Fanfiction Lounge

Heh, I've looked through a few TV Tropes articles, but I don't (consciously) include them in my fics. :P

I have a problem--I'm writing a one shot for a contest, and it's about a mystery (in the vein of Scooby Doo) that takes place in Ecruteak. Problem is, I have the mystery, the ending, and the Pokemonized folk tale that sets up the mystery all planned, but I don't know how to start the story.

EmeraldSky said:

I have a problem--I'm writing a one shot for a contest, and it's about a mystery (in the vein of Scooby Doo) that takes place in Ecruteak. Problem is, I have the mystery, the ending, and the Pokemonized folk tale that sets up the mystery all planned, but I don't know how to start the story.

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If worst comes to worst, you could always try beginning it in medias res. Basically, it's when you start a story right in the middle of things without a proper beginning. Not only is it an easy fix for your situation, it's also a perfectly acceptable--even sophisticated--way of writing.

Good luck with the contest!

Scooby Doo? I love Scooby Doo. :)

Emerlad, yeah you can you do what icomeanon6 suggested. I know the Odyssey and also the Illad (I think) that did that. One other example is Valentine's A Midsummer Knight's Dream, where the prologue starts in the middle of the story. Another idea is this. Just write the scenes you look forward writing to and then have the beginning build up from there. That way, you have something written already and also you have an idea how you want the story to start. You don't have to write at the very beginning. I actually have done that with some scenes from NE.

Good luck with the contest and really looking forward to reading your entry (I'm one of the judges, by the way). Seriously, the premise for your story sounds very cool. :)

wooo 2 days off, will be able to get moving on writing X_x

and cause I asked:

What/where was the strangest place/thing you've written on when you thought of an idea that you could not lose?

Feign said:

What/where was the strangest place/thing you've written on when you thought of an idea that you could not lose?

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I've written on textbooks, my hand, my arm, on the wall, the ceiling. I wrote in bakeries, the back of a tractor trailer, on a cash register, in a grocery carriage, in the car, at a concert.

I dunno. I write where I write when I need to write with whatever.

icomeanon6 said:

Tell me you're not talking about Bean. I would be greatly disturbed if you made Bean pregnant. O_O

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Andrew "Ender" Wiggin.

That's right. He's pregnant.

What/where was the strangest place/thing you've written on when you thought of an idea that you could not lose?
Last year I had written some ideas for NE on my Marcoeconomics study guide. XD

What/where was the strangest place/thing you've written on when you thought of an idea that you could not lose?
Toilet paper. Need I say more?

Oh god, I miss one two pages and someone else links to TV Tropes.

Which is a good thing. To a point.

Bay said:

Armageddon? Haha, I still stay for the explosions and action, Michael Bay style. And oh, animal crackers too.

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Heck, a friend of mine says that what this world really needs is... a Michael Bay version of The Bible. He says, "just imagine it: each and every one of the 10 Plagues of Egypt making Egypt explode 10 times!".

His words, not mine. Although, after thinking about how Transformers is being degraded (my opinion), I support him.



Do you do TV Tropes-crawls, in which you browse articles on TV Tropes for hours on end? If so, do tropes appear in your fanfics (consciously or not)? And if so, share with us a few memorable ones.

Oh god. Where to begin? TVTropes is one of these pages I have started to visit regularly. It's faved. It's my fourth search engine in Opera (I type "tvt Recursive Canon" and there I go). The comic in the link above essentially describes my weekends.

Maybe I should leave the site for a time. Who am I trying to fool?

There are several tropes that appear in my works I try not to include them, but if I see that a particular characterization trope may become too obvious, I try and do an UnReveal or something of the sort to compensate.

Memorable ones? I'm not that great, but I can share some things. (warning, long spoiler)


Now this particular selection is about things thatt I intend to publish in the future, so there's not much description, but still, it's spoilered, you choose your fate.



What/where was the strangest place/thing you've written on when you thought of an idea that you could not lose?

In the back of a i]Robotech[/i] poster. The situation was dire, what was I to do? Write in the head of Ma (we were in the car)?

Still I fall short on this guys. Toilet paper?????? LOL's

Also I want to make a topic. I'll come up with something later.

G'night.

What/where was the strangest place/thing you've written on when you thought of an idea that you could not lose?
Like Sparking Dragon, toilet paper XD

When you're writing and releasing a fanfic/story, do you usually post your current finished chapter and then start writing, or wait a couple days before the release to start writing the next?
Well, I used to post then write, but now I'm waiting a couple days to release chapter 3 to start writing chapter four. I feel doing that has a better flow.

This... Is... SPARTA!!!:

Quote:
"Look, land-dweller," I warned, "I've decided to take the sunlight here. If you attack me you're looking for trouble."

"This... is... MY ISLAND!" shouted the creature, moving slightly to one side and pointing with his other branch to one of these things called posts that was near the shore, but still leaning enough close enough that its big, furry face dominated my field of vision. "See? It says Vigoroth! Not 'lump-thing'!"
(thanks to Sparkling Dragon... for making me notice ;) )

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I remember that one! I thought you did it on purpose! ^_^

What/where was the strangest place/thing you've written on when you thought of an idea that you could not lose?
In a test. We had a creative writing test in English, and I had a (hopefully) brilliant idea for a scene that was pokémon-less in my fic. So, that's what I wrote for the test.

We'll see how good the teacher thinks it is next term. :P

Reminds me of the time we were doing travel writing in English. I wrote a piece on one of the cities in my fanfic and handed it in, minus the Pokemon. I got full marks! =D

What/where was the strangest place/thing you've written on when you thought of an idea that you could not lose?
Wow, tough one...
I'd have to say...my socks. With a sharpie. It turned black in the washing machine and now I wear spotted socks to school.

When you're writing and releasing a fanfic/story, do you usually post your current finished chapter and then start writing, or wait a couple days before the release to start writing the next?
Wait a couple days of course. It gets tiring you know....
New question!
Are you paranoid with your writing?(i.e. don't like other people to know what you're writing until you're done or forever) If so, have you ever written in a cryptic code or any variation thereof?
Like 'prt gt kld cz ukn crcstnce'(basically translates to protagonists gets killed because of unknown circumstance).
I did something like this before to avoid my ideas from being stolen by ------....

Well, I don't like to reveal future plot details, but I don't encrypt my planning documents/notes with any kind of code.

I'd answer my own question, but I'm still working on it. It doesn't help that xkcd is right about how it's crack for your computer.

Also, to EmeraldSky, would it help to use the basic template of Scooby Doo episodes, where the monster first appears in one shot, and then it cuts to the good guys arriving on the scene, only to find terrified people who are more than willing to talk about the monster they've supposedly seen? Still in medias res a little, but a scene like that (where the monster pops up to say hi first) might entice the reader to go on. At least, that sort of thing works for Scooby Doo.

That said...

What/where was the strangest place/thing you've written on when you thought of an idea that you could not lose?

To the best of my recollection, receipts at work. Usually, I bring paper, though.

Other than that, if anyone's wondering, you can't actually write on tissues with a pen.

When you're writing and releasing a fanfic/story, do you usually post your current finished chapter and then start writing, or wait a couple days before the release to start writing the next?

I usually do the former, which is actually part of my problem. It means I don't have any material whatsoever (usually, at least, unless I'm really into the arc I'm working on), so my readers end up waiting for awhile for a new chapter.

Are you paranoid with your writing?(i.e. don't like other people to know what you're writing until you're done or forever) If so, have you ever written in a cryptic code or any variation thereof?

I'm not paranoid exactly, but I do acknowledge the fact that the more I tell someone about what I'm writing before it's actually posted, the more likely it's going to end up completely changed or unfinished. (As in, if I told you what I was writing for a chapter, chances are, I'm not going to end up writing that. If I told you what I was writing for a short story, chances are, it'll be unfinished. Which is kinda bad because I told Dani/Gizamimi Pichu about what I'm writing for 7Day7K. Oops.)

I'd answer my own question, but I'm still working on it. It doesn't help that xkcd is right about how it's crack for your computer.

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Ah, you too have discovered that trap. (That and tvtropes, but most people know that place). Speaking of which...

Do you do TV Tropes-crawls, in which you browse articles on TV Tropes for hours on end? If so, do tropes appear in your fanfics (consciously or not)? And if so, share with us a few memorable ones.

Yes, although I try to avoid it more often than not unless I know that I have spare hours up my sleeve and am too darn lazy to do something else with that time. XD It's been a bit of a while. I'd tell you which tropes may appear in my fic (from memory I have at least a subversion of the 'But Thou Must!' one, and others as well, I'm sure), but yet again, I do not wish to lose myself there. =P Some I probably do subconsciously, and some consciously (as in, I deliberately make that event happen, but not with TVTropes in mind).

What/where was the strangest place/thing you've written on when you thought of an idea that you could not lose?

A bunch of business cards. I had various flashes of inspiration and they were the best I had. =/

When you're writing and releasing a fanfic/story, do you usually post your current finished chapter and then start writing, or wait a couple days before the release to start writing the next?

The former - I focus on editing the heck out of my chapter when it's done with being written after a bit of a break, and once that's done I go and post away. I'm impatient, I guess.

Are you paranoid with your writing?(i.e. don't like other people to know what you're writing until you're done or forever) If so, have you ever written in a cryptic code or any variation thereof?

Interesting question. It varies, really, for me - some stuff I'm darn secretive about and don't tell anyone, usually because I want it to be a surprise or something like that...or I don't think anyone will find it interesting. Some things however I'll tell people, and whom that is tends to vary. Usually they're friends from school, or people who bug me to actually write something or offer an explanation for me to use or ask a question (usually then it's a detail or two that I reveal), and sometimes I discuss the idea to varying degrees. (For instance, today I had a good talk with Astinus who provided a few ideas of pure awesome (cheers once again =D) for a one-shot I've recently thought about bringing back from the grave due to stalkers).

...No, not real-life stalkers...

I have problem on my hands--I'm writing a mystery one shot set in Ecruteak City, and I'm not sure where to start--I have the mystery itself and the folk tale that sets it up planned, but I'm not sure how to start it.

I have problem on my hands--I'm writing a mystery one shot set in Ecruteak City, and I'm not sure where to start--I have the mystery itself and the folk tale that sets it up planned, but I'm not sure how to start it.

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Don't you read the replies? Icomeanon6 and Val both commented on it. You don't have to repeat yourself. If not, try the actual Writer's Lounge so you can garner a wider scope of people who are willing to help you on this problem. You only have to post once. Why did you try the FFL, it's the place where sanity comes and goes depending on the mood.

If worst comes to worst, you could always try beginning it in medias res. Basically, it's when you start a story right in the middle of things without a proper beginning. Not only is it an easy fix for your situation, it's also a perfectly acceptable--even sophisticated--way of writing.

Click to expand...

Also, to EmeraldSky, would it help to use the basic template of Scooby Doo episodes, where the monster first appears in one shot, and then it cuts to the good guys arriving on the scene, only to find terrified people who are more than willing to talk about the monster they've supposedly seen? Still in medias res a little, but a scene like that (where the monster pops up to say hi first) might entice the reader to go on. At least, that sort of thing works for Scooby Doo.

Click to expand...

Neo Groudon, I answered her question too. ^^;

Emerlad, yeah you can you do what icomeanon6 suggested. I know the Odyssey and also the Illad (I think) that did that. One other example is Valentine's A Midsummer Knight's Dream, where the prologue starts in the middle of the story. Another idea is this. Just write the scenes you look forward writing to and then have the beginning build up from there. That way, you have something written already and also you have an idea how you want the story to start. You don't have to write at the very beginning. I actually have done that with some scenes from NE.

Good luck with the contest and really looking forward to reading your entry (I'm one of the judges, by the way). Seriously, the premise for your story sounds very cool.

Click to expand...

Anyways Emerald, go back to the posts (icomeanon6, mine, and Valentine's), and then you'll see we have already answered your question. Again, good luck with the contest!


When you're writing and releasing a fanfic/story, do you usually post your current finished chapter and then start writing, or wait a couple days before the release to start writing the next?
I have finished NE before I went about posting, but what happens is I would actually edit/revise a couple chapters first before I go posting the next chapter. However, after I suddenly got busy, I posted the next chapter and then go and edit/revise the next chapter.


Are you paranoid with your writing?(i.e. don't like other people to know what you're writing until you're done or forever) If so, have you ever written in a cryptic code or any variation thereof?
Nah, I'm not paronid. I would let my friends know what I have plan. Sometimes I even ask my friends if this idea is good enough and a few scenes that I need help on so that I can make the story the best it can be. :)