourself down because it's less than perfect is not.
-If you're stuck for a while, don't be too proud to ask for help. (And if you do that, make sure you ask someone with good intentions and some writing experience.)
-Starting something without knowing how it's going to end is not illegal. In fact, it can be an interesting experiment. Same goes for trying writing techniques with which you're not familiar. If you always stick to what you know, you'll never learn anything new and you may miss out on great things.
-And last but definitely not least, if you like writing... then WRITE!!

I now leave you with some final words by Amber Williams.
this comic.

Strip quoted with permission from the author.
(07:33:04 AM) Amber Williams: Go for eet. :3

New Fic Spotlight: Sinister’s End by Houndoom_Lover
mr_pikachu

mr_pikachu reminds you to watch for deer on the road and spoilers on your screen. A major spoiler in your view can be just as dangerous as a doe through your windshield.

Summary: Picture a young girl, living in a mysterious boarding school on an otherwise uninhabited island. When a trio of monsters slithers out her shower drain just before midnight, she must choose between fighting for the forces of evil and booking a one-way trip to hell. But is there really a choice? What consequences lie in her future? And what crazy creature will Houndoom_Lover draw next?

Plot (16/20 points): We haven’t seen much of the plot yet, but how many times do you see No Face from Spirited Away slither out a shower faucet with its two brothers? Granted, it’s not too surprising that these ghostly-looking things support the dark side, and the idea of a grand battle between good and evil is far older than the 101-minute cliché that was Mortal Kombat, but the appearance of these creatures was enough of a surprise to keep things interesting through the first chapter. The laughable “choice” they offered between participating and burning in hell also made for nice characterization of the inhuman beasts and showed the true nature of their offer.

Plot Originality (6/10 points): Thus far, there’s not much to distinguish Sinister’s End from clichés like an isolated (and mysterious!) boarding school a la Harry Potter, conflicts between good and evil predating the Bible, and even talking animals from shows like Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. We’ll have to wait and see if this improves over the next few chapters, but right now it's a little ordinary in the fantasy realm.

Writing Style (13/20 points): A few years ago, the comic format of Sinister’s End would have ratcheted up this score. It’s no longer an original concept on TPM, however, as it follows in the footsteps of War of the Forums, Rapagania, The Misadventues of Charles Legend [sic], and To Be A Master. That’s not to say this piece isn’t enjoyable – blending text with pictures effectively is quite a challenge, and it works exceptionally when done well – but it loses the edge of innovation.
Additionally, it is sometimes very difficult to tell what’s happening in any particular panel. Certain scenes may need a little more background to establish the context. For instance, is the main character watching a horror movie before the “CRASH”? And why is slipping on the bathroom floor “weird”? Alternatively, we may just need a few more panels to fully explain such action scenes. I’m curious to see if (or how) the style will change to facilitate comprehension.

Spelling and Grammar (8/10 points): I saw a couple of typos (“uncarted”) and slight grammar errors (such as “its” instead of “it’s”) here and there. There certainly weren’t any catastrophic mistakes, but there were more little blemishes than expected for so few pages, particularly handwritten ones.

Characters (13/15 points): We haven’t been introduced to many characters, and we actually don’t know anyone’s name, but I have to give praise for the main character’s development. Through just a few actions and outbursts, we can see that she’s a clumsy scatterbrain who was “not born of a woman’s womb.” She’s clearly a bit of a drama queen, yet she appears familiar with phenomena that would shock most of us – talking cats, anyone? Curious. I really like how she injects bubbly excitement into the mix.

Settings (12/15 points): The main character lives in a castle that doubles as a boarding school, and I would assume that the rooms we’ve seen comprise just one of many housing units. The setting isn’t overly emphasized aside from the essential elements (the bed in which she lay, the cabinet under the car, the shower drain that spawned the creepy trio, etc.), but there’s enough to give us a vague idea of her home.
This might be too little if she was going to spend a lot of time at home, but I get the feeling that much of this comic is going to be spent elsewhere. So, I’m willing to give the benefit of the doubt for now. The central setting, however, definitely needs to be shown in great detail.

Overall Appreciation (8/10 points): Again, there’s little advantage from the comic format’s originality, but Sinister’s End is still fun right now. We’ll see what direction it takes in the future.

Final Result: 76/100 = 76%.

Closing Comments: This fic needs something more to stand out from the crowd. Simply making a comic is no longer enough, so I’m hoping to see layers of intrigue beyond the upcoming tournament itself. In terms of style, the action needs to be explicitly obvious. It’s a different challenge than a written fic since you can’t say in a comic, “She slipped on a wet patch on the tile and fell down.” Actions have to be shown in still frames without a word of explanation. It’s a tricky task that requires careful choreography.
The devil is in the details, as the audience doesn’t know anything beyond what they’re shown. A good comic artist has to think in the perspective of the audience to find any gaps in that visual explanation. The audience should feel as though they’re a part of this world without having to work to interpret everything. That’s the main weakness of this fledgling fic. If the clarity of setting and action is improved, Sinister’s End could be a very strong piece.

Avoiding the Trap: Updating Knox’s Ten Commandments
Dark Sage

When an author writes fiction, any fiction at all, he must avoid one serious trap – writing a situation that is a cliché. A story that has clichéd situations is a bad story, for many reasons. But some writers can’t help themselves sometimes. They have a hard time coming up with things that are completely fresh, and often wind up with situations that are essentially old wine in new bottles.

This sentiment was well known to a British writer named Ronald Knox, a Catholic priest and mystery writer who lived in the early 20th century. He was a member of the Detection Club, a group that included such well-known mystery authors as Agatha Christie, E.C. Bentley, G.K. Chesterson, and Dorothy Sayers. Novels he wrote include The Viaduct Murder, Double Cross Purposes, and Still Dead

Knox disliked clichéd material, so as a nod to his being a Catholic priest, he published The Ten Commandments of Detective Fiction. This list, unfortunately, is somewhat outdated today, but we can still apply it to modern writing.

Here is Knox’s list:

If you write such stories, thou shalt obey these laws:

1. The criminal must be someone mentioned in the early part of the story, but must not be anyone whose thoughts the reader has been allowed to follow.

2. All supernatural or preternatural agencies are ruled out as a matter of course.

3. Not more than one secret room or passage is allowable.

4. No hitherto undiscovered poisons may be used, nor any appliance which will need a long scientific explanation at the end.

5. No Chinaman must figure in the story.

6. No accident must ever help the detective, nor must he ever have an unaccountable intuition which proves to be right.

7. The detective must not himself commit the crime.

8. The detective must not light on any clues which are not instantly produced for the inspection of the reader.

9. The stupid friend of the detective, the Watson, must not conceal any thoughts which pass through his mind; his intelligence must be slightly, but very slightly, below that of the average reader.

10. Twin brothers, and doubles generally, must not appear unless we have been duly prepared for them.

(The proceeding information was taking from the Gotham Writers Workshop, researcher uncredited.)

Now, just by reading this list, you probably figure that all of it is outdated, and that modern fiction breaks these laws all the time. And you likely wonder what mystery fiction has to do with other forms of fiction.

Well, Knox had to be one heck of a writer to get into the same club as Agatha Christie. His Commandments are still useful, and can be updated for modern times, so long as you analyze them.

So, let’s take them in order…

1. The criminal must be someone mentioned in the early part of the story, but must not be anyone whose thoughts the reader is allowed to follow.

The second part of this rule is a very good safety tip for a mystery story. Knox is saying that the culprit’s thoughts should not be open to the reader, because thoughts concerning the crime could not be concealed if they were.

The first part is a good safety tip for any fiction at all. The villain who is going to give the heroes the most trouble should at least be mentioned early. Even if the heroes only deal with his cohorts for most of the story, they should know what their goal is.

Of course, if a hidden danger exists that is behind the most visible villain, this is okay. But, it must be handled with care. It should not come as a complete surprise at the end. Hints should be dropped along the way that, perhaps, the one whom the heroes are fighting is just a part of a bigger picture. That way, readers won’t feel deceived, and you don’t fall into the cliché.

2. All supernatural or preternatural agencies are ruled out as a matter of course.

Knox was a firm believer that in detective stories, the culprit should be human. He wasn’t opposed to fantasy, but he thought that such things were for other writers. The supernatural and almost-supernatural tended to ruin the setting of mystery stories. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle expressed this in Sherlock Holms’ epic case, The Hound of the Baskervilles where it was implied that the killer was a supernatural beast. In truth, it was really a savage, but very mortal dog, whose hellish appearance was obtained by phosphorous.

This rule may be useful in one regard – it is important to keep genres from spilling over into one another. If you want to do a crossover, fine, but make sure the genres match. (And before anyone mentions it, I’m guilty of breaking this safety tip. Possibly my worst fanfiction ever was a crossover where the genres didn’t match, and I’m not gonna provide a link to it.)


3. Not more than one secret room or passage is allowable.

What Knox was concerned about was the fact that secret rooms, doors, and passages were so common in mystery fiction, they were almost expected, and they often were key to the most important clues.

In more modern fiction, we can imply this rule to objects that turn up a great deal in such stories. Using old objects in new ways to get a point across may work. Take Hagrid, the groundskeeper of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter books. His wand had been broken after he had been expelled, so he concealed the broken pieces in an umbrella, which made a makeshift wand. An umbrella that doubles as a magic wand is certainly unique, and Rowling could have applied the theme to a lot of similar objects. Go for the unexpected. Tired of old oil lamps that hold genies? No-one uses oil lamps for light anymore anyway. Maybe someone found something else that could hold a genie.

4. No hitherto undiscovered poisons may be used, nor any appliance which will need a long scientific explanation at the end.

Possibly the worst type of cliché is the deus ex machina, the unlikely solution to a problem that comes from nowhere and rescues the heroes at the last minute. It seems like divine intervention whenever it happens, and says that God somehow favors the heroes of the story. Even if a miracle happens, there should be some reasoning behind it.

The same thing is true for villains, however, which is what Knox meant by this rule. This rule may be a little outdated (modern fictions of all sorts use new chemicals and technological devices all the time) but there should always be an explanation for them. If an assassin uses a poison that only three government agencies know how to make, be prepared to explain how he got it. Even in the world of fantasy, you can only push the envelope of believability so far.

5. No Chinaman must figure in the story.

This seems like a racist comment, but it made sense to Knox. In his time period, when a suspicious-looking Asian man showed up in a mystery novel, you could almost guarantee that it meant bad news. The stereotype was out of control in the literary world, and Knox had to include this to try to stop it.

In modern fiction, we can use this rule to make a good one of our own: Avoid stereotypes of all sorts. No-one likes them, no-one appreciates them, and they’re clichéd. This is why The Sopranos got so much bad press. On the other hand, if you include a character that goes completely against the established stereotype for his race or position, you may wind up with an interesting character.

The same goes with locations. The Yu-Gi-Oh anime, for example, has long been centered in the fictitious Domino City, located in Japan (exactly which island, we don’t know, but it seems to be based on Tokyo in the same way Gotham City is based on New York). Most fanfic writers follow suit, and place Yu-Gi-Oh fanfictions in a Japanese setting. I went against this grain once with Dark Messiah, placing the whole story in New York City, but there’s nothing that says a fanfic using the Yu-Gi-Oh elements must be in any well-known location at all. In the anime world, the game that they play is globally known, so you can use any location at all, and not restrict yourself to the same old thing.


6. No accident must ever help the detective, nor must he ever have an unaccountable intuition which proves to be right.

Another rule about the dreaded deus ex machina. It applies to heroes far more than it applies to villains. Heroes should earn their victories, and this plot device should be avoided at all costs.

7. The detective must not himself commit the crime.

Basically, Knox was saying that the hero trying to solve the crime should not be the one who committed it. It goes without saying that unless you are planning a story where the bad guy is supposed to be the main character, you shouldn’t reveal at the end that the hero was the one behind all the misfortunes all along. Even if he was doing something questionable in secret, there should be someone else behind it.

People have played with this idea from time to time. There are stories I’ve heard of where the hero has a multiple personality, he doesn’t know it, and he has no idea that the person he is looking for is his other personality. (And that might make an interesting story, in fact.) Clearly, an outright case of the hero deceiving the readers should be avoided, but if the hero can be responsible for the villain’s actions while trying to stop them at the same time… Well, such a story would take a lot of work just to explain, and might be very original indeed.


8. The detective must not light on any clues which are not instantly produced for the inspection of the reader.

This means that anything the hero knows in relation to the current situation, the reader should know. The hero can still have his secrets, but if the readers don’t know vital information, future situations can be ruined.

In modern fiction, whether a hero keeps something secret from the readers or not depends mostly on when he intends to make use of it. For example, I write Yu-Gi-Oh fanfiction, and in a duel, even in the actual anime, it’s quite common for a duelist to glance at the card he has drawn, decide to save it for later, and not let the readers know what it is until he actually uses it. It’s usually something that will play a big part of the duel in a later scene. However, for more vital information (such as Misty’s reason for wanting to kill Aki in a recent episode), it was important that it be revealed as soon as possible (which it was, right when Misty confronted Aki). Basically, don’t save everything for the end – save for the end what’s meant to save for the end.

9. The stupid friend of the detective, the Watson, must not conceal any thoughts which pass through his mind; his intelligence must be slightly, but very slightly, below that of the average reader.

In other words, any character designated as a sidekick must not outshine the hero and save the day. This sentiment, of course, is ignored many times in modern fiction. (I can’t remember the number of times that Robin – any of them – has done something that Batman owes his life to.)

This may be a case when Knox was on the wrong track. The sidekick likely shouldn’t be less intelligent than the average reader, or the hero won’t survive. Harry wouldn’t have lasted to his third year if Hermione were on the level of most of the folks who read the books. Still, a sidekick shouldn’t eclipse the hero entirely, unless the sidekick is the true hero of the story. If that is the case, the fact should be established early on. And even the true supporting cast should not be thought of as expendable dolts. Heroes cannot do everything themselves.

10. Twin brothers, and doubles generally, must not appear unless we have been duly prepared for them.

Ah, yes, the “twin-gets-someone-in-trouble plot device”! This has literally been used for centuries, ever since Shakespeare wrote Twelfth Night, and continues to the present day. A classic example of a clichéd plot. Practically every hero faces an “evil twin” of himself at one point (or more) in his career, and unfortunately, folks never seem to get tired of this situation. Sometimes, this specific situation may be necessary, but it seems to be used all the time.

Basically, if any situation in fiction has been done as often as this one has (I can list a dozen off the top of my head) it’s a cliché that should be avoided. If you’re a good writer, you can think of something better than situations that have been done to death in other works of fiction.


The biggest problem with fiction is, as the years go by, more and more of it is produced, and it becomes harder to think up ideas that are truly original. With fanfiction, it’s even harder, as you are already using a pre-existing work as your base. The sign of a good writer is to think up something truly original.

Knox had the right idea. If he were alive today, he might update his Ten Commandments for the modern world of writing, and whatever he came up with might teach us a few things. After all, a writer who was accepted into the Detection Club likely wrote some pretty good stuff.

To Be A Master
mistysakura





All pictures courtesy of Pokemon Nightmare
This issue was partly inspired by the NCIS episode "Dead Man Talking".






Good Times, Great Classic Fics: Spotlighting the Best of FanFic’s Past
PancaKe

After being in a very reminiscent mood the past few months, and digging through old fics and stories that have been lost, or that have been found – and rereading those classic fics that really stood out from the crowd for their originality, their writing style, their characters and their sheer awesomeness, I thought it would only be fair to highlight the fics that made the fanfic forum what it is today.

So this month, we’re backtracking to a fic that dominated the Trainer Fic genre, a fic that’s topic was referred to as a spam-hole, a fic that made others green, or shall we say, emerald, with jealousy! (Oh okay, that joke was terrible.)

The Emerald League
by Captain Pringle.

Following Captain Pringle’s first trainer fic, Michael’s Pokemon Journey and written alongside comedy anime-spoof fic The Adventures of Firewood Ketchup and His Friends Cloudy and Sock, The Emerald League burst onto the fanfic boards on the 14th of June, 2001, and was completed three years later, on August 6th, 2004. TEL tells the story of young Bryce Westfahl’s journey through Emerald Island, claiming badges and developing strong bonds with his team.

[I]He wrapped his arms around me and gave me one last hug before sending me out into the unknown wilderness of the Emerald Island. I admit I was somewhat scared of what might be out there, but at least I was now a pokémon trainer. And I would be the first one to go through the Emerald League. Furthermore, I might be the credited for discovering new species of pokémon! I couldn’t wait to see what was out there.[I]

Bryce Westfahl’s journey starts off simply, travelling with his father, a great pokemon researcher, to Emerald Island, and coming across a weak and paralysed Shellder whilst walking along the beach.

From these humble beginnings, Bryce goes out into the wilderness, one of the first trainers to explore the terrain and challenge the league. He encounters new types of pokemon, new people, forms friendships with his pokemon and his people. He encounters plenty of obstacles along the way, which alongside his team, he fights to overcome.

All in all, The Emerald League is one of the better written trainer fics, from an era where every second story fit the genre. It’s characters, although original, still somewhat fit the cliché moulds that come with the genre, but a new setting and a new league add enough spice to make The Emerald League stand out from the rest.

I caught up with Captain Pringle recently, and we took a walk down memory lane as he told talked about TEL and his writing.

PancaKe: What made you want to write another trainer fic?
Captain Pringle: Well, first of all, I had a blast writing my first trainer fic [Michael’s Pokemon Journey]. If you go back and read it, it's pretty ridiculous how badly it starts out (it was the first major story I had ever written). So over the course of that fic, you can really see my growth as a writer, from absolute boring newbie to... I dunno, some glimpse of a half-decent writing style and maybe even a little original plot on occasion. So to answer the question, with TEL, I think I just wanted to take another crack at the whole trainer fic thing, but with my training wheels already off this time.

PancaKe: What were some of your inspirations whilst writing TEL?
Captain Pringle: Inspirations… that’s a tough one. A lot of the story is the pokémon battles, and I don't really know where most of that stuff came from other than my vivid imagination (well, that one air-platform arena in the pokemon league probably came from playing too much smash bros. melee :p).

I think the general tone of the story is set by the main character, Bryce, since the story is written in first-person POV in a way that tries to let the reader think and feel along with him. So as for inspiration for Bryce... a lot of him naturally came from my own personality back then: the way he interacts with his dad over a cup of hot chocolate, the way he interacts with people in general, and ultimately the way he thinks. I'm not experienced enough a writer to write first-person POV for a person completely different than myself, so that's just how it went by default.

PancaKe: What was your favourite thing about writing TEL?
Captain Pringle: I think my favorite thing about TEL was that it was big enough and long enough that, at the end of it all, I could look back with nostalgia at the beginning of my own story. I love being able to create a story, a character, and a world, and stick with it for a loooong time, and really get to know it and see it fleshed out. Now, I think I failed at this in some significant ways with TEL (lack of character development, especially), but it remains my favorite thing about it. Writing the crazy 20,000-word final battle of TEL was only as fun as it was, to me, because I could look back at the previous 80,000 words and see those now-super-powerful pokemon back when they were still a cute little shellder and a feisty little chikorita eating marshmallows together.

PancaKe: What about the hardest thing about writing TEL? Or the most challenging?
Captain Pringle: The hardest thing about this fic was finishing it!! Haha... the poor readers back then had to wait 6+ months between the final chapters. So bad of me!! ^_^; Ah, but aside from that, I'd say the hardest thing about the actual content of the fic was keeping a focus on developing the pokemon's personalities as they grew up. I distinctly remember you [PancaKe] being brave enough to give me some honest (and very insightful) constructive criticism about exactly that point, and I couldn't agree more. I tried to work on this a bit in the final chapters, but in the scope of the whole story, I feel like they still lost a lot of their personality.

PancaKe: What do you think when you look back at TEL now? What do others who knew about it think?
Captain Pringle: My fiancée finds it hilarious that I still get asked about these pokemon stories from before she even knew me. It makes her laugh every time I mention it.

[center]The Emerald League can be found here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TB0TJBGM

[Dark Sage]

Not bad. I was glad to see that very little was changed in my article. Ada's comic strip was good too and the interviews were nice.

I just worked all night so I'm tired. I might give a more thorough review later.

[Houndoom_Lover]

*takes a ritualistic sip of my early morning after breakfest water- goes to read this E-zine*

O.O PFffffffffffft! Water is everywhere- Comical Spit take! But, Oh my gosh. ^w^ EEee! Thanks for reviewing my new story, even if it is still in its youth. And catching those typoes, which I would have never ever caught in a bajillion years. (Here I made a note to go fix them) <- World's worst proofreader.

The main issue I had with chapter one is I had to condence it at the last second >w<. My orginal storyboard was 27 pages long, but I you have to get good at condencing some time in your life! ^_^

AAah, it was those awful right hand side pannels -w- I'm going to have to redo them somehow. Somehow...I'll be sure to improve of those thing next chapter! Thank you again for that though. Wow. What a great day so far!

E-zine day is always a great day! I can't wait to see the continuation of the on going E-zine comic, and the articals were tasty good. Knox’s Ten Commandments may go on the wall, but I'm not sure how Kurt would feel about sharing the wall with another list.

And a nice litte interview- they're always good! Good stuff guys, gold star! *curls up like a sandshrew and beatboxs' my way outta there*

Edit: GASP! First E-zine of New Year!

[Gavin Luper]

Not bad. I was glad to see that very little was changed in my article.

Aside from changing the semi-colon in the title to a full colon, I don't think I touched it at all, unless the spell-check picked something up. My editorial approach is generally to let you guys write what you want and I'll proofread and edit any glaring errors but other than that I'll go ahead and publish it, unless it's inherently offensive or inappropriate for the forum in some way.

In regards to the article itself, as a reader and a writer I disagree with several of the "commandments", especially the first and seventh ones. I read a fantastic mystery novel once where we followed the thoughts of the lead character as one-by-one the group was murdered by one of their own, and only at the very end did the reader realise that the lead character (whose first person narrative was very likeable) was the killer all along. It was a total head trip, but it made for a thrilling and very unexpected conclusion, which I'd say is a successful piece of writing.

Moreover, your claim that "a story that has clichéd situations is a bad story" seems really totalising, although I get where it's coming from. While it's generally good to think up fresh stuff and steer clear of stale ideas, I don't think cliches and stereotypes need to be avoided altogether, just treated with a lot of caution. Fiction relies on cliches and stereotypes to function, as there are recognisable patterns within every genre that define that genre; thus, cliched situations are to some extent quite essential - the thing is, they just need to be presented in a way that is fresh and engaging for the audience. I reckon if you read an entire novel where every single character was forced to be a non-stereotypical character, and every plot device and situation was made intentionally non-cliche, it could possibly become a frustrating experience purely because it tries too hard to break the norm in every way, rather than forming what might be a more organic story. That's purely my take on matters, though.

[Lady Vulpix]

I loved Ada's strip. Go, Royalblue/Magenta!

And the editorial was great too!

Seeing Brian post a fic review in the E-Zine was a surprise; I don't like dissecting fics like that, but I think he did a good job and I applaud his effort.

I never got to read The Emeral League, but it's nice to see old fics get some attention, and I liked the interview.

As for the commandments... sorry, but I don't agree with most of them. I don't like recipies for writing, I think they limit creations too much and result in repetitive and unoriginal stories. Assigning labels to characters and defining their traits and possible courses of actions according to their labels is not a good idea, in my opinion. Real people don't fit into any labels. Why should fictional characters be different? Anyway, I think this can serve as a guideline for writers who don't have a clear picture of what his/her story and characters will be like. You can start with a pre-fabricated idea and then start building from there in order to create something new. But I would call them 'suggestions' rather than 'commandments'.

[Dark Sage]

Gavin: Fair enough. That sounded like quite an interesting story you mentioned.

LV: I'm sure that Knox meant them as suggestions too. He likely just didn't like the obvious copycat writers who were writing stuff in his time. (The word "Commandments" came from his nod to being a priest.)

I didn't mean these as guidlines, and I know have been broken several times. I just think that obvious cliches tend to cheapen a story and make it boring. That was the idea I was trying to get across. Like Gavin said, maybe some cliched material is good, to a point, but not if it's too obvious.

[classy_cat18]

Hey there! Fanfiction's classy kitty is here to ask you to help me with next month's E-zine! Just a few suggestions:

- Interviews with fanficcers and the TPMers who love their work
- Reviews of fics that catch the eye
- Advice, rants and raves of anything fanfiction-related

Post here if you're planning to submit an article. Please PM all articles to me by midnight of January 31, 2008. That's Central Time, people! I look forward to seeing what you got!

[classy_cat18]

The FanFiction Forum E-zine
February 2009






My Turn! Mine! Mine!
classy_cat18

Conversations with the Stars – MeLoVeGhOsTs
Lady Vulpix

New Fic Spotlight: Show-Off by Chris 2.1
mr_pikachu

Submission
mistysakura

The Thrill of Battle
classy_cat18

Loveless Love
mr_pikachu






My Turn! Mine! Mine!
classy_cat18

It's my privilege as the newest moderator of the Fanfic forum to bring you this month's issue of the E-zine! Last month was a good start for the year of 2009, with many of us seeing enough snow to last us five lifetimes! And those of us in the Southern Hemisphere had the pleasure of baking in the summer sun!

For upcoming events, we have a new Writing Contest as well as a Writing Sprint to challenge our imaginations! And Gavin is still working on a Poetry project that's so secret it might as well be locked in a safe and buried a thousand feet below his house! The Fanfic Trivia Game has once again picked up speed! Members return, fics continue, and promising newbies show their faces!

...Okay, enough with the exclamations.

The feminine fox, Lady Vulpix, has brought to us an interesting interview with MeLoVeGhOsTs. Our resident Grammar Nazi has a new fic spotlight on Chris 2.1's newest masterpiece as well as a month-appropriate view on a specific kind of love. Ada, or mistysakura, provides a muse on submissions. And yours truly has pulled together an oh-so-short piece on the reality of Pokemon battles in tribute to the violent yet thrilling tradition known as the Super Bowl. So without further ado...

Conversations with the Stars – MeLoVeGhOsTs
Lady Vulpix

Lady Vulpix: When did you first start writing?
MeLoVeGhOsTs: Uh, when I was 16 years old, I wrote mostly poems. I did, however, started my own fantasy worlds, with pokemon, gym leaders, the whole shabbang, when I was 14.

Lady Vulpix: Have you been writing (or plotting) trainer fics since then?
MeLoVeGhOsTs: Yes.
I wanted to write a fic, since otherwise nobody would ever find out about my 'region', so I tried several attempts at a trainer fic which didn't get any further than two chapters, or some plotting.

Lady Vulpix: What stopped you from finishing them?
MeLoVeGhOsTs: Lack of interest, especially lack of replies and just the fact that my english was way too limited.
Even now, I'll need proofreading from someone else for my next chapter.

Lady Vulpix: Have you asked anyone?
MeLoVeGhOsTs: Not yet, I'm not sure who would do this for me, who has the time, and the expierence. Since mr.pikachu told me to get it proofread, I was thinking of asking him, but he seems pretty busy. If you know somebody I'd appreciate it.

Lady Vulpix: Well, I could try. English is a second language for me too, but I think I'm fluent enough by now.
MeLoVeGhOsTs: I'd really appreciate it. I really appreciate constructive critism all around since it really gets me somewhere.
Lady Vulpix:

Lady Vulpix: How much do you feel your writing has improved throughout the years?
MeLoVeGhOsTs: Well, my writing was never any good, so it must have improved. But not by really writing, but just by getting some more expierence with english as my third language.

Lady Vulpix: You speak three languages? Cool! Which ones are they?
MeLoVeGhOsTs: Well not fluently, but as you might have seen in my post in PCG, Belgium has three languages: Dutch, French and German.
We get french from the age of 11 and german from the age of 16.
So I speak Dutch and French as my first two languages, even though I suck at french compared to most flemish people. I don't include german since I only got three years of German lessons.
So dutch and french, and english as my third language.

Lady Vulpix: When did you begin to learn English?
MeLoVeGhOsTs: At the age of 14 we started english class in school, but I knew this and that before that from watching the simpsons, friends and many more english shows.

Lady Vulpix: Have you written anything in Dutch?
MeLoVeGhOsTs: Yes, a few scribbled short stories when I was back in high school, even an erotic short story, which received good comments, even from a teacher o_O

Lady Vulpix: That's impressive.
MeLoVeGhOsTs: Well, looking back at it, it probably sucked ass. But yeah, I was 15.

Lady Vulpix: Why did you decide to post your work on TPM?
MeLoVeGhOsTs: Well, I read a few stories there (trainerfics or not) and it seemed like a pretty cool place for writers, including pokemon fiction. As it was the only place where there were enough readers for someone to notice and read the fic, the choice was obvious.

Lady Vulpix: And you've also done your share of posting on other people's fics.
MeLoVeGhOsTs: I like reading, more than writing. I have a great sense of imagination (a man can brag, right?), so I can pretty much visualize most things and many fics often come out amazing.
Painted words really attract me.
And commenting on one's fic is as natural as breathing, seeing that I would want comments on my own fic.
Lady Vulpix: ^_^

Lady Vulpix: What do you mean by 'painted words'?
MeLoVeGhOsTs: Words that really describe the way a scenery looks. Original, creative words or sentences that when I read them I say 'waw' or 'cool'.
Lady Vulpix: Ah.
MeLoVeGhOsTs: Is there any proper term for such words?
Like the way Tolkien can describe the landscape.
Lady Vulpix: I'm not sure. Imagery, perhaps.
MeLoVeGhOsTs: Yeah, something like that. Doesn't matter

Lady Vulpix: How do you feel about trainer fics these days?
MeLoVeGhOsTs: Like chris posted in the previous e-zine. It's personally the best sort of pokemon fic I can imagine. I like history, and I like the way that characters can look back at the beginning of their journey and make whatever speculations about it. I also like evolution and a trainer fic is ideal for that. It's a pity it's dying, but perhaps it's better that half of the trainer fics are gone.
Most of them were about ash, and animé related characters, which I don't really like.
Even though pokemon is surrealistic, I like it when realistic moments are included.
The characters in most trainerfics are teens, adolescents mostly, so they aren't black and white. The greyzone is the most important one, where they struggle with their personality, their goals, and even their sexlife.

Lady Vulpix: Weren't there also many fics that contained new characters, but always doing the same things and going through the same situations?
MeLoVeGhOsTs: That's correct, and the foundation of most trainer fics can't be changed. The mandatory 'get starter, get more pokemon, beat gym leaders, get badges, go to league, win/lose, end' can't be avoided. But you can work around it with a side plot, or a chance of events.

Lady Vulpix: How hard is it to make a trainer fic original enough to attract readers?
MeLoVeGhOsTs: Very hard I guess, I don't know if I'll succeed in it, but in general, very hard. Chris made a nice adjustment by getting rid of the gym leaders and getting the whole 'village' thingy in TPML, but it's not the same as journeying.
Actually, besides 'very hard', I can't really answer the question.

Lady Vulpix: Was about the made-up pokemon you have included in your fic? What's the story behind their creation?
MeLoVeGhOsTs: Well, me, my brother and our neighbourhood friend got together and played some pokemon (acting like pokemon and trainers, you know, kids stuff); and we always made fakemon and drew them, giving them stats, attacks, evolutions, etc. Eventually we made up our own game, and those pokemon were the starters, which ironically I designed, so I don't have to fear them charging me in court.

Lady Vulpix: Where's the irony, and why would you be charged in court?
MeLoVeGhOsTs: Lol, since they could sue me for using their ideas. It was a joke, I already told you I have a bad sense of humor.
Lady Vulpix: It's OK, written jokes are usually hard to notice.
MeLoVeGhOsTs: Yeah, writing sucks. Which was another joke. *shrugs*

Lady Vulpix: If it weren't, it would make you a masochistic writer.
MeLoVeGhOsTs: Perhaps that's a title I'd appreciate. Gotta play special right.
Lady Vulpix: Hehe.

MeLoVeGhOsTs: Any more questions?
Lady Vulpix: Impatient, are you?
MeLoVeGhOsTs: lol, it's just that I have to go in ten minutes and I wouldn't want the interview to be un-finished.


Lady Vulpix: OK, then just this question and the last one. How do you feel about the current situation of the Fanfic forum?
MeLoVeGhOsTs: I think it has great members, and a lof of them really got potential, or are already awesome. Just a pity the activity isn't what it used to be, but perhaps that's the time of the year, or just a downphase for now.

Lady Vulpix: I hope that's just it.
MeLoVeGhOsTs: So do I.

Lady Vulpix: So, is there anything you'd like to say to this great community?
MeLoVeGhOsTs: Yeah, keep writing, keep posting, keep replying and mother told me that you guys should stop scaring her. She's afraid of fanfic humor.
Lady Vulpix: XD

Lady Vulpix: Thank you.
MeLoVeGhOsTs: lol. No, thank you. It was an honor to be interviewed for the e-zine. Just hope my humor didn't scare you off.
*hears mother shouting*
uh..yeah.

New Fic Spotlight: Show-Off by Chris 2.1
mr_pikachu

mr_pikachu reminds you to steer clear of viruses during the winter months. A bout of mono can spread just as quickly as bad writing on Fanfiction.net.


Plot (15/20 points): A pretty entertaining start. The beginning of the fic has clearly established a few possible avenues on which it could continue. That took a lot of forethought. On the other hand, I was a little disappointed by the stark division between Milo’s two goals. It seemed like he totally forgot about Chuck as soon as the possibility of showing up his sister was presented. Perhaps this was just an accident in how those scenes were framed, but it was a rather radical shift that took away from some of the cohesiveness of the first chapter. I’m hoping that those two divergent goals can somehow be blended in future chapters – or at least, that both of them will be considered.


Plot Originality (9/10 points): Right off the bat we were presented with a major twist; the so-called “League Reclassification.” That was a fantastic way to start this long-awaited fic, especially since it’s something I wouldn’t have guessed from the previews. While contest fics still aren’t exactly the norm, they’ve been done before. This idea of a League Reclassification, on the other hand, has almost never been done in the past. (At least, it’s rarely done well – it’s usually just an excuse for stereotypically bad Mary Sues). This fic’s logic was very sound in contrast, and that makes me excited about what twists are yet to come.


Writing Style (16/20 points): This relates a bit to the setting, but the descriptions were very well planned. It was easy to sense different moods from the detailed descriptions of our two primary locales. As a result, readers should be able to immerse themselves in the characters’ world and become oblivious to the amount of text they’re reading. It becomes more of an interactive experience than a series of words when you can do that.

The writing format for the battle did feel a little formulaic at points, though: “Pokémon, do this!” Things happened when the Pokémon followed its trainer’s orders. While there are some instances during a battle in which you can’t avoid some reptition, it would be nice if the patterns were mixed up whenever possible to make the combat feel more fluid. The structure of contest battles may make that particularly challenging, so we’ll see whether the format can be improved in future chapters.


Spelling and Grammar (7/10 points): In the first half of the chapter there were a few typos that could have easily been avoided. Words like “aLeague” along with the fantasy Gym Leader “Clear” should be easy to catch in editing. I don’t usually mark off more than one or two points for spelling and grammar unless it’s a serious problem (which this wasn’t), but several of these typos probably could have been caught by Microsoft Word. It’s the sort of problem that’s easy to fix but an obvious detriment if left unchecked.


Characters (11/15 points): Pretty good characterization for this stage of the fic. I liked the sibling rivalry between Milo and Mia in particular, and Chuck was also an interesting figure. Admittedly, though, Meredith’s demeanor toward her son didn’t seem very realistic to me – she only pays attention to him if he’s doing contests? – and I wasn’t sold on the brief appearances of Vivienne or June. Still, there’s plenty of time to develop those last two if they’re going to appear further, and they were decent enough extras otherwise.


Settings (14/15 points): The settings here were fantastic. From a rocky cliff high above the sea to the elegant Mitchelson manor, we had just enough details to immerse ourselves in most of the locales. I was also impressed with the way in which the settings were used, not merely described. That is, we didn’t just see the pool, we saw Vulpix gingerly walking around it. We didn’t just see a mountain, but we saw Poliwrath bashing boulders at its peak. While I was hoping that the battleground for Milo vs. Mia would have been a little more important through the course of the match, it was still good to have all the details beforehand to create a clear mental picture.


Overall Appreciation (10/10 points): Despite a few minor points of criticism, this is a very promising start from a writer who has proven himself many times in the past. An original concept with well-defined characters, a clear direction and an intricately defined world... it’s is a great choice for anyone who wants a new fic to read.


Final Result: 82/100 = 82%


Closing Comments: This concept is very original when compared with many trainer fics, as we already have multiple plotlines. The tests for this story will probably be twofold: can those plotlines be intertwined, and will they continue to keep us guessing? Assuming that the writing style continues in its present form, potential readers can feel certain of an engaging fic. The elusive elements of cohesiveness and unpredictability may be the key to putting this piece over the top. I, for one, look forward to seeing more.

Submission
(a little ad break/musing)
by mistysakura

Submission: it’s a funny word, isn’t it? It can mean defeat, prostrating yourself before your foes. It can mean humbling yourself, transforming into a piece of putty at the hands of your superiors. Or, in the world of writing, it can mean putting a little fragment of your soul into a white envelope and mailing it off, waiting a seemingly endless wait, suspecting the worst: that your baby has been passed over without a glance. But the funniest thing about submissions is how they metamorphose from duckling to swan once they make the leap from submission to publication. Suddenly, your little piece of writing has been declared superior. Instead of being a subordinate, you have been given authority, both figuratively and literally. It’s like horoscopes in the newspaper: although you know that the face behind the words is probably the humblest intern, predicting the fate of Aries between coffee rounds and photocopying, you can’t help but be swayed, even ever so slightly, by their words; after all, they’re good enough to be in print, aren’t they? Thus, the writer controls the world for a day.

Perhaps I’m a drama queen, but that’s what goes through my head every time I sit at my computer on the last day of the month (or the first day of the month -- it’s still the thirty-first in America, I tell you!), trying to churn out a last-minute article for the Fanfic Forum E-zine. Unfortunately, it’s a bit too late to organize an interview or do a Spotlight by then, so I’m always stuck doing opinion pieces, and writing opinion pieces can be scary. Although the e-zine’s no TIME Magazine, it still has a steady readership which respects what its writers have to say. In some ways, writing for the e-zine could be worse than writing for a widely circulated publication, because I know my readers. They’re my equals. Why should I be telling them how to write? Why should they listen to this mistysakura girl who hasn’t put a fic on the board since last May? …Why are you still reading this line anyway?

And then I think: I can’t be the only one thinking this way… I may be weird, but no more so than anyone else on TPM… So, if weird minds think alike, it’s a wonder we get any articles for the e-zine at all! So that’s why us mods spend our thirty-firsts filling in e-zine space! But then… why does anyone at all write for the e-zine? Why bother having an e-zine at all?

I try putting myself in the shoes of our e-zine writers, attempting to understand why these modest souls are so confident about their writing that they feel qualified to instruct others in the art of writing. Perhaps they could help me out a little.

Then I realize that it isn’t that these people feel qualified as instructors. What they are doing is the same as what everyone on the forum does every day: sharing their opinions on writing. Publication does not make their opinion high and mighty, because what ends up in publication was originally just a submission.

Vague and theoretical, eh? I’ll try to explain a bit better… Submission cuts two ways. On the one hand, have you ever heard of superiors submitting things to their subordinates? Submission means you’re sharing something, offering an idea to the world, and receiving feedback on it. A submitter isn’t supposed to be sitting on a high horse handing down gospel. So, what you’re submitting doesn’t have to be perfect, or even better than anyone else’s ideas. Lady Vulpix wrote in an article last month that if writing had to be perfect to get published, we’d have a lot fewer published works in the world. Similarly, if e-zine articles had to hold the mysterious secrets to perfect writing, you probably wouldn’t put them in the e-zine, but go off and write your own masterpiece and be rich and famous (or sell those secrets to me and get rich that way, if it suits your fancy).

E-zine articles are really just longer versions of Fanfic posts – they’re just comments on writing. And like comments, they don’t have to be perfect to help. They just have to offer a new opinion to the reader, or put an opinion in a new way, so that the reader can analyse it and come to their own conclusions. Articles are also a bit like literary theory in that there are no right answers. There have been many articles that present opposing viewpoints, but they are all valuable because they get readers thinking about those viewpoints. In fact, several times I have vehemently disagreed with e-zine authors, but I realized that it was through rebutting their arguments and getting all upset that I founded my own opinions on good writing. That’s one great thing about the e-zine: it’s not a one-way process – through submitting an article, you get to share your ideas and see what everyone else thinks on your topic of choice. Submitting isn’t about being good enough; it’s something everyone can do.

On the other hand, because articles are merely submissions by like-minded individuals, it’s important for readers to remember that they’re only opinions. I doubt anyone idolizes Fanfic Forum E-zine articles, but when I read interviews or writing guides by authors I respect, sometimes I forget that the author is only human, and only one human at that. What works for them may not work for me. Although something like ‘show, don’t tell’ may be cited as a golden rule of writing by many, if I find some benefit in my own writing from breaking a rule with reason, that rule should not bind me. Writing is meant to be a creative activity and strict universal rules on how to write go against that definition. So, just because something is published doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Published works aren’t magic; they started out life as mere submissions, lucky enough to be exhibited to the world.

As this e-zine ad break draws to an end, I would like to encourage everyone reading this (if there are any of you left by now) to submit something, if not to this e-zine, perhaps to a newspaper or an anthology. The opportunities are too many to waste, and hitting the ‘send’ button is no difficult feat. And my fellow writers might kill me for this, but as you read the rest of this e-zine, remember that each author’s opinion is of equal value to yours (the Grammar Nazi is possibly an exception). Feel free to expand on their theories, and agree or disagree with them. In particular, if you disagree, tell us why, as your reply will inspire us, too.

(P.S. My argument that every article is but an opinion is in itself but an opinion… but then… argh my head hurts…)

The Thrill of Battle
classy_cat18

Random Quote:
"You're a bloody coward who's missing his innards!" - Pesche, Bleach

It’s the first of February. To some, it’s be just another Sunday. To others, it’s time for some major FOOTBALL! WHOO! SUPER BOWL!

…Nah, I’m not a fan. I just like the ads.

To non-Americans and those who don’t follow sports, maybe this will help you with the subject of my article:

PIKACHU used Thundershock!

It’s super effective!

MUDKIP is paralyzed! It may be unable to move!

If you’re writing a Pokemon fanfiction, chances are you’ll be writing Pokemon battles that are hopefully more descriptive than the one seen above. One thing that you might strive for in creating these is realism, especially if your story has a realistic style. But reality is more intense and more dangerous than fantasy, so keep these tips in mind:

Reality hurts. A lot. If a Charizard blasts your Pikachu in real life (assuming that they exist in real life), it’s highly likely that it’ll do more than just turn into a pile of charcoal with wide eyes. It’s the same thing for most other Pokemon. If they get poisoned, it can affect them very badly and quickly. Freezing can bring about hypothermia. Their muscles can be sprained. Their bones can be broken. They can bruise, bleed, and even die. Make sure your Zangoose has some restraint before it uses that Crush Claw, unless you want to be booted out of the Pokemon League because the opponent was disemboweled.

Humans are neither invincible nor fearless. Even Ash Ketchum was scared shitless (pardon my French) sometimes in the anime. Even he got thrashed by a rebellious Pikachu and Charizard (although has miraculously survived that and a whole lot more). If you are either, then you have to be either some kind of god, or a complete psycho. Hey, that would actually be kind of kickass.

Pokemon and humans have physical limits. This is already known by those in Anime Style Battling. Pokemon undergo exhaustion, as do their trainers. Some are sturdier than others, however. And some Pokemon can run faster than others, jump higher than others, and hit harder than others. It’s the same thing for the trainers.

Try to explain some, if not all, attacks and how they work. Okay, I know it’s Pokemon and some things just defy all kinds of logic no matter how you look at it. But readers will still wonder how Dodrio can use Fly, how Rhydon can use Surf, how Night Shade looks, how something called Petal Dance can hurt anything, etc. Also, try to consider if the attack’s look and use differs from Pokemon to Pokemon. Can it be used to counter other attacks? Does the attack change according to the Pokemon’s condition?

Some things shouldn’t be attempted to explain. Maybe there’s a reason why you only see Diglett’s head. This isn’t really a tip. More like my personal opinion.

There you have it. I might have had more tips, but I had limited time to work on this. I had an even more limited attention span. So work on those battles and…*walks away with iPod*

Loveless Love
mr_pikachu

Who doesn’t love love? The butterflies in your stomach, the pounding heart at a single glance – the emotion! As one of the most important parts of any person’s life, love is one of the most common literary themes.

As you may have noticed, there aren’t very many pure romance fics on the forum these days – their presence rapidly decreased after the fall of the Shipping forum, and they’re almost unheard of now. Nonetheless, budding love is still a major aspect of many fictional works, both fanfics and original pieces. Even action pieces usually incorporate a little flirting.

If you don’t believe me, think back to the last movie you watched. Even if it had absolutely nothing to do with romance, the main male character probably drooled over some attractive stranger. It’s true that in many cases the “love” modern films portray is just an excuse to provide some pre- and post-coitus fanservice, but the prevalence of romance remains.

Love, of course, relies entirely on compatible people. In literature, this means that the characters involved must be well-defined – as all good characters should be – as well as emotionally compatible.

Right?




Well, maybe not. Consider Chobits, an anime in which the hapless Hideki Motosuwa winds up falling in love with Chii, a mysterious (and damaged) “persocom,” or android. Chii is about the simplest character you’ll ever see… after all, she’s a broken robot. Yet the entire series revolves around the growing relationship between Hideki and the girl whose entire vocabulary consists of her own name. Try explaining that one.

Now, I’m not totally naïve. There’s a certain appeal in the idea of humans and beautiful robots falling in love, I suppose. Fetishes aren’t the point of this article, though, so let’s move forward to human-human love.

Sure, a college-age guy falling in love with a malfunctioning computer is weird, but it’s just as hard to fall for a girl who punches you into the stratosphere every few hours. Such is the case with Keitaro Urashima and Naru Narusegawa in Love Hina, one of the most successful anime and manga series this decade.

Let’s be fair about this, though. Before we start, I’d like to provide a picture of our love interest, Naru:

Um… ahh… er…

…

Ahem. Yes. That’s Naru. As you can see, she has certain… charms.

It’s not hard to see how a guy could fall for someone like that. In particular, a nerd like Keitaro would probably consider it a miracle if someone like Naru even gave him the time of day. She’s got stunning looks. She’s one of the top university applicants in all of Japan. And in the course of one episode, she becomes a wildly successful pop idol. When you look at it that way, how could any man not go crazy over her?

Oh, right. The senseless beatings.

That’s the problem. Granted, in the world of Love Hina our lovely Naru could grace the cover of any magazine and look perfectly at home. No one would dispute that. A nice picture, however, does not make a relationship. I don’t care how beautiful a girl is. Attack a guy enough, and he’ll lose interest. That eighth concussion is sure to make him look past her shallow beauty.

Clearly, Naru's skull-cracking skills know no bounds, and she takes delight in slamming Keitaro to the brink of death on a frighteningly regular basis. You'd think that would be enough to keep a guy away. Yet Keitaro continues to dream about himself and Naru more and more as the beatings persist. Unless you think he’s a raving masochist, it’s hard to see him wanting a lifetime of the legendary Naru Punch. (Admittedly, he survives countless attacks that would kill any normal human, but outright masochism is still a stretch.) Furthermore, his line of thinking isn’t limited to sensuality by any means. Naru may have certain attractive attributes, yet Keitaro inexplicably finds himself drawn to, of all things, her personality.

Her personality, as far as Keitaro ever sees, equals her fist. Somebody please explain this undying love.




Perhaps, by some insane stretch of logic, Keitaro really is so shallow that he can’t help but lust for a “10” no matter how cruel she is to him. Given that he’s supposed to represent the “everyman” in anime, that’s a rather sad assessment of the male gender, but let’s run with it.

If that were the case, we could say that personality is of much lower importance to Keitaro than looks. It still matters, but not much. We could think of it as a tiebreaker. As long as there’s nobody else of comparable beauty and superior personality, it makes sense that Keitaro would gravitate toward his best choice.

But, you see, there is someone else. There are a few, in fact. Observe:

Okay. If Keitaro is supposed to fall for anyone under the new, ultra-perverted priority list we’ve given him, that someone would have to be Mutsumi Otohime.

Now, there are no pictures of Mutsumi sending Keitaro flying. She’s not one for beatings. Arguing that she’s any less attractive that Naru would be difficult, as Mutsumi supposedly has the largest bust size out of all the characters in Love Hina. Furthermore, she repeatedly earns perfect scores on her university practice entrance exams, was the first girl to ever kiss Keitaro, and flirted with him every time she saw him thereafter. Her only conceivable flaw, by the newfound set of values we’ve given Keitaro, is that she’s somewhat prone to fainting. That’s a small price to pay if his whole purpose is to ogle her.

Let’s look at everything we’ve observed. Despite being the focus of one of the most popular love stories on this side of the millennium, the pairing of Keitaro and Naru in Love Hina makes no sense whatsoever. Consider:

1. Naru’s personality is pretty much unlovable for most of the series. She treats poor Keitaro worse than a rat stuck in a meat grinder – at least she’d put the rodent out of its misery quickly.

2. It makes no sense to say that Keitaro likes the pain. He constantly begs for leniency whenever it looks as though he’s about to be attacked, after all. If he did enjoy bleeding, you’d think he’d go bug Motoko Aoyama, the girl with the sword.

3. If he’s after physical attraction, his best bet is Mutsumi Otohime, a girl who doesn’t try to kill him every 30 seconds, whose body makes even Naru green with envy, and whose “to-do list” has Keitaro at the very top.

4. In short, no matter how strange we make Keitaro to try to cast Naru in a desirable light, there is always a better choice. Whether he’s just a good guy who wants a good girl or he’s looking for brains, blood, and carnal lust, Naru falls short.




Now comes the tricky part. Why, despite every conceivable reason for Naru and Keitaro to be apart, do they wind up as a couple? If Love Hina isn’t making some point about the shallowness of males, and Naru isn’t the best match for Keitaro in any romantic sense, what could possibly explain their love?

The answer is simple. They are together because they are supposed to be together.

You see, Love Hina is built on one basic premise. No matter how much of a geeky loser a guy is, he can still get any girl he wants.

Is it too lame for Keitaro to be obsessed with purikura, a photo booth hobby that he always does alone? Nope.

What about his repeated failures to pass a simple exam? Not sad enough.

His obsession with a little girl from his distant past who he can’t actually remember but whose fleeting presence guides all the major choices of his life? Nuh-uh.

Surely, though, there’s no hope for a pervert whose constant “clumsiness” always puts him in the center of groups of nude girls, right? Well….




If Keitaro can play the field, so to speak, anyone can. If he can set his sights on a girl and win her, so can anyone who has the time to watch his exploits.

It just so happens that Keitaro’s sights, from the start, are set on Naru. They’re a poor match by any analysis. But they’re supposed to be together. We’re supposed to want that. If the girl of his dreams – illogical as those dreams may be – passes him by, it might mean that we don’t have a chance either.

At the end of the day, Keitaro and Naru are together solely because it’s what we wanted.

That’s the lesson. Maybe it shows how pitiful our sense of good romantic literature is. Maybe it’s a testament to singles’ desperation. Maybe, as writers, we need to change the trend and create couplings that actually make sense. Or maybe we should just follow in the footsteps of this critically acclaimed series and use convenient couplings as a shortcut, knowing that real love doesn’t matter in a fictional romance if you want it badly enough.

The choice is yours. Now that you’ve seen the reality of loveless love, what will you do?

[Lady Vulpix]

Nice issue!

I loved Ada's article. And she quoted me back! But that's not why I loved it. It raised many good points, plus it was deep and thoughtful, and somewhat funny too!

Brian's article was interesting, even though I've never watched that series. Judging by those descriptions, it would be possible for Keitaro to dislike women who are after him. There are people like that. But it's true that it doesn't sound like a love story at all.

Congrats on your first issue, Shonta! It came out quite well.

[mr_pikachu]

Excellent, it's done! Comment time.


MLG (and Gabi too): I told you to get your fic edited? ...My memory fails me. Odd. Anyway, I was beta reading Ghost's new fic when he was posting it, although it seems like he may have stopped now. So I might have a little time if that's what you wanted. *shrugs*

Your English isn't nearly as bad as you think, by the way. I've seen plenty of native speakers who are a lot worse. ^_^;;

Nice interview! It's always good to see others' perspectives.


Ada: I totally agree with your assessment of E-zine publishing - it's a two-way street of communication. Perhaps that's actually why people are hesitant to print their articles, though... what if their readers don't like it? What if they disagree completely, find your arguments absurd, and say so? Then again, that's part of the challenge in writing. If you can't get over your fear of rejection, you're not going to go very far.

For the record, I'm just as human as the rest of us.


Shonta: You have some interesting thoughts on battles. Most of the time we think of Pokemon as these semi-magical beings that are somehow able to resist being set ablaze. They're often treated that way in the anime, actually. Aside from Pikachu's near-death experience in the Cinnabar Gym (and an episode in which it was at risk of exploding due to electrical overload), we typically see Pokemon as virtually immortal beings that can be fixed by a night in any Pokemon Center. Maybe we should make more use of true danger and mortality in our fiction.


I'll let others comment on the New Fic Spotlight as well as my "multimedia" piece. Heh heh.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

I just finished six weeks of exams, so my writing was on halt. I started writing again now, and the new chapter should be up by the end of the week.

And it's really weird seeing an interview you did a couple of days ago.

Shonta's article/tip was really what I was thinking about when doing some minor editing on my fic, so it was perfect for some pondering.

Mr_pikachu's article on love was really strange, but it intrigued me.

I already like Chris' new fic, and agree with the mother being the most illogical thing about the fic. For the rest it's a good fic and it was a good review.

I'm quite sparse on words now, so uh.

[mistysakura]

Indeed, MLG, some native English speakers are harder to understand than you are. I like the image of 'painted words' in itself. Your English is particularly impressive seeing as it's your third language -- I could never dream of doing creative writing in Japanese. It's funny that you say "commenting on one's fic is as natural as breathing", because sometimes I'm so lazy I can't be bothered to reply, even if it really only involves typing three lines! Then again, I suspect that if I didn't have to breathe to live, I'd be too lazy to do that too

The random quote from Shonta's article amused me. The article did not amuse me, but that's a good thing, because it made me think. I really like battles which are realistic physically. It makes us relate to what the Pokemon are going through, which I think makes them better characters. It sometimes bugs me that, as you said, in the games Pokemon never seem to suffer any actual damage, just lowering of HP and fainting. I wouldn't say that it leads to animal cruelty or anything like that, but it does make you forget that these pixels you're battling are supposed to be living creatures. If you think about it, leaving Pokemon in boxes for the duration of the game or breeding them endlessly to get good EVs would be obscene in real life, but not even the most fundamental of anti-violence-in-video-games people seem to notice. ...Anyway, back to the topic... I also like it when some of the mechanics of the Pokemon world are explained. Because the games and anime have left so many blanks, there's room for writers to get creative, and I've seen some smart ideas. For example, Dragonfree's The Quest for the Legends uses stats, but explains them as numbers like IQ, which don't rigidly determine a creature's fate. Although some things do defy all explanation, hehe.

Brian's article is really interesting. I find that loveless love happens in films and stuff too... and probably also in real life. It's hard to have any explanation for why a couple got together instead of some different combination, let alone a rational one. So maybe Love Hina isn't so farfetched after all. Maybe it's books which are too logical when they present couples as made for each other. But yeah, I do have a problem when in anime, we don't get to see the thoughts of characters at all, but watch them fall in love randomly. Perhaps there's a middle way -- having some insight into characters' thoughts so we have some idea of why they've fallen in love, but not necessarily a perfect match or perfect explanation.

And re: people being afraid of their ideas being wrong or ridiculed, indeed, that must happen too... Hopefully, at TPM, not the ridiculed part. It feels a bit different posting an opinion on an e-zine rather than in a normal post, because you're investing more in that opinion, and it seems like you have more to lose if someone pulls it down. So yeah, confidence is a factor. But if an idea's developed enough to be an e-zine article, I'm sure it can't be proved wrong that easily anyway.

Oh, and I agree that Brian is as human as the rest of us, but is grammar?

[Lady Vulpix]

Grammar was created by humans.

I'm still wondering what kind of mind came up with the "not ending a sentence with a preposition" rule. It sounds like "well, the language is all good, but let's make it a little more challenging by adding an arbitrary rule so that people have to alter their sentences completely".

[Lune the Guardian]

I really liked this E-zine. It's not as light-hearted as some other ones, but all the articles give me something to think about. I have similar opinions as to what's been already said, so I'm not going to be repetitive.

As for grammar, I agree with Gabi that some of the rules seem arbitrary. I think of grammar as a guideline rather than a solid rulebook. I break the rules all the time on purpose whenever it makes sense to me. As long as your meaning gets across without hindrance, I think you can do whatever you want. People are intelligent enough to understand things (as long as they're conveyed clearly) without being bound to specific rules.

[mr_pikachu]

Good day, fellow Fanficcers!

We’re looking forward to bringing you the next issue of the Fanfiction E-zine. But since we need articles to fill each edition, here are some topic suggestions for any prospective contributors!

• Is there an event in Fanfic that you want to analyze? (The Fanfiction Hall of Fame, for instance?)
• Are there any concerns about the forum that you'd like to address?
• Any great fics that have earned some extra kudos, or maybe something that isn’t getting the attention it deserves?
• Do you want to talk about writing in general, or is there something about fanfiction in particular that people need to consider?
• Would you like to do a review of a TPM fanfic using the FFRO guidelines, or maybe an interview of a well-known Fanficcer?
• Do you think your fellow Fanficcers could learn something useful from a published novel?
• What are you going to eat for lunch?

Those are just a few of the things about which you can write. If you’ve got another theme that you think would be good for the E-zine, let us know! We're already planning another New Fic Spotlight, a stellar Interview with the Stars, and more. But we need your help to fill the issue! You make it happen, people!

Anyone here can submit an article for the E-zine. Basically, if you’re reading this message, you can write something. Just let us know what you want to write so that we can make preparations.

If you'd like to submit something for the next E-zine issue, please PM the completed article to me, mr_pikachu, by 12:01 a.m. Central Time, March 1, 2008. And if you can get it in sooner, please do. The earlier I get the articles, the quicker I can arrange them for E-zine publication.

Thank you! We look forward to seeing your articles in print! ^_^

[mr_pikachu]

The FanFiction Forum E-zine
March 2009






Words from a Pokémon
mr_pikachu

New Fic Spotlight: The Ketamine Trail by Roses are Red
mr_pikachu

To Be A Master
mistysakura

Point: Who wants a photocopied novel?
mr_pikachu

Counterpoint: Free books? I'll take 'em!
mr_pikachu






Words from a Pokémon
mr_pikachu

Yeah, we're a little behind schedule this month.

Don't give me that look. The lack of an internet connection isn't conducive to posting online, let me tell you. Besides, when your (possibly imaginary) girlfriend starts cuddling with you on the couch, you don't tell her, "Oh, I'm sorry, I need to go write an E-zine article now." Thus, we have the following equation: Delays + Delays = Delays. Times two. Or something.

Anyway, we've got several engaging articles prepared for you this month! First, the monthly "New Fic Spotlight" continues, this time with the focus on one of our newest members. Next, the epic tale of "To Be A Master" continues as our young hero learns the ultimate secret. Then, one of our resident moderators argues why we writers are happily immune to the file sharing problems that plague other entertainment media. But he faces a prompt rebuttal from another concerned Fanficcer in this month's special feature, "Point/Counterpoint."

When you're done reading, don't forget to cast your vote for the Fanfiction Hall of Fame! The chance to tell the forum who deserves our ultimate recognition only comes twice a year, so make your voice heard. Who should be our third Hall of Famer? Tell us!

By the way, my girlfriend's not imaginary. Probably.

New Fic Spotlight: The Ketamine Trail by Roses are Red
mr_pikachu

Plot (16/20 points): Overall, the plot is alright. It's an engaging story thus far, and while there haven't been too many surprises yet, it's a nice, cohesive fic that seems to making a very, very slow ascent toward something, even if we have no idea what yet. This fic could still take any number of directions, even though we're already through three chapters, so I'm excited to see how it progresses. It's begun nicely, I'll say that much.

The one noteworthy plot hole was the presence of a Mankey in chapter two, considering Iz's goal at the time and her comments about nearby Pokémon types. Considering the creature's battle abilities alone, it seems like catching it might have been a smart idea; I was surprised that the possibility wasn't at least mentioned. Still, there weren't many problems like that. This has a nice overall flow.


Plot Originality (6/10 points): If this fic is lacking in any area, this is it. The Ketamine Trail has a premise rather reminiscent of Damon's Menace. That certainly isn't a bad thing; it's actually great to be compared with dratinihaunter13's classic fic. The problem is that beyond the premise, there really hasn't been much originality at all. Maybe it will come down the line, once we hear more about the titular Ketamine Trail – I look forward to that inevitable reality – or about the mystery character at the end of chapter three. Right now, though, there just isn't much beyond the unusual hero and her vastly delayed trainer quest.


Writing Style (15/20 points): This was interesting to evaluate. On the one hand, the format employed to show our hero's progress seems quite fitting. We have the standard narration to keep us entertained as well as a few short diary entries that add a more personal feel – especially the quarrels over the bed. It's nice to have both a mixture of third-person and first-person appeals.

On the other hand, it's quite easy to get lost in some of the narration, especially the battle descriptions. The main problem with those is that some sentences contain multiple actions, so readers may have to mentally split them apart in order to decipher everything that's happening. It would be easier to understand if they had a slower pace; that would have the added benefit of making them more dramatic. Of course, it doesn't really work to give one action after another in a veritable list of sentences, either. One way or another, this was an area that could use a little improvement, as the battles almost seemed separate from the rest of the text. The style just didn't quite work there. Integrating the battle actions with another element of narration (or even dialogue) might make them richer. This improved a bit during the Gym match, but there's still room for improvement.

As it is, each installment is rather brief, like a diary entry. While that may have been the intent, particularly given the aforementioned Pokédex recordings, it's just a little too fast in the narration itself. Pacing is a difficult element to self-evaluate, yet it is crucial for the success of any literary piece.


Spelling and Grammar (9/10 points): There were minimal obvious errors here, although I did notice several misplaced modifiers. For instance, it's not clear who speaks the first line in the prologue; is it the woman or the Poochyena? Little typos, like “he” and “she” being swapped (as well as odd switches between “Geodude” and “Golem”) can also make you do a momentary double-take. Such incidents were especially problematic during intense battle scenes. This was good compared to many fics I've seen, but not quite perfect.


Characters (13/15 points): Iz has quickly become quite the novel character. Not only is her personal background intriguing – criminals in Pokémon are hardly new, but she seems different from the classic Team Rocket types – but I'm curious about her physical characteristics, too. Furthermore, her overall demeanor is rather unique for a main character (sort of like Gregory House, in a way), as are her motivations for becoming a trainer. It would have been nice to get a more detailed physical description of her sooner, but the psychological profile makes up for that.

The Pokémon themselves are quite unique for the most part, an aspect that too many fics overlook. If anything, I think Orthrus might actually be the weakest character of the lot. He seems to be little more than an able-bodied extension of Iz, really. While that's often the point of “first” Pokémon, it takes away from the cast's richness, to an extent. Most of the others are very strong and independent, but Orthrus' personality doesn't seem to add much.


Settings (11/15 points): The settings themselves are detailed. It's obvious that a fair amount of thought was put into planning the forest battlefields, the Gym, and so forth. However, this isn't always clearly explained in the text. For instance, the steel walls in the Gym weren't mentioned until the moment at which they became relevant. Ideally, these should be immediately explained so that all readers can keep them in mind throughout the text, and remember their importance during critical moments. Even those elements that don't change the course of the fic can be helpful to give a clear mental picture of what's happening.


Overall Appreciation (9/10 points): Despite a few flaws, this is certainly a worthwhile read – I don't make a habit of featuring fics that aren't worth a second look, after all.


Final Result: 79/100 = 79%


Closing Comments: I'm impressed by some of the techniques here, and the characters are engaging. It's fun. The bigger question is whether it will soon transcend lighthearted entertainment and take on a slightly more serious edge. We'll see how it goes.

This fic has a few key areas in which is could improve. Based on the end of the most recent installment, I expect that the big one is about to change; as it stands, though, we need more plot twists. Surprises can help. It would also be nice to see a little more of the physical world around our characters. It's cool to know their innermost thoughts, but it can be a little difficult to really picture the developments without clear pictures of their physical forms and the world around them.

With Pokémon fanfics in particular, it's easy to fall into the trap of neglecting such descriptions under the assumption that we already know how the characters look. Still, it's nice to have details in those descriptions as well as, more importantly, any Fakémon and other unfamiliar characters. Exciting twists cast in a clear light would really make this piece even more engaging. That's the next step that will carry it to the next level. As it is, it's certainly worth reading. Its potential goes well beyond that.

To Be A Master
mistysakura






All images courtesy of Pokemon Nightmare.






Point: Who wants a photocopied novel?
mr_pikachu

Let's face it: The phenomenon of illegal downloading has exploded in the last several years. Since the creation of platforms like Napster, Limewire, and Kazaa, as well as the explosion of torrent files across the internet, billions of songs have been downloaded with no end in sight. Worse yet, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry's annual report, Digital Music 2009, a whopping 95% of music downloads in the last year were illegal.

It's times like these that I'm glad to be a writer.

In this age of rampant copyright violations, it's nice to work with the one medium that is virtually immune to exploitation. While music and movies continue losing profits, books are happily immune.

Don't believe me? Then let's examine two key facts.



1. Books are technology-free.

Think back to the earliest days of music purchases. You may have seen a record player at some point in your life. You know, those big, clunky machines with the turntables and makeshift bullhorns. They were like gargantuan CD players – which, incidentally, followed cassette players. Since then, we've adopted iPods, Zunes, and countless other mp3 players.

Now look at movies. You've got two choices: the theater or the home. Either you watch them on a reel and a massive projector, or you get a cassette (VHS) or disc (DVD) for private viewing. The choice is yours. Just like music, though, you need technology. Whether it's an iPod or a DVD player, you have to have some sort of device to "unlock" the entertainment. Music and movies rely entirely on electronics.

Books, on the other hand, have always been separate from such devices. You open the book and read. It's as simple as that. You have to slip a VHS into a player or toss a CD into a Walkman, but a book can be enjoyed without any extra accessories.

It's the reliance on technology that makes illegal downloading perfectly natural. Whether it's a song or a film, it's nothing more than a file. The internet is just an easier, cheaper way of getting that chain of 0's and 1's. Books are more than that to us.



2. Books are an inexpensive luxury.

Consider the last CD you bought. (For some of us, it's been awhile, but try to remember.) Most music discs contain, at most, about 80 minutes of songs. That's just over an hour of enjoyment. Not very much, is it? If you're going to buy a CD, it had better be really good music.

Now, you probably spent, say, $15 or so on that CD. I'll let you do the appropriate conversion rate if necessary; if you live outside the U.S., you're probably used to it. If there are about 15 tracks on a CD, that's a dollar a song. Were each of the songs worth a dollar? Was it worth the price of a candy bar for four or five minutes of music? In some cases, maybe so. In others, maybe not.

Do you feel ripped off? Would it have been better if there was some way to just get the songs you wanted – say, by downloading them?

On the other hand, most books cost about the same amount as that CD, give or take a few dollars. If you're an exceptionally fast reader, a decent-sized novel still lasts the better part of a day. For the sake of argument, let's make the conservative estimate of six hours. That's over four times as long as the longest CD. Quite a bit more entertainment, right? If you don't need either item, it's smarter to get the one that lasts longer.

Let's say that both the CD and the book are mediocre: they're nice to enjoy once, but not really worth going through again. You could remember them well enough without having to read or listen a second time. Your “enjoyment” period lasts four times as long for the book than the CD. While you paid a dollar for four minutes of music (old jukeboxes required just five cents), you could get a whopping 24 minutes of reading for your buck.

Furthermore, it's not as though you can preview an entire CD before buying it. The shrinkwrap around those things is hard enough to tear apart even after you've made your purchase. Some music stores let you listen to a few seconds of each track, or a single song on the album. But you generally can't judge everything before forking over your money.

Are you confident enough to spend your cash if you're not sure you want the music? It may be easier to download the songs online, test each track, and then decide if you want them. Of course, at that point you already have the music. Money aside, it would be a waste of time to delete them from your hard drive and then go somewhere else to buy them back.

Books, on the other hand, are easily previewed in the bookstore. Just grab the novel of your choice, flip past the preface, and read to your heart's content. You can pore over a good book for hours with no one to disturb you before deciding if it's worth your hard-earned money. That way, you'll be confident in your purchase. There's no chance of disappointment.

To put it another way, the book is probably a worthwhile purchase, even if it's not absolutely fantastic. The CD, on the other hand, is a risk. Buying a book a day wouldn't drain your wallet, but similar spending on songs would drain your wallet in a hurry. For the compulsive shoppers among us, it's cheaper to go to a bookstore than iTunes. That's why so many music fans indulge in a little virtual shoplifting.



Thanks to the technology-free medium in which books are distributed, and the fact that they're inexpensive enough to be worth your money, people are less apt to download them from the internet just to save a few dollars. Rather than stare at a cold computer screen, it's much more fun to have the tactile sensation of crisp, new pages between your fingers.

Counterpoint: Free books? I'll take 'em!
mr_pikachu

Let's face it: The world economy is crumbling. We can ignore Zimbabwe's 516 quintillion percent interest rate, if only because few people here identify with Zimbabweans. In more relevant news, though, America's unemployment rate is nearing double digits. China's economy is grinding to a halt, while Germany is battling its own recession along with Britain, Spain, Japan, the European Union, and so forth.

Money's tight, and even cheap items demand a little penny pinching in such times. Why should books be exempt?

That's not to say that people will stop reading. We all have our hobbies, and for many, books are the most beloved pastime of all. Such avid readers will do virtually anything for a good book, whether it's skipping a few meals, taking the bus instead of driving, or even working slightly outside the law.

Still, it can't be easy to break copyright for your reading, right? Wrong. There are two primary factors that have created the growing reality of book theft.



1. Books and technology are increasingly intertwined.

For a few decades, dedicated readers with too little time to spare (as well as those not-so-dedicated readers who needed an alternative way to digest thick texts) have partaken in books on tape. In recent years, technology has demanded a switch to CD books.

Think about that for a minute. We have a rampant problem with music downloading. If the stuff of CDs can be downloaded online, why can't audiobooks be included?

Still, most of us prefer to actually look at the words while we read. There are still space-saving perks to being a technophile, though. E-books, like Amazon's Kindle 2, can hold over a thousand full-length novels on a single, lightweight device. Taking a trip? Don't pack a box of books; just carry your Kindle right onto the plane. Its screen looks like paper, it doesn't respond to glare, and in basically every other sense it's better than a real book. You can't browse Wikipedia from your copy of War and Peace. Some E-book services even allow you to download replacements if the files are somehow corrupted. Do you get a free copy of Twilight if you spill soda all over yours? I didn't think so.



2. Books aren't special.

The “specialness” of paper media is dwindling by the day. Newspapers across America are collapsing as people keep switching to faster, better means of getting their news. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer just closed after almost a century and a half of steadfast reporting. If a classic paper like that can be driven to extinction by the internet, why should books be exempt from the dangers of technology?

Those of you who are in college, think of how much your last set of textbooks cost. Many such books are more than $100 each. Why not just download your class texts rather than pay such exorbitant fees? Once you've cleared that mental hurdle, it's not hard to bend morality a little further. As novelist Brenda Coulter noted, even $4.46 is pretty expensive compared to free.



If that doesn't convince you that books are in danger of being kicked aside by the digital revolution, just remember where you are: on a fanfiction forum. On the internet. If paper and ink are no longer necessary to tell a story, then aspiring novelists are in trouble.

[Lady Vulpix]

Books are inexpensive over there? That's really good for you. Here most books are quite expensive, so it's quite common for people to resort to downloading (even preprint versions) and printing them, or photocopying them. Even university professors distribute illegal versions of the books they expect the students to read, because asking them to pay for the original would be too much.

I usually buy novels or collections of short stories, but only the ones that are not best-sellers because the latter are ridiculously costly. And sometimes when I have relatives coming from the USA I ask them to bring me some books and then give them back what they paid for them. Buying specialized reference books is definitely out of the question (I used to buy them in the past, I bought the last one in 2001, but sice then they have become way too expensive).

I liked the comic, even though I didn't get the 'slash' part. What does slash mean?

And I must applaud Brian for writing 3 articles for a single issue!

[Lune the Guardian]

Hehe, this month's episode of "To Be A Master" really made me laugh. ^_^ I love some of the expressions. Perfect. I also like how Ash never really gets it, ever

I think mr_pikachu made good points in the article about books and piracy, though I somewhat disagree with some things within both sides. They're not incorrect, but, for example, I really hate reading books digitally and that will never change. If it's not on paper, I enjoy it less. Text books I tend to not buy at all if I can help it I dislike absorbing information from a computer / electronic device screen. This doesn't mean that I have an aversion to technology (heh Computer Science major), but I really prefer books in their natural form. Listening to books on tape is the worst of the worst of the worst. I have somewhere around ten times the reading rate (perhaps more) of the people reading stuff out on tape, so it frustrates me in such a way that some people would be frustrated at someone driving at half the speed limit in the fast lane. I can't be alone in some of these feelings; I don't think that I'm unique

Oh. Also, as long as the art is attributed to its artist, I personally wouldn't view free distribution as stealing. I would be livid if people took my characters and claimed them as their own, or made some unsightly changes to them, but to me, the story is my treasure. The money that comes along with it is not as important, as long as my work is known to have been created by me when it is passed along. I'm not trying to criticize copyright laws, but I personally hold different views.

[Lady Vulpix]

Oh, Karin, you are unique, but you're not alone. I share your feelings about reading from the screen and listening to tapes. And I'm also a computer science major.

[mistysakura]

Sorry the Royalblue/Magenta didn't turn out Royalblue/Magenta; my graphics program is stuffing up. Meh. Glad you guys liked it. Slash is fiction with same-sex pairings. No, I don't have anything against slash. Really. I'd be more likely to be in the crowd battering Ash. But some people do ridicule slash, and I'm just portraying that.

Now, Brian's article. I agree with the argument that books are technology-free. I, too dislike reading off the screen and listening to tapes. But I vehemently disagree with the argument that books are a better buy than music. Maybe the prices are different in the USA, I don't know. Over here, a book and a CD cost about the same. Actually, CDs' prices get slashed a lot more often than books, so I usually end up buying CDs for around 10-15 Aussie dollars, whereas a book would set me back $20-30.

The argument that in many cases, a track isn't worth a candy bar -- that totally alienates me. I can't name a single track on my mp3 player, even the mediocre ones, for which I wouldn't fork over a candy bar. In some cases, they're worth ten, twenty candy bars to me. I really love my music. And everything on my mp3 player, which is most of what I own, has been listened to at least five times. Many tracks have probably topped the hundred mark. Even the best books I've found, I've read five times at most. Unlike books, you can play music in the background, so I spend a lot more time listening to music than I do reading books.

And the risk? Many artists put their entire albums on myspace nowadays. I get to listen to most things through before I buuy them. Even if I don't get to listen to all the tracks, yeah okay, I might get some bad tracks in there and that could be disappointing. But that goes for books as well. Something could start out promisingly and turn out to be trash. Unless you read the whole thing in the bookstore, there's no way to be sure. And once you've read the whole thing, the hassle of buying is just as great as that of buying a CD after sampling it illegally.

Basically, I feel that the "books are an inexpensive luxury compared to music" argument is based on a personal belief that books are worthwhile while music is not as worthwhile. As said before, this alienates me, and would probably alienate others as well.

...E-books don't have glare? I might look into getting one...

Mm, The Ketamine Trail looks promising. Thanks for reviewing!

[mistysakura]

Hey all,

Got a bout of writing insiration to shout to the world? Ideas for writing? Feel like engaging in a bit of back-scratching by sharing a fic you like? No fear, the Fanfiction E-zine is here! We're calling for articles for the April edition, and anyone can submit an article. There is no word limit, and articles can be about anything fanfic-related. Examples include:

~ An interview with a board member
~ A recommendation of fics to read
~ Wild or not-so-wild theories about plot, character, anything about writing...
~ Suggestions for TPM...

and I'm sure you can think of many more. Please send your articles to me by March 31, 2009. Also, if you plan on writing an article, it would be nice to post in this thread or PM me beforehand so we know how many articles we're expecting. Of course, we'll still welcome last-minute articles with open arms. Have fun!

[Lady Vulpix]

Wow, a triple issue of "To be a master"! Great!

And that's right, you can't please everyone, and reactive writing ends up making no sense more often than not.

[Houndoom_Lover]

I usually try to screw the reader as much as possible I mean, that's why I prefer to write a whole buntch before putting it up. Less ideas to prevert the orginal intention.


A wonderful interview and a nice artical..ss... all of them ^-^

[PancaKe]

I really love To Be A Master.
Have I ever told you the amount of lols i get from it?
It's plenty

[Lune the Guardian]

I love this comic so much ^_^ The amount of irony in there and how true everything rings is awesome. Poor Ash, he doesn't get it does he

I hope eevee-shayna posts more... I'm sorry that her stories didn't receive much attention due to genre. I remember UC had the same discouraging problem.

I really liked the article about the poetry readings. It's so true - just because we may be separated by distance does not mean that the community we have here is any less amazing. It's quieter than it used to be, but we still have a lot of dedicated readers and excellent writers and I like how our environment is so healthy and nurturing. Aside from the inevitable inactivity and low amount of readers, that is - but I'm very happy with the readers I've got. Their tremendous support makes up for the small amount of readers. Also, what better place to see lots of different styles and personalities come together than an internet forum, where regional boundaries do not form any distance between us?

[Gavin Luper]

Howdy ficcers!

The next issue of the Fanfiction Forum E-zine is not far away, and we're looking for experienced or inexperienced wannabe-journos to contribute!

Have you invented a new approach to writing?

Spoken with a new or revered TPM author and want to share the interview with the world?

Just need to vent your spleen about that niggling issue that always seems to crop up in every fic and never seems to get spoken about?

Or got something else you wanna throw into the community spotlight?

If so, then we want YOU! Write an article and sling it my way for publication! Absolutely anyone is welcome to submit articles to the e-zine, and there is no word limit.


What's in it for you, you ask? Well, you get the surreal thrill of seeing your (screen)name in print (sort of), plus it looks great on the CV !

If you intend to write an article, please send it to me (Gavin Luper) via PM as soon as possible for publication in early June. Let me know if you're planning an article so I have a rough idea for numbers, but we always welcome last-minute articles, too!

Cheers!

[mr_pikachu]

The Fanfiction Hall of Fame
3rd Biannual Election
Voting Phase

The Fanfiction Hall of Fame is a hallowed shrine for only the greatest members in all of Fanfiction. It serves as a reminder of everything that those who built and developed the Fanfiction forum have done throughout our history. This sacrosanct place exists for the sole purpose of honoring those who have given so much of themselves to make Fanfiction better for all of us. And it is ready to accept its newest inductee.

You, the members of Fanfiction, must decide who is most worthy of a spot in the Fanfiction Hall of Fame. The final step is to elect one of the finalists.

This is not an honor to be taken lightly. Fanfiction Hall of Fame inductees should be people who have contributed significantly to the prosperity of Fanfic, both in their writing and in additional initiatives.

~~~~~~~~~~

Voting will last two (2) weeks from the time of this post. Each member may vote for a total of one (1) other person for this award in the above poll.

Once the voting period is complete, the finalist with the most votes will be inducted into the Fanfiction Hall of Fame. In the event of a tie, the tied finalists will proceed to a runoff vote to last one (1) week.

Please do your best to ensure that the greatest Fanficcers have the opportunity to be honored in the Fanfiction Hall of Fame.

Finalists



PancaKe

PancaKe joined TPM on February 15, 2001 as Lavern, later using MistyDeeDee and Mist as aliases in turn. An eager member, she quickly made a name for herself as a talented writer and enthusiastic reader. PancaKe is responsible for over 36 literary works on TPM, such as And It Will Heal Through Time, Echoes, Stuff that is not known, Clinging, Countless, Jealousy, Bored, Maths, My Science Teacher Hates Me, Dandruff Dictator, Unwelcomed, Apart, Giving Everything, One Way Street, 24 / 7 Job, All The Same, Never Making Yourself at Home, Angst Of Times, carry the cross, Both of them, Her Job, Replaced, Too Far In, Support, November, Living in Pichu's House, Lapras Valley High, Lapras Valley High 2, Full Moon, This Fic IS Big Enough For The Both Of Us! (co-written with Last Exile), North, Say Hello To Sunshine, shedding.light, A Hidden Innocence, Apart From Them, Memories & Photographs, and numerous untitled poems. Lapras Valley High remains one of the most famous fanfics in TPM history.

Promoted to Fanfiction moderator in early 2003, PancaKe posted the Fanfic 101, which later became the revised Fanfic Rules. She founded Smiley Town, helped run the 2003 Mod Contest and started the 2004 Chain Fic. During her tenure as moderator, which ended late in October 2005, PancaKe hosted the Fanfic Awards numerous times and won a large number herself. She was also notoriously active in The Writer's Lounge where she posted numerous polls and discussions, injecting the forum with a palpable vibrancy.

Lady Vulpix

Lady Vulpix started at TPM on October 1, 2000 and currently serves as a super moderator. She has singlehandedly written 26 articles for the Fanfiction Forum E-zine, including 22 as part of her "Conversations with the Stars" column. Lady Vulpix's most well-known fics include Stay with Me, Separate Paths, Earning a name, A Peaceful Land, and Quest of Twelve, the last of which began in 2003 and continues to consistently win Fanfic Awards.

She has contributed to the forum by regularly judging the Fanfiction Writing Contests and prompting her peers with discussions on a wide variety of topics. In particular, she is well known for the question, "How to find the time to write?"

dratinihaunter13

dratinihaunter13 came to TPM on October 10, 2000, making him one of the oldest members in Fanfic. He has posted six major pieces on TPM: Marty's Pokémon Conquer the Elemental League, Damon's Menace, Checking In, Bohemian Rhapsody, My Holiday Trip, and Me Llamo Es Richard. His poems include Say It or Disappear; Teach Me to Remember; SelfHelp; Saving Friday; Meltdown; Asleep Afloat; Ominous Clouds Out; So so; I Knew; Swimmer, Young and Drowned; Baby Let's Just Lie Together; the Affair anthology; I'm a Fire Dying Down; That Whir; and numerous untitled pieces. Marty's Pokémon Conquer the Elemental League is often credited with launching the trainer fic scene at TPM, and Damon's Menace is widely regarded as one of the strongest fics on TPM.

dratinihaunter13 held the position of Fanfic moderator longer than anyone else on TPM, from the early years of Fanfic to 2007. During that time he guided many new moderators behind the scenes and oversaw countless Fanfic Awards. He also played a large role in activities such as Secret Santa and the 2003 Fanfiction Mod Contest. dratinihaunter13 continues to post his original fiction on TPM, providing an example for less experienced writers to follow.

mistysakura

mistysakura joined the forums on September 26, 2002. Following her victory in the 2003 Fanfiction Mod Contest, she cemented her reputation as one of Fanfic's friendliest members, winning the Fanfic Award by that name multiple times. mistysakura's fanfics include Supernatural Similarity, The Nature of Peace, and Glitter. She is also responsible for such poems as Untitled, The Coin Flip, Song of a Twisted Angel, Rain Eternal, Brimstone Diamonds, The Artist, Tightrope, Solitude, Cocoon, Autopsy, Conscription, Demolition at University, and twitter.

mistysakura is well-known for her helpful replies and constant activity in Fanfic. She has started multiple chain fics, run several Fanfic Awards, and helped direct the Fanfic Trivia Game, Writing Contests and Writing Sprints on the forum. mistysakura has also published nine issues and written 25 articles for the Fanfiction Forum E-zine.

Chris 2.1

Chris 2.1 originally joined TPM on November 8, 2001 as Lugia_Master2K1, later changing his name to Lugia_Master2K2, ShinyMarill, Brit Chris, and Chris 2.0. Chris is the author of 17 pieces of fiction: A Boy and His Bear; Lucky Charms; Monica's Army; Monica's Revolution; Monica's Vendetta; From Rookie to Champion; From Rookie to Champion: The Indigo Road; Catching up with Chris - From Sequel to Trilogy; Don't you think?; How long?; No Silver Lining; Take my hand, Break my heart; Dark Territory; Stains; Deadline; The Pokémon Masters League; and Show-Off.

The Pokémon Masters League was one of TPM's most popular works of fiction, garnering Chris numerous Fanfic Awards, and the Monica series remains highly respected to this day. Chris is also the original creator of the Fanfic Writing Contests, the Fanfic Summaries Thread, and the Fanfic Cast Thread in the Writers Lounge, and he has written one Fanfiction Forum E-zine article.

classy_cat18

classy_cat18 registered for the forums on October 10, 2002. She has written seven fanfics for TPM: Nintendo Vs. The World, A Doolittle of Pokemon, That's Life!, Dragon's Song, Knights to Remember, Hemisphere, and Scattered Lights. A Doolittle of Pokemon, Knights to Remember, and Scattered Lights comprise one of Fanfic's longest running series. classy_cat18 has also written two poems, an untitled piece along with Meltdown.

After winning the 2008 election to be promoted to Fanfic moderator, classy_cat18 published the February 2009 issue of the Fanfiction Forum E-zine and contributed two of her own articles. She is well known as a voice of support for her fellow Fanficcers.

(finalists ordered randomly)

[Gavin Luper]

Hi everyone - just an update on this.

An overworked mod team (including myself) combined with a severe lack of articles submitted in time made it impossible to produce an E-zine edition for May.

To compensate, we've decided to create a bumper May/June 2009 edition ready for the northern summer and have several articles in the works.

If anyone has any ideas for more articles, please post here and let us know what they are. Even if you don't have the time, or inclination, to write the article yourself, you can suggest what kinds of things you'd like to read about in the e-zine, and another member may be able to turn that idea into an article.

You guys are the lifeblood of this forum, so please support the e-zine! We're hoping to make this next issue a biggun!

Cheers!

[PancaKe]

Mine is sent!

Everyone else needs to hurry up now

[Gavin Luper]

Thanks Tara - it's a great piece.

Anyone else been bitten by the journalism bug? Let me know!

[Chris 2.1]

I'm sending in a couple of things

[PancaKe]

I'm so excited to see the new issue of the ezine. I haven't felt this pumped to write articles in AGES.

:-)

[Gavin Luper]

It's certainly shaping up to be a corker.

Keep sending in articles, peoples! I know you want to!

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

I'd like to do an article about how Finnish language studies have afftected my posting at Fanfic and vice versa.

[PancaKe]

It's June 2.
Your late

[Gavin Luper]

It's June 2.
Your late

I know - waiting for one more contributor to send me their articles, then it shall be up!

Thanks for applying the pressure though!