Koakuma's Writer's Parlour ~ Have some tea and discuss fiction and writing here!

[Polaris]

This is why I use my signature the way I do.

I like how your links get progressively shorter as they move to the right

[Akemi Homururo]

I like how your links get progressively shorter as they move to the right

Well, shorts and skirts look better the shorter they are, if you know what I mean

[KimikoMuffin]

I CALL BEES! "Let's Tour MotK" is LONGER than "Sweet Dreams"!

[RouNyanken]

If we count what's currently in progress, I have PLotSS and DRK.

Including complete/discontinued works I've got PLotSS, DRK, TEiPW, CFoRH and RS. Still not actually that much, and I don't like the idea of linking to my fics via sig - feels like advertising. :S

On another degree, anyone here ever find themselves suddenly writing more? In the last year or so I've gone from being intimidated by writing 2k words for an update to writing 10k in a night for the Rising Star finale. Is it just a matter of adding more detail or trying to write more adventurous and complicated stories?

[wererat42]

I've been having trouble writing a couple of my stories.

First, I've been working on the pretty ambitious project of novelizing every Touhou game to date, starting with HRtP. However, given the general lack of plot in the game, I've basically used this as a sort of freebie, introducing characters that didn't exist until the Windows games (or didn't exist at all). My main concern is how I'm using Kasen... I'm guess the best analogy would be she's Reimu's Gandalf. She'll appear and disappear throughout the early stories, helping when it's needed then sort of fade away. I'm conflicted about what to do with Rin - she's going to play a BIG role in the early stories, and might even show up in the later ones, though it's more likely she'll get written out and make small appearances occasionally. 

Connecting the PC98 and the Windows storylines is a major theme here, but there are elements that I'm not sure about... for instance, Ruukoto. Should Reimu get her, and what purpose should she serve? I've thought briefly about changing her to a robot combat maid, (lol). I've also been thinking about how I should handle the narrative of the later games, with more than one leading character. Should I keep it first person, or maybe make only Reimu's parts FP... this was a major issue for me with August Star, which was originally all Maribel's POV, and I wanted multiple plot threads going.

Next, I was writing a Reisen origin story called Mare Desiderii. After reading Ruroto's White Rose, I wanted to try my hand at a war epic, but I soon realized that while I knew how I wanted to start it and how I wanted to end it, I knew very little about the in between... this actually tends to be a problem for a lot of my work. There was also an problem with characters. This was to be set on the Moon, during the Lunar War, so apart from Reisen most of the characters would have to be OCs. And as most people know, OCs can either make or break a fic. Usually the latter.

I guess my question here is what do most of you do when you absolutely must use an OC?

Wow... this turned out to be a bit longer than I thought it would be. Thanks to anyone who reads it.

[Touji Suwagata]

I guess my question here is what do most of you do when you absolutely must use an OC?

Wow... this turned out to be a bit longer than I thought it would be. Thanks to anyone who reads it.

If I have to use an OC, then I use an OC. Simple as that.

You're probably already aware of what to avoid when using an OC so...I won't play the broken record here.

[Sen]

I myself dislike the idea of OCs in fanfiction, since it's...well, fanfiction. It's a story based on the events and characters of another person, and I feel bringing in your own characters sort of goes against the whole idea. If you want to make your own story with your own characters, then do so! Or at least give me a good explanation for why Naruto suddenly became best friends with your white-haired bishonen with red eyes and dark secret past that he can't remember because AMNESIA.


(I admit that was a rather strawman argument, but still, I never saw any benefit to bringing in OCs to fanfiction, and I really tend to avoid any fic that has the word "OC" in it, especially if they're paired with a canon character)

[Tengukami]

I personally don't see fanfiction and "regular" fiction as an either/or binary with no overlap. No genre of fiction is defined by what kinds of characters it can have. Comedies can have tragic figures, drama pieces can have funny characters, and fanfiction can have OCs. The problem isn't so much with having them as being very, very careful that you avoid putting yourself in a piece of fanfiction. Authors self-insert in regular fiction all the time, but in fanfiction, to do so is often seen as the writer engaging in their personal fantasy kick, hanging out with their best buds, the fictional characters someone else created. But that doesn't necessarily mean that writing OCs into fanfiction is automatically a self-insert, nor that it somehow violates the sanctity of fanfiction.

[Hideki]

One of the things I think can fit original characters into is an almost entirely OC fic.  To go off the Naruto OC fanfic example, there is a lot more to that world than the characters of  Naruto.  Maybe you'd want to explore what some other villages are doing during the current crisis, which necessitates the creation of almost an entire village of OCs.  I would say it's like an original story set in the same world as an already created story, much like the Star Wars EU. (now that I think about it, the Star Wars EU is precisely like it.) 

[SHF]

(now that I think about it, the Star Wars EU is precisely like it.)

You could say that anything not written by George Lucas is fanfiction - except those particular fans happen to have distributors :B

[Tengukami]

And everything written for The Simpsons not penned by Matt Groening.

[Hideki]

Not that I was putting the EU down of course, I think the EU is one of the best parts of Star Wars.  It gives a sense of a world beyond the main story.  probably why Renko and Mary are high up on my character list, they give a sense of a world that's bigger than that of just the main story.

[SHF]

Not that I was putting the EU down of course, I think the EU is one of the best parts of Star Wars.  It gives a sense of a world beyond the main story.  probably why Renko and Mary are high up on my character list, they give a sense of a world that's bigger than that of just the main story.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the EU in my book, either.

Hell, if I'd taken pictures of the back room of my parents house when I was growing up, you all would've cried manly tears of pride.

A thick realwood waterbed frame was turned up onto its side. This gave it a depth of about 18~20 inches. Dad built frameworks to go inside the actual frame and turned the entire thing into a giant bookshelf (queen size waterbed, mind you).

Three books deep and stacked two high along four levels of this massive bookshelf. Almost literally, every Star Trek and Star Wars EU novel was there. My parents are huuuuuuuge sci-fi geeks, though they'd never admit that to anyone. It's like its their dirty little secret.

[Blackraptor]

If I have to use an OC, then I use an OC. Simple as that.

You're probably already aware of what to avoid when using an OC so...I won't play the broken record here.

And most importantly...give them a personality.

[Akemi Homururo]

And most importantly...give them a personality.

White Rose's first chapter has a number of OCs. They get killed off by Yumeko pretty quickly.

On the other hand, I do also have Sumire, Shikieiki's most loyal fairy general of Higan. (And like the other generals, she's named for a character from Sakura Taisen.) Strangely for a Touhou OC, I have received various compliments from readers for her, mostly admiring her loyalty to Shiki, which is both her strongest point and potential Achilles Heel.

So yes, if you're going to have a recurring OC, give him/her a personality and flaws, so the OC isn't just some annoying tagalong.

[Sen]

So, what do you guys think of novelizations of games/movies/etc? Like, taking whatever media you're watching and putting it to words, like what UD did in his Touhou Ibunshu series.

I think they're great fun to do, especially for games that aren't too text-heavy or give huge insight into the characters. I'm currently working on a Metroid Prime 2 novelization and I'm really having a lot of fun with fleshing out Samus's personality, but what do you guys think? Do they add depth to a story or do they take away from the original?

[Iced Fairy]

So, what do you guys think of novelizations of games/movies/etc? Like, taking whatever media you're watching and putting it to words, like what UD did in his Touhou Ibunshu series.

I think they're great fun to do, especially for games that aren't too text-heavy or give huge insight into the characters. I'm currently working on a Metroid Prime 2 novelization and I'm really having a lot of fun with fleshing out Samus's personality, but what do you guys think? Do they add depth to a story or do they take away from the original?

Pure red flag for me.  It's something that makes me pause when I pick up a fic.  I already created a view of the game when I played it, so a novelization is going to clash, sometimes harshly with that.  I can ignore clashing views of characters really easily when there's something else for me to follow, but with novelizations of the games the plot is something I know, and all I end up with is characterizations I may or may not agree with.  It seems a polirizing factor.

Admittedly this may be because of UD's ESoD work, which contained almost everything I don't like in a Touhou fic in one package.  I've seen a couple of novelizations I actually liked (mainly those played for humor value) and I'm totally fine with retellings like Void of Fantasy.  So I may just have a bias.  Then again those all add something to the story that interests me.

As for writing novelizations...  I'd much rather put a twist in the story then retell something I've played through before.  Makes me feel more like a writer then a chronicler.  But that I'm sure is pure personal preference.

[Tengukami]

I'm totally neutral on the subject. The mechanics alone of using the elements of a game or movie and making it into a novel aren't intrinsically bad or good. It's wholly up to the author whether they take those elements and build upon the existing canon, create a nice variation, or create something altogether different and wonderful.

[Unassuming Squid]

So, what do you guys think of novelizations of games/movies/etc? Like, taking whatever media you're watching and putting it to words, like what UD did in his Touhou Ibunshu series.

I think they're great fun to do, especially for games that aren't too text-heavy or give huge insight into the characters. I'm currently working on a Metroid Prime 2 novelization and I'm really having a lot of fun with fleshing out Samus's personality, but what do you guys think? Do they add depth to a story or do they take away from the original?

It all depends on the final product, really. The process itself isn't automatically flawed or flawless. It's the same concept as fanficton, which novelizations generally are.

[Blackraptor]

So, what do you guys think of novelizations of games/movies/etc? Like, taking whatever media you're watching and putting it to words, like what UD did in his Touhou Ibunshu series.

I think they're great fun to do, especially for games that aren't too text-heavy or give huge insight into the characters. I'm currently working on a Metroid Prime 2 novelization and I'm really having a lot of fun with fleshing out Samus's personality, but what do you guys think? Do they add depth to a story or do they take away from the original?

Depends on how much leg room the literary version has. If it can clear up or expound on things the original had, then I wouldn't mind it. Otherwise, it'd just be like reading a screenplay copy.

[Coin Spire]

Good morning/evening

I've been having problems on writing my story because it's becoming hard to write it more simply without losing content. However, my present writing style in Specialis Libri has become too complex and hard to understand, and I want to improve it.

Is there any way to reduce to complexity of a story without losing too much of its content?
Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated. ^^

*sigh* Maybe I should stick to drawing stuff...maybe writing is just way over my head...

[Iced Fairy]

Good morning/evening

I've been having problems on writing my story because it's becoming hard to write it more simply without losing content. However, my present writing style in Specialis Libri has become too complex and hard to understand, and I want to improve it.

Is there any way to reduce to complexity of a story without losing too much of its content?
Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated. ^^

Sometimes you have to sacrifice content.  Whether it be something you reveal in an authors note or just something you put into play and have everyone in universe accept.  For example I never fully explained the relationship between the magicians in a New World, but eventually enough hints dropped down so that people could make educated guesses that were close to the truth.

If you're worried about having too many plot threads, start collapsing them.  Figure out what you NEED for the story and try drawing the rest of the plot back towards that.  Maybe sit down and plan your work out again.  See where you stand, and where you need to go, and try to replot things.  I've done that a lot with the visual novel.

*sigh* Maybe I should stick to drawing stuff...maybe writing is just way over my head...

Ack!  No no no no no!  You're really good at this.  Don't abandon us.   

[KimikoMuffin]

Admittedly this may be because of UD's ESoD work, which contained almost everything I don't like in a Touhou fic in one package.

I'm curious. Could you elaborate on what things you don't like?

I mean, I imagine it has something to do with the fact that he goes at right-angles to canon in ways my alternate-universe-fics can only dream of, and he takes various ideas from Touhou and runs the other way with them when he isn't simply flatly contradicting canon (starting with the fact that only the most powerful beings in Udverse can fly and running from there), and the stories are generally much more Srs Bsns with no hint of the Spell Card rules, and every single fic involves either a character getting naked or some other fanservice for no particular story-supporting reason, and ... uh, I've pretty much answered my own question, haven't I?

I mean, for the most part, I don't mind all that because he isn't actually a bad writer exactly. But Still.

[Iced Fairy]

I mean, for the most part, I don't mind all that because he isn't actually a bad writer exactly. But Still.

I personally consider Marisa's unnecessary speech impediment bad writing.  It's one of the reasons I didn't get past Meiling.

Normally I wouldn't bring it up, but I figure it's a good thing for people to remember in general.  Speech tics work very poorly in written form unless you're really good, or can work off someone elses voice work.  I try to avoid them mostly.

[KimikoMuffin]

Oh, yeah, that too. The way the narration described it at the beginning of RoSD made me think of Jar-Jar Binks.

[Sen]

I thought Marisa's speech impediment was cute

Although I see what you mean, canon defilement is one of the things I can't stand in fanfiction. I always try to stay strictly within canon in my stories.

[KimikoMuffin]

Well, that's the thing about Touhou: Canon is vague enough that one man's "strictly according to canon" is another man's "canon defilement."

[Coin Spire]

Sometimes you have to sacrifice content.  Whether it be something you reveal in an authors note or just something you put into play and have everyone in universe accept.  For example I never fully explained the relationship between the magicians in a New World, but eventually enough hints dropped down so that people could make educated guesses that were close to the truth.

If you're worried about having too many plot threads, start collapsing them.  Figure out what you NEED for the story and try drawing the rest of the plot back towards that.  Maybe sit down and plan your work out again.  See where you stand, and where you need to go, and try to replot things.  I've done that a lot with the visual novel.

Thanks a lot, I'll try reorganizing my outline to clear out the unnecessary plot.

Ack!  No no no no no!  You're really good at this.  Don't abandon us.   

I was just joking.
Specialis Libri is all about giving Kana a solid backstory.

[Fragile]

Alright, I've become curious. I usually write my stories sequentially without skipping anything to write a later part. But I've heard other people skip around in their stories when they get stuck. What do you all find works better for you? And if you skip around, do you usually find yourself changing later parts when you go back to parts that come before them (if that makes any sense at all)?

[Iced Fairy]

Alright, I've become curious. I usually write my stories sequentially without skipping anything to write a later part. But I've heard other people skip around in their stories when they get stuck. What do you all find works better for you? And if you skip around, do you usually find yourself changing later parts when you go back to parts that come before them (if that makes any sense at all)?

I do skip around occasionally.  Usually I do it when I have a very clear picture on how I want a scene to turn out, so I don't have to do much rewriting when I catch up, but there's always little edits.  Of course that forces me to edit the work again, which is always a good thing.