The Fan Fiction Newsletter, Edition IX

The Fan Fiction Newsletter, Edition IX
April, 2004

Page I:

Newsletter News:

As editor of the Fan Fiction Newsletter, I'd like to extend my sincere congratulations to our newest Fan Fiction moderator, red_rose_knight. She's stepped in to fill Amidala_Skywalker's shoes, and thus far has given us absolutely no cause for complaint. Here's to a successful mod-ship!

Because of the success of last month's contest, we have a new one in store for you. Just scroll down to page II and check out the April Writing Trivia for a chance to have your poetry in the newsletter!

This is my last month of editing, and I'm looking for someone to take up the reins. If you're motivated, dedicated, willing to work with people here on the boards, able to leap grammatical errors in a single bound, and willing to give up much of your sleep at the end of the month, please contact me. Send a short PM with a few sentences about why you'd like to edit the newsletter, and I'd be more than happy to give you more information.

As always, if you're interested in reviewing, finding stories for us to review, writing an article, conducting an interview, or if you just want to make a suggestion or comment, please PM FF_Newsletter_Editor or Xaara. Your help would be much appreciated.

?The Editor

Recommended Reading:

Before the Saga:

Invisible Enemy by Jane Jinn and Mistress_Renata

Reviewer 1:

Rating: Excellent

Comments: This story cleverly draws you in. It starts simply enough when the major players at the Jedi Chapter House are introduced. There are a few hints of trouble but, for the most part, the characters seem to be enjoying their stay. However, just as the reader begins to get comfortable, the first victims of the deadly plague inundate the medical facilities. As the Jedi struggle to find a cure, the morgue fills up with bodies from the deadly disease. But that is only the beginning. The plot thickens with startling twists and turns as the reader is drawn ever deeper into the fic.

Jane and Renata use clear, straightforward language to weave an intriguing, surprising, multi-threaded story but it is their OCs that are the real stars of this fic. The authors have added a richness and depth to the characters, making them living, realistic, flawed individuals.

It is also clear that the authors have done their research with plagues and medical advances but it is their realistic settings, their action sequences and their character interactions that truly make this a story a memorable read. Well done.

Quote: ?Have faith in yourself,? the man urged. ?Let the Force flow through you and see for yourself what happens. Use your strengths.?

Hearing the emphasis that he?d put on the word ?see,? Kiu gave the older man a questioning look. To her surprise, he reached out for her hand with both of his and smiled down at her. ?This is your destiny.?

Then he let go and made a shooing motion. Obedient to age and wisdom, Kiu nodded once, then ran forward into the smoke and dust. Use your strengths, the master had said. At that moment, she could only remember one of them, and closed her eyes to pretend that this was her favourite training exercise. She could not only distinguish between the bright warmth of the other Jedi and the dim glow of the Batangans, she could also feel the Force moving around inanimate objects as well, like water flowing around boulders in a stream. Then there were the bright flashes of weaponry ? once she?d identified all of that, she was ready to surrender hersel

 

Page II:

Vignette Recommendation:
by NarundiJedi

Dear Valin by Lorax

I really enjoyed this witty and cute vignette. I think it has enough detail about the Horn/Halcyon family history in it so someone who wasn't a fan of these particular characters could still enjoy it.

I also liked the nature of Valin's letter to his grandfather. The voice in it is very typical of a pre-teen trying to understand the way the universe works, and I think you nailed it. His grandfather came across as mischievous, fun, and caring, which I think you probably also intended.

In all, it was a heart-warming story and it made me smile. Good job!

Rating: 8/10

Special Recommendation:
by Rogue_of-Peace

Dark Mirror by Gandalf the Grey

Twenty years have passed since the battle of Endor. It was a battle in which Princess Leia Organa, the last of the Jedi knights, was slain by Emperor Luke Skywalker. It was a battle in which the Imperial fleet, led by Grand Admiral Solo, crushed the Rebel fleet. The Empire has since conquered the whole of the galaxy, and even the farthest reaches of the Unknown Regions have fallen under Imperial dominion.

The Empire, needing to expand in order to remain stable, sets its sights further. They invade another reality, another dimension. One in which it was the Rebellion who won at Endor, Han Solo and Leia Organa are married, Luke Skywalker has reestablished the Jedi Order and married Mara Jade, and in which the Empire is at peace with the Republic.

Now the hero?s, villains and rogues of the two galaxies face their most resourceful and dangerous enemies yet ? Themselves.

This is a really awesome AU. That's all I have to say about it, and this should get some spotlight for all the new readers out there.

Bunnies Up for Adoption into Good Word Processors:

1. Droids are the ultimate scapegoats, messengers, and unobtrusive hunks of junk who always seem to pull our heroes out of huge messes. What might have happened without Artoo to carry Princess Leia's message? What about without Threepio to help rescue Han from Jabba? The answer?it's up to you.

2. Craftsmen (and women) have always been central to the advancement of civilization. What might the artisans in the Star Wars universe be making now? How do their crafts fit into the scheme of things? How might a jeweler think in times of rebellion, or how might a toy maker think in times of poverty?

April Writing Tips:

We've all been to beautiful places. Alaska in the springtime, perhaps, or maybe the Amalfi Coast in the summer. We've all seen contortionists and been fascinated by the way they move and the way they seem to defy all the rules of kinesthetics. And undoubtedly we've all tried to describe these things and found our ease with language strangely lacking. This month, Ray Terr and Questa Nanser rejoin us for a discussion of description replete with all its joys and frustrations.

1. Never use a vague word when a more specific one is appropriate

"Hello," said Questa, waving at the attentive audience. "I'm delighted to see all of you out there, listening to me. In today's discussion of our description, I'm going to begin by telling you exactly how my partner Ray walks from one side of the stage to the other.

"Look at him now. You see how his shoulders are bent, how he slowly places one foot in front of the other, how his arms hang loose at his sides? That's trudging. He's trudging.

"Or now, how he's almost dancing on the tips of his toes, his body tense like he's about to take flight at the slig

 

Page III:

Interviews:

In honour of the US National Poetry Month of April, the spotlight shines on one of our talented fan poets on the JC. She is a prolific artist who, as well as an anthology of poetry inspired by the Anakin/Tahiri romance, has also written poems on Jag/Jaina, Mara Jade and the saga characters. Throw roses for...

_Jedi_of_Destiny_!

@}~~~ @}~~~ @}~~~

What was your first Star Wars experience?

Well, I've had many Star Wars experiences without them being the "experience." I watched the movies and thought they were cool but that was as far as it went. My Sister was the Star Wars nut and my brothers and I teased her endlessly about it. (Sorry sis. ) Then one day I walked into her room for something to read and picked up a Star Wars book. I think it may have been a JJK book. Looking back I remembered that I must have been bored to the extreme. I would never read a SW book and risk being pestered by my younger brothers! But I read it in an hour and loved it. So I began reading the next one and the next one...and that's my story.


How did you find the JC Community? What is the story behind your user name?

I found the JC by typing Star Wars on AOL keyword and I haven't stopped going there since. Simple as that! I chose Jedi_of_Destiny when I couldn't log on to my old user name Wraith-One. I thought JoD sounded cool but now that I think about it I want to change it to Dark Lady Destiny. I always wanted to be a darksider. They have so much more fun.


How long have you been writing poetry?

Interestingly I didn't get really into poetry until I discovered SW. Their so much material to draw upon in the SW universe and I just dived in from there.


Tell us about the poetry writing process. How do you get your inspiration?

The writing process for me is pretty simple. I sit down and write. Whether it churns out something of worth is the problem and why every time I post I feel like a scared little newbie wondering if people will like it. Many times I will find inspiration in what other people around me talk about, what's on the news, even what I'm feeling. When I first started writing SW poetry I thought I only could write when I was angry. I don't know why. I'd get irritated with someone and instead of taking it out on them I'd write. Many of my poems came about that way. Now it seems that I can only write "angsty" poems.


You have written several beautiful poems about the love story of Anakin Solo and Tahiri Veila on your Anakin/Tahiri poetry thread. What is it about this relationship that appeals so compellingly to you?

Young, pure, innocent love. They were childhood best friends for years and it became more. What's more appealing than a first love? It's romantic and that's why I like their relationship. They had all the witty comments and confusing moments of Han and Leia and pull off all the crazy stunts that Luke and Mara did. That was until Myrkyr and Anakin died. It was so tragic. I couldn't believe they killed off my favorite character. See, I didn't get into the NJO until Rebirth and SBS was the first book I ever had to wait for and they killed Anakin! I was so disappointed. I like to write about what could have been if he hadn't died and Tahiri's emotional turmoil after.


Tell us about the inspiration behind 'Destined to Fall' and why this is your most memorable poem.

Destined to Fall didn't start out as an Anakin poem. At least not an Anakin Solo poem. It was going to be a Darth Vader going all out evil poem but I left it alone for months and picked it up one time and it turned out completely different. It reflects on Anakin's [fears about] becoming his grandfather.


The JC fan poets community seems to be a mostly silent one on the boards.

 

Page IV:

Forum News:

I am taking over for Amidala_Skywalker as update moderator. I don?t think I will be able to fill those boots as well, but I?ll do my best. Amidala has officially stepped down to tackle RL, and we wish her all the best. We replaced her with the intrepid red_rose_knight, so everyone please make the new mod feel welcome! (And check out her stories, she is an extremely gifted author).

Winners of the Valentine?s Day FanFiction Challenge are finally announced (with apologies to everyone for the delay):

Before the Saga: Reihla, Shaindl and Happy_Hobbit_Padawan

The Saga: JediNemesis, kayladie97 and MissPadme

Beyond the Saga: -Tenel-Ka-, Jade_Solo and Jags_Scoundrel

Congratulations!

We?ve got a new team working on the ?Author?s Interview? thread? Miana Kenobi, RogueSticks, solojones, and Sara_Kenobi have all agreed to help out, so we can all enjoy learning about our writers with their help. Thank you everyone!

Do feel free to check out the latest Writer?s Challenge ? Action scenes. A lot of people find action scenes intimidating, but they add a lot to a story. The challenges are vignettes, so this is a good chance to try something new.

And finally? your mods want your feedback. On the boards? on the threads? problems, difficulties? we?re here to help, as much as we are able.

?Renata

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Past Newsletters:

Newsletter I, March 2003

Newsletter II, April 2003

Newsletter III, May 2003

Newsletter IV, October 2003

Newsletter V, November 2003

Newsletter VI, January 2004

Newsletter VII, February

 

Great newsletter, guys! Love the writing tips section!

Thanks for doing this for us all: we all reap the benefits of your hard work and dedication!


*Derisa*

 

Another wonderful newsletter, guys! Has it really been three months already, Xaara? I'm sad to see that you'll be stepping down, but interested to see who will fill your shoes.

Thanks for the review! What a surprise, especially the high opinions of both reviewers.

I really enjoyed the writing tips with Ray and Questa, too. I'm going to miss them if they don't show up in the next issue.

I just can't stop snickering at "Mynocks B Gone." Was that Diane again? Good job!

 

Nope, not me this time. I'd not felt funny for a while so some other person - brilliantly I might add, took over. Good job, whoever you are!

 

Lovely job, all! I especially love the writing tips - a funny and informative way to present them. Like Jane, I'll miss them if they don't show up next time.

Thanks for all your hard work, Xaara -you'll be missed.

Shaindl

 

Very nice!

The writing tips this month couldn?t have landed at a better time. Good use of description is something I really need to work on.

Mynocks B Gone Oh, that was just funny!

Thank you to everyone who reviewed and wrote the various articles. Your work is very much appreciated and enjoyed, even if I had to sidestep the plot bunny cages.

Sorry to see you step down, Xaara, you did a great job putting this together.

 

Great job on the news letter once again. I too will be sorry to see you, but look forward to see who takes your place and see what they can do.

Love the little add...funny once again...

Great job on the reviews and look forward to sitting down and reading a few of these.

Can not wait until next month..and WELCOME TO OUR NEW MOD!!!!

 

Lololol Mynocks B Gone.. that was great...Jane, my first suspect was Diane too...Yes welcome new mod!!! Glad things are working out so well for you ...

 

Great job on the newsletter everyone. Ads hilarious, writing tips nearly as funny.

Waiting for next one

Nem

 

As always the writing tips are very useful, though whether a character would say they lied or say they expressed a terminological inexactitude depends on the character and the situation.

Reviews are useful as there is so much good work it is easy to miss older or even slightly older stories.

And I think Mynocks-B-Gone would be very useful.

 

HAHAHAA Love the Mynocks be gone part! Great job with the newsletter, guys!

 

Wow, thanks for the review and y'all said such nice things! I am so flattered. Gee, guess I better work on getting that next chapter up, huh?

Do you think Mynocks B Gone could also handle Darth Real Life?

 

Thank you all for your kind comments. I truly couldn't have done any of this without the dedication, support, and enthusiasm of the staff, all of whom spent their time and energy reviewing, interviewing, and just helping out with some much-needed supporting PMs. It was an incredible amount of fun.

I wrote the ad as a spur-of-the-moment idea - I'm glad you all liked it. And I'm almost positive Ray and Questa will continue making appearances in the upcoming editions of the newsletter. They like their jobs.

I'm still looking for someone to take over editing responsibilities - PM me if you're interested!

 

Well, a few days late, but better late than never.

Over all, I like the news letter. It condenses a lot of WRF news into an easy to read digest, especially for those who don't check in as often as some of us. (face=innocent)

The writers tips are enjoyable, I like the easy going banter of that section.

The adverts are cute and creative, and I even have one or two of my own which I'd like to see developed (Like Darth Writers Block repellant, or Taming the plot bunny.

Perhaps you could highlight an active discussion in the WRF, some of them (such as the Fan fiction Archive Thread? Some of these interesting threads would benifit greatly from having even more participants.

I'd also like to see a 'letters to the editor' feature. A place where people can counter some of the 'less favorable' reviews.

A case in point, in this Newsletter there were two reviews of Healing.

The first review, to me captured the essance of the story. It (the story) gave a life and depth to Beru (and Owen especially) which is normally lacking in tbe few fics in which they actually appear, especially as main characters.

In the second, I actually wondered if the reviewer had even taken the time to read the story at all? Padme *whiney*? Owen *Hateful*? If you do read this story, you'll find Owen to be far from that... Indeed, he has a moment of compleate and utter 'beyond the call of duty' which is heartbreaking, and most importantly, perfectly sets him up as the 'family first' pragmatist he becomes later in the actual films. The story is MUCH richer than the second review would lead the readers to believe, and sometimes, as people will ONLY be picking up a story based on said same review, it can lead to a person being put off, as in this case, (IMHO) wrongly.

A "Letters" page would also make the newsletter more attractive to readers, and encourage participation from the whole forum (reducing the idea that the Newsletter is just another group) and I think would add a vitality (perhaps to the Forums over all) that we seem to be missing these days...

D. Breezy

 

I got reviewed? ? wow... Thanks

I'll refrain from laughing out loud about the mynocks-be-gone ad, because everyone already did, but great job on the newsletter

Hm....poetry contest, eh?.....

~TJF

 

Yep, poetry contest. I'm sure that Xaara would love to see some entries!! Go for it.

 

I wrote a poem recently for class about Writers Blah. Too bad it had a lot of bad words in it, otherwise I'd send it in. And those mynocks!

Great job, all! Ray and Questa - too funny!

 

Hey Jade, just substitute the bad words and there you are! It might even be fun!

 

I sent a poem in. It was pretty silly though.

 

I sent one in as all. I liked mine - it wasn't silly at all. And I haven't written a poem (well, outside of Biff's) since I was a kid.

Hope Xaara is inundated with them!

 

Well said, Darth-Breezy. I enjoy the newsletter usually but that one review put me off. I suppose it?s my personal opinion whether it?s a fair review or not but *why* leave a bad review in the first place? Why waste your time and crush a writer? Remember: ?if you don?t have anything nice to say, don?t say anything at all!? I am sure that the reviewer could make nice comments on _several_ other stories so why did he or she bother to leave a horrible comment on this *one* story?

Remember, we are _not_ professional writers that have good royalties to make up for bad reviews but we are fan fiction writers who write for _fun_ and _joy_ and most of all, this is supposed to be a _community_ where people are _encouraged_ and boosted. I?ve got a few crappy reviews on my Buffy stories on fanfiction.net but that?s OK because fanfiction.net is not a community, not even a message board and it?s really a free for all and I just don?t understand why with all this talk of improving the boards etc. etc. etc. 2 moderators can read this thread and feel that that kind of article is appropriate.

I am really, really sorry for leia_naberrie. This is not _her_ own thread, so people cannot see and judge the _evidence_ for themselves. For example, if I go to a bookstore and I see a book that Cosmo has dissed in its edition, I will not buy it and in the same way, someone who has not read her story but sees this review will decide not to read it because the *Newsletter* has condemned it and she did not ask to be singled out and criticized and this is simply not *fair*.

 

I would remind you that the reviewer gave it a 'good' rating. The information in the review should actually help the writer to re-examine their story to see a different perspective.

As for reviews, if the person being reviewed has a problem with it, they should contact the Editor privately. The editor may contact the reviewer so that the two can discuss it off-board.

I know that when I gave a less-than-stellar review, the author and I corresponded for a number of PMs. And she understood why I gave it the review I did.

Please note:
If you harass the reviewers too much, you won't get any reviewers at all. Because who needs that much hassle? It's already a lot of work. And since the reviewer is not named, they will be more honest in their review.

As for me, I'd kill for a review in the newsletter, good or bad. (unlikely since it would be inappropriate while I'm a reviewer here.)