The Fan Fiction Club

[Umbreon Ruler]

I don't think I've joined this yet, but I'd like to. I typically write journey fics (at least one of which I'll finish someday) but occasionally I write a one-shot when I get an idea I can't get out of my head.

Spoiler: A few fics of mine

Chasing Clouds - Chaptered journey fic
Hate - One-shot
Resting in Peace - One-shot

Those are the most recent ones.

What do you hate the most in/about fanfics?

Hm... when writing, I hate it when I don't like a chapter but I know it has to be written for the sake of the story. It's not fun to write, I feel guilty for even posting it, but I know there's nothing I can do about it. :/

As for a new one-shot contest, I'd love it. The last one was a lot of fun for me and if it was a topic I felt I could do well/enjoy I'd definitely enter.

 

[FlamingRuby]

Mary Sues and Gary Stus--granted, good ones can be made, but you have to REALLY know what you're doing to pull it off

 

[bobandbill]

Well, I am back and all so this can resume as normal I suppose?

As for the discussion on a new contest... well, mayb we ought to think one up here - it has been a while after all. Mentioned it to Psychic who thought it could occur as well (Pokemon POV was something mentioned?), and it has been a while since we've had a one-shot contest. =)

 

[Janovy]

Hm, I might even participate in my first contest. Even if I embarrass myself with my writing skills. XD

Anyway, I've started working on a new fictional story which is revolving/was revolving around Pokelantis. The story is set five years after RSE events and follows the return of an ancient spirit from Pokelantis seeking to restore the land once again by summoning Groudon and uniting the separated regions back together. He's only seeking for the right body to do it, since only a person of pure heart and clean intentions can control Groudon.

Well guys, what's your current status concerning fanfics?

 

[Giratina!]

Personally, I'm A. recovering from the two-month writer's block that seriously botched up the later story of my duo of junk to write (that would be Abecedarian), and struggling through another Gym Battle in Wings Have We - made particularly difficult due to the fact that there's supposed to be something else going on at exactly the same time and place... eek... but ah well, my mind says it's gonna be epic, and maybe if the temperatures here would go below ten thousand degrees I could write it properly. >:I Warm weather + Giratina = bad.

Anyway, contest. I would be willing to write a one-shot for a contest like that, probably due to the fact that I missed the big HGSS contest everyone made a fuss about...

 

[firestar319]

I'd really like to join this club. I really get an enjoyment out of writing fanfics, but I haven't done so in a while, and I'm hoping being in this clan will help finish the fic I'm currently working on. I'm currently working on a Teen Titans fanfic and as of now, they are teaming up with the X-Men.

 

[Psychic]

Hm, well I do like fan fiction, perhaps even enough to moderate such a section. I haven't been a part of this club in awhile, so may I?

I don't have any old fics I really want to mention here - all I have ever really written are one-shots, and only sporadically and none very recent. I have hopes of working on another sometime soon, this one about a very...strange little society in the middle of the desert.

Since it's the summer over here, I've spent most of my time trying to get through a mixture of more classic literature and some more modern fantasy, from A Christmas Carol to True Blood.

On a note slightly more relevant to other club-goers, Dragonfree and I actually have an idea or two for an upcoming fan fiction contest. A fairly simple, broad theme, but I don't quite want to say anything yet. Levels of interest?

~Psychic

 

[Shadow Lucario]

@ Psychic - I'm all ears. Depending on the topic I may or may not participate.

 

[Bay]

Have been losing interest in writing my current project at the moment due to me being busy with real life stuff. >.> However, had been writing in other fandoms and doing other writing projects *coughanimestylebattlingcough* Hopefully I'll find a way to get back to my current project, though.

As for the contest, I'm all for it. It's been a while since I entered in one. I'm game.

 

[Araleon]

So... I'm a sucky club member. I can't remember the last time I posted.

Still editing my one-shot from October. I have random bursts of inspiration for fixing it, so, we'll see. My goal is for it to be fully edited and posted by the end of 2010.

A new contest? I'm interested in hearing the details. I was just thinking the fanfiction section needed a new contest. It's been a while

 

[Aladar]

I'm a bad club member as well. When writer's block struck several months ago I stopped visiting. And I had just joined! xD

Now I'm finally back to writing. And writing a Digimon fic no less. I wanted to continue PLX but there were soo many ideas from toher franchises in my head so I decided to give this one a try.

 

[Charoshi]

Wow, a club tailor made for me. I should probably join. I absolutely love fanfiction! So much so, that I even decided to write my own.

I've been seriously writing for a few months now. The only fic I currently have going is called Valiant Hearts, which is linked to the image in my signature. I really believe it's starting to take off, as I've had a lot of help and advice from some of the best writers on the forums.

Before I started VH, all I had been doing was reading. I've been reading fanfiction for about 7 years, although I've been reading much more seriously in the past 3 years or so. It's really gotten to the point, where I have become really picky with what I read. I think I actually read more fanfiction then books.

 

[Starlight Aurate]

Welcome, Charoshi It's always nice to see a new member in the club.

Okay guys, so I'm having a problem with writing.

I have been working on the first chapter of my fanfiction for over a year. I notice that I work infrequently on it, and that I keep on using the same verbs, nouns, and adjectives over and over. I over-dump everything so that I'm over-explaining and saying stuff too much.

But because this is my first time trying to write a fan-fiction, I don't really know how to improve. I'm too scared to post my work because (in addition to not being finished yet) I'm afraid that people will absolutely hate it and that I'll ahve to make a new fanfic that people will like. I'm also afraid that my ego will be too big, and I'll refuse to listen to critique and will only proceed to spam up the forum.

Though I don't like to believe it, my vocabulary level is low, and I am not sure how to replace words so that I'm essentially saying the same thing, but am using different words. I don't know what parts I need to cut back on, or what parts to cut out. Is there any way to improve upon this and fix it, or do I just need to stop trying?

 

[Ysavvryl]

Hmm, on expanding a vocabulary, I'd say read more books and a thesaurus. But you got to be careful with the thesaurus. There's a difference between a word's denotation (dictionary definition) and connotation (what the word makes people think of) that colors prose. One word in place of another, even when they mean the same thing, can change the meaning of a sentence.

I'd give you an example, but I'm drawing a blank...

As for solving over-dumps (I assume you mean vast info-dumps), that needs creativity. It depends on what characters you have. If you have kids and/or students, one good way to get in background info is to have them listening to a lecture. You would need to break it up so it doesn't bog down the reader, but again, that depends on character. A studious kid would be taking notes, and if s/he is a nerd, might be making connections to comic books, TV shows, or the like. A slacker kid would be doodling or silently mocking the teacher. A daydreamer would be, well, daydreaming; and with that one, you can have the background info invade the daydream! That can be pretty nifty when pulled off.

That's just one method. Another thing to consider is to put the info into practice, so the readers can see it work. In a Pokemon context, that would be like showing that Grass is weak to Poison by having a Tangela get hit by a Muk's Poison attack.

I occasionally solve the problem of background info by adding tidbits to the end of chapters: character details, location descriptions, item explanations.

And in the end, you just have to post the thing at some point in order to get the right feedback.

 

[bobandbill]

Updated things methinks... bah uni. Also just a lil' heads up - I have heard through the grapevine a fanfic contest is looming closer. ;p


What's your current status concerning fanfics?

XD Until last week I hadn't done a thing with fanfics, go me. =p For 7 months! (Although I have been writing other things and going on vacations and uni and whatnot I suppose), but I got a chapter written and posted just recently so yay for getting back into something - does feel good. I just hope I wasn't too rusty despite having written other stuff before it anyways. XD

 

[Neo Duality]

joining;

soon i'm going to be starting a sci-fi pokemon fic, which combines deep philosophical and physic elements like entropy and cosmological origins, dualism and psychic multiverse. i am at a dilemma as to whether to continue with it because i doubt anyone on sppf will be able to appreciate it, but then again i don't really go into the fan fiction section so i don't know the intelligence levels there which are otherwise on the rest of sppf on a downward spiral. so i'm probably here to seek intellectual refuge and talk to several literates like me.

 

[harryheart]

Well Neo (I think I know you lol) welcome to the club. And secondly I'd be quite interested in reading something like that! I like Sci-Fi and Pokemon so it equals a good idea to me. Also I'm quite ecvited for this contest because it might motivate and inspire me in my fic and hopefully send me in new directions. Anyway just thought I'd pop in so people knew I wasn't dead!

 

[firestar319]

What's your current status concerning fanfics?

Well currently in my Teen Titans fanfic, I finally finished Chapter 23 (after like a couple months). So now I'm continuing the story onto Chapter 24, where Robin learns that Slade obliterated Titans Tower, and an epic battle ensues. At the same time, the X-Men will fight some of the Titans' villains.

 

[Ysavvryl]

Current status with fanfiction... well I've been branching out to other fandoms. Six Spirit really doesn't need much more work on my part, and POS is gonna take two or three more years if I do finish it. I went back to Megaman fics for a while, and I've been experimenting all over the place. Especially in Animal Crossing. I just do this, that, and the other thing when I get an hour or so to write.

 

[harryheart]

My current position is that I'm slowly churning out chapters, whether of quality can only be decided by my readers but I'm hoping to get back into the swing of regular chapters soon! I only have one really, besides a prequel planned and partially written and besides that I work on seperate topics!