Yaeko's Writing Rant!
This rant was born out of an email I sent to Neil Mocha... These are basically my thoughts regarding bad fanfics.
Ohkay, there was something I've really wanted to get off my chest. So, here goes... (Please keep in mind that I am NOT trying to be a bitch, or be mean, or condescending, I'm just rambling, as I have a tendency to do. When I do this, it's been known to happen, on occasion, that I piss people off. So, keep in mind, I'm not trying to be mean here. Mou.)
A lot of fics are written for the sake of having a fic. It's a pity when a potentially awesome fan author wastes their time on something that isn't up to par. (Not to say that I'm awesome, cuz I suck, but "Gaikokujin" is a good example of that. Crap-tacular Mary Sue there, when I could've been doing something better. Note: I've been considering taking "Gai" off the site, but because Rei-chan's writing a sequel, I don't think I will... Anyhow, I'll continue towards the point now.) This, needless to say, makes me kinda sad, cause I think that anime fandom could be really great all-around. Not to say that it isn't, but there're a lot of bad feelings and negative impressions about it. (Hn.) So, anyway, here's the real point of this Yaeko-chan Ramble (TM - or not). I'd like to encourage you to take your stories further than you've already taken them. Look at your characterization and the character's development. Keep an eye out for stereotyping and oversimplifications. A fanfic should heed the same rules (for the most part) that a regular story is required to follow. That means you have to spell stuff right, and pay attention to sentence structure, and, most importantly, push your limits. For example, imagine you are reading a collection of short stories. You wouldn't get very far if every story sounded like every other one, right? Each story should be unique, and special. (Gods, I sound like a special-ed teacher... Each fic in our class is *speciiial* and *uniiiique*... Hn.)
Anyhow, what I'm saying is, the best fics are the ones that push the damn limits! Do things you don't think other people will like, branch out, throw your readers for a loop, fuck with their minds! I revel in flames, I enjoy them, because I know that for every person out there who's calling me a 'gay loser,' or a 'twisted freak,' there's another person who is sitting there in their chair, in their own little home, agreeing with me. The best fics are the ones that do interesting things, twist your perceptions, play with language, and put characters in places where they have to test their (and the readers') boundries.
Now, I can't say that I'm capable of doing all of these things, or or even any of them, but I'm saying that it's what I admire in the really good stories. (I happen to think that most of my fanfics are pretty crappy.) I'm also not pretending that I expect every single story to include all these things. But fic authors should be aware of these things as they write. It even helps just to think about it, you know? Okay, well, anyways... I think I've ranted too much, and now is REALLY the time for me to shut the hell up.
For an example of what I'm talking about, here's a link to Aimee Bender, my literary idol. This includes an author interview, book info, three short stories (one that is not in any published collection), and voice clips of Bender reading. (Sorry, mina, I just have to promote her greatness.)
That's it right now... Maybe I'll put in more later. (But, you know, hopefully not.)
! Yaeko
PS - Comments? Questions? Insults? Please, I love it all! Me email's at the bottom of the page!
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