Fanfiction Lounge

[JX Valentine]

I was'nt saying anything about Poe or real life short stories :).

Actually, it's nearly the same thing, considering the fact that one shots are short stories. The only difference is that one's published by an experienced author, while the other is shared among a fan community. Yes, I can't exactly say that fanfiction is fiction, but it's not like we can say that one form of literature is "more valid" (which is what you imply by calling one "real life" -- just saying "published" would be a different story) than another.

That said, I'll have to ask you where you've been reading short stories, as from what I've read (and written) on other forums (PFU, for example) and LiveJournal (on places such as The Sketchbook), that really isn't the case. Of course, you may say that of the ones you've actually seen were depressing, but in the original post, you simply made the generalization that of all one-shots, many were depressing. That's a horse of a different color, and I'm afraid that's just not true.

Everyone has their own idea of what 'dark' is. To me it is when the level of angst overshadows everything else in the story.

This would be my definition of dark, and it's not dominant in a lot of shorts I've actually read, particularly on PFU and LiveJournal. FFNet can go either way, but then again, FFNet has a large number of angst-written serials (multi-chaptered fanfics) as well. I don't dare step foot in SPPf's fanfiction section, in the meantime, as many fanfics there, from what I hear, are very similar to one another anyway.

I happen to be an english lit. major :)

Um, that's good for you. So am I.

Edit:
I don't read pokemon fic (of any fanfic for that matter) for crackfic of any kind :) I like my characters in character :).

Just because it's crack doesn't mean that it can't be in character. I write some crack where it's just the situation that's utterly surreal, not the character. Likewise, I've read some fics outside of the Pokemon fandom where it takes crack out of everyday situations but has the character go through that situation exactly how he would, which is where the crack actually comes from. (Think of Kaiba of Yuugiou buying milk. Or, alternatively within the Pokemon fandom, Ash trying to figure out how to work Windows Vista.)

I also don't read it for canon character romances :P. Unless maybe it is rocketshippy, but I have'nt read a good one of those in years.

See, this is what I'm thinking is the problem is right here. You don't read a majority of what may or may not be angst-ridden (as romance can either be the angsty stuff seen on FFNet and LiveJournal or fluff seen on independent sites or... other LiveJournal communities), read the majority of what would, and come off making generalizations. My advice to you would then be to actually dig through some one-shots, rather than read a few on FFNet and think that they're all like that. A good place to start would probably be The Sketchbook, a LiveJournal community loaded with Pokemon one-shots. Shamouti Island is another example, as is the thread Line Inspiration on Bulbagarden, if you've ever looked through that. Yes, I realize there's a number of angst at those places as well, but there's a number of fluff (like Blackjack's "Christmas Quest" and Phantomness' "Haru") as well. And if you'd still like examples, I can always post some of my stuff.

My point is that rather than say many of them are that way, you should really take a good look at the genre first. There are a lot of one-shot fanfics that just aren't angsty, but you're closing your mind to the genre by reading what you think is the majority (which, really, it only is on FFNet and SPPf) and assuming that they're all like that.

I guess my main reason why I'm so passionate about this subject is because I actually write a lot of one-shots and read a number of them as well, so I find it a little offensive to hear that sort of generalization. It's like, in my opinion, saying that all Pokemorph stories are loaded with Mary Sues. Now, I can justify this by trying to argue that most of the ones I've read do, but I highly doubt that most of every Pokemorph story out there has a cast of Sues, yours possibly included.

 

[Haruka of Hoenn]

Which would you post; an introduction, or the first chapter when beginning a story?
I would go for posting an intro, because it gives the reader a quick 'overview' of what the main problem might be, and what situation the characters are in before I actually post the first chapter.

 

[Scytheteen]

Alrighty, time for a new topic.

How long do you wait in between posting chapters?

 

[Scarlet Weather]

Alrighty, time for a new topic.

How long do you wait in between posting chapters?

Until I write the next one. I post my chapters as I complete them. XD

 

[TurtleKing]

Alrighty, time for a new topic.

How long do you wait in between posting chapters?

Mostly a week. Every Friday night or Saturday morning.

 

[JX Valentine]

How long do you wait in between posting chapters?

Couple of days. Usually what happens is I take about a week at the very least to write a chapter (if I'm not busy). I let it cool for twenty-four hours, then attempt to tackle it with proofreading. This process takes an extra day, and if I'm working with a beta, it usually takes them a few hours to go over it (after spending another period of time waiting for them to receive it) and send it back to me. Usually, however, the process ends at self-proofreading, after which I do a bit of coding (if necessary) and post it.

And this is just an overly complicated way of saying "anywhere from a week to a month."

 

[Orange_Flaaffy]

I don't dare step foot in SPPf's fanfiction section, in the meantime, as many fanfics there, from what I hear, are very similar to one another anyway.

Well, everyone has their own generalizations ;).

See, this is what the problem is right here. You don't read a majority of what wouldn't be angst-ridden, read the majority of what would, and come off making generalizations.

I'm just saying that it should'nt be ether/or. There should be more than just romance fics/ fics that take the canon characters and rip them from canon in order to have something funny happen, that have happiness in them as a major theme...
I've read more than a few one shots -.-
It half makes me want to write my own happy pokemon gen-fic one shots on SPPf just to get some change in the world...

Now, I can justify this by trying to argue that most of the ones I've read do, but I highly doubt that most of every Pokemorph story out there has a cast of Sues, yours possibly included.

Most of them are loaded with sues. Not a few, but most. Mine is not, but I would not debate you to death if you said you didn't want to read mine :). It's your POV. If you wanted to not see how my pokemorph fic is different from the rest than that's okay. You might just not enjoy the idea of pokemorphs as a whole, and I'd hate to talk someone into reading something they might not enjoy :).

I've posted in Line Inspiration as well, but it is such a long time between posts most of the time it feels as if no one cares :(.

How long do you wait in between posting chapters?

I've decided to not post anymore into the whole story is done :)

 

[JX Valentine]

Well, everyone has their own generalizations ;).

While this is true, I'm also basing this off of a number of fics I've been linked to and friends' comments that plagiarism isn't exactly new. It's hearsay, yes, but I feel it's a bit less offensive than saying the one-shot world is filled with emo.

I'm just saying that it should'nt be ether/or. There should be more than just romance fics/ fics that take the canon characters and rip them from canon in order to have something funny happen, that have happiness in them as a major theme...

There are. I've posted one called "Questionable Ethics," which is not entirely crack but is, simply, a one-shot with light humor.

I've read more than a few one shots -.-

Given the fact that you've excluded some pretty large genres in your other post, I'm wondering if you've allowed yourself to sample one-shots from a number of genres and sources.

It half makes me want to write my own happy pokemon gen-fic one shots on SPPf just to get some change in the world...

Then why don't you?


So, yes. Thanks to this debate, I think I'll be posting the best of my one-shots that I haven't posted already and that aren't remotely dark. The first is already up in the form of Questionable Ethics.

 

[Orange_Flaaffy]

Good :)! Finally some happiness :D!
And many of the pokemon fic groups I see on LJ seem dead or just kept alive by one person :(. I should know, in LJs only pokemorph group I have been the only one posting anything, besides the owner. in years :P Now that is depressing :(...

 

[purple_drake]

I don't dare step foot in SPPf's fanfiction section, in the meantime, as many fanfics there, from what I hear, are very similar to one another anyway.

...Uhm, not that I want to get into this argument or anything, but you're saying Orange_Flaaffy shouldn't be making generalisations on quality/theme/genre/whatever of one-shots until she's read a broader range of them, right?

Aren't you doing the same by assuming that the SPPf fanfiction section is lesser in quality than other sites, especially since you haven't even been there to check yourself? I know you didn't outright say they were lesser in quality, but that seemed to be the implication.

There should be more than just romance fics/ fics that take the canon characters and rip them from canon in order to have something funny happen, that have happiness in them as a major theme...

Yayz, someone agrees! ^^ Not a fan of romance, here. I'm so sick and tired of seeing romance fics, in any fandom. Not that I'm assuming they're all bad, it's just not my cup of tea, and it's so prevalent everywhere that I'm sick of seeing it. Angst I do like, but I can get tired of it easily if it's too heavy, so gimme light-to-moderate stuff.

Point me towards a good action/adventure/drama thing any day... that's why I write my own. ;) The only thing is that my action/adventure stuff usually heads into chaptered-fic territory. So my one-shots may not exactly be happy (granted, I've been branching out into angst more recently), but not shippy either. Unless you count friendshippy.


Which would you post; an introduction, or the first chapter when beginning a story?

I usually go with an author's note to explain the rating, where the fic came from, prequels if there are any, and maybe some background if it's needed for the fic--like with 'Mirrorscape', since it's an analysis of how the manga/anime Lances are different, I needed to explain a bit about each to those who were only fans of one or the other.

Other than that, though, prologues depend on the story. CaC doesn't have a prologue, because HotM fills that slot fairly well. The new copy has a slight teaser--half a page--to kind of set the overtones, but it's not entirely necessary and it's too short and abstract to really be called a prologue.


How long do you wait in between posting chapters?

Depends. If they're pre-written and edited, then once a week/once a month, depending on the story. Once I catch up to where I'm at, though, I usually post them as I finish... although I do sit on a chapter for a few days just to wind down and be able to catch any minor plotholes/mistakes that I didn't see in the hype of actually getting it finished.

 

[Psychic]

I don't dare step foot in SPPf's fanfiction section, in the meantime, as many fanfics there, from what I hear, are very similar to one another anyway.

What? You're telling Flaaffy not to make generalizations, fallacies and generally not-nice assumptions, but look what you're doing! I can darn well respect the fact that you don't want to come to SPPf, a place where, might I remind you, the majority of fic-goers here are members, but to say without even LOOKING that all the fics "are very similar to one another" seems a tad hypocritical.

Like I said, I can respect you not wanting to go there, but it's unfair to make assumptions like that. It's especially unfair when you're basically insulting half the people here and in short calling them unoriginal. And by your assumption, PC as well will be filled with a bunch of fics that are all the same. Still, either way I can't really understand; why would one forum's fic section be made up of all similar stories while another would be incredibly different and diverse? It's not as if all the people of x mind will go to one place and those with y way of thinking will go to the other, especially if the two forums have the same members.




How long do you wait in between posting chapters?
Questions like this don't really apply to a girl with no chaptered fics. :P

How long will you wait in between posting chapters for your upcoming fic?
Every two or three weeks. Gives people time to reply and gives me time to write at a leisurely, non-forced pace. I can't write well if I'm not in the mood or if I'm without inspiration, and I can't get much done in a week since I'm not often in the mood/inspired to write. ^^;

~Psychic

 

[JX Valentine]

...Uhm, not that I want to get into this argument or anything, but you're saying Orange_Flaaffy shouldn't be making generalisations on quality/theme/genre/whatever of one-shots until she's read a broader range of them, right?

I admit that, yes, it sounded that way when I wrote it. A couple of years ago, I attempted to join SPPf's fanfiction community but left after encountering a combination of sheer elitism and pretty much cases of "same story, different names" when it came to serials. (One-shots, I admit I have not really looked at, but it really shouldn't matter, considering SPPf is only one community out of many others.)

My stay there was fairly brief, but I felt that a combination of that experience and what I keep hearing from/being linked to by the people who have stayed there is enough.

Edit: And to Psy, I'm not entirely sure why, but it seems to be a complaint I hear from a number of writers I speak to off SPPf. And it's really fairly logical why. SPPf is generally a more open community, from what I've seen and heard. While it's not as open as, say, FFNet, new users to the Pokemon fandom feel comfortable going there. Then, they read what's rated as the best fanfiction in that forum and attempt to emulate it, which thus produces fics that are essentially "same plot, different names."

Furthermore, while I admit I was in the wrong about that single (badly phrased) line, I said other things in that post. What about the other things I said with regards to my argument?

 

[Orange_Flaaffy]

they read what's rated as the best fanfiction in that forum and attempt to emulate it

Well, my fanfic is much older than its' posting on SPPf, it's home forum is actually PE2K :). Not all the fics posted on SPPf are 'born' there, and even if they are I don't think the 'good fics' that others copy are just copies of the ones before them :\ . I could be wrong, I don't think clones are looked upon well in SPPf in the long run anyway...

I admit I have not really looked at, it really shouldn't matter, considering SPPf is only one community out of many others.)

I feel the same way about LJ based fic groups :)..Only I have looked at many of them..I dunno, I could read all the fic there just for fics sake, but I like being in active places were I might be able to talk to someone about fics. Most LJ groups make me feel like the author just tossed a fic there and forgot about it :(. I think too deeply about fic I guess, when an idea is good I can feel the soul behind it...

 

[JX Valentine]

Well, my fanfic is much older than its' posting on SPPf, it's home forum is actually PE2K :).

That's great, but I wasn't talking about your fanfiction. I was talking about other new authors of an undefined number. Not all of them. Not even most of them (as I know that most crapfic isn't on SPPf, just as most Pokemon fic isn't). Just new authors of an undefined number.

Additionally, I didn't say that the good fics are copied from other fics. There's got to be one original for others to copy, yes?

I feel the same way about LJ based fic groups :)..

You'll have to do some digging. For Pokemon, yes, it's hard to find an active one other than The Sketchbook. For other fandoms, it's easier. If you can't find anything there, try looking for people's private writing journals through various profiles. It takes time to find good fic on LJ (partly because of some problems with LJ and fanfiction that I won't go into), but if you can find an active writing journal or a decently sized community, it's definitely worth it.

 

[Orange_Flaaffy]

You know, you're the same person who always debates with me about fic on LJ ;).
I know that I am not open minded, but it takes all sort of authors to make a world :3

 

[JX Valentine]

You know, you're the same person who always debates with me about fic on LJ ;).

What gave me away?

And I suppose you're right about the latter line (that it takes all sorts).

 

[Astinus]

Which would you post; an introduction, or the first chapter when beginning a story?
Prologue? o_O Depends on the story. Like I was debating including a prologue for my OT fanfiction since I was having trouble writing one. Then I realized that it would be rather difficult to explain an event that happened five months ago in the past, so a prologue had to be included. Now I'm all set.

How long will you wait in between posting chapters for your upcoming fic?
(Had to steal Psychic's version. xP) Two weeks, no more, no less. Since I wait to have the entire story written before posting, I won't have gaps where there is no chapter to post.

*scuttles away*

 

[Orange_Flaaffy]

What gave me away?

And I suppose you're right about the latter line (that it takes all sorts).

I dunno :P. It always seems that I say something and you are there, even if I didn't mean for it to be a debate. I know I am close minded on some things and it really does'nt trouble me, since it is just my pov and only effects what I read/write :). If I was to say everyone should have the same tastes I do then that would be wrong, and some people take it that way because I am not shy like in real life online...But I really don't mean everyone should agree with me :). Mostly it is just venting :). Can't we just vent anymore? :(

 

[Bay]

Hm...the subject over Serebii having carbon copies I won't say much. Even though the fics I read over there so far all have different plots, characters, and themes (saved for a few with the same elements), I won't say that it is true or not true. There are a lot of fics I hadn't read yet and I am not that great in comparing/contrasting two fics together. I will be fine though if some of the memebers here think about that after reading some fics there.

Which would you post; an introduction, or the first chapter when beginning a story?

Assuimg it is of prologue, I tend to do the prologue first as I like to set things up first. So far all three of my finished chaptered fics have prologues on them. XD


How long will you wait in between posting chapters for your upcoming fic?

Originally I plan to have it every two to three weeks and I thought I would be able to do that because I had finished "Nothing, Everything". However, because of my busy schedule and my original beta's busy scheudle too, the chapters managed to be posted once a month. I think once a month is good for see, seeing I am busy with schoolwork at the moment. :X

 

[JX Valentine]

It always seems that I say something and you are there, even if I didn't mean for it to be a debate.

*shrug* Probably because we share the same LJ friends and go on the same forum(s), and you seem to have a tendency to say things that can be taken as what you believe to be fact, rather than simply opinions -- or I tend to interpret them that way, given the lack of a "in my opinion" and the fact that it's usually in an open discussion (as in, either in a forum or in an LJ thread that still hasn't had its comments frozen).

What I mean to say is, yes, you can vent. However, it's always a good idea to be careful with what you say if you want to avoid a debate. That is, if you don't want to have a debate, make sure there's no way someone can interpret your opinion as fact. For example, there's a distinct difference between "they are all dark and depressing" and "the ones I have seen are dark and depressing" or "I have seen too many dark and depressing one-shots."