|
|
Post by popkat on May 28, 2007 9:24:10 GMT -5
Am I that bad a writer? Because every time I write a fanfic I think is nice, I always get spams or flames. There is also one particular user in ff.net(can't mention the user's username/penname because the user is also a member here) that always spams my stories. Of course I blocked that user. Am I THAT bad? I'll never write/continue another story AGAIN!  |
|
|
|
Post by Cary on May 28, 2007 9:33:11 GMT -5
Frequently, there are just stupid spammers. In fact, even my story got it's spammers as much as people who loved it.
You can't give up. Just, always try to improve. Constantly work on improving your writings. Remember, the writing itself can be more important than the story.
Why don't you suggest one of your stories to me to read? Which story do you think has the best writing of your seven? And I'll give you suggestions of how to improve as a writer. Remember to pick it out based on which one has the best writing, good writing is more important than the story or couple-pairing.
|
|
|
|
Post by popkat on May 28, 2007 9:40:58 GMT -5
Wow. I never thought of it THAT way. Thank you, Cary. I think "My Wedding and My Funeral" is nice. The others was still a practice state to improve. The other one is because of a sugar rush and Complications isn't that great.
|
|
|
|
Post by Cary on May 28, 2007 9:58:04 GMT -5
*nods* Nightmare was a story which, through the course of it, most everyone's favorite characters ended up dying. By every means, it shouldn't be a story that fanfic readers would want to read, but it was because of the writing that made it good.
And remember, as much as you try to write, always try to make every chapter better written than the last. And one day, you'll find yourself being a very good writer. Let me go read that one you suggested and see where you can improve.
|
|
|
|
Post by Cary on May 28, 2007 11:14:49 GMT -5
Let's see... That was very interesting, I actually liked it a lot. It's not much of a story, but a very neat little blurp. The first person perspective is not very useful for story writing, simply put, most casual readers are turned off by a first person perspective. That's not saying that you did a bad job with it, in fact, you did one of the better first person fanfics I've read in a long time, perhaps ever. The problem with first person fanfics, is that most are usually mary-sue stories. That in being, that the writer is inacting out a fantasy of what they wish their life was through the character. A very boring type of writing.
I generally recommend for stories, that one use the third person semi-omnesceint form. Thiss iss by far the most popular writing form, and is easy to read. This form is where the author writes a story following one main character, and writes about their thoughts and feelings as they react to the world, but does not write about the thoughts and feelings of other characters, only the interpretation of other character's feelings through the perspective of the thoughts of the main character. If that sounds confusing, it's really not, like, easily 98% of published modern fiction is in this form, because it is so easy to read.
My strongest point would be to remind you not to create mary-sues out of your character. The key point about a mary-sue is wish fulfillment. You want to make sure that your story does NOT read like a personal wish fulfillment. That's the fastest way to turn off readers. Nobody wants to read about your wishes frankly, nor mine, nor anyone elses. People want to read an interesting story, not about your fantasy perfect life for a character that you write about as if it was you. Make sense?
Too much fanfiction is garbage mary-sue mess. By the fact that in that story you were willing to kill your main character in the first person, is a good sign. It means that, unlike most fanfiction writers, you are capable of escaping the mary-sue-complex. Stay far away from the Mary-Sue.
--------
Okay, now that was me saying some of the positive things about your story, now for the constructive critism.
--------
The main point of fiction is to absorb the reader, to take them out of their own world, and immerse them in the world of the story. And it's generally upsetting to reader when something interrupts that immersion.
You had several gramatical errors. These can be awfully jarring and confusing to a reader. Spend some more time proofreading, or perhaps ask a friend like me to proofread. Namely tense. Several times you put the wrong tense in place. It can be confusing sometimes, but here's an example...
Typo: I was wearing black and so was the other people.
Correction: I was wearing black and so were the other people.
These little mistakes may not seem like much, but can be very distracting to the reader from the story. It's very important to proofread. And proofread again, because oftentimes the edits you make during your first proofread accidently cause more mistakes. Proofread again every time, until you get a run with no mistakes and no ways that you can figure out how to improve the wording. Leave for a day, proofread it one last time, and if you still like it, then you should post it.
Thing is, everyone makes typos. Not everyone proofreads. Very few people proofread as much as they should.
-------
The next thing you need to do, in the general realm of working to improve yourself. You're doing a decent job in terms fo describing the setting. Add some more adjectives, and you're doing good. The major place your lacking is in the description of the way the main character feels. I don't think I can find one place in the story where you described what the character felt, just what she saw and experienced happening to her. Emotions drive a story more than actions.
-----
Most of all, remember that you aren't hopeless, you're doing better than many fanfiction writers. And with some more practice, you can move up to the category of amateur writer (where I am). Note, in the professional realm, amatuer writers are considered beginners who got the basics of writing down, but still cannot write a novel good enough to get published. Yet amateur writers are close, and many amatuer writers are able to get a novel published eventually with extensive effort, if they can keep from getting discouraged. I'd say, 94% of writers are fanfic writers, 5% are amatuers, and only about 1% are professional writers. Complete guesstimate, yeah.
Improve constantly, that should be your number one goal.
|
|
|
|
Post by Tsuki on May 28, 2007 11:39:08 GMT -5
I've learned to ignore spammers. Don't let them get to you Kat, they do it because they have nothing better to do.
By the way Cary that was great advice.
|
|
|
|
Post by moko on May 28, 2007 12:04:47 GMT -5
Am I that bad a writer? Because every time I write a fanfic I think is nice, I always get spams or flames. There is also one particular user in ff.net(can't mention the user's username/penname because the user is also a member here) that always spams my stories. Of course I blocked that user. Am I THAT bad? I'll never write/continue another story AGAIN! don't take what spammers and flamers say too seriously; it's the people who are calm and give you constructive criticism you need to listen to. just keep practicing and you'll get better. i know i certainly wasn't very talented at writing at your age; i have my terrible, unfinished fan fics from eighth grade stored away in a chest in my room. i cringe when i look at them now. <_<' those sad, sad stories will never see the light of day again. -_- but, the main thing is, write if you love to write. take what people say to heart, and keep on writing. don't let such immature people stop you from doing something you really enjoy. |
|
|
|
Post by Cary on May 28, 2007 12:57:21 GMT -5
While I only read that one fic you wrote, I might want to point out something else that you didn't do, but I see way too often in fanfiction.
DON'T SHIP!
Period. No shipping. Shipping does not improve your writing skills at all.
Shipping is where you write a story for the soul purpose of putting two characters together that you think make a good couple. Have a couple be part of the story is okay, do NOT write a story because you want two characters together. And more importantly, you need them to belong together. As much as I get a kick out of Rick and Kai coupling, it just is too unreasonable in the canon. Do not do it. If you want to do slash, use an established homosexual couple, or write original fiction. Don't turn canon characters into slash.
Furthermore, don't make Mary break up with Gray in the FoMT universe just because you want to put Grey and Popuri together. That's 'shipping. It doesn't improve your writing. If you want Grey and Popuri together, write the story in the context of HM64, and furthermore, do NOT make it the point of the story.
It's my opinion that every great story has a love interest. However, that doesn't mean that every story with a love interest is great, rather, most are bad. Don't confuse the two.
|
|
|
|
Post by Butterscotch on May 28, 2007 14:03:19 GMT -5
Oh snap.  |
|
|
|
Post by Kikyou Saya Rin-Ren on May 28, 2007 15:18:01 GMT -5
Am I that bad a writer? Because every time I write a fanfic I think is nice, I always get spams or flames. There is also one particular user in ff.net(can't mention the user's username/penname because the user is also a member here) that always spams my stories. Of course I blocked that user. Am I THAT bad? I'll never write/continue another story AGAIN! Don't worry about what they say. You're writing is fine. Sure, there are little mistakes, but you're not bad at it! Think about the recent spamming here. It's the same thing. People who have nothing better to do for whatever reason decide to make fun of somebody. |
|
|
|
Post by moko on May 28, 2007 18:25:42 GMT -5
While I only read that one fic you wrote, I might want to point out something else that you didn't do, but I see way too often in fanfiction. DON'T SHIP! Period. No shipping. Shipping does not improve your writing skills at all. Shipping is where you write a story for the soul purpose of putting two characters together that you think make a good couple. Have a couple be part of the story is okay, do NOT write a story because you want two characters together. And more importantly, you need them to belong together. As much as I get a kick out of Rick and Kai coupling, it just is too unreasonable in the canon. Do not do it. If you want to do slash, use an established homosexual couple, or write original fiction. Don't turn canon characters into slash. Furthermore, don't make Mary break up with Gray in the FoMT universe just because you want to put Grey and Popuri together. That's 'shipping. It doesn't improve your writing. If you want Grey and Popuri together, write the story in the context of HM64, and furthermore, do NOT make it the point of the story. It's my opinion that every great story has a love interest. However, that doesn't mean that every story with a love interest is great, rather, most are bad. Don't confuse the two. nah, i disagree; it can be pulled off if written well enough, in my opinion. take a sailor moon fic for example. if someone likes, say, the darienxrei pairing and wants to write a fic about it, darien is forced to break up with bunny (serena). does that mean all darienxrei fics are bad? no, of course not. it depends on how the writer plans to make the story happen. some people plan it poorly, and others can do it well. any fic with any pairing can be good if written well. |
|
|
|
Post by popkat on May 28, 2007 19:31:10 GMT -5
Great advice Cary. I think I'll try my best to improve. Of course, I'll be proofreading and all those stuff before I post any story. I'll tay away from romance and make tragedy stories instead, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!
|
|
|
|
Post by Butterscotch on May 28, 2007 19:33:05 GMT -5
There are probably members here who would be willing to beta-read your stories and point out the flaws
|
|
|
|
Post by popkat on May 28, 2007 19:34:30 GMT -5
^ Maybe. It's not like ask one of the neighbors to help me out.  I think Yuna might help. |
|
|
|
Post by Cary on May 28, 2007 22:42:24 GMT -5
BTW, I was getting a bit pissy. Ya know, it's like, almost all fanfics are 'shipfics. I'd rather see people write a story. Yes, some can write a good shipfic. However, the vast majority are really not good, and they don't really help you improve as a writer. It's better to write a story about your people. People. Not plot, not because you want a particular pairing. Write about people. Give them challenges to overcome, have them fail. ya know?
|
|
[M:8]
[M:0]
