Fanfiction Resources
Feb. 12th, 2004 03:44 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
azuriteSo, while considering Fanfiction column writing and all its possibilities, I have decided to compile a list of Fanfiction resources. Resources can be anything from tips, guides, dictionaries, information sites... This might be an ongoing project, or heck, this might turn into my column! Regardless, here we go.
Issue 1.0
FANFICTION RESOURCES
There exist, quite to contrary belief, many resources on the Internet which will help both budding and veteran fanfiction writers, regardless of their fandom of choice. I have selected a few of these for this, the first issue of FFR, and linked to them.
Focus 001: Columns, Essays, and More
The Fanfic Symposium - A collection of columns, revolving around the many aspects of Fanfiction. Just by perusing their recent 10 list, they have writers touching on Slash, Effiminate Male Characters, Subtext, and Truth.
Turkey City - A lengthy essay focusing primarily on trips and things to avoid in SF (Sci-Fi) Fanfiction. But a lot of it holds true for all of fanfiction. For example, have you ever read a fic where a "rabbit was called a smeerp?" Probably not, but it's the same thing as when someone describes something ordinary and everyday and tries to pass it off as something exotic and alien. Read more about fanfic "syndromes" here.
The Anarchist's Cookbook - Admittedly, these aren't fic related columns or essays, but the Anarchist's cookbook, unbelievably, is an EXCELLENT resource for fics. If you have a bad guy, or good guys doing bad things... anything! even making dynamite, it's all here. I'm using it a lot myself-- but just for the fic information! :)
The Amazoness Quartet - I wouldn't be much of a fic writer if I neglected to mention the AQ. They've been around for years, and they've been immensely helpful to all number of writers and webpage maintainers, such as myself. This group of four intrepid young ladies helps anyone in the Sailormoon fandom conquer their problems-- plus they present a lot of resources for everyone else interested in the biz!
What Makes a Good Fanfic? - Simple enough question, but certainly not a simple answer. Digi-Chan of Anipike tries to answer this question. Does she succeed in convincing you of what makes the good fic cut-- and what doesn't? [A continuing article]
The Fanfiction Fandom - Fanfiction can be considered a fandom of its own, you know. We have writers, readers, editors... something for everyone, right? Ebony Lay wonders whether all fanfiction writers can be stuffed into a box, and what readers can do to help readers out.
The Fic Bitch - Have you ever heard of The Fic Bitch? You should have. She's got the name for a reason. She criticizes Sailormoon fics without regard to how YOU feel as an author. Why? Because it's the perspective of many readers out there-- and how many of them would like to see amateurs dropped off the face of the fic planet. If you thought YOUR flamers were bad, face the facts-- they get worse. But, peruse her page and avoid the pitfalls-- and you MIGHT just curry some favor. I'd especially recommend her "Summary" section (Amusing Snippets section), where she picks apart BAD FFnet summaries. How *do* you describe a good fic in two sentences or less?
Sarevock of The Fanfic Yakuza covers some very well-thought out
The Ten Commandments of Fanfiction
NOTE: Sarevock is from the Neon Genesis Evangelion fandom, so references to Rei, Asuka, and Shinji are based on that. You should still be able to understand the commandments even without foreknowledge of the fandom.
1)Thou shalt not Pair ACC with original character.
The easiest way to piss off critics is to have a cannon character fall for your ACC.
2) Thou shalt not commit Mary Sue, Das Uber Kid, S.I., or any other character afflictions.
These are the veritable plagues of the fanfic world.
S.I. = Self-Insertion. You create a new character that is you. Problem? Almost no one ever creates an avatar that isn't too perfect.
Das Uber Kid = Any ACC that is WAY too perfect, has any unusual powers for no apparent reason, and is usually REALLY annoying.
Mary Sue = S.I. + Das Uber Kid. The worst of the worst.
3) Thou shalt spell check.
C'mon, it's not that hard to do. Take the extra 5 seconds and check your work before you post it.
4) Thou shalt not kill needlessly.
Don't knock off a character just because you don't like them, or you wanna see them suffer for some reason.
5) Thou shalt not make an ACC the center of the universe.
Diversify, dammit. When the POV follows your ACC through the whole fic, not only do people think you have an ego problem, but the story gets stale real fast.
6) Thou shalt finish the deeds thou commit to.
When you set out to write a fic, you have a commitment to finish it. Don't lose interest and walk away.
7) Thou shalt have a plan.
A lot of writers set out to do a fic before they have any idea where it's going. The result? Really long and drawn out fic that go all over the place. (i.e., Garden of Eva)
8) Thou shalt not indulge in childish fantasies.
Don't twist the universe to your own selfish whims. How often have we evafic readers seen this, "I really like Asuka (or Rei), so I'm going to write a story about a guy just like me (you wish) that shows up and she falls in love with him!" Fact is, people don't give a damn about your stupid little fantasies!
9) Thou shalt not bitch.
Chances are, you're gonna get some flames when you write. Deal with it! Don't go, "Oh boo-hoo, you're so mean! Whatever will I do!? I know, I'll sit here and bitch then block out all the e-mails of people that criticized me!"
10) Thou shalt not put thyself above the creator.
Never, and I mean NEVER, set out to 'improve' on the subject matter. Chances are, you're not as good a writer as the original creator, so however you try to improve the story will most likely fuck it up.
Bad Fanfic, No Biscuit - I linked to them before from here, and they're worth mentioning again. The wonderful people at EnglishChick.com present fanfictions-- and the lessons learned from their horrific mistakes. I don't mean THEIR mistakes, I mean YOUR mistakes. And mine. And everyone else's in the fic world. Tons of helpful essays and sections-- from grammar and beta'ing to writing SEX!
NC-17 Guide to Grammar - If you like hot gods and good grammar, click here-- you'll learn semi-colons from Ares, God of War. *grins* But hey, the NC-17 tag is there for a reason-- neither Azurite nor LiveJournal (or any random spasmodic motions of your fingers) are responsible for whether or not you click on said link, or your interpretation/reaction thereof.
Hardcore Critique - Can you seriously beat down and look at your fic with a harsh eye, analyzing every word, every sentence, every comma? If not, check this page out and at least ask yourself these questions. You might find yourself making necessary revisions.
Pre-Writing Your Story - If you ever wanted someone to hand you an outline for writing fanfiction, the same way teachers hand out outlines for writing essays, here it is! The best suggestion ever-- to pre-write your fic. I do it for all my epic fanfictions, including Brand New Day, The Crest, and What Doesn't Kill You, to name a few. Why don't you?
That's it for now. :) Hope you enjoyed.
Issue 1.0
FANFICTION RESOURCES
There exist, quite to contrary belief, many resources on the Internet which will help both budding and veteran fanfiction writers, regardless of their fandom of choice. I have selected a few of these for this, the first issue of FFR, and linked to them.
Focus 001: Columns, Essays, and More
The Fanfic Symposium - A collection of columns, revolving around the many aspects of Fanfiction. Just by perusing their recent 10 list, they have writers touching on Slash, Effiminate Male Characters, Subtext, and Truth.
Turkey City - A lengthy essay focusing primarily on trips and things to avoid in SF (Sci-Fi) Fanfiction. But a lot of it holds true for all of fanfiction. For example, have you ever read a fic where a "rabbit was called a smeerp?" Probably not, but it's the same thing as when someone describes something ordinary and everyday and tries to pass it off as something exotic and alien. Read more about fanfic "syndromes" here.
The Anarchist's Cookbook - Admittedly, these aren't fic related columns or essays, but the Anarchist's cookbook, unbelievably, is an EXCELLENT resource for fics. If you have a bad guy, or good guys doing bad things... anything! even making dynamite, it's all here. I'm using it a lot myself-- but just for the fic information! :)
The Amazoness Quartet - I wouldn't be much of a fic writer if I neglected to mention the AQ. They've been around for years, and they've been immensely helpful to all number of writers and webpage maintainers, such as myself. This group of four intrepid young ladies helps anyone in the Sailormoon fandom conquer their problems-- plus they present a lot of resources for everyone else interested in the biz!
What Makes a Good Fanfic? - Simple enough question, but certainly not a simple answer. Digi-Chan of Anipike tries to answer this question. Does she succeed in convincing you of what makes the good fic cut-- and what doesn't? [A continuing article]
The Fanfiction Fandom - Fanfiction can be considered a fandom of its own, you know. We have writers, readers, editors... something for everyone, right? Ebony Lay wonders whether all fanfiction writers can be stuffed into a box, and what readers can do to help readers out.
The Fic Bitch - Have you ever heard of The Fic Bitch? You should have. She's got the name for a reason. She criticizes Sailormoon fics without regard to how YOU feel as an author. Why? Because it's the perspective of many readers out there-- and how many of them would like to see amateurs dropped off the face of the fic planet. If you thought YOUR flamers were bad, face the facts-- they get worse. But, peruse her page and avoid the pitfalls-- and you MIGHT just curry some favor. I'd especially recommend her "Summary" section (Amusing Snippets section), where she picks apart BAD FFnet summaries. How *do* you describe a good fic in two sentences or less?
Sarevock of The Fanfic Yakuza covers some very well-thought out
The Ten Commandments of Fanfiction
NOTE: Sarevock is from the Neon Genesis Evangelion fandom, so references to Rei, Asuka, and Shinji are based on that. You should still be able to understand the commandments even without foreknowledge of the fandom.
1)Thou shalt not Pair ACC with original character.
The easiest way to piss off critics is to have a cannon character fall for your ACC.
2) Thou shalt not commit Mary Sue, Das Uber Kid, S.I., or any other character afflictions.
These are the veritable plagues of the fanfic world.
S.I. = Self-Insertion. You create a new character that is you. Problem? Almost no one ever creates an avatar that isn't too perfect.
Das Uber Kid = Any ACC that is WAY too perfect, has any unusual powers for no apparent reason, and is usually REALLY annoying.
Mary Sue = S.I. + Das Uber Kid. The worst of the worst.
3) Thou shalt spell check.
C'mon, it's not that hard to do. Take the extra 5 seconds and check your work before you post it.
4) Thou shalt not kill needlessly.
Don't knock off a character just because you don't like them, or you wanna see them suffer for some reason.
5) Thou shalt not make an ACC the center of the universe.
Diversify, dammit. When the POV follows your ACC through the whole fic, not only do people think you have an ego problem, but the story gets stale real fast.
6) Thou shalt finish the deeds thou commit to.
When you set out to write a fic, you have a commitment to finish it. Don't lose interest and walk away.
7) Thou shalt have a plan.
A lot of writers set out to do a fic before they have any idea where it's going. The result? Really long and drawn out fic that go all over the place. (i.e., Garden of Eva)
8) Thou shalt not indulge in childish fantasies.
Don't twist the universe to your own selfish whims. How often have we evafic readers seen this, "I really like Asuka (or Rei), so I'm going to write a story about a guy just like me (you wish) that shows up and she falls in love with him!" Fact is, people don't give a damn about your stupid little fantasies!
9) Thou shalt not bitch.
Chances are, you're gonna get some flames when you write. Deal with it! Don't go, "Oh boo-hoo, you're so mean! Whatever will I do!? I know, I'll sit here and bitch then block out all the e-mails of people that criticized me!"
10) Thou shalt not put thyself above the creator.
Never, and I mean NEVER, set out to 'improve' on the subject matter. Chances are, you're not as good a writer as the original creator, so however you try to improve the story will most likely fuck it up.
Bad Fanfic, No Biscuit - I linked to them before from here, and they're worth mentioning again. The wonderful people at EnglishChick.com present fanfictions-- and the lessons learned from their horrific mistakes. I don't mean THEIR mistakes, I mean YOUR mistakes. And mine. And everyone else's in the fic world. Tons of helpful essays and sections-- from grammar and beta'ing to writing SEX!
NC-17 Guide to Grammar - If you like hot gods and good grammar, click here-- you'll learn semi-colons from Ares, God of War. *grins* But hey, the NC-17 tag is there for a reason-- neither Azurite nor LiveJournal (or any random spasmodic motions of your fingers) are responsible for whether or not you click on said link, or your interpretation/reaction thereof.
Hardcore Critique - Can you seriously beat down and look at your fic with a harsh eye, analyzing every word, every sentence, every comma? If not, check this page out and at least ask yourself these questions. You might find yourself making necessary revisions.
Pre-Writing Your Story - If you ever wanted someone to hand you an outline for writing fanfiction, the same way teachers hand out outlines for writing essays, here it is! The best suggestion ever-- to pre-write your fic. I do it for all my epic fanfictions, including Brand New Day, The Crest, and What Doesn't Kill You, to name a few. Why don't you?
That's it for now. :) Hope you enjoyed.
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Brutal!
Date: 2004-02-12 10:58 pm (UTC)~M
Re: Brutal!
Date: 2004-02-13 02:07 am (UTC)By the way, ACC is the same as OC -- Author Created Character, or "Original Character." The catch being, a Mary Sue can actually be disguised as a canon character! O_O!
Re: Brutal!
Date: 2004-02-13 02:14 am (UTC)Oh! ^__^ My friend's been telling our fortunes, though with regular playing cards! I decided to look into it and I'm practicing too! Though I want to get some Tarot cards... ^___^
Re: Brutal!
Date: 2004-02-13 02:26 am (UTC)You can tell fortunes with almost anything, it's a matter of how you see into the divine. There are lots of different Tarot cards, and even Tarot programs (I found one that works really well; Wise Tarot). If you ever want more info, just ask!
Re: Brutal!
Date: 2004-02-13 08:15 pm (UTC)Re: Brutal!
Date: 2004-02-16 11:08 am (UTC)Re: Brutal!
Date: 2004-02-13 02:26 am (UTC)"Evil, evil, tempting, evil... >_" Did you end there? Just curious, because I know ff.net's been cutting of reviews that use the ">.<" thing, it happened to me a couple of times... So you liked it?
Yeah, I know I should make it longer....
Re: Brutal!
Date: 2004-02-13 02:31 am (UTC)You are EVIL EVIL EVIL!
Excellent descriptions as always; the way you describe the setting and everything really PUTS you there.
During the fight, you seriously had me cheering, "Go left, no right, left...! The jugular, go for the jugular!!" Great work, and Marik... >_< Ohhh...! *wince* I knew he was coming.
You should take a page (or eleven) from my book and write LOOOOOONG chapters. They might tide me over during the wait, you know. :P
Keep up the fantastic work... and let's report that bug to FFnet, shall we?
Re: Brutal!
Date: 2004-02-13 02:37 am (UTC)We probably should report that...hm....yeah, let's!