Nice Idea. I'm new here, relatively speaking, have to get up to speed.
Name: Solovino, also Solovino88 (on FF.net)
Age: ;033; Twenty-something.
Gender: ;033; Male.
Types Of Writing: sci-fantasy, thriller, OT (with regards to Pokémon).
Strong Areas: Plot.
Lots and lots of plot. I usually plot more than half of a story before I begin writing the actual document (I write quick-plot sentences and small snippets before). Also character development.
Type Of Characters: Following the
"grid of Alignment" I'd say
Lawful Neutral dominates my writing. Also, Chaotic Neutral, and Lawful Evil. My speciality so far is characters who
part-time as members of secret or elitist organizations. Then there are the lone or couple travellers, rejected or disowned heroes, and the ocassional happy-go-lucky vigilante.
In terms of storywise role, I enjoy more creating the supporting characters than the lead ones, which has become sort of a bumo for my writing.
Current Stories:
- “Final Fantasy VI: Scalar” is the first fic I ever published in English (and under this penname). It's basically a thriller-style story following Shadow fron Final Fantasy VI during the parts of the game we the players don't see him, as he gets closer and closer to his return to Thamasa and his only family (oh, and Armageddon by Kefka: let's never forget Kefka!). Status: in progress, being published in FF.net.
- “NCIS: Junon” is a story I don't know what was I thinking when I started writing. Basically it is a TV×videogame crossover having the NCIS cast as members of a fictional ShinRA sub-agency and trying to track Sephiroth and AVALANCHE after the former's killing spree in the Junon ferry. Status: on hiatus for an undetermined time.
- “Elusive Goals” is the first Pokémon fic I'm publishing, but not the first I wrote. Actually, it's a spinoff of my "main" OT fic that I took apart to wirte it better and get some experience as I rewrite the parent series too. The story follows a Pokémon Racer and his Rapidash as they are about to compete in the Indigo League. Then, all of a sudden, the protagonist receives a lifetime offer: an invitation to join Team Rocket as an Admin. The only requisite is that he makes to the final rounds and beats a mysterious, resurfaced Trainer who just happens to be a long-lost "kinda friend" of the protagonist. Status: in progress, being published in PokéCommunity.
Future Stories:
I have several plots in the planning, but there are some ones which I think are meritory to explain here. All of them have small snippets and plot excercises written already, but I'm focusing now on my top three stories so these listed below will be on hold for quite a while.
- "Untitled #1" (for now): The main work is the Pokémon-based parent series I mentioned above, a long story spanning ten years. The first book, which is the part I am currently rewriting, begins as a hurt/comfort type of story following three young Trainers who have just began their journey when BAM! a catasthrophe hits their homeland. The three, just like hundreds of kids, are torn inside and willing to give up their journeys, until a mysterious figure pops out and begins pulling far too many strings to up the morale of young trainers.
- "Untitled #2" (so imaginative
): another Final Fantasy story, this time based on Final Fantasy VIII and following the Cid/Edea couple.
- "Untitled #3": A PMD (Pokémon Mystery Dungeon) type of story, that is, one "without humans". Following two teams from the same town who are put against each other when a revered voice in town starts predicting (and announcing) the advent of "the Human ruler" and triggers a war.
Writing Tips: I don't think I am worthy or knowledgeable enough to give advice (that's for readers to judge
), but I can say one thing.
I write long.
Very long.
And that means I had to get picky with my writing because it's easy to fall into small pitfalls/mistakes such as changing your characters' eye colour, or having them follow impossible timetables, when you're writing very long stories and periodically being distracted from "the big picture" (
giving your BetaReader a nightmare in the process).
Soon enough after I started rechecking Untitled #1, I found that just a word processor and a thesaurus were not enough for large stories, so, as I didn't know of actual storywritting software at the time, I took the task of creating my own "story database" by combining some available (and free) software. It allows me to organize things such as timelines, plot triggers, character bios, and the actual writing and releasing schedule. All that I could do becuase I just had a new idea about how to combine certain programs I had some previous experiences with.
The bottom line is,
you have skills. Actual skills, not just "areas of expertise". And not only about writing, but (many)
others. Maybe you have a very good diction. Maybe you have excellent observation skills. Maybe you have it very easy imaginging certain kind of scenes, such as battles, homages, or citylife. Maybe you are good taking care of pets. Or you excel at debates... Lock on that skill, hone it, and try to find a way to integrate into your writing: the "combo" will expand your writing abilities, as well as your skills, in the process enhancing your curriculum, and your cultural baggage,
twofold. And your readers win too, because they enjoy a better story.
Well, I hope to post here in the forums some time soon. And chat with others. And gain experience. Maybe I'll post some of the stories here. At the time of writing this,
coincidentally, PC is down and FF.net is rejecting my login!
So... who knows?
Till soon.
