Fanfiction Lounge

[Bay Alexison]

If something happens IRL to make you stop writing, how do you get back into it?

There was actually one time a couple years ago I was having nervous breakdowns due to being stressed out on school, which delayed NE for a little bit. After going to counseling for a little bit, I've been trying ways to relax myself, and one is reading books and fanfics. Eventually those gave me inspiration to write NE again. XD

Sorry that your dog has to be put down. *hugs* Hopefully you'll be able to write that buildup towards the end after you feel better.

EDIT: SHOOT, ALMOST FORGOT!

Hi, TurtleKing! Been a while. As for me, I'm doing fine. Finished NE, hehe. :D

[txteclipse]

If something happens IRL to make you stop writing, how do you get back into it?

I wrote the first eighteen chapters or so of the E.C. in this surreal state of being that I can't describe very well. It was like being enlightened, depressed, joyous, indifferent, and overly-interested in everything all at the same time. Then we had the 2007 wildfires and my life kind of went crazy for a while, and the feeling went away, never to return.

Now writing every chapter is like pulling teeth, and unfortunately, I don't have any methods to get back into the mood, so to speak. If I can find music that gets me back into that state, it helps once in a while, but there's no solid solution that gets me to write.

And sorry about your dog, Ozy. I lost my first one a few years ago and it was a really tough goodbye.

[Astinus]

I love you all.

...

No, I'm not dying.

txteclipse stole my answer, by the way. I'm in the same boat he is (PIRATES!) when it comes to writing. (I think I also experienced that trippy feeling he had.) I haven't really come up with any solution that makes me feel that I should be writing.

I just really poke away. This past week has just been torture because of work.

If you need me, I'll be in the new HG/SS section.

[txteclipse]

Originally Posted by Astinus

I love you all.

...

No, I'm not dying.

Originally Posted by Astinus

If you need me, I'll be in the new HG/SS section.

Quote two explains quote one, perhaps? And same here. Referring to the second quote, mind you. Not that I don't love you guys, just not that...well no, there was the whipped cream incident...

I'm going now.

[Astinus]

there was the whipped cream incident...

I thought we swore to never speak of that again. :[

THE MEMORIES! :O

[.Ozymandias]

Whipped cream? I think you have to share now

Welcome back Turtle King!

*goes to haunt the HG/SS forums*

[bobandbill]

Welcome back, people who were here before, and msotly got name changes and maybe a sun-tan.

Ah, that whipped cream business...

GS remakes have currently taken over my life now, kthnxbye.

[Dragonfree]

Ahhh people recommending me. @-@ Don't listen to them! My main fic involves a kid who has a Dratini, an Eevee and a Gyarados within the first ten chapters and is then sent on a quest to save the world by capturing all the legendaries by a Mewtwo that can kill with its eyes and an Articuno/Zapdos/Moltres hybrid. Oh, and there's a Gym leader who trains legendary clones. Does that sound good to you?

Okay, I haven't been here for a while (or rather, I've been in the middle of writing a reply several times, but then I'm always at my boyfriend's place, and when I go back there he's closed the window and the post is gone). Let's see if I can't reply to some topics.

When you write something for the first time (slash, action, romance etc), how do you go about doing it? Do you spend a lot of time researching the subject, how other writers handle it, or do you just dive right in and give it a go?
Just dive in, pretty much. Of course, I haven't precisely done a lot of expanding my field since I started writing fanfiction. Recently I've been attempting to start two Phoenix Wright fanfics, but it feels really strange to me to write about canon characters since I've really never done that before (closest is writing about future-Ash, but he's changed so it feels more like writing an original character). I'd rather not try to be too influenced by how others write the characters, though. :/

In my first attempt at writing actual romance in the first half of The Fall of a Leader, I pretty much just tried to get it over with, since I didn't plan to do a lot more of it. Now I'm sort of attempting shipping (in one of the Phoenix Wright fics), which I never thought I would, and hopefully that turns out better, but the last place I'd look for inspiration for romance would be other fanfiction.

I highly doubt I will ever in my life write slash, but if I ever do, my research will consist of staying as far away from other slash fanfiction as possible. I don't think I have ever in my life read a slash fic that felt more than very remotely in-character. Or okay, one, but all that one did was take a canon epic!friendship and make one of the characters bi. That was perfectly in character. Except for the part where that one character was bi.

...yeah. I have no slashgoggles.

If your fanfiction would become a series or movie, would you change something?
I'd basically make all the changes that are going to be in the IALCOTN to make things more sensible - replacing Molzapart with Mementity, taking out Rainteicune, making Rick officially train Pokémon that evolve by evolution stones, making Mark get Dratini thanks to May's inside information about breeding projects, etc.

What do you hate most in fan-fictions?
Well.

1. Romance involving children. Prepubescent kids should be interested in all the exciting Pokémon battling they could be doing, not in kissing the token opposite sex traveling partner. You could say it's a squick.
2. Like Jax, it irritates me further when romance always automatically happens between the male and female leads. It's just so predictable and typical.
3. The whole love-hate relationship cliché. Look, you people: when two individuals are crushing on one another or in a romantic relationship, they generally do not show this by arguing and fighting constantly and pronouncing their hatred for one another every five minutes! I don't know about you, but I've actually had crushes on people, and that notably dulls my ability to be annoyed at them or disagree with them; in fact, my brain will be desperately making up justifications for everything they do that I don't like. And in established relationships, there is likely to be good-natured bickering exactly because they know they can voice their disagreement on things without ending up in a real argument, but that is a very, very different thing from actual arguing and fighting, when real, strong emotions and anger come into play. A real fight with somebody you love feels like crap. If you're in a relationship with somebody who regularly drives you to shouting and screaming, it's a bad relationship that should be broken up. It's not cute couple behavior to put in your fanfic to make the relationship between your prepubescent male and female leads more 'realistic'. Good fights between romantic partners can be very emotional and intense moments, but they both need to be about something that really warrants it and they should show their mark on the relationship - it can take days for the damage from a serious argument to heal even if they don't break up altogether.
4. What's with all trainer fics featuring the rash but compassionate main character, the opposite-gender love interest the main character constantly argues with, and the usually older male character who explains things to the other two?
5. To finally move completely away from romance, stupid villains. I'm not necessarily asking for anything profound, but if you want there to be any tension in the story, you have to make the villains competent enough to pose a serious threat. At least make them read the Evil Overlord List.
6. Pokémon with no personalities or ones whose entire characterization could be summed up in one phrase: "likes ice cream", "really hyper".

If something happens IRL to make you stop writing, how do you get back into it?
I wouldn't really know, since it's never happened to me - not that I remember, anyway. :/

Gasp! Plot bunnies are on the attack, but you've got a brainchild to save! How do you keep from wandering off onto those other stories and leaving a poor abandoned fanfiction neglected and in the cold?
I juggle fics, but I think I'm physically incapable of completely neglecting The Quest for the Legends; I love it too much. Generally it's the plotbunnies that end up in something that just fades away. My passion for things is in direct proportion to how much time I've spent on them already; once I've written more than three or four chapters of something, I automatically care enough to keep going no matter what might distract me.

[Bay Alexison]

Dragonfree, totally agree on #3 and #4. Besides the typical main female and male character falling in love at the end, all the time the two characters would argue at one another all the time but then realize they are actually in love with one another. Also, there always seem to be three people traveling one another and in that formula.

Well, those didn't tick me as much as people always wanting an epic ending, though. XD

[Buoysel]

Wow, its been a while since I've posted in here. Anyways, has anyone else noticed that the PFF&P lounge has been compromised but the outside world?

[txteclipse]

Originally Posted by Buoysel

Wow, its been a while since I've posted in here. Anyways, has anyone else noticed that the PFF&P lounge has been compromised but the outside world?

You mean normal people are actually seeing what goes on in here? Lord save us all.

[Blue Screen of Death]

Originally Posted by txteclipse

You mean normal people are actually seeing what goes on in here? Lord save us all.

There is no way anybody would be normal after having seen the things in here.

What do you hate most in fan-fictions?

Mostly people who are told multiple times about simple mistakes, yet do nothing to correct them when they write anything else.

That and people messing with the formatting.

If something happens IRL to make you stop writing, how do you get back into it?

I don't really. I mostly only manage to write by forcing myself to, but after a little bit of that I mostly write easier.


It sure has been a while since I last posted here. School can occupy someones time quite well when it wants to.

How do you decide on titles for your stories?

I don't really know. Seriously, I just put something there that makes sense to me. I usually come up with a good replacement after a while though.

I'm glad to be back! Yay!

[Astinus]

I'm normal. I'm not quite sure about the rest of you. I, however, am the most normal person here. ^_^

...

I would say something that would prove that statement wrong, but I have a headache.

[txteclipse]

How do you decide on titles for your stories?

So far they seem to center on important objects in the story. I have a few unfinished/posted one-shots that have titles centered around important events, names of characters, and general themes as well.

[Astinus]

How do you decide on titles for your stories?
Wait for something that sounds good to fall into my lap. Seriously.

I just keep my ears open for phrases, or think of words that'll work and fit the plot of the fic.

If I'm writing a one-shot based on a prompt, then the prompt is the title.

[Bay Alexison]

How do you decide on titles for your stories?
Like Astinus, mostly if something sounds good to the story. I would get inspiration for titles from phrases, my friends, shows, movies, etc.

And ditto on when Blue Screen of Death said how no one will be normal after visiting the Fanfic Lounge. XD

[Lash]

Hooray, I am in a posting mood, at least with this thread.

How do you decide on titles for your stories?
Like Astinus, I keep my ears open. Though I don't have a lot involving fanfiction going on, other than a trainer fic I'm writing. Adventure though Hoenn, blah blah. I can't come up with a better title than "Jade Adventures", so, for the moment, I'll stick with that.

And now here is a question I just thought up of.

If your story is going in arcs or whatev, do you plan out how each chapter will go ahead of time or go with the flow?
Like I said, I'm writing a trainer fic, but I'm adding stuff to it, and it's obviously going in Manga-like arcs.

edit: lol, I edited the question because it sounded a little dumb XD;

[Spearow]

I don't really post or review much fanfiction, but...

What do you hate most in fan-fictions?

When the author falls in love with a certain character and spends endless amounts of time focusing on them in their fics and detailing their innermost thoughts in those little interview-meme things, yet fails to give their audience a reason to sympathize with or be interested in the character at all. The character can be original or not, it doesn't matter. What matters is that I am bored to death reading their long, self-searching monologues stuffed in the middle of an otherwise entertaining story. I could care less that you have their favorite color/ideal mate/theme song/favorite vacation spot all planned out, and that you can answer any stock survey question thrown at you concerning that specific character. Give me something real about them, something I can hold onto and understand as a human being. Show me who they are by writing about what they do, how they react to certain characters or situations - real circumstances, not plotlines molded to fit them. If you really love the character and feel you know them well, that's a great thing. But I need you to make me love them as well.

I guess this sounds like I'm talking about Mary-Sues/self inserts, and I'll allow that the above is a symptom of Sues. Really, though, this can apply to any character, even ones lacking distinctly Suelike qualities. I guess it can even apply to plotlines, settings, and other elements of the story as well - even the story itself in its entirety. In fiction, or any sort of writing that you publish or make public, you have to try and take the reader with you. Otherwise you're wasting your time.

[Astinus]

Oh poop. And here I am writing/posting fanfiction I like writing. :(

If your story is going in arcs or whatev, do you plan out how each chapter will go ahead of time or go with the flow?
Go with the flow. It's why I all of a sudden, in the chapter I was writing last night, had a random fisherman pop out of nowhere to challenge one of my characters.

The only thing I have planned far in advance in the ending. I like to know where my characters end up, and I plop them down at the beginning of the story and see where they go from there. Most of the time, they wind up at the end, though I have to prod them with a cattle prod to get them to move. The rest of the time, my muse wakes me up just as I'm about to fall asleep with a new ending for the story, so I have to figure out which ending works better.

[Bay Alexison]

Originally Posted by Astinus

The only thing I have planned far in advance in the ending. I like to know where my characters end up, and I plop them down at the beginning of the story and see where they go from there. Most of the time, they wind up at the end, though I have to prod them with a cattle prod to get them to move. The rest of the time, my muse wakes me up just as I'm about to fall asleep with a new ending for the story, so I have to figure out which ending works better.

Heh, that happens to me all the time. I would always think of a better ending. XD

If your story is going in arcs or whatev, do you plan out how each chapter will go ahead of time or go with the flow?
I mostly go with the flow. I would have an idea of what's going to happening in the arcs, but for the most part the build up would just come to me.

[txteclipse]

'Kay guys, I have a dilemma (!spoiler alert!). In the Eon Chronicles, the Evil Overlord™ is after the titular books in which is recorded all known information on the Latian race (Latians being Latios and Latias). Anyone who has all of said books gains access to all of the secrets of the Latians and therefore gains the ability to control them.

Now obviously, the Latias and Latios that the story centers on are journeying with their companions in order to recover the Chronicles before the Evil Overlord™ does. Along the way, they meet this guy who basically says "hey! If the Evil Overlord™ ends up getting the books before you, gains control of you, and turns you into evil killing machines/dark minions/living rave parties, that would be really bad! So why don't I just kill you right now and rob him/her/it of any possible chance of doing so?"

And my characters' reply? "...You know, you have a point there."

So I need some reason for these dragons to exist despite the fact that they may ultimately end up destroying the planet/killing a lot of people/becoming the new hit sensation. What kind of quality would make them worth keeping around?

[Buoysel]

Originally Posted by txteclipse

'Kay guys, I have a dilemma (!spoiler alert!). In the Eon Chronicles, the Evil Overlord™ is after the titular books in which is recorded all known information on the Latian race (Latians being Latios and Latias). Anyone who has all of said books gains access to all of the secrets of the Latians and therefore gains the ability to control them.

Now obviously, the Latias and Latios that the story centers on are journeying with their companions in order to recover the Chronicles before the Evil Overlord™ does. Along the way, they meet this guy who basically says "hey! If the Evil Overlord™ ends up getting the books before you, gains control of you, and turns you into evil killing machines/dark minions/living rave parties, that would be really bad! So why don't I just kill you right now and rob him/her/it of any possible chance of doing so?"

And my characters' reply? "...You know, you have a point there."

So I need some reason for these dragons to exist despite the fact that they may ultimately end up destroying the planet/killing a lot of people/becoming the new hit sensation. What kind of quality would make them worth keeping around?

I'm just going to add my opinion here:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wont the elite guy just take control of the next generation of Latis? Or are they the last of their kind?

If that's the case (last of kind) then quote some famous guy.

[Spearow]

Originally Posted by Astinus

Oh poop. And here I am writing/posting fanfiction I like writing. :(

But you're posting it on a public internet forum, which implies that you would like other people to read and enjoy it, correct?

[txteclipse]

Originally Posted by Buoysel

I'm just going to add my opinion here:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wont the elite guy just take control of the next generation of Latis? Or are they the last of their kind?

If that's the case (last of kind) then quote some famous guy.

Hypothetically, if these Latis were killed, there wouldn't be any future generations.

And presumably these two Latis are the last of their kind, but would that justify endangering the world for their sake?

[solovino]

Originally Posted by txteclipse

And presumably these two Latis are the last of their kind, but would that justify endangering the world for their sake?

It depends. Do they grant the world balance, as other Legendaries do? And do they do that by existing in the first place?

After all, what's worse? the possibility of the world may, somehow, under some specific circumatsnces, go All Zombies, or the certainty that it will?