Fanfics Review / General Discussion Thread

[Tundra Wind]

The year of boot camps and betas? Care to explain to the newbie? 

I think my brain automatically fixes spelling errors when I'm reading fics, but I can only take so many spelling errors before my brain feels like exploding.

[kawaii beam]

half the time i dont even notice th spelling errors XDD i usualy am too into the story

[writerjunkie]

I try to check for grammar and spelling mistakes, but I still miss a bunch. >_< I have gotten a little better than what I first started off with though. I guess the only way for me to really be sure I got them all is to read my fic out loud a few times. It helps a lot with me, but I can't really read it out loud because my sisters are always home and if they heard me they would get so nosy. >_<

[Estrea]

I agree with Sukoshi, grammar and spelling mistakes are a huge peeve of mine. I start backpedalling like whoa when a new story comes out littered with errors galore. Although I take it further and run even when the formatting is an issue. Huge chunk of words = NO NO. It's one thing to have long paragraphs, it's another when your entire chapter consists of one unbroken paragraph. Unless you have a very good reason for it, there's no excuse. Lol.

I guess for me, spellcheck and grammar comes naturally. I type in Wordpad, and there's no automatic spellcheck function in it, but even as I write, I would pause every few paragraphs to reread and check for errors (unless it's really late and my brain feels like mush). Then after I finish, I look it over again for any errors (though I still miss some, obviously, since I tend to write at ungodly hours when my concentration is awful ).  Then I make a final edit as I copy and paste into the reply box for posting, since as Sukoshi pointed out, when the red lines appear, I can check and see if it's actually a mistake or just someone's name not recognized as correct spelling. Of course, I'm  obsessive and take it still further, because even after I edit and post, I still reread the posted version after I wake up, and then go to edit it again if I find errors (although I admit sometimes I'm too lazy to do so unless it's something that really bothers me). But that's just my way of doing things, which is why it takes so much time and energy for me to get anything posted, since I really work hard at it. I'm never going to be able to post one chapter a day with work in my life now, since I'm always dog tired when I come back, but I won't compromise on quality for speed. At least, I hope I never do so. Haha.

Spelling errors are still the easiest to fix though, since spellcheck is in Microsoft Word/OpenOffice/your browser. Grammar is just something that you have to pick up through either drilling the rules into your head (which, I think, should be done when young, after you get older it's just too hard and too damn boring to fix those rules in), or just reading stories with good grammar structure. I read novels all the time and picked up my grammatical forms from there. It comes instinctively once you've hammered it into your brain. You just know it's wrong at a glance if you read something that's not grammatical. Of course, I'm not perfect, because I tend to write on a whim at times and let my artistic sense control my grammatical one, so I can be inconsistent. No hard and fast rules for me, since a large part of my grammar appears to be self taught when writing narratives. That's why I can forgive grammar inconsistency as long as it's not too wretchedly wrong. I'm not going to crucify anyone for switching between past and present tense (unless done extremely badly and strangely, which can happen).

But enough of my ranting. Just remember: Essy is a perfectionist. I believe anyone can get better, including myself. Because, seriously, I need to be even better in order to satisfy my own inner critic. But if you're just writing for fun, well, have fun doing so! All this nitpicking is for people like me. Because if you are miserable writing, then it will show. And then why should you write in the first place?

So, my last message here would be: write with joy! Yes we should aim to improve, yes we should try and fix our weaknesses. But at the end of the day, we're dealing with fanfiction and the idols we love, so we should be happy in our writing.

[Sukoshi]

@Tundra: that and that.  boot camp and betas.  But remember it was back in 2008...  the beta thing was a good idea while the boot camp...I don't think I ever agreed with that

My brain also does the auto correct thing when it comes to spelling...but I notice it none the less.  I generally could care less when it's just one or two mistakes in a long chapter.  More than two per paragraph, per chapter, is pushing it   Back in my Uni days, I used to print my essays out and sit down with a red marker in hand and just go at it   Mistakes in academic writing was, and still is, not looked upon leniently.  I've been well brainwashed   Mistakes in fanfiction writing? Not the end of the world nor even the end of the day!  It's just still the easiest way to up the readability of a piece.  [insert Estrea's having fun while writing comment here] [insert happy face] 



LOL Found this in the boot camp thread...July 2008

well I'm not sure I agree with the boot camp thing either but the lovely thing about it is it's all voluntary...
...
Boot camp will certain scare off some people but I seriously hope some writers will sign up for at least a bare minimum course in say...spell checking.

Ahhahahahaha Good grief self

[Estrea]

^Lol yeah, bootcamp was just weird because stuff like that should never be shown in public. No one's that comfortable doing all that in public view.

The beta system never really worked here though...you need to build up a semi-professional relationship between writer and beta, and it can be hard sometimes...it has to be voluntary on both sides for one thing. I've only ever beta-ed for one person, and that was years ago. I've never had a beta because I would never trust someone else that much with my writing. I can talk about it with others, but beta? No thanks. Lol. I need to get over myself, seriously.

And Sukoshi? Your spellcheck peeve must just be really consistent. That's nothing to be ashamed of!

[Tundra Wind]

My eyes are burning from skimming through the bootcamp thread. The pink and green were so bright. 

Well, this turned out to be a valuable break from reading my books. Ironically, procrastinating is actually helping me with my schoolwork right now.

I think I focus on the structure and flow of sentences. I can't stand it if a sentence sounds awkward. Although, I think I've been brainwashed well enough by my last 2 English teachers so that I can catch the awkward sentences in my own writing. I still think I'm going to go crazy one day while trying to figure out the right word to use in a sentence.  Must improve my writing... Oh well, writing seems to be my new stress reliever. 

Sukoshi... I admire your diligence in academic writing. Does your spellcheck peeve apply to comments too? 

So what would the current generation be classified as? Or are we currently stuck in the newb era? 

[Estrea]

Hm, I always classified 9th gen as the Migrant Generation. So many people jumping over from other places...

10th gen seems to be New Faces. I haven't read enough to see any common theme at the moment, so this will have to do for now.

[Sukoshi]

Sukoshi... I admire your diligence in academic writing. Does your spellcheck peeve apply to comments too? 

Y E S.  Very much so

[StephanyLee]

Finally decide to randomly join in here  I lurk...... a lot and maybe because is hard for me to give a decent post 

I have to REALLY like something to post anything about it or  REALLY feel like I want to reply......... no wait, it's pretty much when I feel like it, 'cause even though I really like a story I never comment and then I felt like I want to but still don't do it u.u' *disappointed of myself as well*
And also I used to read a lot of the old days, right now I haven't red much of the recent writers or new stories. I'm more of the old GAM, IshiYossie, YuukoxKei, NachixGoto (although I'm still trying to find that one but I'm pretty sure there was around o.0) and of course something non TakaGaki, TanaKame related things (I just can't stand them anymore u.u') There was good days back in 2006-2008 but at that point I didn't was resister here and didn't post anything at H!O (shame of me u.u')

I once got I criticism of my fic and stop writing because of that u.u'........ LOL JK!

And then when I think I should give more criticism, I end up being the last commentator for the thread... >.< (*bows in apology to StephanyLee*).

I told you no need to apologize ^^. Actually I was glad you give such a reply and just give my your point of view about it. I never got something like that and at H!O there was a person who REALLY like it and never point out the things you did, so I though I was doing well.
Is good for a writer to know what others like to read and what the readers REALLY think about the story, well at least for me was a good thing. Even though I'm not so good receiving a critic at all, I found them useful, but I guess it depends of the writer also.

Back when I first stared to write I wasn't really aware of the grammar and spelling and recently found out all the mistakes I made and there were a lot  now I'm more carefully about it. There's a HUGE difference now in the story 'cause I change a lot on it so now there are less mistakes but I'm pretty sure there're still some left 'cause event though I pay extra attention when I re-read what I write I found a mistake u.u' and on top of that I have to struggle with the fact that English is not my first language so I always have open wordReference for my spelling or a word I can't quite remember well  (and also Word make it so much easy for spelling) So when I read or re-read an old fanfic I now pay more attention to the words and the structure of the story (I made every experience an educational one LOL) oh yeah, and then I totally forget about the word in English AND in Spanish u.u'

Hm, I always classified 9th gen as the Migrant Generation. So many people jumping over from other places...

Great so now I'm a migrant ¬¬
I felt like I'm in Arizona. I'll be deported as well? XDDDD *I'm mexican and I have this sense of humor LOL*

*Extra checking this post for any spelling mistakes*
     

[Sukoshi]

NachixGoto (although I'm still trying to find that one but I'm pretty sure there was around o.0)

Yes, I do vaguely remember Nacchi x Maki

and of course something non TakaGaki, TanaKame related things (I just can't stand them anymore u.u')

. . . . we are no longer on speaking terms. 

[Beecubed]

Aww Beecubed, it's ok. At least you got here eventually.

I agree. Better late than never, right? But it would still have been so nice to have been around while you were writing about Vampire and Pirate Musumes. I would've had such a blast reading and commenting on those. 

It can be hard to teach how to write better. Personally I just try to read good writing and absorb the techniques involved. I'm of the opinion that reading well breeds good writing eventually.

I second this.

I've compared my writing in grade 6 to my writing in Year 8, and the difference is just... mindblowing 

What really made the difference was the fact that I read SO much in grade 6. The more you read, the more accustomed you become to the way professional writers use language and create meaning. This awareness then might manifest in your own writing, or otherwise you might have to put in the extra effort to study a good piece of writing and take some time to apply and practise.

I mean, everyone can obviously tell how much I worship Ai from how I write about her.

Totally 

Then again, I'm very hard to please as a reader. So don't get discouraged if I'm not impressed by something. I just have ridiculously high standards.

You must not like things like Twilight then... 

Not that I hate Twilight that much, but I just can't get into it. And it's even worse that people are placing it on the same bookshelf with genius stuff like Harry Potter. T____T

Anyway, that makes me curious, Essy. What's a really good book to you, then?

Most of the time I absolutely hate my own writing because I think it's absolutely horrible. I wish I was better...

I don't think you hate your own writing. You said so yourself in one of the latter posts - 'I need to get over myself' xD

So maybe your problem is that you ache and agonise over your writing so much, the process of writing and editing for you has become somewhat horrid at times.

You might be the type to read through a paragraph and think, 'Wow, I've done pretty well here...' and then look at the same paragraph some weeks later and just feel like  lol, I know I do that sometimes.

It's good to want to improve and all, but don't say stuff like 'my writing is horrible' when we all know very well that it is far from that, Essy. ^__^

If you were looking to maybe publish your works to the masses, then perhaps such feelings would be more justified. But we're just talking fanfiction here, and I know a lot of us are very passionate about our literary conquests... but keep in mind the readers here probably spend most of their time reading, experiencing and fangirling/boying rather than glaring daggers at an awkward-sounding sentence    I don't think fanfiction should invite so much criticism anyway. Fanfiction is about writing and sharing stories about our beloved people for the pure joy it brings. 

@Beecubed There are people that call Ai boring?   Now I want criticism from you just to see how bad it could be. I'm so masochistic when it comes to my writing. 

Yeah. Lots of them in fact. Actually, I might have been guilty of that a long time ago.    But only because I didn't know anything about her, of course.

I don't follow Berryz or C-ute, actually... >.<
And I'm not the type to completely rip somebody's writing apart. I can't do that. I could maybe read into some of your chapters and tell you what I think (in a very nice, non-confrontational way ^_^), but I wouldn't bash it. If you want your story to be bashed, I'm probably not who you're looking for... 

@Beecubed : thanks for your advices and tips....   i'll try my best to fulfill the criteas that you have tell me... read my fic "Promise" if you got the time ok..... i'm not sure how much you like it though....

No problem 
My advice wasn't very specific, but it's a start if you begin looking into it, I think... *scratches head*
Again, I'm not a Berryz or C-ute fan. But I could look into it for you at a surface level if you want.

Huge chunk of words = NO NO. It's one thing to have long paragraphs, it's another when your entire chapter consists of one unbroken paragraph.

Agreed. I massive paragraphs give me headaches even before reading them; so look so heavy and tedious to read. Formatting is definitely something that needs to be addressed well too.

But that's just my way of doing things, which is why it takes so much time and energy for me to get anything posted, since I really work hard at it. I'm never going to be able to post one chapter a day with work in my life now, since I'm always dog tired when I come back, but I won't compromise on quality for speed. At least, I hope I never do so. Haha.

I'm feeling you here too.

But if you're the type to take ages to post a chapter because you can't bear to sacrifice quality, it can also work against your favour. The reading can be jarred, because giving readers such a long break between chapters means their mood/emotional responses are continually disrupted or given time to fade. That's one of the main reasons why I think SarangAi is doing so well in the forum atm - she's updating so quickly and consistently.

It's like how I can't stand watching one Naruto episode and having to wait a week for the next to be released. It's not as fun. Watching 20 episodes one after the other makes for such an epic viewing! 

So, my last message here would be: write with joy! Yes we should aim to improve, yes we should try and fix our weaknesses. But at the end of the day, we're dealing with fanfiction and the idols we love, so we should be happy in our writing.

Exactly what I was just saying before... xD

@Tundra: that and that.  boot camp and betas.  But remember it was back in 2008...  the beta thing was a good idea while the boot camp...I don't think I ever agreed with that

The idea of boot camp and betas is cool...

And I read what Yuuyami and Loser87 had to say about Heyyouhiya's prologue... and my God, they completely butchered it 

Though I disagreed with almost everything they criticised about... or is that because of my more lenient nature? I don't know, it felt like they picked on everything. I would've been pretty shot down if I were Heyyouhiya 

I think I focus on the structure and flow of sentences. I can't stand it if a sentence sounds awkward. Although, I think I've been brainwashed well enough by my last 2 English teachers so that I can catch the awkward sentences in my own writing. I still think I'm going to go crazy one day while trying to figure out the right word to use in a sentence.  Must improve my writing... Oh well, writing seems to be my new stress reliever. 

Structure and flow of sentences is definitely something I need to work on too 

There's no better way to improve than to keep writing    Don't sit there for hours trying to find the right word, you'll just end up hating writing 

My new stress reliever is reading now. I love it so very much and haven't been doing it as consistently as I used too. For the last few weeks I've been reading pretty much nothing but Morning Musume fanfiction 

Finally decide to randomly join in here  I lurk...... a lot and maybe because is hard for me to give a decent post 

Thanks for joining in! 
I know you took the Eri graduation news pretty hard StephanyLee, but please don't disappear forever... 

I once got I criticism of my fic and stop writing because of that u.u'........ LOL JK!

 

I told you no need to apologize ^^. Actually I was glad you give such a reply and just give my your point of view about it. I never got something like that and at H!O there was a person who REALLY like it and never point out the things you did, so I though I was doing well.
Is good for a writer to know what others like to read and what the readers REALLY think about the story, well at least for me was a good thing. Even though I'm not so good receiving a critic at all, I found them useful, but I guess it depends of the writer also.

I know you did, but I still felt bad afterwards. I just didn't think it would make you stop the whole story >.< I'm a bit of softie and I don't like making people feel bad. You might have told me that it was okay, but what if it wasn't? The fact that you stopped the story itself made me all 

It wasn't that your story wasn't any good - it held lots of potential and I wanted to see it blossom so that's why I gave the advice that I did.

But yeah, it does depend on the writer. Some take criticism gracefully and for others... it's their downfall. 

There's a HUGE difference now in the story 'cause I change a lot on it so now there are less mistakes but I'm pretty sure there're still some left 'cause event though I pay extra attention when I re-read what I write I found a mistake u.u'

I'm glad you're seeing improvement 
I'll have to read some of your newer AiEri stuff 

and on top of that I have to struggle with the fact that English is not my first language

Which is why it's so admirable that many writers continue to write and wow people despite the fact that English is not their mother tongue. 
I would never be able to write that well in a second language. 

.............................. Okay, I think I've established the fact that I love writing about reading and writing. 

[Sukoshi]

Twilight....has got to be the most amateur series of books I've ever read in my life.  I read it years back before they even made the movies and it was still appalling   I'm glad it wasn't published back in my tween years...though it might have been a lot less painful to read through if that were the case

[Beecubed]

Twilight....has got to be the most amateur series of books I've ever read in my life.  I read it years back before they even made the movies and it was still appalling   I'm glad it wasn't published back in my tween years...though it might have been a lot less painful to read through if that were the case

 

But you managed to finish it off, Sukoshi?

I usually need closure for my reading too, but I still can't get through the first book.  I just got tired of the constant mention of Edward's physical Godliness... you would imagine a reader picking that up after the first few hundred times it was mentioned.

I'm not even going to bother with the movies. And I don't care to know what happens.

I want to know what happens next in Gegenschein though. Vampire Ai > Cullen.

She would trample him without realising it. ^__^

[Sukoshi]

Did I finish it?  No...I only read 3 out of 4 of them.  I hated book 1.  I hated book 2.  I hated book 3.  Figured if I read book 4, I might set something on fire.  It was best avoided, much like the plague, or in this case, pasty looking boys that like to "shine".

But I swear, the author must think everyone out there has ADD.  Just like you mentioned Bee, everything gets repeated over and over again! Edward tells Bella that he's oh so "dangerous".  Bella loves Edward.  Bella can't live without Edward.  Edward sparkles.  Edward saves Bella.  Jake takes off his shirt.  repeat. repeat. repeat.  summarize. re-summarize. repeat again. and there you have it, the first 3 books.  Add in marriage.  a "dangerous" baby. and more shirtless Jake and I'm sure we have book 4 as well. 

[rndmnwierd]

I love you guys. 

[Estrea]

^I second rndm's opinion.

I've personally never touched the Twilight series, and after hearing that summary, I even go to the point of frowning at people who enjoy it. I mean, seriously, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU IF YOU LIKE SOMETHING LIKE THIS?

I want to know what happens next in Gegenschein though. Vampire Ai > Cullen.

She would trample him without realising it. ^__^

Lmao! Vampire Ai is indeed better than Cullen. Gee, Gegenschein? Hmm...looks like I have a lot of work to do.

I have a confession to make. A long time ago (5, 6 years at least), I was truly awful at writing, and after receiving a scathing review of one of my early stories, I quit writing for 2 years entirely. I only picked it up again 3 years ago because of, of all things, Strawberry Panic. Lmao. Girl/girl love brought me back to fanfic writing (I used to write strictly het stuff ), and I've never really departed from that genre again.

But I found that my writing has mellowed a lot from my early days after my 2-year hiatus. I don't even know how it happened, but I guess high school helped. I was doing literature and other advanced readings, and it must have rubbed off somehow.

Now...I wish I was better. I sometimes think I could work on something original and try to get it published, because for me writing is Serious Bizness. There's nothing that excites me more, that consumes me more entirely than writing. I know not everyone feels that way, but that's how I feel even while writing fanfiction. So...it matters to me. Even though I think, well, I need more criticism. :/

Oh and another note...

@Sukoshi: I can't stand TakaGaki or TanaKame. Do you hate me too?

Oh and I just noticed something that I forgot to reply to...

@Beecubed: What do I consider a good book? Hmm...I need something that can get me sympathetic to the characters or just something in the story. I know I can't stand the same old themes all the time, but it's more a matter of how it's done rather what it is. I mean, two books can both be in the fantasy genre, but they can handle the subject matter differently, and that's all the difference it makes. I need something that draws me into the world of the book effectively, to make me believe that it is almost real, to escape reality. And then there's writing style. Some styles just work better with my brain. I can't tell you what they are. I just know it when I see them. I also have themes I favor, usually darker and morbid stuff. I like reading about war, strife, all those fun stuff. Political intrigue, battle tactics, all these things draw me in. I like mind games and complicated things. So...if a book has stuff like that I'll like it. Reading relaxes me, no matter how difficult the subject matter. Haha.

[rokun]

Yes, yuri is

Although I'm still not completely sure how I got involved with it... lol. It's definitely something I wouldn't have really even thought of like 5 years ago. Or have I been writing here for over 5 years now? I don't remember. >.> Right around there probably.

I am also with Essy in that I've never read Twilight, because I keep hearing things like what Sukoshi said that make me really not have interest in reading it lol, and you know how picky I am here...

Honestly too, hearing everyone here talk about how they write their fics and such, I don't really know where I fit. I don't really think I've ever fit in. I started back in JPM's 4th Station days writing a story that was inspired partly by some original stuff I thought about years ago, and since then I've just kept writing when I've felt like it because I have fun doing it. I never really thought of myself as a "fanfic" writer though because I didn't have the history and relationship with it like everyone else seemed to... I felt more like I was just doing my own thing. I felt like I wrote what I wanted, and was rather amazed that some other people seemed to enjoy it as well.

In that way it's never been completely serious business for me... I don't go through all the revisions and such everyone seems to. I just write what comes to mind and let it basically develop like it does. I suppose there is some seriousness especially with some stories since I have like pages and pages of notes and back story, but I'm still not sure I really think of it that way. I have actually quite a few friends who work in a publishing company since that's one of the largest employers of young people in town, and when I've mentioned to some of my friends I've done some pretty intensive writing (novel-length works, if not novel quality >.>), they've even offered to let me have one of their unused allowances to publish something... but I feel like that is just too huge a step for me and haven't taken the opportunity. Actually I was just out gaming with people last night, who 2 out of the 3 of them work for that company.

Anyway, between the shyness and since I'd need to actually write something original, I've just kept on as I have... having fun with it. I've found there's always trouble that comes up with trying to link a hobby I do for enjoyment with making a living, although sometimes I do wonder what the possibilities may be sometimes... Anyway, that's all pretty much moot.

I also know how much I suck after reading this thread because of how I update sometimes. Although, I do think I will update a bit more now that I've gotten settled into a lifestyle and into some regular habits again. Kind of like what I did a week ago. It really helps if I can at least get a start on something while at work... That's why I haven't written anything this last week since work has been too busy >_< but I think it should calm down a bit again within the next couple weeks so I can start writing more again. I definitely hope so.

[kawaii beam]

oh my goodnes....there's so much stuff to read and like my brain got lost in it^^;

uh...about twilight i actually kinda liked it...before every tewwn in the world spazed for edward >.> and vampire ai pwns all

for my way of righting, i usualy just kinda go with the flow cus i can never think of the whole story and then plan it out^^; it just feels really weird to me. lately though with my current fic that i just started posting on here i'm like megga stuck on H!O i'm likeo n chapter 20 i think but i have no creativity(aka LAZY) for it.... so i've been taking like a major break from it i've just been trying to pop out oneshots which help but like when i get ideas they only last for so long that by the time im motivated to type it out on word my mind just dies^^; anyone have tips on that?^^;

also like i'd love someone to seriously tell me what they think of my writings and such like i really want to know eventhough i know about the spelling and such....i didnt have word on my old computer so i just typed up what i'd written down in a notebook thankfuly now on my laptop i have wrd so i  have to force myself into using it ^^;

[rndmnwierd]

^You liked Twilight? *horror!*

We'll just hafta learn it outta ya now... *banjo plays*

Nah, I'm just kidding, (mostly) I've noticed a lot of improvement during our Round Robin, we just gotta work on spelling in comments, girl. I personally use Firefox (fail XP)  which has a spell checker built in (again, fail for some stuff) but it's alright for simple words. Is it alright for me to say this here? I don't think I'm really a good person to be instructing as though I'm some sort of pro...

Well, I've written it up, might as well post it...

Anyway, for Writer's Block/lack of creativity I'm sure there's plenty of advice floating around here. As for me, my creativity comes and goes in uncontrolled bursts. Like, the most random things will make me think of something. A pretty scenery, something funny my friend said or even a TV show. Does this help? *is unsure*