| Dear authors of all age and fandoms, |
[Jan. 6th, 2010|03:15 pm] |
'Bemused' is not the opposite of 'amused'. Really, it's not. No matter how many times you write it, it won't make it correct.
Begging you to pick up a sodding dictionary,
Me |
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| (no subject) |
[Jan. 6th, 2010|12:50 am] |
| [ | mood |
| |  confused | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Tonari no Totoro | ] |
Okay, fic writers. You know that little thing called creativity? It kind of exists, but I guess you tend to like beating it with a crutch or something, because when I see you posting a fic where the title doesn't even exist? I kind of ehhh, what? at you.
But then I have to ask, are you really asking for people to give you their name so that you can put them in? On top of the title lackage? I guess I don't even have to mention that you only posted the. Oh. Summary. For a fic that doesn't exist. MY BRAIN SPLODED, NICE JOB, NOW I WANT BRAAAAAAAINS. But yours is a bit too dumb. Possibly too tough when cooked, but I don't have experience with that. Really.
But hey, at least you aren't the one posting the mary sue fanart banner fic. Which really, how am I supposed to take that person seriously when they decide to misspell the fic name. Sorry kid, it's Boundaries. Not Bounderies. I mean, you could get the post title right, but noooooooo, not the banner!
Edit to clarify the first one, since I make generally no sense at one in the morning: a person posted the summary for a fic they were going to write to a comm, and were requesting numerous self-insert characters for, quite honestly, 98% percent of the characters in the fic. A little creativity couldn't hurt em. |
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| (no subject) |
[Jan. 6th, 2010|02:08 am] |
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I don't know anything about Twilight vampires except that they sparkle. I do, however, know that any hunter from Supernatural who encounters a vampire from Twilight will not automatically reach for a stake. This hunter might try a stake in the process of trial-and-error to see what kills these sparkly things that can't be vampires however much their behavior resembles vampires, this hunter might take it at its word about being a vampire and then take a machete to its neck, but this hunter is not going to assume that a stake will kill a Twilight vampire. Because the only vampires this hunter knows about are Supernatural vampires, and in Supernatural, staking a vampire only pisses it off. |
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| Going Left Around the World: Chapter 2 |
[Jan. 6th, 2010|12:28 am] |
Title: Going Left Around the World
Author: mrs-spamlad
Pairing: Jack/Ennis
Rating: PG-13 for now
Feedback: have at it! Disclaimer: Brokeback Mountain and the original characters of Jack, Ennis, Lureen and Alma were created by and belong to Annie Proulx. No money is being made from this- I’m just taking them out for a spin! Summary: This is an au/au story told in the first person from Jack’s POV. Jack and Ennis both come from working-class families and bond as the outcast poor kids while attending an expensive private school. The story follows their friendship as they go off to college together and eventually become something more than friends. Love springs up, inconvenient but essential all the same, and they fight to find a way to make it work through their college years. After graduation, however, real life takes over and sends them down different paths, and the fight is on for real as they try to decide if their relationship can overcome their own insecurities and fears. http://mrs-spamlad.livejournal.com/14763.html
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| A request for more detailed reviews |
[Jan. 5th, 2010|05:28 pm] |
I count myself lucky to be the author of a fanfic with many reviews. I am also proud that pretty much all of them are positive. I understand that I am not owed these reviews, and I am always happy when I get an alert that I have received a new review.
That said, could you reviewers write a little more than "Loved it! Write more!"
It's not that I desperately need long flowing reviews to satisfy my ego. It's that detailed reviews, especially constructive criticism, help me become a better writer. They illustrate what I'm doing right, and where I need improvement. From your perspective, more detailed reviews results in a better story!
So if there's a fanfic that you really like (especially a WIP), you might want to take the time to write up a detailed review. Explain what you liked best, and what you think the author could do better at. If the author seems to have contradicted canon by mistake, point it out (politely). If you have any excellent ideas for where the author could go next, suggest them. |
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| I see what you did there... |
[Jan. 5th, 2010|03:17 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  annoyed | ] |
Let's say you really, really don't like kink, to the point of saying a few of these things in a public post (paraphrased):
"All I could think was: how is possible you can do that to a person you say to love? And how is it possible someone might enjoy being flogged, hit by a paddle and then whipped?
I know how a whip feels on the skin...It hurt like hell.
I know some pain...can be pleasurable given in the right context, but this kind of pain? NO. The mere idea [of giving or receiving such pain] makes me sick in the stomach, even if I'm dealing only with fictional characters."
Any attempt to explain the wonderfulness of BDSM to people who completely understand YKINMK but want to help folks understand is met with, "Thanks, but I'll never understand despite me asking people to explain why they find it so appealing."
You've gone so far as to critique fic in your chosen pairing that takes a turn down Saddest Tick Alley, and nobody's really taken up the cause. What to do, what to do?
I've GOT IT (or rather, your sockpuppet friend already suggested it)! Write a fic where the usual 'dominant' knows what BDSM is and hates it for the exact same reasons. And I do mean exactly:
"But personally [Usual!Dom] couldn’t understand what the patrons of the club found so appealing. More, to be perfectly frank, he didn’t want to understand. As far as he was concerned there was something twisted, unhealthy, even perverse in these practices, and nothing on Earth would ever make him think differently.
This strong belief was mainly due to the fact that [Usual!Dom] knew how a bull whip felt on his back."
ETA one more quote I didn't realize I'd missed:
"During the past three months, [Usual!Dom] had seen several married couples come to the club. That was probably the thing that had shocked him most. How could someone cause pain to the one they loved even if they asked for it? He had tried to picture himself doing some of the things he had seen to any of his wives...and promptly became nauseous."
Your self-insertion is showing. Might want to fix that in a way that isn't a long author's note asking people to just hang in there and maybe [Usual!Dom] understands more than you THINK he does! |
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| Organise Your Fic |
[Jan. 5th, 2010|08:02 pm] |
If you want people to actually read your multichapter fic, it might be a good idea to tag it, add it to your memories, or put in a 'next chapter' link at the bottom. I hate it when there's no real way of finding fic at someone's journal, other than by going through all their entries (and I don't want to particularly do that).
Seriously, how long does it take to add a "Fic: Title" tag? Which would be the option that requires the most minimal of effort. |
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| Ye Old Cock (Does Not) Go Here Rant |
[Jan. 5th, 2010|12:42 pm] |
I know it's a classic. It's so much a classic that rants about it are a classic. But people - please give the Healing Cock cliche a rest!
While it's true that some rape and/or abuse victims can use sex as part of the healing process, it's definitely not true for all of them. Furthermore, being able to successfully come following or during penetrative sex is not a magic sign that everything is going to be all right, tra la la, and your newly happy couple will live happily ever after. Writers of the world, please stop writing it as though this were the case.
Also, depending on the canon characterization of the people you're writing about, you can mix in a healthy dose of OOC to go with the mix by taking that route. If your victim is known in canon for refusing to accept help from others and for being very independent, bursting into tears in their lover's arms and wistfully commenting on how they're curious about what it's like with "someone they love" right before engaging in their first bout of penetrative sex since the rape isn't going to fly well. Yes, strong people can cry. Yes, independent characters can seek outside help. Please just find a way to do so while still writing that independent character and not turning them into Stock Victim #3. Respect, people. Show some.
While sex can be healing for some, please don't assume it will be for all or that everyone will respond to it in the same fashion. The idea that all problems in life can be resolved by the magical application of a penis is an insult and is frankly offensive. |
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| A Way With Words - Chapter 11b |
[Jan. 5th, 2010|02:02 pm] |
Disclaimer: I'm not Annie Proulx and I bet she doesn't approve of this fic
Rating: PG
Links to previous chapters on the front page of my journal.
Synopsis: AU/AU set between 1980 and 1989. Ennis is a quirky Kansas farm boy who goes away to college in Boston. His roommate, his girlfriend and a Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seeker all eerily resemble Jack Twist, who seems to be everywhere and nowhere in this story. For a more understandable explanation and warnings, see this entry in BBSlash.
Friends-locked. Ask here or at the explanation page to be friended. Thanks to ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) rt_in_town for beta help.
Chapter 11b In which Ennis has two firsts: going to a Red Sox game and sailing on the Charles River |
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| YMMV on the vocab. |
[Jan. 5th, 2010|12:38 pm] |
Dear specific Holmes/Watson writer,
I do appreciate the fact that you've tried to Victorianify your writing; I know it's not easy to pull off, and anything else would be painfully OOC in this fandom. Sadly, that just makes it stick out further when you having Watson referring to a "swell idea", or describing Holmes, even to himself, even in his narrative voice, as his "best mate". CAPSLOCK NO. May I refer you to 'painfully OOC' above? It made me want to cry, dear author, particularly when you've already used such lovely words as "jesting" and "irascible", two personal favourites of mine.
Really, though, the only thing Watson would describe as "swell" would be actual swelling (literal or euphemistic, you filthy fankids, you).
*
on a related note
Dear Sherlock Holmes fandom,
I really do love how everyone's suddenly put on their top hats, dusted off their canes and got out their thesauruses. I love the neo-Victorianisms and wordplay in a nice slice of Holmes fic. This fandom is excessively diverting, and never ceases to make my day. |
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| slash = lesbian! |
[Jan. 5th, 2010|02:49 am] |
| [ | mood |
| | uh... | ] |
Slash = M/M OR F/F. No really. Yes, there is that whole 'femslash' thing, but they're essentially the same thing: a romantic or sexual relationship where all participants are the same gender.
So when I read your summary and see 'no slash, but a few lesbians', I facepalm. There is no femslash without slash! IT IS SLASH! SLASH IS NOT BAD! </capsrape>
Your story is good otherwise (I wouldn't have faved the thing if I didn't like it), though Harry being a male Veela is odd, and I'm kind of iffy on the whole Ron flipping out and going all homophobe at Hermione because she admits she's a lesbo when she turns him down. But seriously. You can't write femslash without the word 'slash'. Please to be remembering that.
YMMV with whether slash is both F/F and M/M, or just M/M. |
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| Concrit is good, except for when it happens to be BAD AND WRONG. |
[Jan. 5th, 2010|01:48 am] |
| [ | mood |
| |  awake | ] |
| [ | music |
| | I Know - Fiona Apple | ] |
Possible YMMV ahead.
Why oh why are you telling a very promising but new and unsure writer that their pacing sucks, when it actually happens to be one of the better aspects of their writing? Especially seeing as how you think it needs to be moving faster, when in fact it could probably use a tad bit of slowing down in a few places. Not to mention that the pacing of your own stories is far too rushed and jumps around from scene to scene in a rather abrupt, almost manic manner, so if that is what you have in mind when you say the story isn't moving quickly enough, then quite frankly I may weep.
But you are rather respected for your works, and this new kid seems to have pretty rough self-esteem issues, so they'll probably take your advice. I really want to tell them to ignore your pacing comments, but I can't think of how to do it without coming across as a total dick. Not to mention they may not pay attention to me, because, as I said, you're popular and respected, and I'm on the fringes of this fandom.
Thanks for potentially screwing up an incredibly nice little story because you're too impatient to wait for the payoff.
-The Minno
P.S. From an unrelated story:
Warning: Will contain mature subjections towards undermined societal conflicts
Um, maybe it's just because I'm rather sleep deprived at the moment, but... what? |
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| Please Excuse my Rant as I Refuse to Reply to Artless Authors. |
[Jan. 4th, 2010|10:42 pm] |
| [ | Tags | | | flounce | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  respectfully insolent | ] |
To the authors that reply to my constructive criticisms with thanks and/or motivated questions,
Thank you for reviving that little part of my belief in humanity that other fic writers have killed.
To all other authors,
Please don't bother writing back. If all I wrote was, "PLEASE find a beta," I really meant it. It was not, as you seem to believe, a command of any sort. Obviously, I cannot force you to do anything. I didn't bother to point out that your dialogue was stale, OOC, and useless to the plot or that your description was minimal and useless in some places while in others the purple prose beast must have possessed you. I did, however, point out some of the very very obvious things that your other 70+ (in some cases 700+) reviewers should have mentioned.
Yes, my secondary sentence - also my last to you (my specific writer of the evening) - told you that there was no excuse for writing "Character A's POV" and using that as a scene change. It also pointed out that very few of your sentences can remain in one tense and that the misspelling of a central character's name is laziness.
This does not, however, mean that I am in anyway mentally unstable or in need of help. I did take your suggestion: I discontinued reading your fic (immediately after writing my review to you, actually!)
Though, I am incredibly surprised that my two sentences were "probably the rudest review [u] have ever got[ten]." True, I was not wearing kid gloves but... you wrote back much more harshly (and couldn't seem to spell 'you' properly two thirds of the time.) I always do "keep in mindthat no writing is perfect," but I have read a great number that have come very close.
To be honest, my bar is not so extraordinarily high. In fact, my 'Favourites Section' is littered with some mediocre (and some poor) fic that I have been placed there because I liked one or two aspects of them (despite many of their major flaws.) But if you view my 'Favourite Author' Section' and read even a paragraph of their works you would see just how kind and careful I have been with you.
I have unfortunately, been receiving a number of replies (even to my kinder messages) full of asterisks. Your mama may have told you can do anything you want but that type of self-entitlement won't serve you well as an author. I only point things out in the hopes that your interesting plot idea will be something readable by the time you're done with it. Grow up already and learn to use a spellchecker. |
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| Another Kind of Love |
[Jan. 4th, 2010|10:37 pm] |
Another Kind of Love – The Beginning of the End I’ve accepted the sad (to me) fact that I’m not going to be able to give AKL a proper ending. I’m very sorry about that. I appreciate all of the wonderful comments you gave along the way and your questions and prompting during this long dry spell. Cwby30 won a contest I did recently and asked for some AKL as a prize, and I’m using that promise as a way to wrap it up: Well, I've finally decided on what I want you to write: another part of AKL, "future tension" so to speak, after they have made the decision and ranched up together [for this I am assuming they did do that], set around Halloween and including the Bar, and naturally involving some of your patented SMEX. So here’s Cwby30’s prize – or at least the first 2 parts of it. I’m going to work on part three asap and hopefully have it all done real soon. Joy and LB are still alive and well. There are 2 parts posted so far. Here’s the link to Part 1. http://whiskiegurl.livejournal.com/10509.html#cutid1
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| anatomy & etc. |
[Jan. 4th, 2010|09:40 pm] |
First, I'm going to start with some explanation on (theoretical) anatomy. Then I'll move into the rant.
A couple of things should be said beforehand:
- I need to stop playing WoW, reading fanfics about WoW, and thinking about WoW.
- This rant is in regards to trolls. I don't even want to get into orcs.
- Visual aides are always a good idea.
- Please correct me if I misinterpreted some of the anatomy. I'm no expert on human anatomy, and I'm surely no expert on animal anatomy.
( Cut for length, links, pictures, and words I have never even seen before. )
I know tusks are essentially really long, pointy teeth that you can jab people with, but some other, finer details and differences should be taken into account. Then again, I probably just think too much about this and should chill. :( |
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