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Discussion The Scribble Pad (Fanfic Writing Discussions)

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction and Writing Resource' started by Briannakin , Jun 18, 2017.

  1. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Ewok Poet -- great topic here.

    I agree that epics lose readers -- because of the length of individual chapters and the thing as a whole. And for me, the number one reason is lag between updates. After a while even the readers who were interested are wondering if there will ever be an update. :eek: It's disheartening to the readers who have read 10+ chapters of an epic only to have the author disappear and never get to the end -- this will definitely make the readers hesitate to read another epic even by a different author. [face_thinking] OC-centered epics do not put me off not in the slightest. There are too many fascinating ones. :D [face_love]

    As an author I do tend to the shorter side of stories LOL and I think due to DRL issues that size is more easy to take in smaller doses and even to do a marathon read.

    That said, I do adore reading loooong chapters on a Sunday afternoon. LOL
     
  2. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    PEOPLE, YOU ARE MAKING ME DO STUFF INSTEAD OF WHINING!111!!!!!!

    :p
     
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  3. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    Yeah, I was going to put this in my initial reply, but brain was a bit scattered, but yeah, if there's long lag between updates, I'm probably going to question, as a reader, if the writer will ever finish a fic (unfinished fics are a peeve of mine but I TOTALLY understand as a writer that sometimes DRL gets in the way or the muse just wanders off and - IDK if this makes sense - I don't blame the writer, but it will make me hesitant to invest in a story if I seriously question if there will ever be a conclusion). If it takes 5 years for an epic to be posted, yeah, some people will have left these boards in general and it has nothing to do with the story. I'll also probably forget what is going on if there's consistently a few months between updates and forget why I was interested in the fic in the first place. There is only so much space in my head. I will go back and re-read and refreshed my memory if I know I really like something, but there is only so many storylines I'm willing to keep track of.

    This is kinda why I like to wait till a fic is finished. Of course, this is kinda a double edged sword (I'd say lightsaber but those don't have edges). If you wait till a fic is done, you are less likely (or at least I am) to give really rich chapter-by-chapter feedback. And the lack of that feedback might be one of the things keeping the author going.

    I'm not saying updates have to happen every week and writers should have everything all written beforehand, but it does kinda explain why some of us are guilty of preferring to binge read.
     
  4. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    As somebody who fell out of the loop with your last longfic, I can promise that the comments will be detailed, once I (finally) get back to it. @};-

    But seriously, this whole thing with sporadic updates being "wrong" hasn't occurred to me before...the more I read about it, the more it makes sense.
     
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  5. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    I don't mind (I do love long comments - I just don't expect them if a story has been completed... if that makes any sense). When I am binge reading, I find, there is only so many notes I can take before it starts to feel like homework (even if I am enjoying the story), then that just takes all the fun out of it (and, more personally, there is only so much I can physically type before being in pain, which is also taking some fun out of fanfic).

    I'm not sure if sporadic updates are "wrong", but certainly on a website designed for forums and not fanfic, I think it can be an element as to why people don't read epics as much. I think its a bit different on fanfic sites like Ao3 or FF.N.
     
  6. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    I have no problem with thread necromancy...resurrected some gems nobody cared about, even. It's just that there might be more than one long reply, if a story is particularly long itself. And, I may be crazy, but I think it's fun.

    Can you use voice-to-text...something? I don't know much about these things.
     
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  7. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    Getting a random review on a story that is long finished is fun. It can bring back memories.

    Nope. Not an option for me.
     
  8. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    Like for the first thing. Sucks about the second. :(
     
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  9. mavjade

    mavjade Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2005
    I pretty much agree with what other people have said about why epics don't always get as many readers. I think a big issue here is the format of forums. It's a great format for people who are reading as the author is posting, which means it can be great for the writer to get feedback, but it's terrible for catching up or starting from the beginning of fic. On AO3 or FF.N, you don't have to wade through other's comments to get to the next chapter. You can see a wordcount, you can see if it's complete or how close the author thinks it is to complete, all before you jump into the story.

    These forums work great for interaction, not as well for reading which I think favors shorter fics.
     
  10. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    One of the problems regarding the reading experience itself is the width of the page. When you have to deal with typography as a part of your job, you know that about 66 characters per line work best for the human eyes. Here, we have...guess I will check and update this reply.

    At 100% zoom, for a post typed by Briannakin in the social thread, you get...227 characters!

    I zoom to 150% on my huge desktop screen and 120% on my laptop and it's still 109 characters. I tried to zoom to 160% and 170%, but since the Xenforo theme is not responsive, the line length was stuck at 99 characters, no matter what.

    Disclosure: My vision is 20/20. My computer monitor is 1680x1050 and my laptop monitor is...1300-something-something. On the tablet, using Tapatalk, I get the ideal number of characters per page. On the mobile, it's the other way around, obviously. :p
     
  11. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    Yeah, I've said this before, I love the community nature of this place, but it isn't exactly ideal for fanfic, especially reading longer stuff. This place doesn't really have the search features, length, approximate completed status, other works by author/in the fanfic series, tags, and formatting etc, but it also can be hard to remember where you were if you have to take a break in the middle of reading an epic in a thread. On AO3, you just have to remember what chapter you were on. Here, you almost have to remember the post number. Sure you can leave the tab open, but that's no good if the page refreshes on you. On AO3, you only have to skim through the chapter to find your place. Here, depending on how many comments a story have, you have to search through a lot of text to find where you left.

    I love this place, but lately, if I'm going to sit down and read an epic, I'm more likely to do it elsewhere (but that also due to the fandom I'm currently into).
     
  12. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    Refreshing can be disabled. For Chrome, you just do this:

    Code:
    chrome://flags/#automatic-tab-discarding.
    Not sure how it goes with other browsers. [face_thinking] I had this happen a lot last year, almost exclusively with a backlog of divapilot's fics and then I discovered this lil' trick. :) There was this one particular story of hers where I ended up getting the comment to be posted after the browser ate four or five of them. Curiously, I think it's one of the rare things she wrote in 2016 that didn't win an award. I CURSED IT. :p

    Since I have too much conscience and I want to give respect where respect is due, I have a Notebook in Evernote where I list what I'm reading and, if I'm already half-way in it, I bookmark the exact post ID where I'm supposed to continue. The subscribed threads function on here tends to be wonky sometimes and I miss stuff, more often than not.

    Here's an example of one such file:
    https://www.evernote.com/shard/s2/s...00ccf8947a4e/e21c0181bc5a12c2f3c993f0f36b7076

    (Not promoting anything or anyone here, just listing the things I want to read and things to catch up with...)

    And that's how I handle it. This year, many fics went off my radar because I was too ill to be around the way I used to, but I actually went and took a glance at all of 2017 output and bookmarked things to, yeah, yet another separate file.

    I DON'T WANNA CLOSE MY EYES
    I DON'T WANNA FALL ASLEEP
    I DON'T WANNA MISS A THING...

    Okay, I hereby reveal myself as the second most obsessed organizer of things, after the inimitable Chyntuck power couple. [face_blush] [face_tee_hee]
     
  13. Sith-I-5

    Sith-I-5 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 14, 2002
    I don't want any writer to feel unappreciated, so I will review almost anything.

    However, to stay with an epic, I would have to be really invested in the plot, or the characters; and if an effort has been made to make my experience easier, such as a larger font, that can help too.

    Edit: There are also certain circumstances or material that I can only take so much of, that might not be apparent in early or individual chapters, but can build up over the course of an epic, and eventually, I have to bail.
     
  14. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014

    Curious now.
     
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  15. Sith-I-5

    Sith-I-5 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 14, 2002
    Feel free to PM me if you require specifics.
     
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  16. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    We can continue the old PM, but only, only if THAT doesn't happen again. ;) So, get onto it! :D
     
  17. Sith-I-5

    Sith-I-5 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 14, 2002
    No, I'm not initiating (forgot how to spell 'initiating') anything, so if you PM me with a new conversation thread, I can potentially assuage your curiosity.
     
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  18. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    So, I was wondering if you folks could give me some input on naming conventions for women in the GFFA.

    From what I have seen in NuCanon, many women keep their maiden names (which I absolutely adore), such as Shara Brie (Kes Dameron's wife, Poe Dameron's mom), the way Italian, Greek, Chinese, Japanese and Quebecois women do in our world.

    From what I have seen in Legends, most women add their husband's last name to their maiden name, without a hyphen. E.g. Mara Jade Skywalker, Mirax Terrik Horn. There's of course, Tionne, for whom I understand didn't originally have a last name at all, so she got her husband's?

    From what I have seen in fanfics, there are instances of using just the husband's last name, there are instances of no last names, instances of two last names and just one last name throughout life.

    And then there's divapilot and her curious fanon that borrows from the Icelandic naming customs, of course.

    Which ones do you use and why? Would it depend on the planet's culture?

    E.g. my Sacorrian women use their husband's last names and if somebody, like Maris Inesedam Vorr, keeps her last name, that's seen as subversive. My characters from other planets usually have two last names, if married. I will have some with a single last name throughout their lives, too.
     
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  19. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    I would say it depend on the culture first and foremost
     
  20. divapilot

    divapilot Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 30, 2005
    I make stuff up as I go along. I don’t think the idea of automatically taking your husband’s nane is universal. Like Gamiel says it depends on the culture. Twi’lek women take the clan name of the husband because they become subservient to their husband’s clan. In my Zeltron fanon, last names don’t really matter because paternity isn’t a big deal - who knows and who cares who the daddy is.

    I think the older the source material the more likely the woman is to take her husband’s last name. For example since TTT was written in the 1980s (I think) then it was way more common to append his name to yours, therefore Mara Jade became Mara Jade Skywalker. Now it’s less of an assumption.

    I’ve also written it where the man takes the wife’s last name. Bottom line I don’t think there is a naming convention. As long as you are relatively consistent within the culture you should be all set.
     
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  21. mavjade

    mavjade Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2005
    I think it just depends on the culture, and the characters themselves and how they feel about it. In Western culture it used to be women always took the husband's last name. Some dropped their maiden name, some move it to their middle name, others hyphenate. But it's becoming more common that women keep their last name, or that the man takes the woman's name, or they create a new name together.

    For me personally, I like the making a new name combined from the two. I like my last name, and I don't want to drop it completely, but I also like the idea of sharing a name, so that hits both. I know people that don't have a great relationship with their father (both men and women) so they don't really care to keep their last name, while other people are quite attached and it's part of who they are.

    I think age might also play a factor. Someone who is younger might not be established as a certain name, so it's less of a deal for them to change it. While someone older, who is known professionally, or established as that name might be less inclined to change it.

    So basically, I think whatever you want works. I do think culture plays a significant part, but there can be variations within the culture and things can evolve. Going outside the cultural norm can also create some tension so that could be used as a part of a story as well.
     
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  22. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    I agree it depends on the culture (my fanon is that on Alderaan, men took their wives' names with the exception of the royal family- in that case the royal last name is always taken), age, generation, etc, but also the name itself.

    Kinda an opposite example, but my mother never went back to her maiden name after divorcing my father, because, even though they were only married for a few years, my mother HATED her given and maiden name combo (the alteration put Marvel names like Peter Parker and Bruce Banner to shame). So she completely ditched her maiden name when they married and never changed it back. Granted, our last name is pretty awesome, so I'm unlikely to change it anyways (I've always leaned towards hyphenation), but if I were ever to marry an O'Brian, I don't think anyone would blame me for not becoming Briann O'Brian.

    Some names just should not go together (I wouldn't want my friend to become Morgan Morgan), so I think that also plays into the 'personal preference' thing.
     
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  23. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    Hoookay, finally getting to this.

    I had to. It was stronger than me.

    [​IMG]

    Seriously, I believe that your Zeltron fanon should be canon. Except for Deliah Blue, we all know she has eyes for Cade only. [face_love]


    1991, I think?

    Oh, yeah...sweet Blue is a Solo... [face_blush] I keep on forgetting that.

    Hyphens became sort of illegal here three years ago, for some tech-related reasons. My mom was M.J-T, now she's M.J.T, same for one of my best friends: M.V-M. to M.V.M.

    That said, my paternal grandmother was extremely angry with my mom, for not dropping her maiden name.

    I'm an extreme. I intend to never change my last name, no matter what. Why make things more complicated?

    Like Noomi and Ola Rapace, or...?

    And I get this - I know a guy who dropped his last name and took his wife's for this exact reason.

    That's my reasoning, too.

    ...and that's a GREAT idea for a sub-plot...somewhere, sometime!

    I love that fanon, too.

    I know people who did this as well. One didn't want to revert to the last name "Ducca", because it sounds a lot like "dookie". :p

    Wait, Billy Dee Williams' full name is one of those things. :p Plus, he was born in April. 8-}

    I knew a kid named Novak Novak. I still think his parents are idiots.
     
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  24. pronker

    pronker Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2007

    Late comment is late. Fascinating subject!^:)^

    LOL at - Epic writers have delusions of grandeur in general. We think we're the next best thing since sliced bread.

    *opens vault of decrepitude* 'Zines when this guy :luke: was about the only one having stories written about him *fewer OCs then, I think?* contained fics in the 20k to 40k word range, mostly. I remember fewer epics and fewer vignettes than in 2017, no drabbles, more filk and haiku and illos, ha. Food for thought in earlier comments was 1. line length, wow, hadn't considered that before, and 2. ease in reading in mobile form as opposed to conversation-focused structure such as TFN's:* , though my Kindle truly gets a workout and then I forget to comment on what's been read *blush*

    To stick with an epic, the characters must grab me and they are free and can do whatever they darn well like in any plot. [face_flag]

    Sidenote: I am sticking with an SW story in FFN after about 2 years due to plot and characters, one of whom is Dr. Who, of whom I have seen little. An observation is that each chapter grows in length as we near the end of the tale. Chapters began in 5-6k range, expanded to 8k and now stand at about 10k or over, perhaps with the thought of "I'll never again have an idea this good, must ... lengthen ... story ... "

     
  25. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    I strive (because I can't spell the other word) to give satisfaction!

    I also strive to give LOLs. ^:)^[face_laugh]

    When you were my age, this happened...

    What is filk and what is illos?

    Glad it made sense. I bet some people went over the line length and ease of reading thing and went LOLWUT. 8-}

    Why is that patriotic? *raises an eyebrow*

    And I darn well agree!


    ...holy.bantha.poodoo. And I am ashamed for sometimes reaching and crossing 4K. [face_tee_hee]

    Fascinating input by a fascinating poster on a fascinating subject! ^:)^
     
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