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Post by §Tsunami§ on Sept 2, 2009 20:18:54 GMT
We could complain all day here, I'm sure. But don't spill everything all at once. If someone can make a better lesson than I can, please do.
This is not a fan-fic, although I might write an example parody now and then. You're welcome too as well. This fits here best, and its more of an advice to writers on what they shouldn't do.
Tip #1 (Add some as you will): By all things good, don't make a chapter full of notes and disclaimer. The character's part of the story, not part of the notes.
Parodized example of what NOT TO DO:
Shadow: What? Where am I? Author (Not a particular one): I, God, have given you all the task of presenting me my disclaimer. Rouge: What? But I'm too busy seducing men. Author: I gave you a task. You must do it. Shadow: I will chaos control you. Author: I dare you Shadow: CHAOS... CONTR Author: Wait! Don't hurt me! I don't own any characters or (bla bla bla)
Irritiating? Why was Rouge in there anyway? You then look at the actual chapter, and gasp at the shortness of it.
Chapter starts here. Tails, the two tailed fox, suddenly realized he was going through puberty (do animals even go through that?) He punched Sonic accidently in a terrible rage, killing him. He cried in sadness. The end.
Author: That was a great chapter. Shadow: CONTROl! Author: NO!!! Let's not continue here. Fanfic writers, learn from this (horrible) example not to just write junk before and after chapters. You have no idea how many authors do stuff like that. It irritates me. Trust me, if these writers get reviewers... well, I won't say anything.
If you can another example of something a writer shouldn't do, go ahead! There are so many lessons to teach...
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Post by §Tsunami§ on Sept 2, 2009 20:22:19 GMT
Tip #2: Don't make your characters super powerful. Be like Twilight and XT, and know that each of your characters have limits in certain areas. Even an immortal should be a flawed character to be a good one.
Parodized example of what NOT TO DO!
Tails looked angrily at the dying Sonic, then turned on Eggman. In a rage, he gained unbelievable power from his heart. Nothing Eggman shot at him worked. Tails then shot him with a blast of energy created by his hand, thrusting it towards Eggman. Eggman was destroyed, shards flying everywhere. Then everyone lived happily ever after. THE END.
I know characters have powerful super forms, but this quickly? Just bad. Let it take time, the transformation and the battle. Let Tails the underdog rise to the over dog. Give him limits. And don't draw his power from nothing, although increased willpower and motivation in a character, pushing him forward is okay.
If you can another example of something a writer shouldn't do, go ahead! There are so many lessons to teach...
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Post by Twilitbeing on Sept 2, 2009 21:32:48 GMT
I think you should call me as "Twilit," not "Twilight." It looks like you're referring to the book in this instance.
Tip #3: Do your research. This applies to both fanfiction and certain other genres.
No matter what universe your fanfic is based on, having an accurate and complete knowledge of it is essential. I'll use two excerpts from one of Squirrelking's (the undisputed monarch of bad fanfiction) Halo stories to illustrate this.
"Joe Chief was in space and had wepons and was a army guy but he wasnt a robot liek Master Chief so he didnt fly."
Ignore the butchered English, please. First off, terminology: at no point is anything in Halo referred to as the "army." They are UNSC Marines, the soldiers most players are familiar with. Second, the Master Chief (shorthand for "Master Chief Petty Officer," a real military rank) is not a robot, nor is he a cyborg liek like many people think. He is simply an enhanced human in armor. Also, he cannot fly.
"After teh normil aliens the flood came and every thing got wet and messy and lightningy becaus water hit teh space tv and all the things and made sparks."
Terms again. I know of no creature called a "normal alien;" they should be referred to as Covenant forces or something to that effect. There is also a rather humorous misconception here: the writer has taken "the flood" (referring to the Flood Infection) literally - as in, a large amount of water. This is the explanation for everything becoming "wet and messy and lightningy."
This same principle also applies to real-life facts. I can't tell you how many people have tried to write sci-fi without so much as knowing how simple modern devices work, much less their own hyperadvanced fictional technology. Don't try to pull the "its fiction i can do wat i wants" card; if you're going to call it science fiction, it should be scientific. This is the Information Age, people; information on these subjects is no longer very difficult to find. Wikipedia tends to be very accurate with the sciences, particularly the physics, biology, and astronomy that tend to come up most often in sci-fi.
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Post by §Tsunami§ on Sept 15, 2009 17:00:39 GMT
Good number 3, Twilit.
Tip #4: Stick to ONE P.O.V.
I don't mean as in have your camera behind one person. But if you're in first person, STAY IN FIRST PERSON. If you're in third subjective, try to stay in third subjective. Example: Real, but I cut out parts, showing about a third.
Tails’ POV:
Ok, where do I start…?
Two years has passed since the Metarex invasion was over. Sonic, Shadow, Eggman and I discovered that Cosmo was a spy for the Metarex and we tried to stop them afterwards. We wouldn’t have done it if wasn’t for…Cosmo.
She risked her life to save all of us. Shadow didn’t come back either, but came back after about a year later.
Over the past 2 years, I’ve been thinking and asking myself: Why? Why did Cosmo had to sacrifice herself? She told me that it was the only way to save all of us.
.... End Tails P.O.V.
If you do switch, don't evern say END P.O.V. EVER!
Also, this person did way too much telling... but that's another tip for another day. Flashback…Mystic Ruins: Tails’ Workshop)
“Hey Tails. I’m back!” Marine said and pulled him into a friendly hug.
“Hi, Marine. It’s so nice to see you too.” Tails responded
“Guess what, Tails? Blaze and I are back and we’re here to stay! Ain’t that great, mate?” Marine said
“Yeah, that’s…great…” Tails answered a little sad
Now third in a flashback. It would have been better if they were in first. Smoother delivery would be created, and personally, it works. .... End Flashback)
If you write a flashback, just use italics. Maybe add asterisks or something else in between if it is lengthy, or nothing at all if it is its own chapter, but generally, just italics. Normal POV:
Mystic Ruins: Tails Workshop)
“Hey Tails! Look at what I made!” Marine said excited but Tails didn’t answer.
Marine moved her invention to Tails’ table and asked:
“Tails? You ok?”
“Oh, sorry Marine. I was just thinking.” Tails answered
“Thinking about what?” Marine asked
“You wouldn’t understand…” Tails answered again but a little depressed
“Well, try and tell me Tails. I’ll listen.” Marine said as she pulled one of the chairs to Tails’ table
“(Sighs) I lost…a good friend of mine. Her name was Cosmo.” Tails started....
Wait... they were already in Third Person. Two: What is normal point of view? Again, don't mark point of view. Don't put (sighs) like that, it's not a script.
Anyway, I'm not criticizing the rest. Marine's part isn't even played out at the end, she's completely forgotten. Point: Stick to one point of view. The primary reason is to really minimize telling and maximize showing. Switching cameras can make this a problem.
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Post by §Tsunami§ on Sept 15, 2009 17:19:58 GMT
Tip 5: Part 1: Characters and their relationships to one another.
Sigh... I have to divide this one into parts. This mostly deals with the different types of love, and how you can apply them to characters.
It is a good idea if you know little about it to divide it into three: Intimacy (friendship, but alone has no ties or romance), commitment, and passion. Love requires all three. (which is why I laugh when people say I don't like you, I love you. Intimacy is a very important part of romantic love.)
Many authors have difficulty showing all three, or unnecesarrily including one that isn't needed. For example, Twilit excels in showing commitment and intimacy... but not so much in passion. That's okay... they are all difficult to show to a reader in their own way.
Before I start with Commitment, let me give this Tip #6
God, don't have characters say I love you after they kiss for the first time. It's too overused. (Before isn't as bad, but it's still cliche.)
Commitment.
To show commitment, you have to show what a character is willing to do for another. A hero dying for a stranger shows powerful commitment to the cause of good, for example. But if you don't construct the character well, then it doesn't work. Make sure it fits their character first. Cosmo dying for her friends is a powerful symbol of commitment. Eggman's unrelenting is another. Believe it or not, this is an important part to show in romantic relationships, friendships, and in "empty-love", in which two people are commited to eachother but have no friendly ties or romantic ones (a divorced couple.)
Parody:
One day Sonic saw Amy get captured by Robitnik. Sonic was mad at Amy because she had destroyed his chili dogs. Thus, Sonic just watched her be beat by his creation, and laugh to himself.
Har har. However, this shows Sonic's commitment to good does not surpass his anger for Amy. We all know this makes him out of character. Good joke, I suppose.
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Post by Twilitbeing on Sept 15, 2009 19:53:22 GMT
To expand on Tsunami's Tip #6:
Try to avoid overusing cliches in general. A good way to do this is to do some reading: find some other fanfiction concerning the same franchise you plan to write about, and try to work out if there are any recurring patterns. You don't necessarily have to break these trends, but think carefully before deciding to follow them.
I can't think of a good, specific example; take a look at all the outer-space science fiction universes, and you'll see what I mean. Space ships are fine; space ships that look and function exactly like X-Wing fighters, but aren't X-Wings, are more iffy.
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Post by XT-421 on Sept 15, 2009 23:10:08 GMT
Are we permitted to debate these? Because that "switiching PoVs" is not somethig I fully agree with. In fact, as a reader of a lot of fanfiction, when it isn't is heavy amounts (like, one or two switches a chapter, a LONG chapter, [5 pages min]) I really like it.
Granted, stories that are very interesting and thoroughly captivating typically use only one PoV, actually... I take that back, all of the stories that are in my head split about even, one half using just one PoV, and the other using multiples...
I like both...
Ok though, I'm going to offer a Tip 7, just because I both can, and I'm tired of seeing it.
Tip #7
Ok, though this should be common, easy stuff, I have read too many stories on fanfiction.net that are in this format, it will pain me to give an example, but I will because I must. Here goes:
one day in mobius there lived a fox names tails except he was a special fox with two tails and could fly and was awesome. he was sad he loved cosmo a plant alein thingy but shot her cuz he had to and she deid. one day cosmo came back and said tails i love you will you marry me and tails was so happy and married cosmo and they kised and the huged and all was happy in mobis and they had a happily ever after the end
GGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEAAAAARFRGHSAGHOSFGTMADRTGH!
Do you realize how angry this makes me? I cired while writing it because it hurts so bad.
PUNCTUATE AND USE APPROPRIATE GRAMMAR!!!
Ok, right from the start, you should indent your paragraphs and capitalize the first letter and all important proper nouns. Perhaps you skipped first grade because you were smart or something, but really people? This is like pre elementary!
On this Shrine, of course, you can't really indent, but spaces are just as good (and they help people with dyslexia, like me.)
So right now, the story ought to look something like this:
One day in Mobius there lived a fox names Tails except he was a special fox with two tails and could fly and was awesome he was sad he loved Cosmo a plant alein thingy but shot her cuz he had to and she deid.
One day Cosmo came back and said tails I love you will you marry me and Tails was so happy and married Cosmo and they kised and the huged and all was happy in Mobis and they had a happily ever after the end
You see that? It is divided into two sections with different topics, wow, fascinating.
Secondly: Please. Use. Periods. A. Lot. (But not as much as I am, obviously.)
After a topic in a sentence is done, please, simply close it off with a period, very simple, very easy, it looks like this "." and is right underneath the "L" and to the right. Please no run on sentances that start with "and" very bad, "put and in the sand," listen to that rhyme.
Now, we have a story that looks something like this:
One day in Mobius, there lived a fox names Tails. He was a special fox with two tails and could fly. He was awesome. He was sad. He loved Cosmo a plant alein thingy, but shot her cuz he had to, and she deid.
One day, Cosmo came back and said Tails, I love you, will you marry me? Tails was so happy and said yes. He married Cosmo and they kised and the huged. All was happy in Mobis. They had a happily ever after.
The End.
See? Just with that, this (awful) story looks nicer and neater and more presentable. Kind of like dressing your kid. (You'd have to be a fool to let your kid run out in public looking like a monstrosity...)
Next, and this is tricky, dialogue. Actually, believe it or not, this is something I even struggle with today. Granted, I understaand the concept, which I'm going to teach the world here.
Basically, if you have a new speaker, you make a new paragraph. And when they start talking, you put a little quotation mark " in front of it. Now I'm not sure how it is in other countries, but here in America, that is placed above the first letter, with the tails facing towards the word. (The Shrine doesn't do that for us.)
So, adding it to my demo story:
One day in Mobius, there lived a fox names Tails. He was a special fox with two tails and could fly. He was awesome. He was sad. He loved Cosmo a plant alein thingy, but shot her cuz he had to, and she deid.
One day, Cosmo came back and said, "Tails, I love you, will you marry me?"
Tails was so happy and said yes. He married Cosmo and they kised and the huged. All was happy in Mobis. They had a happily ever after.
The End.
If you're not sure (which I really wasn't, lol,) put a buffer zone around it with paragraphs, it couldn't hurt, and is definitely better than nothing at all.
Lastly, most computers have a spell check in them, some automatic, and some not, please use them if you're going online with your work, for the good of the world.
One day in Mobius, there lived a fox names Tails. He was a special fox with two tails and could fly. He was awesome. He was sad. He loved Cosmo a plant alien thing, but shot her because he had to, and she died.
One day, Cosmo came back and said, "Tails, I love you, will you marry me?"
Tails was so happy and said yes. He married Cosmo and they kissed and the hugged. All was happy in Mobius. They had a happily ever after.
The End.
Now, isn't that just remotely better? Please, someone agree with me here. (sorry if this post was a waste of your time, it was a waste for me, unless anyone uses it.)
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Post by §Tsunami§ on Sept 24, 2009 16:53:42 GMT
Heh, you're perfectly fine to debate them. I'd love to see a fine example. So:
Exception to Tip: #4.
Creatively, there can be a use to switching P.O.V's. However, do so with craftiness and planning. Switching from I to he can have a great creative effect, as the audience is shown the whole scene to just a little, denying them information they'd like to know (perhaps...)
But do so carefully. I'll leave someone else to place an example.
Tip #5 part 2: Intimacy.
I have to carefully define intimacy here, and say that it deals strictly with friendship, but I want to say that it is an important element in romance and close friendships. Granted, a lot of writers glorify the passion, but often writers that master intimacy can master commitment, which are far better to have than just passion.
To be honest, it is very easy to write. It is the first thing learned, and can begin instantly, just like passion, and even develop faster at times. But it must be carefully defined at other levels. If Cream is indeed Amy's best friend, for instance, it should be shown that Amy is closer to Cream than she is with Rouge.
Relationships are rarely equal.
I have no example of what to do for this one, they are good ones to be found on this site and others. But hey, I guess I can make a parody of what no one should ever do.
One day, Cream was skipping around when she tripped in the water. The kids began laughing at her. "You are so clumsy!" They shouted.
Suddenly, an angry hedgehog started swinging her hammer at them. "Get away from her!" She shouted.
The kids ran off, and then Amy turned to Cream. "Are you okay?" "Yes."
"I'm Amy, Rose, what's your name?"
"I'm Cream."
Then they became friends.
No, they didn't become friends YET... However, their commitment to eachother has increased, because of Amy's altruistic act, Cream will feel the need to repay her biologically, even if she doesn't want to. Here, the difference between commitment and intimacy should be clear. Intimacy only began with the greeting, and is still at a relatively low level.
That's also very cliche, but it's usually Tails in the situation... Twilit's tip of cliches should be followed as well in this situation.
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Post by §Tsunami§ on Sept 24, 2009 17:02:26 GMT
Here's the last tip of the love series.
Tip #5: Passion.
I've noticed that writer's tend to be flawless in either commitment and passion (with passion far the stronger, their potrayal of commitment is so archtypical and bland.) or intimacy and commitment (Twilit's a great example, the writer tends here to do well at both, but doesn't know what to do with the passion.)
You don't have to kiss someone to know how to write such a thing. (It helps, you say? If it was a science report, maybe... you don't need to get detailed... just colorful, like an artist.)
Hugging can be intimate or passion... it depends on how you potray it. Holding hands is the simplest one to write, and is a strong enough symbol of its own. For those lacking in the passion area, start there first.
Gazing in one's eyes is as well. You say it should be used with caution, but I say it should only not be too decorated. Lovers do this all the time, so no need to decorate it.
Regardless, it should never be rushed. Passion thrives with Rubato, that is, shifting of time, from a quick pace to suddenly slow, or the opposite. Use short sentences suddenly, and then long, to show anticipation, or quick action.
What not to do? Simple.
Tails and Cosmo gazed into eachother's eyes, and then they kissed.
No control of time, bland, and well, its cliche. However, here elaborating on the gazing breaks it. Lovers tend to try to read eachother before they kiss for the first time.
~Tsunami.
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Post by Twilitbeing on Oct 5, 2009 0:58:34 GMT
"Passion is the source of our finest moments. The joy of love... the clarity of hatred... and the ecstasy of grief." ~Angelus
Don't ask, it just seemed like a fitting line.
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Post by XT-421 on Oct 5, 2009 1:03:53 GMT
Ok, and here is one other thing I've noted...
Tip 8: This one is very simple really, and I know why no one said it before...
Don't copy and paste songs into your stories. This is one thing that we ALL (I think,) wish to do at moments, as songs give us inspiration to write, but, really, it just is mainly meant for a movie, not a story... That aside, I know I've done this, and personally, I regret every song I've placed inside a story, even though it was really cool at the time...
~Joe
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Post by Twilitbeing on Oct 5, 2009 2:59:06 GMT
I have to disagree there. For one, songfics can be very enjoyable to read, and they don't mess with the reader's head because the music is kept separate from the writing. Making a mention of a real-life song is also not a complete taboo; however, make sure to keep your universes straight and do it in an original way. Simply having a song (which has nothing to do with events) playing as part of the scenery can greatly enhance the depth of a scene. Usually, though, it's best to either leave the words unspecified or come up with your own, particularly in realities other than this one.
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Post by §Tsunami§ on Oct 5, 2009 13:49:51 GMT
Well, I have to agree with XT there. As interesting as it may sound, song-fics from someone else don't work for me. I think the only time song should ever be placed into a story is if the character is actually singing it. Thus, it shoudn't show the whole song unless completely necessary.
It should be original, although it doesn't have to be, if a song's playing on the radio, for example, showing a line or two of words isn't bad. Like XT said, stories AREN'T movies, and a lot of authors forget this.
Copying a whole song is pretty much plagarism in my opinion, but you can take a few lines and have it play on a radio in a story. That gives the scene strong enough background, maybe even get the reader to play the song in their head. You don't need a whole song and have action cut in between parts, its unecessary. Let the singers sing, the writer's write. These two creative processes are best left seperate.
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Post by §Tsunami§ on Oct 6, 2009 20:30:04 GMT
Tip # 8: Avoid plain characters. Pick a base and expand it.
There are many bases to start off with when creating a character. Often human personalities work great to begin with:
For example, you could make a rational character, which is typically seen in a genius, who is not going to act irrationally. A loyal character isn't going to doubt or question those he follows. An idealist wants to improve everything (a good hero or villian, perhaps?) An emotional... well, they won't act rationally.
In fact, such characters clash naturally and can create humorous effects. An irrational acting character and a rational character can be very humorous.
How do you do this: Partly through action, but it seen the most through what they say. Sure, shyness and thoughts are outside dialouge, but the majority of character can be expressed best through interaction.
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Post by Twilitbeing on Oct 6, 2009 23:12:00 GMT
Quite true. Think about how people (particularly Knuckles) react when Tails goes off on a tangent about his latest machine. Also keep in mind that, while characters usually fit into one of a few key archetypes (some of which Tsunami just outlined), certain situations may bring about changes in their behavior. As many gamers say, "Everything is harder with a time limit;" being under pressure often makes rational thought difficult, and this should be true for your characters as well.
I will admit, that songfic I wrote was mainly a product of boredom... in hindsight...
Tip #9: This can be expressed in three infamous syllables: MARY-SUE. Readers and fans alike hate these. They can potentially appear in any form of fiction (though fanfics are the most notorious breeding grounds), they're surprisingly easy to create by accident, and (for the sake of a cheesy AC6 reference) you'll be in a world'a hurt if you let 'em go.
A Mary-Sue (or sometimes Gary-Stu for males) is usually defined as a character that, deliberately or not, is designed to insert the writer into the story or universe in question. Often, they end up as idealized versions of their creators - wannabes, if you will - and have a severe lack of character flaws as a result. In short, they're too close to perfect.
These types of characters take different forms according to the medium in which they appear. The typical "Mary-Sue" is common in fan-made spinoffs; the name originates from a Star Trek fanfiction which deliberately parodied the concept. Terminology varies more in original fiction. In text RPGs, they tend to manifest themselves as overpowered characters; the use of such characters is often called "godmoding." The message is essentially the same: good is good, but better may not always be better.
Signs of possible Sueness include, but are not limited to:
*Extensive and/or repetitive descriptions (possibly praise) of the character's appearance, particularly from the perspectives of others in the story.
*A recurring tendency of the character to be ashamed of his or her strengths or abilities, even those that are difficult to perceive as negative. "Freak" is commonly applied in these cases. (Obviously, there's a gray area here. District 9's Wikus Van De Merwe, for instance, does not fit this trait; he's actually something of an anti-hero.)
*An unusually sharp division between those who support/side with the character and those who don't (other than the antagonists), often with the writer villainizing the latter. Depending on the story, the opponents often "see the light," "get their due," et ceterra.
*A dark and/or tragic past. Death of immediate family is common, though others exist; for example, the character may be a former member of the antagonist faction, or they may have escaped from some sort of control or deception. (Again, a middle ground exists.)
*In fanfiction, a romantic relationship with an existing character. This can be made worse if said relationship develops extremely quickly, becomes a focal point of the story, or shunts another character out of the way in order to happen. This is perhaps the most infamous hallmark; steer clear of this zone or tread very carefully.
As stated before, Suedom is a trap that almost every startup author will fall into at some point. I can name at least one for every writer I know, myself included. The best way to fix the problem is to step back and look at the character as a reader might. You can then try to gradually reshape their personality (if you've already started writing), revise the character's profile, or, if worst comes to worst, scrap them entirely and start anew. It is possible to make a slightly Sueish character work, but try not to overdo it whenever possible.
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Post by §Tsunami§ on Oct 7, 2009 16:17:29 GMT
I agree with you there, Twilit. It is especially true for young writers and gamers. I always grew frustrated when someone had that perfect character, often nowadays I purposely flaw my characters in games.
Although, don't blind your characters. I think taking away Violet's eye sight was probably the harshest thing I've done to a character of mine.
(I did some of those things when I made Zoran, although I made him sarcastic and somewhat of an idiot concerning others... wait, nevermind. I forgot in my early fics I just about nearly kill him, and he can't even defeat the main antagonist. And his relationship with Cream I dragged through several stories. I guess I didn't...)
Seriously, don't make god characters, in games or stories. They are plain, and compex characters are far better than perfect ones.
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Post by Twilitbeing on Oct 7, 2009 20:25:41 GMT
Nestor (my very first OC, as it happens) is the one I need to fix. You can often solve the Sueness without changing the character much; just bend what you already have and shift your angle a bit. For example, I'm trying to expand on Nestor's reckless self-confidence until it becomes a weakness. Still, it's better to catch these things early; as far as I am into my series, reshaping him is going to be a slow, tedious process.
I wouldn't consider Zoran a Mary-Sue. (Perhaps Violet is, but here may not be the place to discuss that.) While he does fit one of the major signs (especially with the whole "Answer" business), you made up for it by having him become misguided. Sues/Stus are always in the right; even when they screw up, they do so for a good reason.
EDIT: I think our numbers are off. Forgive me if I use my admin powers to fix it.
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Post by XT-421 on Oct 8, 2009 1:41:50 GMT
Ah, Sueness... you are right to criticize this.
However, you like my stories, no? XT is an exact copy of my personality, mixed in with a gloomy background.
One could argue that my stories fall under this category, yet they are loved by many. What say you now?
I agree, I hate it when people make Mary Sue stories, all because they are lacking in self confidence and the like... however, I wrote out XT to be me so people could see who I am and kind of like him, and thus kind of me.
And it worked.
Why is this? Elucidate your answers and claims.
~Joe
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Post by Twilitbeing on Oct 8, 2009 2:44:42 GMT
Oh, believe me, you've got Sues, stereotypes, and cardboard cutouts everywhere. Xavier (self-projection), Daisy (constant victim), Brunis (perfect morals), Wolfain (flat), Brian (ashamed of abilities), Stephen (always knows), Luna (troubled past)... *inhales* I could go on, but you get the idea. Sarah is pretty good; recklessness is an acceptable flaw in her case. Omen also has some depth, but still lacks a detectable source of motivation. Damian, like Eggman, is mainly a humor villain, so I'll let him slide. Richard... oh, boy. He needs some serious work. (PM me.)
Here's the thing, though. The character types are flat, but you play them well; your plotlines are original and delightfully convoluted; your humor at times is lol-irl genius; your description (in most cases) is awesome. You're good enough in most other areas to get away with underdeveloped characters, and it doesn't hurt that you write in a popular genre. (That's why you get so many more reviews than Tsunami, IMO.) Still, you can't depend on that being the case forever; published fiction tends to take a lot more punishment.
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Post by §Tsunami§ on Oct 8, 2009 16:56:05 GMT
I've noticed that too. In my stories aimed more at the young audiece, I get as many as 4 reviews per chapter (still nowhere near as XT, I too personally love his descriptions, particularly of foreign objects, something I'm not good at.)
I prefer not to have much attention though. But I might try writing in a popular genre once, although it will make me sick. Now I forgot the tip I was going to post. I'll post it later...
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