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These are all the little bits of info that might come in handy for my writing. Maybe someone can use it too. Okay, maybe its not really notes, just a place for me to blow steam over the screw ups on the net.

Bah! Die Akane, die, die, die, die!

Or at least that will catch your attention. Later, I list some misc. little inconsistencies I've noticed on the net and my views on them, but first I'll take some time to discuss what I feel is wrong with the typical fanfiction writers WRITING. Not their information, not their character or character pairing preferences, not even if I like the stories. Just their writing. Now, the main things that I feel my fellow writer as well as I do wrong can be summed up to three main problems. The lack of a clear idea and theme for their story before they begin to write. The lack of originality in their ideas. And the lack of effort, accuracy or skill in their characterizations.

A trend that has always annoyed me is what I disaffectionately call the 'dailies'. You know all about them. Namely soap operas and the like. Its the churning out of old, overused ideas over and over to overwhelm the reader with volume. There is no main theme beyond what ever they come up with this week. While they can be entertaining, I watch sitcoms and wrestling, after a while it is a major waste of time. Or even worse, the writer comes up with one flash of inspiration and just plays it by ear. Some gifted writers can get away with it, but the majority of it is pure garbage. Improvision can't be learned and its a talent only a few possess.

Second, a thing that really pisses me off is what I call the sidecar. People take a perfectly good series, that mangle it by basically typing out the script again and slipping in a few new elements. An example I particularly disliked was a fanfic pairing Duo and Usagi together. It was staged in the Gundam Wing Univerese and was litterally a repeat of the series. Dialogue, plot, everything was the same with the exception of the replacement of Hilde's name with 'Serena'. Word for word it was a repeat. What the hell is that, there is no new ideas, no new plots, it just someone taking credit for someone elses work. If I created a fanfic series called Tenchi Nibunnoichi and just replaced Ranma's name with Tenchi, that would piss everyone off. So stop doing that. Next we have the self insert. Most of us don't really give a damn what anyone would do if they had cool new powers and were in an anime series. So don't waste our time. Maybe I'm being biased here, but I hold up my self insert as an example of what a self insert should be. I wrote it purely to blow stress and I figured, what the hell, maybe someone might want some insight into what makes me tick. Or ticks me off. I used the best damn writing I could do and I created theme, plot, conflict, resolution, the whole nine yards. And best of all I made is small and short. I didn't just show up and kick ass, I don't just get the girl, I just exist to make a point. Finally, I want to talk about the super powered fics. I think that Hung Nguyen is cool and I hold his works as a bible of Akane bashing, but really, all his fics are the same. Ranma is a big kick ass character who shows up, pulls new powers out of his ass and beats up Akane and Genma. It's just boring.

Finally, we get to the lack of accuracy. The fic starts off in Nerima and Ranma is doing something. Then all of a sudden, for no reason at all, Ranma turns decisive and decides, "You know what? I just realized I'm in love with _____ and ______ is a bitch." Or "Fuck it, I don't give a damn what everyone thinks, I'm going to go live with my cousin Usagi." Or "Gee, I think I'll go visit my cousin Tenchi and get away from all the girls." Man that is coming out of left field. Come on, if you really need to do that, can't you come up with a better reason then. "The wedding failed, I didn't promise anything and I don't care about honor so I'm skipping town." At least make an attempt to come up with a good reason. Next, don't write using second hand information unless you KNOW that it is accurate. For how long, I thought Ranma blew up Jyusenkyo in Manga Vol. 38. But no, SAFFRON blew it up. SAFFRON. Ranma isn't the power incarnate I was lead to believe. And for god sake, Cartoon Network animes don't count. Those things are so fucked up, it isn't even funny anymore. And I get pissed off when the person obviously doesn't know how to write in character. Ranma doesn't say "dude", "shit that sucks man" or any of the other stupid things I've seen on the net. And finally just because you want to write, that doesn't mean you are GOOD at it. I see lots of fics that I wonder if the writer is braindead, eight years old, or just a damn flake. If anyone thinks I'm one of them, tell me right now. I don't want to crush any writer hopefuls, but think about it. We get pissed off that Akane refuses to stop feeding Ranma her slop, but then some people go out and feed us garbage. Think about it.

This concludes my rants about writing. We are told that what matters it that we try out best, but that's bullshit. Its not everything its only part of it. What matters just as much is results. Akane assumes that just because she tries her hardest and works for hours that her food will be good, but we all know that it isn't going to happen. I compare writers to Akane a lot because in my opinion some writers out there are just like her. Spoiled brats living in their own bubble reality. They cook when they don't have any ability and festoon out garbage that no one in their right minds would eat. They live in their own charmed world of being the best until someone cuts them down, but oh no they weren't wrong all along, the other person must be wrong. You know what? When I pass judgement on a fic, I 'll take the Ranma approach. If it sucks I will tell you and you don't like it tough. You want to flame me go right ahead, but if you don't give me a good reason my my fics suck don't bother cause I'll laugh at you, call you a moron and dump your e-mail. I'll even post it here for everyone to vote on if you are right or just being salty. Now go read the fics.



You know what? I'm not really done. RIght now I'll start discussing some very specific things people write that piss me off in particular.

Song Fic - Whe the hell came up with this? People take some song and write out a few descriptions and call it a day? Jeez it takes almost no effort and imagination and if anyone cared to they could churn out a few dozen a day. What a waste.
Self Insert - Ego tripping and has almost to value to anyone other then the reader cause its all about how much ass the writer would kick if he had powers and were there. Or how they could fix all his problems. I can understand that. After you see any good movie or show, there is always some business that bugs you or a problem to be fixed or "gee if he could do _____, that you be cool. Basicly we all create our own self-inserts mentally. I get them all the time when ever Akane pisses me off cause I want to cave in her head. But writing about it? Ha! If you get any good ideas like that, work them into the story.



Here are the hallmarks for what I consider good writing and what I am striving for:
1. Well developed, intricate plotline or theme.
2. The ability to move the reader emotionally.
3. Accuracy of information and of characterization.
4. Vivid, descriptive imagery.
5. A new, intriguing perspective on what we take as a given.
6. A smooth even conversational quality to the writing.
7. A lot of volume to the writing (Unless it is better short and sweet).
8. Clear, unbiased, objective writing.
and
9. Characters ending up with characters I like! And Akane getting whats coming to her! DIE DIE DIE!

10. Just kidding about the last one.



1/21 Alright one other thing that always bothers me are all the fics where people think the Tendou Dojo should just be dumped since its a money pit. Well I have one question. How would they dump it? Are they just going to stop maintaining it? Sell of that property, level it and rebuild the wall around the Tendou household? How would they just get rid of it? And if they did how would they stay afloat financially? Nabiki MIGHT(heavy emphasis on might) be the one supporting the dojo along with Genma's job, but how play tell is she going to continue to support it after she graduates High School? If she goes to college there will be NO income at all for the Tendous. All Soun knows how to do is teach martial arts so if he gets rid of the dojo, hes just stabbing himself in the foot. And besides which, why the hell would anyone want to sell it? Fuck if I had an ancestral sword I would starve in the streets before selling it. So why would I sell a dojo? Its not just a building, its a center of tradition and a legacy to be passed on to future generations. No amount of money can buy you an ancestral item if you don't have one. For a long time, my father had the Okuna family mon, or symbol. A year ago, he passed it on to my cousin Jared when he had a son. I couldn't buy something like that nor could I have a new one made. Of course Nabiki might sell the dojo, but thats cause the tradition means nothing to her.

11/7 Discard this if you want because it is purely speculation on my part and reflects my beliefs. Ranma and the others use little or no Ki in their fighting. Its just the entire feel you get from the series. Most so called techniques are not the big ki blast, teleportation tricks and other misc. ideas you get from the other major martial arts anime, dragonball. The Hiryuu Shoten Ha isn't creating the tornado with ki, its swirling your ki in such a way that a clash of temperature occur. The Fire Dragon techniques Ling Ling and Lung Lung use is a flamethrower, a paper dragon, and a tape player. The Happodaikarin is a big firecracker. The Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken is punching really fast. Basically all of Mousses moves are just named punches and kicks. Except for a few ki attacks, it just seems like the attacks in Ranma are just like how you name wrestling moves.

11/11 One major thing I want to point out. Whatever you learn about Ki, Chi, Battle Auras and whatnot, leave it at the door. Virtually everything we associate with it is linked to one show: Dragonball. Now, Ranma is an entirely different show set in an entirely different universe, by an entirely different author, by an entirely diffent studio. Yes, the idea of ki is established in Martial Arts, but I don't think that we will be enlightened to its nature by an anime. Just like magic is different from say Dungeons and Dragons to Sailormoon to Magic: The Gathering, Ki varies from anime to anime. Everyone seems to believe that Ranma and the others do what they do because their strength and speed is enhanced with ki. Thats applying Dragonball rules to Ranma. The simplest solution is often the best solution. Flat out, I'm writting that if it says battle aura or ki in it, its a ki techique. If not, it straight physical ability. Just try it. Think about your reasons why things are ki techniques, do it have a Dragonball influence? And yeah, I do have no life and too much time on my hands.
10/19 Why the hell does everyone say Jyusenkyo is destroyed? It says in Vol. 38 during the wedding that the flood waters receed and Jyusenkyo is back to normal. The guide sends that cask as a thank you thing. Ranma and the others can go back their anytime they want and get cured.

10/19 Ranma did not generate a blast that destroyed Mt. Phoenix and Jyusenkyo. Saffron fired the blast and it only destroyed the top of Mt. Phoenix. And while Ranma did produce an extra strong attack, just like in his battles against every other foe, it was VERY conditional. His Hiryuu Shoten Ha during the Ultimate Weakness Moxibustion point was strong because of Happosai's lust aura and the auras of Moose, Kuno, and Principal Kuno. His Meteor Shooting Star Kick against Pansuto Taro was just a jump kick using the elasticity of a few dozen pantyhose to propell himself. His Hiryuu Korin Dan on Herb only worked because they were fighting in an area where Herb threw a lot of fireballs and Herb threw a Hiryu Shoten Ha. Using the surrounding heat and the spiralling cold of the Hiryuu Shoten Ha, he forced the surrounding heat down through the spiral. He defeated Kumon Ryu using the Demon Deep Sea Wrap which only worked because Ryu used a Demon God Assault Bomb(vacuum blade) on him. The difference in air pressure it created smothered him with loose dirt and rock Ranma dug free with his foot. And finally, he defeated Saffron by launching a Hiryuu Shoten Ha at him that was compressed by the intense surrounding heat. Otherwise, it would have no affect since Saffron can fly. Ranma is very adaptive and a skilled martial artist, but he isn't an all powerful, limitless reactor of ki energy as is sometimes portrayed on the Net.

The Musk Dynasty was believed to have been destroyed a long time ago (Colougne said so) so Shampoo's mother couldn't have died in battle against them.

Kasumi was always the way she is. In the OAV series she was a nice little girl who wanted to help her mother cook.

The Saotome Forbidden Techniques were NOT created to kill. They are the arts of the Noisy thief and the Sneaky thief. Also they are just styles, not a collection of ki techniques, don't read so much into them.
The Haku Dato Shin Sho(white snake reliable fist) is merely getting within your opponents guard and striking them from behind. I doubt that it is "a series of finger strikes that causes a person's chi to be blown out of their back." nor "a combination of attacks to the back of the legs that shatter the opponents leg bones." Why the heck are people trying to make that a ki technique they never say so or even imply it. The Demon God Assault Bomb and the technique to hide your ki is borderline. Might or might not be. Just depends on your approach to Ranma 1/2.

Spring of Drowned Man turns men back to normal after being cursed. If it didn't Instant Spring of Drowned Man wouldn't work. But since Ranma used it and it did work... Also Takahashi-sensei said in an interview that it would cure him.

It never says that Ranma looks down on weapon users. Ever. It just doesn't say it anywhere in the anime or manga and he uses weapons sometimes.

Ki is the same as Chi. Japanese came from the Chinese language and the symbol for them both are identical. They are just different words for the same thing. Note, Ki is Japanese. While chi is also a Japanese word, it means earth(ground) and nothing else. Heck, Ki itself isn't really a power, its the air, the energy, no one can really explain it to me.

The Hiryuu Shoten Ha does not drain a person of their ki. It nevers says this. However, it does use the heat of their battle aura when drawn into a spiral to create a whirlwind when a cold fist is thrust in a corkscrew motion into its center. Kinda like how a REAL whirlwind is formed. It simply uses the HEAT from ki to produce an effect found it nature. Besides, if it drains ki, why doesn't Herb or Saffron say anything when they fly in the middle of it? And no it does not shoot a ki blast at people(Sorry Donny). Ranma defeats Herb using the heat of the area around him and Herb's Hiryuu Shoten Ha.

As much as I hate to admit it, Ranma wan't noble and tear up the instant spring of drowned girl to appease Akane, he used a fake and hid the real one in his hair. He does sacrifice his cure a few more times, but frankly in several of the other ones, the consequences for not doing it were pretty ugly. Akane turned into a guy, ughh.

Who came up with the idea that Nabiki runs a criminal schoolyard empire?!? Who says she does it to support the Tendou finances?!? Who says she is a emotionless heartless b****? Show me one place where says she runs a financial empire. Yeah, I've seen her taking bets, selling pictures of Akane and Ranma, and charging people Ranma and Kuno for stuff, but never the organized ring of fear and oppression that is often portrayed. I think she's just opportunistic. Show me one place where she gives anyone else the money she makes. Basicly, I'm going to take it at face value that she just wants some 'spending money'. After all, most of Ranma SHOULD be taken at face value. Emotionless HA! Try watching Ranma and rely less on fanfics for your info. That's emotionless?!? Everything in fanfiction is slightly distorted no matter what you do. As for her pimping Ranma or making him her whore, you really should move away from that. It has certain connotations that simply aren't there.