The General AKB48 Fanfic Discussion Thread

[arisa03]

I do not want to reply to any of the arguments here, but I would like to leave this here.

"I'm sorry for using the word ban, let's change it to 'limit' then."


Also, like I've always said, prose literature starts with Essay Writing, sure script can be a form of writing something creative in a small way, and relaying them as easy as possible. However personally, I do not see improvement in this kind of writing, may they be as short as 2 scripted lines or not.

[aruka]

"I'm sorry for using the word ban, let's change it to 'limit' then."

How would the word 'limit' gets measured? What are the parameters?

[arisa03]

Limited: characterized by an inability to think imaginatively or independently; lacking originality or scope; narrow:

oh wait, that's not right.

Limited: confined within limits; restricted or circumscribed,

---
I wouldn't sit through a 100,000 word "Script formatted" fanfic. I can't stand that.

Limit it to drabbles <500 word stories.

[miayaka]

Very well said..
thank you for the last sentence mod107

Perhaps authors can add “(script)” in their titles from now on.

I think this is crystal,
that script format is always welcome..
Happy New Year!

[miyumi]

The suggestion of a separate thread for those who write in script form is a possible solution as well as labeling just the titles to let readers know what they're looking at. I have to admit you guys have come up with some very agreeable solutions. There are many solutions to the problem but the question is which one is the right one. We are all trying to help and make this place a fun place for writers to be themselves and have fun showing their love for AKB. I understand there are some who struggle and we only mean in trying to help them. But if a writer is struggling and wishes to seek help they can contact any of the writers who know more Enligh for help. I myself have peer edited stories of other writers before and I would happy to help anyone else who needs it.

This place is a place that was created to have fun. By putting in this new law we are only taking away what this website was originally created to do. There are ways for others to get help and if we all come to a workable agreement then maybe we can settle things. I'm sorry if I sound rude but I'm just saying this from a writer's point of view who writes in script format. If we separate the catagories such as genderbender or script I think that will only be a slight irritator to the writer. Putting things into separate catagories is a neat way to help organize things and spearate things out and I understand it is all behind good intention. However by doing this it sounds like we're pushing all the writers into separate sides.

The forum is like one big family. We all get along fine and share ideas and stories. Work together on collabs and support any of the new memebers. We all work together as one and we should not be pulling people onto different sides. A house should not be divided because this could lead to furture problems. All I'm saying is that putting everyone into different places is something not highly recommend. It's like a form of discrimination and people may not thnk kindly of it. We all come here to have fun and be ourselves. Let's not be the ones to disrupt the peace. I know we all have our own intentions and well good reasons for doing such things. I too want to help the writers in the best way I can.

The solutions that were proposed sound like good ones. I agree with just labeling the titles so people know. I don't we think we need to go as far as separating everything into separate sections. I agree with most of everyone who has had a saying in this debate. I just hope we can all reach an agreement that will help all the writers.

[Flean]

I wouldn't sit through a 100,000 word "Script formatted" fanfic. I can't stand that.

Well~ borrowing Hitobo's words.. hope you don't mind Hitobo-san.. 

If you don't like it, don't read it.  Just click the back/close/whatever button; it's not that hard to do.

[wynaut]

As a reader here..
i don't mind if its a script format or para format
as long as the story is there, the pairing is there and as long as you can understand it..
that's my opinion as a reader guys no hard feelings and no siding sides
because i know most of you here exchanging words are writers.

[Sieka]

I think we should stop with this discussion already. There is already a solution placed by the moderator and the rule will not be placed anymore. Isn't it enough already?

I find script format to be a bit difficult on the eyes (unless I’m auditioning for a role, which is never), and that’s usually why I don’t prefer them. However, I couldn’t see myself restricting them.  Scripts are welcomed. Really good arguments on both sides.

Should they have their own section? No. I don’t think the magnitude of scripts is so big that a new section is needed. Perhaps authors can add “(script)” in their titles from now on.

Anyhow, everyone's stand is right. No one is right or wrong here because everyone wants whats best for all the writers, if you can or cannot see it, it's alright, I myself see that everyone wants what's good, its all a good argument, for the prose and script side, but if we're all just going to heat this up like this when there's already a solution placed, then would we be ignorant of what the moderator suggested?

Also, please do not try to do anything like teasing or irritating each others' sides any further as we won't get anywhere but childish flames in this discussion thread.

Let's all respect each others' opinions too anyhow, we can't change them and we can't ask people who like the format to limit what they like.

Anyhow, for the sake of being clear, let us repeat this:

1. There is no need for a section for the script formatted fanfics.
2. There won't be a rule like that that will be placed. Scripts are welcomed.
3. If you still can't get over it about the scripts, let's all just agree to label our threads properly now.
4. Our clear motive is to help improve each other right? Let's just help one another instead of trying to limit each others' potentials.

It's getting tiring when there's this much steam over the format, I actually don't like it at all that we're fighting over this when its already clear enough that this can't be taken out so why the need to continue on trying to drag this down? Seriously, let's just get over this, and its nearing New Year too...can't we just let this go peacefully and enjoy the last day of 2012?

Let's just get over this.

If some of us don't like to read scripts, don't read them. It's your decision after all.

Anyhow, Happy New Year from the Philippines!

Maligayang bagong taon sa inyong lahat! ^ ^

[Amakuchi]

LOL. THIS FORUM IS MADE FOR FREEDOM OF NON-PERVY WRITERS LIKE US TO WRITE. GOOD THING THEY DID NOT PASS IT.
IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH SCRIPT WRITERS LIKE ME, YOU'RE WELCOME TO TRY MY AXE'S BLADE ANYTIME.

LAST THING? IF YOU DON'T WANT SCRIPT, THEN DON'T READ IT. IT'S JUST 1 VIEW. NO SWEAT. WE DON'T NEED YOUR VIEWS. WE NEED OUR FREEDOM IN THIS FORUM. THAT'S ALL.

SORRY, I'M DRUNK.

[mode107]

^ AGREED!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Arisa chan~~~ nyahahah~~~~~   

I know you're quite the energetic one, so I'm not sure if this post is a burst of energy or if it's meant to be sort of teasing tone. Let's keep things cordial. 

[arisa03]

Looks like I'm getting all kinds of hate from everywhere, well, I don't mind so. The most important thing here is this was brought to attention.

Looks like the fixed solution would be To label your threads properly.

Let's just hope that everyone follows this solitude then, also rukaeru, Happy New Year to you as well. 

Also Flean: Thank you for the tip, but I already do that to 80% of the things posted in this forum, haha.

[melon-lover]

Just popped over to say a quick Happy New Year and hope everyone had a nice Christmas 

[arisa03]

I fervently beg to differ the "all the hate" and "leveled argumentative conversation" but we will be out of topic for what this thread stands for. In any case, it was a nice discussion with the few normal people.

[Sieka]

@melon-lover

Happy New Year to you too, melon-san. ^ ^

@Hitobo

Very well said.

@arisa03

I don't actually hate you, nor did I hate anyone here. I liked the arguments placed, everyone was right in their points. And your topic actually shed some of my little untold worries somehow, which I personally thank you for that. I am really thankful for this. ^ ^

@HashirePomeranian

Mah, you can say majority really does make up the rule here, just hoping though that the writers would stick to the suggested labeling because if they didn't, we would have wasted some arguments over the topic. lllorz

----

Also, I really understand where the prose side is coming from here. Its really hard to write in details, adding as much as you can tell about your characters and their feelings. It's no joke and requires a lot of patience and time to be able to come up with something truly satisfying, but afterwards, its very fulfilling when you finish because you can see your work come to life in the work of words that beautify and give color to the contents. This isn't something for argument, mostly just my feelings as a prose writer, I actually find writing my updates really time consuming, even writing one-shots takes up more time to the point that most of my updates are lengthy for some the reader's own liking.

I actually thought at first that people hated me because no one liked to comment on my thread most of the time if I'm not updating Chinmoku or writing KojiYuu and AtsuMina, mah, not really my kind of problem, but its discouraging seeing how much support the script stories get, but then I don't really mind it that much because I love writing what I write, be it in any format or in pairings people wouldn't even like to read, I love what I do.

Anyhow, I am sincerely proud of all the prose writer there that are still updating taking their time to do their works, hope you continue on, you guys have been doing a good job.

Script writers, you too are also doing well, just keep doing what you like, but also strive to improve when you deem it best.

Also, whether English isn't your first language, it doesn't really matter, most of us aren't native English speakers here I know and we shouldn't use that as a counter argument in discussions because all in all, its actually the effort that counts in what you write, doesn't it? Whether its perfect or not, its the thought placed in it that counts. ^ ^

[stv_wong]

This isn't something for argument, mostly just my feelings as a prose writer, I actually find writing my updates really time consuming, even writing one-shots takes up more time to the point that most of my updates are lengthy for some the reader's own liking.

......

I actually thought at first that people hated me because no one liked to comment on my thread most of the time if I'm not updating Chinmoku or writing KojiYuu and AtsuMina, mah, not really my kind of problem, but its discouraging seeing how much support the script stories get, but then I don't really mind it that much because I love writing what I write, be it in any format or in pairings people wouldn't even like to read, I love what I do.

......

Also, whether English isn't your first language, it doesn't really matter, most of us aren't native English speakers here I know and we shouldn't use that as a counter argument in discussions because all in all, its actually the effort that counts in what you write, doesn't it? Whether its perfect or not, its the thought placed in it that counts. ^ ^

These... are... so... true, Sieka-san. 
I respect you more and more.



Ah, by the way, Happy New Year to all writers and readers.

[Seigus]

First of all, Happy New Year to everyone!

Since we've moved into a new year, shall we have a sharing session as we reflect on the struggles and joys of writing we experienced in the past year? Then we can also share our wish for this fanfic board and writing in general. I had this idea as I was reading Hitobo, HashirePomeranian and Sieka's latest posts this morning. I believe this will help us better understand where each of us is coming from and help us see things from each other's perspective.

Of course, let's keep this sharing cordial and that means no flaming of any sort. We are here to exchange thoughts and hopefully, learn from one another. Now, let me start the ball rolling

I take pride in my writing and most of all, the effort I put into making each story a reality. Plot bunnies attack me left, right and center all the time and I often wish that I could just drop my job and other real-life responsibilities and escape to a secluded mountain where I could dedicate my time to writing fanfics. Sadly, life just doesn't work that way. (And where do I find electricity and internet access in the mountains? ) As a result, I have to push all these plot bunnies to the recesses of my mind and hold them there till the time is right to extract one and put it in writing. I admire writers who can effectively juggle multiple stories simultaneously. With that, I mean they are able to put out quality updates on a regular basis. I don't have the confidence to attempt a feat like that because I know my busy schedule just wouldn't allow it. Many times, I'm tempted to write and post pilot chapters of all the new story ideas I have but I don't do that because I feel a sense of responsibility towards my readers. As a reader myself, I understand the frustration of reading a promising start to a story and being all excited about how it will progress only to get my hopes shot down when I realise the writer has already abandoned the story. I don't like the disappointment so I don't want to subject my readers to the same thing. Hence, I limit myself to posting only one multi-chapter story at a time and the occasional one-shots. Yes, writing is supposed to be enjoyable and free for the writer but as I am posting my works in public, I can't help but feel responsible towards my readers and want to offer them the best I am capable of. There's the pressure which drives me to work harder with every update.

And that brings me to the joys I find in writing fanfictions for AKB48.

Characters
There is just so much fun in imagining how our idols will act in different situations based on the impressions they have given me in both print and video. I'm a sucker for alternate universe stories and I love the process of making the characters my own, meaning to give them defining qualities and personality quirks that are within the believable range based on my observations of their real-life counterparts. And the next step would be to develop them from the initial skeleton I've given them while keeping them in character in that universe.

Satisfaction
I enjoy writing in my comfort zone which consists of my OTP, writing in third person and inserting comedic moments in my stories. However, I like challenging myself every now and then too. A couple of months ago, I decided to write a serious and dark one-shot in first person POV. It was really hard and I found myself cringing at a lot of the things I had written initially but I persevered and eventually came up with something I thought was decent. The grammar, the vocabulary and the plot seemed fine but what about the delivery? Right before I clicked the 'Post' button, I was afraid. For the first time, I was not confident and wondered if the story will come across as a joke to readers. It was all because I was venturing out of my comfort zone. Thankfully, the story was rather well-received and I got some really constructive feedback. I felt as if I had conquered the highest mountain in the world. I had proved to others and most importantly to myself that I could write an enjoyable story in first person.

Vocabulary
I'm touching on vocabulary here because someone once wondered how I managed to write the way I do. This was my answer to the reader:

With regards to vocabulary, my best friends are dictionary.com and thesaurus.com when I write. My vocabulary is actually not very extensive so I have to put in extra effort to vary the words I use. As I write, I always re-read what I have written to make sure there are no words that have been used too frequently.

And I don't just pluck any word I find in the thesaurus. I always double-check its meaning in the dictionary to make sure it's suitable for the character and the situation. There are a lot of work and thought put into writing each update as mentioned by Sieka and HashirePomeranian. It's not just about throwing in beautiful words. The tougher and more time-consuming part comes when you put everything together to make the story and the characters come alive.

My New Year Wish
I love Jphip forum a lot and I've made very dear friends with some of the people here. I only wish for the best for this forum and especially for the AKB48 Fanfic Board because this is where I started. I wish to see the fanfic community develop as a whole even as we welcome new writers and readers. We continue to share our stories, yet at the same time, we don't forget to strive to improve our writing and make this forum the go-to place for AKB48 fanfics

I know my post is very long and I hope I haven't bored some of you to tears If I did, I hereby apologise Before I end off, I'd like to share just one last thing that I had posted sometime ago in my fanfic thread.

My motto when I write - "I am my own reader and critic." I've mentioned to some before that I spazz over my own fics and characters. It's a little embarrassing to admit it but I use my own spazz level to do a quality check. If even I don't feel much for my stories and characters, it just goes to show that they haven't reached the desired quality level.

That's all. Thank you very much for your attention and I hope to hear from everyone else your own reflection and wish for the new year

[paperbagkun]

Happy New Year everybody.

Oh, and paperbagkun: Here's hoping that discussion was 'alive' enough for you!

Maybe too 'alive' than I expected.  I actually...knew everything going on. I felt like an invisible third-wheel I couldn't side which one. I don't want to talk about it. 

[chibiusa]

HAPPY NEW YEAR  WRITERS/READERS/ADMINS!



I usually read fiction stories in Tumblr, then I found this Forum which was suggested by a comrade in social sites too.
This topic got me because honestly script format and paragraph format thing is different.
But basically its not bad, I love script formats I find it humorous and i love paragraph formats too as well.
Every writer has a right to write freely if that her/his style. So this topic must come to an end because in my opinion
I find this non-sense (this is my opinion) the admin already answered the solution and writers are free here to write whatever they want as long as they're sticking to the original rule that the forum implies. I hope my comment is not rude, I'm just stating my own words too.

[paperbagkun]

Let us all watch this

[sakura_drop_]

Okay...

I hope mods are not going to ban us all for arguing about these matters.... It's not like I argue for myself, I defend all the others who are not that good with English and cannot defend their opinion. I am not a perfect English speaker, as I am Lithuanian, but I really can't stand it anymore watching these immature comments appear.

These childish comments... Is this a place ONLY for novel writers? Is this a place ONLY for perfect vocabulary fanfiction? Is this a place for ONLY you or ONLY me? I believe this place is for ALL people who love reading and writing fanfiction. You all sound like if we write something less creative then you are totally underrated. Isn't it the same for us then? Shouldn't we complain too then? "I'm sorry can you remove or limit the awesomely written fics because my works then are like sh*t and no one is reading them!!" No, it's not like that.

This community here is open for everyone, that's what I believe in. When I first came here I was just a reader and I never thought I should log in. Then I read R I V E R and I was done for good. I just had to register and comment on it ASAP. And that's when inspiration hit me to the max and I started writing. I was not good, I was really bad at the beginning and yet I received warm welcome, people commented on my stories and liked them. At first I felt like I really want them to comment and to 'thank you' the stories... But then... I got this question asked and it hit me it's not the most important thing.

You have to ask yourself. Are you writing only because you want to receive comments and 'thank yous' or you write because you enjoy writing?

Yes, apparently I love comments and 'thank yous' but not to the point where it can ruin my creativity. The thought that there are many people who (like me in the beginning) are not logged in but read them is enough for me to continue on.

One reader is already a reader.

It doesn't matter if only one person reads my smut story or my hardcore story (if I ever write one). What matters is I was able to post and share it. Why I write things like that? You never got into the mood where you just wanna go all out? Like, you are really pissed and just wanna hit someone but you can't? Well, I have these moods and that's where writing comes handy. By writing you let your steam off, you write out your ideas and frustrations and then you share it. When you share it and get at least one view you become lighter and the pain, it lessens. What I mean by this?

This place is not ONLY for prose writers or for people who wish their fanfiction to be made into a book.

This place is for every writer and reader out there, no matter his writing style, vocabulary or skills. If you think I hate you for your opinions and arguments and I now just go back at you, well... You're wrong. I admire those writers who have wide vocabulary, nicely done stories, perfect plots and etc. Sieka-sama, Divine Vengeance-san, muwi-chama, seigus-san, daddy Flean-kun and others are the ones I look up to, they are my gods of fanfiction. I don't know them personally and I might not always agree with their opinions but their works are gold worthy.

And yet there are also many people in this place who have amazing plots without using clever words, or funny stories without any plot that I enjoy reading. This place for me is sacred, I feel here like at home when I come and can read whatever I want. When I am in a sulky mood I wanna read some funny drabble or fluffy story or Sieka-sama's angst works. When I am in a good mood I go and read serious stories or perv stories or just any story I'm up to read.

If you wanna get lots of feedback, just write popular pairings.

That is kinda the thing everyone by now probably noticed. Really. Either you have to write a very popular pairing like AtsuMina or KojiYuu (I have nothing against the pairs) or your story has to have a very good plot/vocabulary. So what? Should I stop writing my OTP and things I like to write just because some people enjoy popular ones more? no. I continue writing things I like and enjoy as this (as I remember) was the place for EVERYONE to put their creations NO MATTER the style and vocabulary or skills.


I just noticed Sieka-sama's comment. Yeah, because my vocabulary is not perfect and because I'm not that good as you are I can't state my opinions that easily. I'm not offended by your words, I never was. I like critique as it helps me move forward.

What I meant by try to make things okay for everyone was my idea of stating in the title what kind of fic that is. Wouldn't it be okay for everyone to know whether its hardcore or fluffy? Labeling your fic is the thing I see as the best option if there are many people against hardcore things. I agree with bochang-san about the gender and age thing. There are may people who love hardcore and many who love fluffy. We just have to try to understand each other. My idea still stays: let's label our fics.

I was okay with all the comments who have nice arguments as long as they look from both POVs. But when you can see only your side and ignore ours, that's where I get angry. I understand you, that you want it lighter and stuff, so yeah, let's label the fics and it will be okay then, nee?

And bochang-san, it's okay, the harsh comments, at least then I can see that my thoughts were read and taken into consideration.

This is not too long I hope. Also, sorry if it doesn't have a nice vocabulary. I am not that good in writing prose. I just hope you can understand my thoughts this time. Don't be offended. We just discuss this, nee?