How You Write

[billy5772]

When you're writing a fic do you often purposely set out to express themes and life lessons? Like, do you map out what each character will have learned by the end of the fic or what growths in character that they will experience? Do you consciously employ literary devices like foreshadowing, characterization, dramatic irony, motifs, etc? I know a couple of those happen natrually, but still.

Discuss? Or let this, like, third thread of mine ever in the author's cafe fade into oblivion like the others.

Make this thread a party!

:club:

 

[Kiyohime]

I mostly write whatever twisted idea pops into my head for a one-shot, but for my first successful chaptered fanfiction, Sin, I began putting in metaphors and themes relating to Taoism (the yin-yang), the male-female balance, Christianity (Eden and Sin) and Hinduism (Shiva the Machamp...and the soon-to-appear Vishnu and Brahma), which makes up the trinity of gods for Hinduism.

There's more, but I'm tired and will post it later. XD

 

[Avenger Angel]

I really, really like to write in first person. For one thing, it really makes you feel way more absorbed into writing the story, and it really pulls the reader into the feelings and throughts of the main character and what happens around them. I've even tried writing in third person and I still don't enjoy it, but yeah, you do lose out on giving other characters more personality as they can only be based off the main character's perception.

And usually my stories have some mild violence, including blood and death from time to time. Still, there needs to be some kind of threat to make the story intresting.

 

[xXSaberXx]

D: My fanfics are all about relating emotions. TOTALLY. And making my characters beliveable. That's mostly it. I strive to ALWAYS make a impacting chapter, something with a theme throughout the whole thing. Foreshadowing and drama and thoughts are always implied HEAVILY so that at the end, when I say a few sentences that sum up and dramatize the end.


D: Drama. I think it's about making a lasting impression. That's the most important. To create something that makes people go, "Yanno, that's kind of true," Is totally what I strive to do. Enlighten people? Yes. I know it may be a little corny at times, but I try to show both sides. The blurred mirage we call good and bad. The deep and light, the happy and sad. Everything made into one eventually spirals into a thing of beauty.

A lasting impression, characters that people know could almost be real. Feelings that we have all felt..........too well.



Something that makes people stop and think. That's what I strive for.

 

[Dilasc]

Themes of outerspace come up often in my story, and a undertone of good and evil plays an important role, proving that there is always a thin line between good and evil.

Themes of humanity, redemption, and trust play a big role in Dust to Deceit as well, from the get go murder problem, to the depth and colorful personalities some legendaries (such as Moltres writing a novel with its beak.)

All in alll, I try to include as MANY themes as possible in everything I write in order to prove I am unique, original, and to do the job while I'm still the first to think of it.

I describe things too, thoughts especially. I like to ensure not only to my readers, but to myself that characters are realistic, and at the same time, that they're four times more than one dimensional, meaning they enter the fourth dimension, and time is of the essence in the fourth dimension.

 

[Ledian_X]

I write in the third person as its easiest for me. I tend to write in the style of a comic writer, which should be obvious by the fic itself. The writing style itself is similar to the style employed by the current writers of Marvel, DC and Image comics where heroes nowadays have heart. They have problems and they are real people.

I don't do the stereotypical hero story where nothing bad happens to the hero. I write in the style of comics tofay. The hero has heart, attitude, real personal issues and strives to do the best he can. In that regard, Stan Lee was an inspiration. He co created a ton of heroes using that style and they're still going strong. Despite all the powers and scifi, I tend to make things realistic as I can. Given that my heroes are really powerful.

LX

 

[billy5772]

I asked this because, as a reviewer I've become aware that a lot of authors work hard to employ literary devices cleverly. I think I've been doing some of their fics injustice by focusing only on plot and error. When you do all these things to make the story more meaningful, are you ever disappointed when no one notices?

First person: Seems like it's a more natural way to write. It's like you're just talking as that character. I still haven't tried it, but i think I can appreciate its benefits.

 

[Power Shot]

Most of the time, I don't even plan what I write, it just writes itself.

For The Sylish Adventures, I'm writing about real events, so can't drift too far from the truth, but it also means I can rant whenever I want about whatever I want.

 

[SnoringFrog]

I hace used a bit of foreshadowing, not too noticeable though. In my revision, I plan to put in a bit more. I can't seem to write very well in first person. I'm not sure why, but it just doensn't go as well for me.

 

[Yamato-san]

well, PMC started as my brother's idea.... I guess what he was going for was extremely basic. He took a couple of his favorite Pokemon, and made some kind of conflict involving them, and I guess took advantage of some canon things that are associated with one of his favorites (the Kimono Sisters). He wanted to make it dark, too, because of the anime being too light-hearted, with an actual plot instead of an episodic formula. Of course, this was back when the Jouto saga was still airing in America, and who wouldn't get sick of all that crap? Nowadays.... I forget exactly why I wanted to take over when he abandoned it. Perhaps I was extremely shallow at the time, and thought just anything dark and action-packed would be good. Maybe I saw potential in a franchise that involves carrying ferocious beasts in portable containers, a potential being totally wasted on the same basic storylines about "being the best competitor" and whatnot that the anime and games give you, despite how such storylines mix in terrorist groups and other potentially deadly antagonists. Perhaps it was even because doujinshi intrigued me enough to warrant trying to make one myself, I mean, a simple fan could potentially make something similar to the great commercial manga we see everyday, and not even have to bother with licensing and such. That abandoned plot to start off with just helped jump-start my interest in that even further (at the time, I'd recently bought the first two DVDs to Comic Party, which may've also had an effect).

Whatever the case was, I had a plot outline for a future doujinshi I still plan to work on. As I said, I was pretty shallow at the time and just thought anything dark was cool.... though, I did put some consideration into drama, adding onto what my brother didn't have, but not much. If I ever do a doujinshi, I'd like it to have a story similar to the kind we see in most well-acclaimed official manga, and, well..... over the years, I've been kinda taking in info on what makes a good story through various anime reviews and people's comments and observing existing series and such, taking note of the deeper things that I never really gave much thought to at first and how pretty much all these series make a good point about whatever theme or message it's trying to convey (ironically, my English classes barely did s*** for me). Now, I took that original basic plot of my brother's, changed some things around, removed some unnecessary things, and added a lot, particularly those afforementioned deep things that make all the characters and events seem 3D (though sometimes, as you may see in a future chapter, I'll think of a character I really like, add them in, and kinda plan out what role and backstory they could have only after I do so). I still feel as though I'm struggling with some characterization for the antagonists, and I'm wondering what more of a role my minor characters could play, and considering I basically picked up on writing someone's idea, I still don't quite have a clue on the main theme as of yet, but other than that, I think I'm doing alright.

And.... that was just PMC. Now, when it comes to my (not my brother's) original works, stories I plan to write in the future (also with the intend of future doujinshi).... I guess I kinda thought of interesting characters first, placed them in some setting, and built on from there.

 

[Klaus]

It all occurs in a series of steps, and characters I use in each situation. I also like to write "Snicket" style. You know, in the middle give a little hint on what might happen next such as:

Taylor instantly stared too the big green screen devise and the small devise next to it which was a phone. You use a phone to call a friend, parent or desperate gymleader.

That gives a bit of info of what might happen in an up coming chapter.

Since most of my fic's are comedy, I like to think of which character would work in that fic. Maxie, for example and all of you should know him, is a character I would use when i'm feeling, villans-taking-over-world-ish. But, when i'm doing a more serious/comedy. I might use Taylor, Kris and Ethan. Taylor is the "Save the Tree's Semi-hippy with a germaphobia" Kris is the Miss Attitude I'll neuter you type and Ethan is the crazy sick minded fool.

I also try and do more original character for example Chansey:

SOme would thing of her as the "You poor thing, lemme kiss it and make it better type" Wel, in mine, some are but there is also Violet a bad-tempered perv chansey.

And I like to write fics about what people poke at such as the mystery of Joy and Jenny. You'll see. ehehe.

Well, that's basically how I right. You just pour yourself onto the page and say whatever.

As always, Run Taylor Save That TREE!

 

[Bu†cH]

I put in locations and time of a chapter or event and I describe things really well and detailed.

Like.....

Walking across the pine woods is an Umbreon with a big, lowered, furry tail, a mechanical right arm, left paw, right eye, and right ear.

 

[Pinecone Tortoise]

A major aim of writing my fic is to say that angst is not great. It's nasty, nasty stuff. Be happy - it's worth it. That, and to give the reader a fun, happy read. ^^

Third person: It lets me put a running commentary and express what the character won't admit to themselves. And writing in first person feels a little too personal for my tastes.

Pinecone Tortoise.
;204;;324;

 

[Negrek]

Meh, since most of my stories grow as they go along, most of the themes and stuff get clarified with them.

I was somewhat disappointed when nobody appeared to pick up on the theme in The Ninetales' Curse the first time I posted it... though some people did leave indicate comments that indicated that they were at least headed in the right direction with their reasoning. I'm wondering if anybody will figure it out this time around.

Anyway, I find it much easier to write in third person. I like to hop perspectives a lot, you see.

 

[Dragonfree]

All right...

I like death. I put death, near-death, murder, suicide or something in that direction in pretty much everything I write. Generally I like it when characters I like in other stories die, too. I've been obsessed with death since I was little, really.

I tend not to plan anything and just go ahead, writing what I think of. In The Quest for the Legends, absolutely nothing was planned in advance - I thought of it all along the way (although usually long before I actually put it in).

I like to put religious ideas into my fics, even though I myself am agnostic-leaning-towards-atheism. I also like to put in extremely subtle foreshadowing that you're likely not to get even after reading what it foreshadowed - stuff like just pointing a character or detail out to the reader before that character or detail becomes important.

Oh, and I like to twist the good/evil roles by making the good guy a hypocrite.

 

[Dilasc]

I almost forgot to mention another thing I'm good at doing... fun chapter titles with references to other phrases, bands, and so forth, every chapter title has a spin on something you may or may not know about.

 

[Iveechan]

I have a sort of naturalistic theme in my more recent writings. In Guilty By Design, Champ has a sort of yearning to return to the wild, though he isn't really aware of it yet. And my one shots, "Common Ground" and "Outside Looking In" are very naturalistic, the former reading almost like a wildlife documentary, and the latter being a wild Pokemom's thoughts and opinions on humans, deforestation, and urban sprawl.

The way I see it, we as human beings are very very restricted in life. Go to school, get a job, get married, have children, retire, die... being watched over by the government, following the rules, everything requires restrictions and permits and censorship. I sometimes just have the urge to get away from it all and live like an animal in the wild. Not saying that wild animals have wonderful lives, it's difficult to survive every day, but it's a more simple lifestyle. So I write about and perceive Pokemon as being wild animals, even (and especially) the humanshape ones. So many stories take place in a wilderness setting, but don't give off that brisk feel of living and traveling through the great outdoors.

Another thing I like to write about is pain. I'm sadistic, and I like putting my characters through physical (and sometimes mental) suffering. Even minor things like bruises and scratches, I like to write about. Hurt and comfort, it's a fetish.

Oh yeah, since I don't normally plan what I write, anything like foreshadowing and all that other fancy stuff is just coincidence.

 

[Haunter]

I sort of make it up as I go along. Sort of. Some things are planned, others just ... write themselves, I guess. I always feel like what I've written is complete crap (and it often is) so I'll revise it so many times that it might as well be a new story.

 

[Chibi Pika]

Most of the themes and ideal in my fic evolved on their own. Growths in character also happen on their own. Like when writing future chapters, I find the characters a lot more mature and hardened with all that they've gone through and seen, and some of them are a lot less open, particularily after they get caught up in the war that starts later.

Foreshadowing and the like...I put some of it in, but most of it happens on its own. Like I recently discovered that the entire plotline of Part 3 of my fic is hidden within one word of my prologue. Of course, no one would ever notice that, but still.

With Parts 4 and 5 of my fic expecially, there are a couple scattered religious themes, subtle enough to be picked up by those who wouldn't be offended but completely unnoticed by those who would. I like to satisfy my readers and myself at the same time, and I wouldn't be able to stand myself if I didn't tie in a couple elements such as Legendary origins and the role of the Pokegods into religion in one way or another.

~Chibi~;249;<?>;rukario;

 

[lilbluecorsola]

When you're writing a fic do you often purposely set out to express themes and life lessons? Like, do you map out what each character will have learned by the end of the fic or what growths in character that they will experience?

Why, yes, yes I do. Or am going to. I'm still brainstorming. I'm having lots of difficulty understanding my own reasoning for my upcoming fic. XD

Basically, for me, writing is just about saying what I feel. And if the way I feel it should be conveyed is through pain and suffering then so be it. I really have no style that I prefer to write, so long as I get the point across.

Foreshadowing... I can think of many circumstances where I've used it, intentionally or not.