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Thursday, August 14, 2003
12:38 p.m. Link of the day. Not for the particular thread, but for the icon. XD
So, thinking about fic writing (because it's not like I have work to do or anything :P) leads to all sorts of purely trivial but still interesting (for me) conclusions. For instance, presentation of characters in fanfic is a very different beast from original fiction. We all know that in fic you don't need to go through the explanation of name, basic physical description, and salient past experiences, since that's sort of a given with fanfic audiences. However, there's a lot more not-so-obvious stuff that needs to be omitted or reworked when working with original characters who are strangers to the reader. Like with me, when I'm writing fic -- I know people know who I'm talking about; I don't have to insert random episodes of daily life in order to let the reader get a feel for the character. I also indulge in ungodly amounts of exposition, mostly in the form of theories about the characters, that I have to cut back on in original writing -- because then it becomes more of telling, not showing. And that's not good. When you're introducing characters for the first time, we all know that something like "She was a proud woman, maintaining an ambivalent relationship with her father based on a lack of attention as a child that subsequently shadowed all her romantic relationships" is an abstract for a character design, not an effective way of actually writing a character. You show it, through the decisions the character makes, the plot, the flavor of the dialogue, blah blah blah. Otherwise it's like you're breaking down the writing and letting them see the construction behind it, instead of letting a reader get lost in the story as another world. But the reason I don't feel bad about doing something similar in fanfic -- laying out brief summaries of the characters -- is because we no longer *need* the introductions. We're onto the dissection and analysis part, which to me is a lot of what fanfic is about. We've already gotten to observe the characters' actions, background, and growth from the show/book/comic itself; now it's our turn to figure out what that all means. (Which is what an audience is supposed to do anyway -- we just happen to be doing it through a story in the meantime. Each fanfic can represent an individual fan's interpretation.) Yeah, the "showing" of the character is still required to make a good story, but instead of being a method of familiarizing, it's now an opportunity of judging the in-characterness of a character everyone already knows. We make them do new things, of course, but it's got to resonate with the source material; demonstration of character then becomes something like an inside joke with the audience. And *then* we can go ahead and insert things like theories that summarize a character (or interpret a relationship or analyze a plot construct), even though that's technically not-so-good writing. And that's like breaking through the fourth wall (or at least nudging it aside) for a playful elbow jab at the audience. Of course, not all fic authors write like that. But I know a lot who do, and the reason it doesn't bother me like it does in, say, published novels is because it's not as much of a transgression. It may not be a technically correct tool for writing, but it is a good one for writing fanfic. Tuesday, August 12, 2003
12:24 p.m. Ruminations on fandom ahoy. Please disregard if you're likely to be bored by such. ^_^;
One of the reasons I decided to join FF.net (besides a sense of perverse masochism, I suppose XD;;) is because I'm hardly active in fandom anymore, and this is a way of dipping my feet back in without exerting myself, since I read and write fic anyway. It also seems to be one of my only options. I'm on one mailing list, but it's generally quiet; and from what I can tell the other major lists for RuroKen aren't very different. From what I can tell, fandom in general has moved to either FF.net, or LiveJournal. This is, of course, solely based on my own observations. But at least in the case of RuroKen, the lists seem to be mostly deserted, and the only large, active fic archive I know of is TFME. On the other hand, the RuroKen section of FF.Net is alive and kicking, and I've also seen lots of anime fic authors shifting focus to their own LJ circles. I wonder if this is an entirely good thing. The primary advantage of the LJ/blogging community is, of course, the greater personal aspect of the interaction. No matter how active a list is, you're hardly going to be aware of the members' daily goings-on. But with LJ communities (by which I mean both literal communities and the informal groups of reciprocally Friended bloggers), even if discourse is limited to fic/fandom matters, you're more likely to absorb or stumble upon the Other Stuff in the person's life, by virtue of the fact that you're reading their online journal. On the other hand, this new type of fandom tends to be more exclusive. Whereas on an ML you could join an established fan group by simply subscribing and announcing yourself as the newbie, things are different with blogs. One can't simply send out a general message and introduce oneself to the entire group; the best recourse is Friending, which still doesn't mean one will be Friended back. With actual communities it's easier, because there *is* the possibility of posting a general introduction. But LJ on the whole seems (from this outsider's perspective) less likely to provide a single congregation point for a fandom; it's more personalized and interactive, but at the same time less comprehensive and generally accessible. Do I sound like I'm complaining? ^_^;; I don't mean to be. These are just observations, prompted by some reminiscing over the younger stages of fandom. I still remember the Yuu Yuu Hakusho ML, and the shock of jumping right into an active community, like a just-a-little-too-cool swimming pool that required total immersion before you got used to it. I sort of miss the fact that there doesn't seem to be an equivalent forum now. Or maybe that's just in (certain) anime fandom(s)? I know Harry Potter would disprove all my points, and maybe some of the larger anime fandoms. Anyway, I know any attempt to define social trends in something as sprawling as online fandom is sort of specious. Especially coming from a perpetual lurker, but. ^_^; Besides all that background stuff, one of the reasons I chose specifically to join FF.Net instead of, say, grabbing an LJ is because the RuroKen section is really not that bad. The first Mary Sues showed up long after the Cartoon Network airing first began, and even now they're a relatively rare pest. (I'm not sure why that is, especially considering the fates of other bishounen-filled shounen series on the site. Perhaps it's the presence of ostensible female counterparts for most of them; while this doesn't reduce the amount of overeager fangirlism, or the desire to display their self-indulgent fantasies, at least they can Sueify the canon females instead of making their own. :P) Also, the feedback features are generally put to good use there. Along with the typical one-liners and other fluff reviews, I see a lot of good constructive criticism being tossed around (and frankly, I want to get in on that action XD;;). There's not so much 'shipper craziness, or even anti-yaoi mania. (As opposed to one HP fic I stumbled upon that had three pages of reviews, mostly vitriolic, because the story was Harry/Hermione. O.o) Sorry if I bored people. ^_^; Onto other things. Alignment: Chaotic Good characters are independent types with a strong belief in the value of goodness. They have little use for governments and other forces of order, and will generally do their own things, without heed to such groups. Race: Elves are the eldest of all races, although they are generally a bit smaller than humans. They are generally well-cultured, artistic, easy-going, and because of their long lives, unconcerned with day-to-day activities that other races frequently concern themselves with. Elves are, effectively, immortal, although they can be killed. After a thousand years or so, they simply pass on to the next plane of existance. Primary Class: Rangers are the defenders of nature and the elements. They are in tune with the Earth, and work to keep it safe and healthy. Secondary Class: Bards are the entertainers. They sing, dance, and play instruments to make other people happy, and, frequently, make money. They also tend to dabble in magic a bit. Deity: Solonor Thelandria is the Chaotic Good elven god of archery and the hunt. He is also known as the Keen Eye, the Great Archer, and the Forest Hunter. His followers respect nature, and only hunt when needed, but are quick to defend the forest from intruders. Their favorite weapon is the bow, and they tend to be extremely talented with it. Solonor Thelandria's symbol is an arrow with green fletchings. Find out What D&D Character Are You?, courtesy of  NeppyMan (e-mail)Monday, August 11, 2003
03:18 p.m. So ... I caved. ^_^;; Nothing up there yet, but I'll be uploading things as I have the time. I've been wanting to do it for a while, so I figure I might as well do it now before the Cartoon Network-spawned Mary Sues overrun the RuroKen section. :P
Monday, August 11, 2003
01:19 p.m. Yesterday was my cousins' birthday party (sorry for the belated wishes, Tiff ^_^;) and I ate looooots of food. Please to remind me not to test and see if my stomach is made of elastic again, because it is not. _o_ (And we didn't even get to eat the dessert I wanted, mou. XD;;)
Made a new layout while I was there, but left the code sitting pretty on their desktop. D'oh. And now for some useless memes~~ (The bastard. XD;;) (Okay, so I sorta cheated with that one. But I didn't want to date Billy Boyd. ^_^;;) Friday, August 8, 2003
01:36 p.m. Why do Fridays like to go soooo sloooowly? Especially when I have nothing to do (both projects I was working on conveniently hit a temporary hiatus yesterday) and I feel bad about sitting around doing nothing and getting paid? :P
In other news, I snagged the Ban/Ginji duet from Jen. I wish I could listen more closely for purposes of lyric-deciphering, but seeing as I'm at work that's probably not a great idea. ^_^; But it's cute, and thankfully not dorky. Give me Juubei/Kazuki to go with it and I shall be happy. Also got Nikopachi from Bean. *glomps bean* This is the first time I've actually heard "Tune the Rainbow," and it's rather pretty. Though I actually prefer the other song on the single, "The Garden of Everything" ... and man, I want her new original album to come out. T_T Thursday, August 7, 2003
02:04 p.m. All the weeks of languishing I had at home and it's only now when I'm at work that I update Moenokori. Go figure. ^_^; Anyway, I just decided to try my hand at drabbles, so I put a few up. Good for when you only have a few minutes to write -- plus, I got to use a random paragraph that I had laying in my notebook for several months. They're all exactly 100 words, except for one that's exactly 200. :P
Thursday, August 7, 2003
10:40 a.m. A response to the previously linked entry on fanfic feedback, focusing on the oft-unmentioned responsibilities of the reader in writing critiques. I can understand the author's need to call her post "potentially incendiary," because some people could take the "think before you reply" message as anti-critique. I guess it depends on what you believe the dominant trend in fandom is, so you know what to rebel against. ^_^; I mean, if you feel that the prevailing climate elevates the writer and makes the audience out to be a mass of mindless drones, you'd consider the reader the underdog, and the post would seem antagonistic. On the other hand, if you read these metadiscussions and back-and-forth debates as privileging the reader, then the writer becomes the maligned one and the post seems perfectly reasonable.
One of my favorite ideas was presented in a similarly-themed LJ debate a few months back, in which a poster said she was bothered by *both* the "Hurry up and give me the next chapter NOW!" and the "You goddess, I am not worthy to clip your toenails" responses. One treated her as a fanfic-producing machine whose only worth was in churning out the next chapter, while the other elevated her to something beyond the reader's measly existence simply because she wrote good stories. Neither, however, treated her as just a person. Which makes sense -- fanfic writers aren't some mysterious group of people with inscrutable demands of the readership; they just want to be treated in a normal, respectful manner. Usually, at least. ^_^; Tuesday, August 5, 2003
09:57 a.m. On public critique of fanfic. Awesome piece. "Crit happens," indeed. XD
Monday, August 4, 2003
04:33 p.m. From Abortion Debate:
"I loath that whole 'liberalism is for the young.' People who say they were liberal until they got older and then they 'wised up' and went conservative. "Might as well say - I used to care about people - until I amassed enough cash to trade my soul in and defend my trinkets from the lazy hordes." Thought it was good for a (slightly snarky, slightly cynical) laugh. Monday, August 4, 2003
04:04 p.m. This weekend we changed locations, from one cousin's house to another's. It's only a few blocks away (my relatives live in clumps ^_^;), but ... I think I'll actually miss having the kids around. Plus, no computer access at night. :P
Oh, and yesterday a few of us went out walking at the park, and saw a man attempting to walk an orange and white cat. Meaning, it was on a leash, but instead of walking, it was digging its claws into the path and meowing petulantly. (Or maybe screaming "No, no~~" It's hard to tell. XD;;) A few minutes later, I looked back and saw the man walking with the cat draped over his shoulders. XD;; Also, on Friday, we were at the bank and a woman walked in with a kitten in her pocket. In her POCKET. *dies of cute* Thursday, July 31, 2003
04:05 p.m. Some random reminder made me think of all the connections between RuroKen and X-Men (okay, the one connection: Watsuki Nobuhiro's fanboyism). Wanting to see how other people addressed them, I took it to Google. The results:
X-Men as done by anime creators. Watsuki's in the list, of course, but there are other funny bits. Cyclops as Shinji from Eva. Masamune Shirow making Cable into a sexy swimsuit-wearing cyborg. Monkey Punch following the adventures of "Remy LeBeau III." And, finally, Watase Yuu teasing us with a pseudo-relationship between Cyclops and Wolverine. XD;; In Watsuki's entry, however, they said that Wolverine would have a past with Saitou. Which, I realized ... would be really freaking cool. o_o Someone *needs* to write that. This is some sort of character design comparison. Some are taken from Watsuki's own comments about whom certain characters were based on, but others appear random. I don't understand Italian so I don't know what's going on. @_@ I also found a Spanish transcription of Watsuki's interview from when he went to Anime Expo. Must read in more detail later, but here are some parts that had me (unduly) amused: -the only part he had in the making of the OAVs (Tsuioku Hen, I assume) was revising character design, and he only corrected a minor detail -- they were "showing only one ear on the girl(?)."
I am reminded of how much a geek Watsuki is, and why I love him so much. XD Wednesday, July 30, 2003
09:36 p.m. What he said: "Even if Saddam Hussein has 100 sons other than Odai and Qusai, Saddam Hussein would offer them the same path. That is the hope of every fighter for God's sake, as another group of noble souls of the martyrs has ascended to their creator."
What he meant: "I would happily sacrifice many more people who are not me in order to fight my holy war." What he said: "I think it is important for our society to respect each individual, to welcome those with good hearts. On the other hand, that does not mean that someone like me needs to compromise on the issue of marriage."
I <3 politicians. In other news, for our kite-flying ice cream/hot dog social today, one employee created a handmade kite out of a biohazard bag and pipette tubes. Science humor, man. XD Oh, and I finally got to see the ending of Kingdom Hearts, since my cousin finished playing the game. So I'm a year behind everyone else -- that just means less time to wait for Kingdom Hearts 2. Angsty-hero!Riku. I covet. :D Tuesday, July 29, 2003
12:08 p.m. Pictures from the Prisoner of Azkaban movie set (along with some actual stills from the movie), in case anyone hasn't seen them yet. ^_^
Oh, and this is rather ... interesting:  Man! You're a Guy! At least I hope... If you're not... then just wow! If you are... then you're Amazed I bet! Guess Your Gender! (Really Works) brought to you by Quizilla I suppose, in a way, that it would have to do with this:  +what genre of anime best suits you?+*< brought to you by Quizilla Ironic, really, when right now I'm obsessively reading gen fic. Recs will come later if I find any good ones. ^_^ [Edit 12:19:] Oh, and :PPPPPPPPPPPPP (Better watch it, or I'll shut down teh intarweb on you. XD) Monday, July 28, 2003
11:08 a.m. Observations in week #4 of my internship, concerning the ideal working environment for an inexperienced intern. It is not fun when:
-your supervisor leaves the company two weeks into the internship (and, although maintaining a consulting position, departs for a couple of weeks' vacation first)
Right now I've got one person to whom I'm constantly going and nagging with questions. Otherwise, I sort of ad-lib it. ^_^;; Anyway, in two days we've got our kite-flying lunch, so that should be all sorts of fun. :D
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