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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

FanFic Ask Me Anything ~*~ Version 3.0 Daily Questions (See list on pg 164 or 1)

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction and Writing Resource' started by mavjade , Mar 14, 2014.

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  1. TheChosenSolo

    TheChosenSolo Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 9, 2011
    Come to the Island, it's halfway-fall-halfway-winter all year. :p

    What is your first name? If you care to answer it, you don't have to. My curiosity was simply piqued.
     
  2. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    What do you want to have published: short stories or go for the novel? In which genre?
     
  3. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    You islanders don't know what winter really is :p

    I'm not comfortable telling you my first name because I'm a mod (no one on the site is out to get me IRL, but we do like to keep our privacy just encase, and I'm very easy to find on Facebook with my first name and Briann - if you pester me via PM, I MAY tell you).

    However, I will tell you why I HATE it. First off, it is a male name. It is NOT one of those unisex, ambivalent names (like Morgan or Baily), IT'S A BOY NAME, and a very traditional one. Think along the lines of John or Edward, so it is not going to become a unisex name anytime soon IMO. However, I'd be fine with going by it (especially now that male names are sort of coming in style for females) if it weren't for the second reason. When I was born, there were complications. At first, my parents were told to not even bother naming me. When I wouldn't just die, my parents were told that I would be a vegetable. I would never walk, talk, or think. So nurses advised my parents to give me a 'baby' sounding name so that when I was 35 and in a care home, that nurses would view me as a baby. So my father got this brilliant idea to name me after his cousin (she has a feminized version of a male name, but the male name is very 'little boyish'). And my brilliant mother, strung out on pain meds and very little sleep, agreed to it. I obviously was not brain dead, so I find it demeaning to call me a name meant for a brain dead person.

    Anyways, my siblings also got named by their fathers, and we all got boring boy names, even my sister (but her's is more unisex). If it had been up to our mother, we would have been Sky Blue, Indiana (me), Asher and Josiah. We are all pissed about our names. We could have been an awesome hippie family.

    I'd go for the full novel in Sci-Fi. I am in the planning stages of one, but I have no idea of when or if I'll ever get around to it.
     
  4. mavjade

    mavjade Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2005
    And this ends Bri's FFAMA.
    Just so everyone knows, we are taking the list of volunteers and randomly selecting them with a random number generator. Remember, if you would like to be the subject of FFAMA (as in the person who is answering questions) send a PM to me or Bri.

    And now...

    Our next victim... er, um subject is Goodwood So go forth FanFicers and ask!
     
  5. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Goodwood! :cool: What drew you to fanfiction, what is your favorite era, and why?
     
  6. Goodwood

    Goodwood Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 11, 2011
    Thank you, mavjade, for allowing me this honor. [:D]

    But before they grow to an unmanagable size (yes, I'm so aloof and mysterious!), let me answer this multifaceted query:

    Believe it or not, I started writing original works well before even learning of the concept of fan fiction. Granted, there were the usual phases of adolescence in writing, including some cringe-worthy starter pieces that ended up wafting away like a fart in a breeze, and some bad as well as halfway decent poetry. But it was all set in real life, or at least an approximation of same, with a heavy emphasis on historical fiction. The genre of choice? Well, that should be obvious to anyone who has read my works: military history—or, to be more specific, World War II. Even when I became a Star Wars devotee with the release of Knights of the Old Republic and its sequel, I never had the inclination to write stories and still hadn't really grasped the idea of fan stories (though I did participate in a rather extensive forum RP at a certain website).

    It was only after starting out at Wookieepedia that I learned of fan fiction, though not in the way one usually does. More along the lines of learning what "fanon" was due to having to remove it from articles or else not putting it in there in the first place (I had at least one derp moment in that regard prior to actually becoming a part of that community). It would still be some time before I would start coming up with much more wacky incarnations of fanon for Darthipedia, which of course just opened the door. Eventually I started hanging out with the community at the Star Wars Fanon Wiki, where I am currently one of a handful of administrators. My very first fan fiction wasn't published there until 2010, but because it was so well-received, I figured I may as well have a go at writing more of it! Ever since then, I've come to see this as an opportunity to flex my writing skills, and so far the dividends have been far more useful than one can really quantify.

    My favorite era, perhaps because of what drew me to Star Wars as an in-depth fan rather than someone who just liked the movies, is the Old Republic era. Not really the Great Hyperspace War, because it always seemed more like "Ancient Egypt...IN SPAAAAAAACE!" than what Star Wars was supposed to be about (even the Great Sith War-related comics carry some of that imagery over). But the KotOR era and the years surrounding it always fascinated me, because it seemed for a long time that the Expanded Universe had stopped giving a damn about the "war" aspect of Star Wars and, as Kreia would say, it is in war that we either find ourselves or find ourselves lacking. I despise war in the real world, except when it is unavoidable (read: you're attacked first), but in fiction it makes for a convenient backdrop for character development—provided that the proper research is done. Hence why I'm hesitant to write for the New Sith Wars, because information on that era of conflict is pretty thin on the ground.

    tl;dr version: I grew up a sheltered existence and didn't enter the fan fic world until four short years ago.
     
  7. Cushing's Admirer

    Cushing's Admirer Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jun 8, 2006
    Goodwood: How do you feel about religion and how do you come to such a stance?
     
  8. TheChosenSolo

    TheChosenSolo Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 9, 2011
    What places have you been to, and where would you like to see?
     
  9. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    If you had the opportunity to pursue any career path, what would you be?
     
  10. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    What kind of storyline do you think is likely for the next SW movie cycle, and what would you like included?
     
  11. Goodwood

    Goodwood Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 11, 2011
    To be honest, I detest religion and what it does to people. Perhaps the worst part is the main way in which it perpetuates itself—namely, the indoctrination of children who are far too young to be able to defend themselves from their parents' ideas. Not everything Mom and Dad tell us is a good idea or example to follow, but that's neither here nor there. To quote a well-known physicist (Sam Weinstein, I think): "In an ideal world, the good will do the best they can, and the bad will do the worst they can. But for good people to do bad things, you need religion."

    Also, see my signature; IMHO, Rushdie was absolutely right.

    Despite my most fervent desires, I have not done all that much traveling. Growing up poor and lower middle class in Tallahassee, Florida, travel opportunities for my family were pretty thin on the ground. Often the highlight of my years as a kid were the annual two-week vacations to where I live now, the suburbs of Detroit, where my stepmom's parents lived. I've visited my cousin who at the time was living in Boston (Somerville, actually—incidentally, mavjade, she took me to see the doughnut shop briefly seen in Good Will Hunting—"You like apples?") And I've also visited my aunt in Maine, now that's a beautiful state. One of my favorite vacation spots is Key West, Florida, where an uncle of mine currently lives. I've been down there three times now, and there's never a dull moment if you know what to look for.

    As for where I'd like to go...I absolutely have to tour the British Isles and Australia. And I don't just mean a couple of weeks at the major sites, but the full-tilt immersive experience. Preferably with a native guide or two who know me and what I like so as to impart the crucial experience of living in those countries. My ancestry goes back to Britain before it was Britain, and I have nothing but respect for the people from the Land Down Under.

    Assuming I had the physical wherewithal to do it, I would want to be a pilot. Not just any pilot, but one who gets to fly those old, restored warbirds. B-17s, P-47s, and anything else that carried guns and/or missiles, particularly if I got to do aerobatics (in the fighters obviously, not the bombers). But since I can't fly, I'll settle for being a writer with the ability to travel the world to gain first-hand experience of life in other parts of the world to impart different perspectives.

    I don't even want to speculate, to be honest. It seems that whenever someone goes too far in analyzing every little scrap of news regarding an upcoming event, be it a movie release, an upcoming video game, or even a series of novels (or just one novel!), the anticipation will always build up to levels that couldn't possibly be met by the final product.

    All I ever do is look at the headlines, so I know that the sequel will start thirty years after ROTJ, and in my mind that makes perfect sense particularly since the Big Three will be in it. I have a reasonable amount of faith that Abrams will do justice by the fandom, and until the film is released and I've had the chance to see it, there's really no need in my mind to pursue the subject any further. But that's just my two kopecks.
     
  12. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    I am totally feeling the British Isles/Australia [face_dancing] & that doughnut shop. =P~

    What's your favorite thing to do to unwind?
     
  13. TrakNar

    TrakNar Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 4, 2011
    What was the weirdest pet you've ever had?

    As a barometer for weird, here's a few examples of pets I've had, keeping in mind that I've never ever lived on a farm: Chickens, turkeys, ducks, one goat (not miniature, either!), ball python, corn snake, turtles, iguana, various frogs, freshwater clams and mussels, crayfish, one trout (in a 20-gallon fish tank), channel catfish (same tank), tarantula, and Madagascar hissing cockroaches.

    Can your exotic pet measure up? :p
     
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  14. Goodwood

    Goodwood Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 11, 2011
    It varies on my mood and what draws my interest at that time, and can be fairly diverse. Sometimes I'll lose myself in building a plastic model (despite the small and sometimes complicated parts, it's possible to fall into a sort of moving meditation), other times I'll join with two or three friends to blow up hostile aliens on some faraway planet, or maybe I'll just drift off with a nice book (either reading or writing, heh). Overall, I tend to lean toward the model thing, as it's solitary but at the same time engaging on in a hands-on manner.

    Of course, there's always daydreaming.

    Unfortunately, nothing more awkward than a cat or dog (we had lots of cats growing up). I'm not really one for bugs or other out-of-the-ordinary creatures lingering about the house, though having a fish tank would be interesting, particularly if I could populate it with "shipwrecks" crafted from plastic ship models.
     
  15. TrakNar

    TrakNar Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 4, 2011
    You could, but you'd have to make sure to use paint or plastic that won't leech toxins into the water or otherwise deteriorate. The tank can't be too cluttered, as the fish need room to swim. Shipwrecks would make ideal places for fish to hide, however.
     
  16. Goodwood

    Goodwood Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 11, 2011
    I'm sorry, but was there a question there?
     
  17. TrakNar

    TrakNar Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 4, 2011
    Nope. Just meaningless chatter.

    What kinds of video games do you enjoy? Any specific genres?
     
  18. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    What other websites do you frequently visit and (semi-related) do you know of any 'hidden gems' of Star Wars-related sites?
     
  19. Goodwood

    Goodwood Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 11, 2011
    I like role-playing games, but prefer the ones that concentrate on telling a certain story to go with the action to those that have an overarching plot and a bevy of side quests of all shapes and sizes. So basically, it comes down to the difference between BioWare RPGs and those made by Bethesda and Blizzard. Don't get me started on MMORPGs (which I disparagingly refer to as "mumorpugers"), as I got a pretty close look into the culture when I spent about a year (all told, there were several breaks) playing Star Wars: The Old Republic. Other than that, I like strategy games (real-time or turn-based, as long as they're fun and not mind-crushingly deep on the mechanics—the Total War franchise and Starcraft are two good ones) and combat flight simulators, preferably those of World War II and/or Korea vintage. Sadly, I haven't played a decent flight sim in years, though for a long time I was a regular contributor to a couple of websites where you could download "skins" for your aircraft in a sim called IL-2 Sturmovik.

    As stated earlier, I help to administrate the Star Wars Fanon Wiki, where I also serve as an Archivist and a Seer, in which we evaluate and vote on Featured Works as well as Featured and Good Articles, respectively. More recently, I've started posting at The Ship Model Forum, where I've logged a couple of builds (one unfinished, though that may change once my condo is finished being remodeled—pun not intended). There are other model sites I visit on occasion, for example HobbyVista and Fine Scale Modeler, but I don't post at either place. Simmer's Paint Shop was another I frequented and occasionally contributed to, but not for a long time.

    As for hidden gems, I know of only one, but unfortunately it may be against forum rules to link it here (it's nothing onerous, though, I assure you). There have been a couple of other Star Wars communities where I've hung out, but my experiences there didn't end well (and I'm not talking about Wookieepedia, either), so I don't want to dignify them by providing links.

    EDIT: Just as an addendum, on any website I do frequent, my username is always Goodwood, or if it's unavailable, some variation thereof. For all Star Wars-related sites, it's Goodwood_Aurek, for non-Star Wars sites, it'd be Goodwood_Alpha (with or without the underscore).
     
  20. mavjade

    mavjade Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2005
    I lived in Somerville for a while, I actually miss living there. If you are ever back this way, let me know!


    If you could choose your last meal, what would it be?
     
  21. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Best childhood memory?
     
  22. TrakNar

    TrakNar Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 4, 2011
    Continuing on the RPG question...

    The type of RPG you described is what amounts to an action RPG, where you control one character rather than a party, and the combat system is more akin to a hack-and-slash, rather than turn-based or menu-based combat. You said that it amounts to the difference between BioWare and Blizzard or Bethesda. Could you elaborate on that?
     
  23. leiamoody

    leiamoody Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 8, 2005
    Favorite period of history?
     
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  24. Goodwood

    Goodwood Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 11, 2011
    Well, my cousin and her family moved to Maine a while back (she actually lives across the street from her mother, my aunt, in Alna, population 600!). So unfortunately I don't really have an excuse to visit... :(

    As for your question...that's a tough one. I should think I'd like a really nice, well-prepared chicken Parmesan.

    Hmmm.

    The first, and so far only, time I've been to Disney World. It was when I was nine, and was the result of an intentional detour my parents took when taking me to Lions Camp (there's a camp in every state that's run by the International Lions Club for blind/visually impaired kids) that summer. Everything was just perfect, and it was the first time I ever rode a roller coaster (Space Mountain). I was so scared waiting in line, that fear had prevented me from going on such a ride for the longest time. Let's just say the sheer awesomeness of that particular coaster cured that fear lickety-split.

    Then perhaps I'm describing things incorrectly.

    I do rather prefer action RPGs to turn- or menu-based combat, if only because I've never played the latter types. To me, story is more important than action, but I don't want either to get bogged down by menus and micromanagement muggery; if combat is going to happen, I'd rather pull out my sword and shield, bow, daggers, or rifle and just get things over with—I suppose that's a reflection of my direct and assertive personality. ;)

    To fall back to the difference between BioWare and Bethesda style games, the former tends to have a tighter narrative focus, with most side quests having something to do with the main plot and, while optional, you don't have to go too far to resolve them. The latter, however, likes to just plonk you into a big open world the size of Kansas and is perfectly happy to let you faff about for quite a few days' worth of playing climbing to Mt. Doom and back to fetch a grue pelt for stationary gormless pillock #43-0759.

    There are two periods of history that hold the lion's share of my interest. While both were quite bloody, they were also periods of great change, and I suppose I favor them because they not only brought out the worst in people, but also their best. Specifically, the American Civil War and the first half of the twentieth century, with a bit of interest in the American Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars.

    Yes, that's quite a lot more than what you asked for, so if I had to pick one historical event and its aftermath to study, I would choose the sinking of the Titanic. Watching James Cameron's film was the first time I came close to tears in a theatre; I don't know what exactly that says about me, but I do know that I identified with Bill Paxton's character when he said that "For three years, I thought of nothing but Titanic. But I never got it. I never let it in."

    That's exactly how I felt as we left the show. We think we know so much about history, that we're clever for being able to see what the men and women of that time could not, but it's all hindsight. Someday I hope to come to that sort of understanding about my stated periods.

    Keep up the great questions, folks! I look forward to answering many more.
     
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  25. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Subject in school you liked most & least?
     
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