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Author	Topic: Essential Guide to OCs - There's a lot of voting going on, might as well come in and vote here too!
Diary_Challenge_Sock Registered: Oct '07	Date Posted: 4/18 12:19am Subject: RE: Essential Guide to OCs - April Challenge: Two Challenges for the Price of One! - Date Edited: 4/18 12:21am (1 edits total) Edited By: Diary_Challenge_Sock
	whacks Trika with 'welcome'-pillow I'm gultiy of the same, though, I read but don't post. Doing that a lot lately. EDIT: I am even to stupid to remember I'm wearing a sock. Guess I'll get me a new brain now. ~Lanna -----signature----- Challenge Thread 2007 http://boards.theforce.net/fan_fiction_resource/b10304/25809540/p12/ ~ ~ ~ Challenge Thread 2008 http://boards.theforce.net/fan_fiction_resource/b10304/27816976/p1/?72
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Corellian_Ale Registered: Mar '08	Date Posted: 4/18 4:02am Subject: RE: Essential Guide to OCs - April Challenge: Two Challenges for the Price of One!
	Hey there Trika, nice to see a older, albiet friendly face around here! "Sir, sir; I was assaulted by a sock weilding a pillow!" A bit of a topic for discussion, if you don't mind DWH... How do you OC writers out there (lurkers speak up too!) feel about the attention your OC-Centric fics gather nowadays? If it wasn't a challenge for this thread (because we all state that in the title, right?) do you feel you get a fair shake? Is your readership the same as canon character fics, do you garner new readers to your work, etc.? Those of you who have been here for at least 3 years may see the difference since the "Great OC-Rebellion of '05" (very tongue-in-cheek reference for thos in the know folks), but since then has interest in OC's tappered off to the loyal few, or is it the same strength as it always was? If so, what do you think can be done to change that stigma? My concern is that this genre tends to be ignored, save for those who frequent this thread, and maybe a speckle of others. Thoughts? I don't have any, which is why I asked... -----signature----- "I don't think you can breed being a human out of humans, no matter how much you try. - MsLanna And as far as I'm concerned, a story is never dead. It's just napping. - MamaV Proud Master to MsLanna & (joint) Alexis_Wingstar
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Commander-DWH Registered: Nov '03	Date Posted: 4/19 9:40pm Subject: RE: Essential Guide to OCs - April Challenge: Two Challenges for the Price of One!
	Ale, I think that is an excellent topic for conversation. I personally get a double whammy, writing both KOTOR and OCs. It's like I'm asking to have no readers. It's hard for me to gauge by my own writing, since my OCs largely relate to one epic that I've been writing for nearly three years. The epic itself is mostly canon, but with one major OC added, and it's sprung a lot of OC stories relating to that one OC. Around here, they get decent readership in comparison to the rest of the internet. In the greater internet, there are many people so disillusioned by the constant onslaught of Mary Sues that they immediately assume that all OCs are Mary Sues, and thus won't give any of them a chance. Honestly, the OC Revolution has done wonders for that perception here, and I just wish a little of that awesome would leak out into the internet at large. I admit, the rest of the internet frustrates me. I pretty much completely snapped when someone, in the course of a rant about fanfic, stated that he was a pretty good writer because he avoided OCs. And worse, people agreed with him. This makes me mad, but it also makes me appreciate the environment we have here. There are people who aren't exactly card-carrying members of the OC Revolution who will drop in and read my OC-centric stories. Sure, you guys tend to be the bulk of the repliers, but others do come in. I think there's not much visibility outside of this thread, but without saying too much, that may change very soon. twirls mustache mysteroiusly -----signature----- Complements (KOTOR)- http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/21177927/ Luminosity- http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/27900517/ Barefoot hippie in the OC revolution Master of the lovely and talented SoA
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EmilieDarklighter Registered: Jan '02	Date Posted: 4/19 9:47pm Subject: RE: Essential Guide to OCs - April Challenge: Two Challenges for the Price of One!
	-pops in for a moment- For a long time, I avoided OCs like the plague. That isn't to say that I didn't encounter some good ones (yours remain memorable and I was reading when you started writing that epic, DWH) but I've mostly stayed away from them until now. Recently I've taken up forum roleplay, which requires a whole blasted lot of devotion to original characters, and I love them. -tempted to write something using one of them- -----signature----- Master of Jedi_Emeritus Former Padawan of Gabri_Jade Little sister to Gabri_Jade and LadyPadme 25 Rules for Successful Writing http://boards.theforce.net/fan_fiction_resource/b10304/28400222/p1/?2
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Thumper09 Registered: Dec '01	Date Posted: 4/20 7:47am Subject: RE: Essential Guide to OCs - April Challenge: Two Challenges for the Price of One!
	Welcome aboard, Trika. Heh heh, careful, Emilie. Every single SW fanfic I've written in the last almost seven years (all OC stuff) can be directly traced back to the decision I made to write something about my SW RPG character. That character still takes up a lot of my time today, even though I haven't RP'ed him in six or so years. Before that, I was in a similar boat. I just didn't understand the point of OCs when there were all these cool canon characters around. I remember picking up a profic Rogue Squadron novel (#3 or 4 of the series, which didn't help when I hadn't read the first ones), looking at the first page, thinking, 'Corran Horn? Who in the world is that? meh,' and putting the book away for about a year. I have since changed my ways. (Stackpole & Allston = awesome) As for the discussion topic, I'm not sure how much useful input I can give since I have no apples-to-apples comparisons. I always post a story with the expectation of zero readers, so any replies I do get is a great bonus. Before my current WIP, the last full-length (or even multi-post) story I posted here was back in early 2004 and had an all-OC cast. I got a smattering (is that a word?) of readers for it, again more than I had honestly expected because of the OCs. Today, my WIP seems to have more readers than the 2004 one did, and it too is an all-OC cast, but the stories themselves are so different that I'm not really sure what factor to attribute the changes to. The readership is a mix of people I've seen post in this thread and people I haven't seen post here. I'm not sure how overall OC readership on the boards differs from canon readership nowadays, since I rarely read canon stories; my plate's simply too full with OC stories. Looking down my ATN list, I read one story that has canon characters in it (the main CC is a more minor one), and I have some Rogue Squadron stories (like a moth to the flame...), but the rest seem to be stories that are predominately OC. OCs seem to have a larger visibility than they did years ago, and more people here seem to be writing them--or at least admitting to them--even if they're simply supporting characters to a canon cast. That's going from looking at some story headers, anyway. I get my story fix here and on one other SW message board that also is pretty accepting of OCs, so I don't really have a need to venture out into other places on the Internet. I'm glad I haven't run into the types of people that DWH has. That was my rambling way of saying "I don't know." -Thumper -----signature----- Geeking out. Be back soon. "Like anything worth writing, it came inexplicably and without method." -Karen Eiffel The Way--Imperial pilot OCs, OT: http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/28104637 OC X-wing fics: http://www.coronasquadron.com/corona.html
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Trika_Kenobi Title: 10-year Anniversary Banner Creator Registered: Nov '99	Date Posted: 4/20 7:06pm Subject: RE: Essential Guide to OCs - April Challenge: Two Challenges for the Price of One!
	Hey, everyone. Thanks for the welcome. Taking a look at "ancient history," I fondly recall fanfic circa 1999 revolving mostly around Jedi Apprentice stories, rewrites of Episode One, and predictions about Episode Two. Ah, the fun that was had! Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan adventures were king and all OCs were Mary Sues. That was just how things were back then. No questions asked. In fact, if you registered a username that was a name at all, it was pretty much inevitable that it would one day be used in one of your fics. We all seemed to have a great deal of originality back then. The other popular genre of 2000 was the squadfic. Glorious melodrama to the rescue! There were about a dozen threads of "create your own character" goodness, with Talon Intelligence Squadron winning out. I didn't understand it at the time, but looking back now, I know that TIS, my OC introduction, was to eventually give me something to reflect upon once the normal Star Wars universe "failed me." I used "failed me" rather lightly. I love Star Wars. I really do. It's just not got the same glamor of years ago, with multiple reasons behind it. Since my return to the JC this year, I've found that fanfic readers are simply obsessed by certain "canon" EU characters that just don't appeal to me to begin with. Now, TIS has always been like a secret love child of mine, but this time around, I'm a little older and in a better position to critically analyze more of the dynamic behind the group of OCs that became known as the Talons. I get the feeling that a lot of people (OC fanatics included) have a tendency to view OCs as having to be really serious, real-life, depressing characters. Now, serious stories with serious characters definitely have a place in my heart. There's nothing like the talent to portray reality in its raw form. Any author who can write about paying taxes, doing paperwork, and cleaning the house is amazing. But let's face one thing: I, in particular, didn't fall in love with the galaxy far, far away because I thought that Luke Skywalker cleaning droids was amazing, and I wanted to get inside his head to see why he cleaned the way he did. That being said, OCs tend to be thought of as "normal people" that cannot be awesome or cool. Again, my imagination was not captured by the mysterious bar patron in the corner of the Mos Eisley Cantina that first time I saw Star Wars. Here's the kicker, though... now that Star Wars has become rather blah to me, the OCs are all I really have left. I don't care to read about the same old Solo kid adventures. I definitely don't care to read more JA stuff (I got enough of that back in the day.). Once the luster of Jedi running amok failed me, I had to go back and realize that original stories with original characters could deliver me out of the malaise of the Star Wars universe. OCs don't have to be completely serious, depressing reads, and on the other hand, they don't have to be Mary Sues, either. Star Wars was always about the melodrama... a space opera packed with adventure. Again, while the serious stuff has a fond place in my heart, there's nothing quite like a fun story. TIS is such a story, and while the original text of TIS was penned with half a thought as to the plot, it was simply pure fun. Well, I'm sort of on topic at this point, and I've got a partial clue about how to wrap this up. In the TIS Restoration Project, where we original authors are editing the original TIS text, we're finding that our group of OCs and the small "Talonverse" that they inhabit had a whole lot more in them that we had thought possible. At this point in the game, we're finding that once people understand the concept behind TIS, they're hooked. Sure, a whole squadron of OCs is an incredible amount of characters to keep track of, but again, once you fall into the "Talonverse," you're trapped. The kicker is actually getting the readers away from the myriad of other "canon" EU stories and to give TIS a chance. Borrowing ol' Cap'n Flannel's universe and just running with our own story has yielded a super awesome experience that can't be duplicated by existing characters. There's such a richness to be discovered through OCs, and no matter how serious or silly, all OC stories have more to offer than I had originally thought. Specifically, I believe that if more people could see the Star Wars "magic" being preserved or expanded through the use of OCs, readership would increase exponentially. At this point, showing people is the problem, and we're in a constant battle to gain the attention of the masses. Did we all survive this post of mine? Dern. Priceless ramblings, I'm sure. P.S. I'm winding my way though The Way, Thumper, and I'll be out and on your PM list shortly. -----signature----- "Once a Talon, always a Talon." Clear skies, sir. http://www.TalonIntelligenceSquadron.com proud oldbie master to -Kypster-
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Corellian_Ale Registered: Mar '08	Date Posted: 4/20 8:53pm Subject: RE: Essential Guide to OCs - April Challenge: Two Challenges for the Price of One!
	Trika_Kenobi posted: That being said, OCs tend to be thought of as "normal people" that cannot be awesome or cool... Star Wars was always about the melodrama... a space opera packed with adventure. You've put your finger on the pulse of the Mary Sue epidemic Trika! I think a lot of writers try to not make their OCs...incredible. There is that constant nun in the corner of their room, ready to rap their knuckles with the Mary Sue ruler; keeping OC writers from creating characters that could put the galaxy on it's ear. However, that's not to say the smaller scale stories are any less exciting. The balance is realizing not every character can save the galaxy, some can just save their own little piece of it. Thumper09 posted: I'm not sure how overall OC readership on the boards differs from canon readership nowadays, since I rarely read canon stories; my plate's simply too full with OC stories. My own personal bane as well Thumper, because I know there are quite a few canon driven fics I would probably rather enjoy! I think that many of us involved in this fraternity have a difficult time expanding past the OC galaxy, and perhaps alienating us from our fellow canon writer. Agreed? DWH posted: I personally get a double whammy, writing both KOTOR and OCs. It's like I'm asking to have no readers. It's hard for me to gauge by my own writing, since my OCs largely relate to one epic that I've been writing for nearly three years. The epic itself is mostly canon, but with one major OC added, and it's sprung a lot of OC stories relating to that one OC. Then there's some like me who've never played KOTOR, and have NO idea whose canon, and who is OC... -----signature----- "I don't think you can breed being a human out of humans, no matter how much you try. - MsLanna And as far as I'm concerned, a story is never dead. It's just napping. - MamaV Proud Master to MsLanna & (joint) Alexis_Wingstar
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Jinngerbread Title: PT Rewrite Contest Host Registered: Sep '07	Date Posted: 4/20 9:39pm Subject: RE: Essential Guide to OCs - April Challenge: Two Challenges for the Price of One!
	Back when I was a wee new author before I joined the boards, I stumbled upon a series of stories that changed my perception of original characters completely. Like many, I avoided OC's or at least mostly OC-centric fics for a long time, partially because of the bad rep they get, and partially because I just couldn't see how any story without my favorite characters could possibly be any good. It just was a totally foreign idea to me at the time. I asked the author in question for permission to borrow her very wonderful original characters and to my chagrin and embarrassment, she said no, rather she encouraged me to try my hand at creating my own OC's instead of borrowing hers. I'll be forever grateful for her encouragement, for in doing so I found that original characters can be just as much fun if not more fun than canon characters. The thing is, for a lot of authors, I think they still feel the way I did, that stories need to have canon characters to some extent to have it still feel like the same universe to them. I could be wrong, but that seems to be part of why the Sue Extraordinares are created. We love our canon characters and we don't really know how to write well rounded originals, so we steal from what we know, ourselves, and from fantasy elements that we would like our perfect selves to have. I think the bottom line of why people don't participate more in OC threads like this one, is they feel intimidated by the idea of original characters in general and coming up with their own is a very scary out of comfort zone area, but hopefully that will be changing is all mysterious like DWH I know I don't participate in this thread that often, and I lurk more than anything, but I am always here reading the discussion and I'll try and do better about not lurking -----signature----- Into Another Day http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/27926050/p1/?5 Jinngerbread Cookiees http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/28405471/p1/?0 Gate Crashin' http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/28492848/p1/?21
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Corellian_Ale Registered: Mar '08	Date Posted: 4/21 3:40am Subject: RE: Essential Guide to OCs - April Challenge: Two Challenges for the Price of One!
	Jinngerbread posted: why people don't participate more in OC threads like this one, is they feel intimidated by the idea of original characters in general and coming up with their own is a very scary out of comfort zone area AND THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE!!!!!! (In my Jim Carrey voice, and yes I'm one of those people that walk around quoting marginally humorous movies all day) I think another statement you made Layren is that people feel it's not Star Warsy enough without someone from the movies or books; but that's okay. It's just a matter of practice to find a balance where writers can set the scene of the GFFA, but don't want that over the top adventure that the Skywalker clan always finds themselves wrapped up in. -----signature----- "I don't think you can breed being a human out of humans, no matter how much you try. - MsLanna And as far as I'm concerned, a story is never dead. It's just napping. - MamaV Proud Master to MsLanna & (joint) Alexis_Wingstar
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Trika_Kenobi Title: 10-year Anniversary Banner Creator Registered: Nov '99	Date Posted: 4/21 6:50am Subject: RE: Essential Guide to OCs - April Challenge: Two Challenges for the Price of One!
	Corellian_Ale posted: You've put your finger on the pulse of the Mary Sue epidemic Trika! I think a lot of writers try to not make their OCs...incredible. There is that constant nun in the corner of their room, ready to rap their knuckles with the Mary Sue ruler; keeping OC writers from creating characters that could put the galaxy on it's ear. Agreed. Now, there's a place and time for un-incredible OCs, but if anything, OCs provide an opportunity for creating characters who can be incredible without having to be a burden or a Mary Sue/Gary Stu. Original characters pursuing the same glory, adventure, or values as canon characters can do so in their own realm and become just as interesting and incredible as their famous counterparts. That's some of the beauty of writing for an intelligence squadron. While hotshots like the Rogues run around and suck up all the glory, our crew of OCs are in the background having equally awesome adventures for the same cause. Corellian_Ale posted: However, that's not to say the smaller scale stories are any less exciting. The balance is realizing not every character can save the galaxy, some can just save their own little piece of it. Exactly. Their own little piece is the key to that magic I talked about earlier. At this point in my Star Wars "passion," I'm of the mindset that I don't even want to write about a character who becomes the ultimate Mary Sue/Gary Stu and helps the Solo kids save the day. But, in an OC's piece of the galaxy far, far away, anything can happen, restoring the magic that, in my opinion, has already been used up in much of the normal canon universe. Jinngerbread posted: I think the bottom line of why people don't participate more in OC threads like this one, is they feel intimidated by the idea of original characters in general and coming up with their own is a very scary out of comfort zone area, but hopefully that will be changing. Gah! I hope so, too. OCs take a little bit more time to work, but the reward of having a created entity that eventually grows beyond the penned words is incredible. I think that many of us involved in this fraternity have a difficult time expanding past the OC galaxy, and perhaps alienating us from our fellow canon writer. Agreed? LOL. Again, at this point in my "passion," I don't even have a dern clue about 90% of the characters out there. I might have been there for the beginning of certain books and storylines, but I definitely am not up-to-date on whatever is "hip" right now. That said, I will always check out a recommendation fic or a friend fic upon a PM. As for reaching beyond the OC boundary at this point, though, I can't do it without getting lost. -----signature----- "Once a Talon, always a Talon." Clear skies, sir. http://www.TalonIntelligenceSquadron.com proud oldbie master to -Kypster-
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Exeter Registered: Feb '05	Date Posted: 4/21 10:33pm Subject: RE: Essential Guide to OCs - April Challenge: Two Challenges for the Price of One!
	Corellian_Ale posted: How do you OC writers out there (lurkers speak up too!) feel about the attention your OC-Centric fics gather nowadays? If it wasn't a challenge for this thread (because we all state that in the title, right?) do you feel you get a fair shake? Is your readership the same as canon character fics, do you garner new readers to your work, etc.? I can't really complain about the number of readers I've received. Between my canon work and my OC stories the rate of replies is pretty even, actually. Some months you see more, others you see less, but I think that has less to do with OCs and more to do with fanfic trends in general. For me, the quality of the replies are a lot more important than the quantity. It's nice for a bunch of people to stop by and say "Nice work!", but what's irreplacable is those dedicated readers who give detailed feedback, really outline what worked for them, pose questions, draft theories about what's going on, and interact on a level that to me outlines what a community is all about. It's not only rewarding as a writer to receive replies like that, but it's also extremely helpful. My stories are always in a constant state of evolution, and reader input influences my writing more than they probably realize. Brainstorming is 90% of my work - the writing is the easy part - and having a few invested readers is like sitting at the table with them and coming up with new ideas, exploring other options, and I can't imagine doing it any other way. That's why the internet is such a powerful tool for the writer, I think. It's something I would miss were I to write professionally. That's the best part about the OC community here. There may be less of us than other specific groups and networks, but if anything you tend to support each other, in the writing process and in the finished product. There's nothing quite like seeing a fellow OCer giving praise, because you know not only are they as excited as you about the characters, but they appreciate both the obstacles and the unique challenges you face when you work with OCs. But I'll be perfectly honest, I'm pretty satisfied with the number of replies I get. I tend to try and involve readers as much as possible in my threads, establish a rapport with them, because I know they're that much more likely to stick around, through that story and if I'm lucky, the next. Were I to get more, I might be less able to give them the proper attention they deserve. When I see a 1,000+ reply story, frankly I'm a bit overwhelmed by the prospect of responding to each of them. I don't blame readers who avoid OC stories like the plague. It's tough to take the time to get to know a set of totally foreign characters, especially when these folks aren't the ones that brought you to Star Wars in the first place. Remy Diabet? Tadgh Maitland? Kaeso Landrith? Who the heck are these guys? Did I click on the wrong forum? It's a commitment that some are willing to make; some would much rather stick to what they know. But I think a lot of people have misconceptions about Original Characters, and the stories they call home. I think they're a lot more widespread than some may realize and it's all about perception. There's a wide range of OC works, for example. Even in diehard canon stories, especially the ones with a large scope, it's rare not to see a single OC. But since they dot the landscape, hug the shadows, and serve singular purposes, it's almost easy to forget that they're technically OCs. These are "Dixie Cup OCs", as I think of them, because they're completely disposable. You don't even think of them as an OC, because they're there and then gone again, often in the same paragraph. You've got OC-o-ramas, like most of my stories, where often times every single character is an OC, I've invented the planets, the locations, the political systems...hell, I'm leery of them, and I wrote them. Those are the ones that I think people take and unfairly apply as a stereotype to the entire OC community - they're worried it's Star Wars in name only, and they won't see any semblance of the saga they've come to love. I've even received specific complaints about that before, that my stories simply aren't Star Wars. It really does come down to perception, though. Souderwan and I did a comparison last year and came to a pretty interesting conclusion. He's known for his series that heavily revolves around canon characters, whereas those that know me are well aware that if a canon character shows up in one of my stories, they're probably going to get blown up or exit quietly stage right while an OC shoots laser beams from his eyes. Anyway, what we found is that his story contained the exact same number of relevant OCs (mentioned more than a few times) as one of my OC-centric stories. We both were pretty surprised by that, as his story would never be described as an OC story, and his readership well reflected that. So I'd say we're quite a bit more prevalant than a lot of people might think, and the real trick is to convince potential readers to take a chance. I wouldn't be surprised if most people that avoid OC stories really haven't read very many and they're simply concerned that their time would be wasted. As OC writers, we know going in that we've got to fight a bit more to get people to pay attention. But in my experience, those that do are there to stay, and I'd take my readers over anyone else every time. Work hard to treat your readers well and return their interest as best as you can, and you won't regret it. -----signature----- "Are my eyes really that far apart? They make me look like Admiral Ackbar" - Tina Fey, 30 Rock "R2, I need you to turn the auto pilot off! Now! (He looks at the screen but nothing happens.) Worth a try." - John Sheppard, Stargate Atlantis
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The_Face Title: Fan Fic Manager Shelf of Shame Loser Registered: Feb '03	Date Posted: 4/22 11:04pm Subject: RE: Essential Guide to OCs - April Challenge: Two Challenges for the Price of One! - Date Edited: 4/22 11:06pm (1 edits total) Edited By: The_Face
	Diggin' the conversational stylings happening in here. Sad it's taken me this long to get in here with my own ramblings. If something doesn't make sense, it's not me; it's the Mad Cow. As for the questions Ale raises. My readership is higher now than it was in the '05 "height" of OC Revolucion. I mainly chalk that up to me currently writing better fics than I was then. (Was that really almost 3 years ago? Geez...) Or at least I like to think so. My readers are a good mix - some who'd gladly follow O-Che Guevara, some not particularly identified with the OC side. I have a difficult time comparing to canon; the only fics I write with major canon characters are humor stories which seem to garner my largest followings regardless of my OCing ways (see: Braken Starblaster), so the comedic-action-noir stories are bound to have fewer readers even without the "all-OC" label. In regards to whether the OC community as a whole is as strong as it used to be, I think one has to remember that we're living in a post-RotS world. All the boards have slowed down to varying degrees. Great thing about OCs, though, is that we are not so tied to new movie material. Our guys, girls, aliens, and droids have been playing in the stars before Anakin put on a mask, and will continue to after. Provided he doesn't kill them. Plus, we're not tied to the specific positions of canon characters. We're free to make our own pair of Jedi saving the galaxy, yes, but we're also free to make quirky Intelligence agents, dedicated CorSec officers, drunk generals, and vigilante TIE pilots who could save the galaxy or in an equally exciting way save something less oversaved. A sector, a city, a kidnapping victim, their family... Or maybe instead of saving it, they end up destroying it. O - C. That's how I spell "Possibility." The phenomenon Trika describes with the Talonverse is something that often happens with OC stories, especially those with sequels/spinoffs/etc. I'm reminded of oqidaun's Dakari Sector tales, and Luton's Correalis, Corellia. My own Galaxy Noir* 'verse runs parallel to the OT-and-beyond with its own twisted web of characters. Personally I favor the detective/mafia/spy ring scene. I'm more about the dirt the Empire/NewRep sweeps under the rug. Sometimes I gotta remind myself "No, Boba Fett is not a minor character I made up as a foil for Messuni Roserain. Remember, MsLanna made him up for her OC! Yeah, that's gotta be it." OC stories enjoy an extra latitude in tone, methinks. Depending where your OCs are/what they do, one can focus on the political side of the GFFA, on the military action-adventure, on the seedy underworld, on whatever genre Lucas borrowed from strikes your fancy. The supernatural murderous little girl, at first seems a far cry from the pun-making CorSec slicer. But it's just that they're in different subsections of the same big galaxy. One can do this with canons to some extent, but it's more limited. Eventually Obi-wan and Anakin are wearing so many different hats you can't even see their Jedi mullets. Though sometimes it works beautifully (Palpatine could step right into a political thriller, Jango in a pulpy crime drama, etc.), sometimes you have to come up with an original squadron of washouts for Wedge to lead. Well, "you" don't, because Aaron Allston already did. But I digress. And as I've already typed a while, I'll just say that Exeter, mental giant, has crafted an excellent post on reader-writer relations that warrants your perusal. P. S. Big welcomes to Trika and Emilie! Hello! That was for you, Futon. -----signature----- The Shelf of Shame The RPF/FF Forum Feud bet What will I lose next? Stay tuned! Galaxy of Suspects, a CorSec Mystery: http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=28083207&brd=10476
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kecen Registered: Jul '05	Date Posted: 4/23 4:56pm Subject: RE: Essential Guide to OCs - April Challenge: Two Challenges for the Price of One!
	Hm, OC's and canon characters are different degress of the gimmick used to get people to read writing because it is associated with Star Wars. A non-fan would be lured by the promise of new adventures in the GFFA, but a Star Wars fan would like more of the same old (or is it the other around?) and wants to read Luke/Mara fics. I haven't gotten many reviews on my OC fic (Yun-Yammka In Escrow) per update now that it's exceeded 2 pages in posts (people assume they can't catch up to that much reading). I fear it may be because of the genre (no action) and my inadequate writing skills. Vignettes are a hit with casual readers for their length (and focus the plot in one installment). I also don't have celebrity writer status over here XP I think the challenges this month are too...challenging. Imperials may count as "sexually dimorphic" because so many of them are misogynists. Well they're also mostly humans (I hate this retcon aspect). -----signature----- there is nothing in the world that we can count on even that we will wake up is an assumption...but i know for a fact that i loved someone and for about a year he lived in bastion... Member of the George R. Binks fanclub, whoo!
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Corellian_Ale Registered: Mar '08	Date Posted: 4/23 5:44pm Subject: RE: Essential Guide to OCs - April Challenge: Two Challenges for the Price of One!
	kecen posted: I haven't gotten many reviews on my OC fic (Yun-Yammka In Escrow) per update now that it's exceeded 2 pages in posts (people assume they can't catch up to that much reading)... Vignettes are a hit with casual readers for their length (and focus the plot in one installment). I also don't have celebrity writer status over here. Big tip for oldbies and newbies alike. I've known OC authors that will write several vignettes, sometimes using the challenges here, and usually set previous to the longer epic they plan on writing. This way the casual readers that you find repeatedly reading those shorter stories, will come to know and become attached to these new personalities, and are usually more inclined to follow them into an epic. Think of your epic as a movie, and the vignettes as the previews or commercials; even though they're not cut directly from the movie... -----signature----- "I don't think you can breed being a human out of humans, no matter how much you try. - MsLanna And as far as I'm concerned, a story is never dead. It's just napping. - MamaV Proud Master to MsLanna & (joint) Alexis_Wingstar
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Jinngerbread Title: PT Rewrite Contest Host Registered: Sep '07	Date Posted: 4/23 10:27pm Subject: RE: Essential Guide to OCs - April Challenge: Two Challenges for the Price of One! - Date Edited: 4/23 10:28pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Jinngerbread
	I've started posting my story for the challenge response. Where are the rest of you guys? I don't want to be out here alone! I'm trying something a little different with mine, nothing like experimentation! -----signature----- Into Another Day http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/27926050/p1/?5 Jinngerbread Cookiees http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/28405471/p1/?0 Gate Crashin' http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/28492848/p1/?21
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