Reviewer: TutThreeSevens Signed [Report This]
Date: Mar 15, 2015 08:44 am Title: Writing Suspense into your Fiction

I beleive you covered the use of 'snakes' in chapter 15 Lets Talk About Sex. Wooooo Lmaoooooo. I kill me. That euphamism is dedicated to SkyWriter. Lmao. 

;)

<333

Author's Response:

LOL. True, snakes and bayonets.

Reviewer: realtalk92 Signed [Report This]
Date: Mar 14, 2015 10:06 pm Title: Writing Suspense into your Fiction

@ Redone boo :) no problem! Also, I am rather late in this discussion lol I haven't read all the replies or suggestions on this topic so I do apologize in advance if you in fact did clarify a point (because you might very well have). My post was based on some of the later replies I have seen and some of the suggestions I have read. 

Also, I notice that there are some things I pointed out that I could have clarified more in my last response.

I want to clarify again if I did not clarify before in my last post that I really think this is an excellent story or "fanfiction guide" that you created and you have done an excellent job in providing pointers for writers  because god knows I need it! hahaha Because I am always looking for pointers and things that I can do to grow as a writer. 

 

With that  being said, when I refered to "restricting creativity" I was mostly specifically referring to conceptual ideas, characterizations and story concepts. For example, having a strong OG's as a good OG characterization. I was in no way referring to grammatical advice, structuring of stories, or other technical pieces of english writing. 

 

This is why I made the comment that maybe its not that some writers need to improve technically but maybe "every story is not for everybody".  I was specifically referring this phrase to some of the conceptual suggestions that you made, just to give you another perpective to think about ...thats all :)

 

I think there is a niche and audience for all these different concepts, themes and characters. There is no right or wrong. For example, There might be some readers that might not like Michael to be portrayed as a virgin and of course there are some who don't  (I personally don't prefer this myself but just giving you something to think about because I know some MJ fans who like to see him portrayed as a virgin in these MJ stories or innocent)

There are some people who don't like cussing, or hyper sexual explicit deragatory slang or "slang dialogue"  and there are a niche of writers who cater to that audience who don't. However, me personally, I LOVE it lol  Because I think it can make certain conversations strong with emotion and reflects the "conversation" of certain communities or groups of people depending on what the personality or cultural beliefs the character is reflecting. Lastly, I always love a good dirty explicit sex scene lol because I love feeling what the characters are feeling and you do that by being detailed and maybe sometimes explicit (there is an audience for that too).

 

 

There is a audience for all these different concepts and characters regardless of how  cliche or repetitive they might be and I respect you giving suggestions of other concepts and characterizations that people can open their horizons too as well. Its just the way some of it was phrased seemed a bit restrictive and to me kinda implied that if these suggestions are not used than you won't get any readers or replies

 

The reason why I mentioned replies is because that was an essential thing you mentioned that you wanted to help readers achieve in your opening quote of the cover of this fiction. 

This is why I said, "just because a story has low replies  doesn't make it good or bad per se because there are other factors that should be taken into consideration such as. 

There are readers who don't give reviews and instead favorite stories or just give ratings.

There are some readers who read stories  that they like but don't give any reviews 

I just said that to say that I don't think that  reviews specifically should be the end all be all factor for what determines a great story as you kinda imply in your opening. I have read a few really great stories that have little reviews likewise there are few stories with a lot of reviews in which concepts or story lines are not as appealing to me imo (and this goes back to the whole every story is not for everybody) Once again I am not trying to be harsh or offend :)

 

And I will apologize if my last review came off "harsh" to you because that definitly was not my intentions at all. 

In my last post, I was just giving a different perspective of what I have personally heard from other MJ fanfiction writers who write. There are some who just do this for fun because they love Michael and I just pointed that out because I think that is a point you might want to consider as well. 

 

In your last response, I noticed you said that you were interested in hearing what I have to say just in case you might have to change something and that was not my intentions to change your opinions. I was just trying to give you a different angle or perspective to think.You have definitly given me much to think about! Keep up the good work and Nice guide ! :)

 

Author's Response:

Yay, thanks for returning and addressing my queries :)

When I say a strong OG, I meant that the author develops the character. Doesn't just keep her as someone who is passive b/c of poor character development. For instance, someone who we only really know the description of, but has no set personality, has minimal history, and changes with the wind. I don't feel that is restricting creativity...it's actually asking authors to be creative. 

I agree about different niches. I just also do believe that there are some rules to writing fiction that should be attended it if you want the fiction to be read by more than just a couple people. What you described (e.g. virginity, swearing, sexually explicit language, slang), I don't see any one of those as being rules to good/bad fanfiction. There is a time and a place for everything. My main message is that an author should be aware of and attend to that time and place, if he/she wants to write a fanfic that more than three people will read without cringing. I'm being completely direct. I like some ff with a number of very sexually explicit scenes, tons of slang, swearing, different types of OGs, etc. A person can write using ebonics, the Queen's English, or American English...it really doesn't matter to me, as long as it's consistent with the setting, the characters, and the plot.  Ditto for a dirty explicit scene - if it's in the first chapter, is unrealistic, doesn't match the personalities that have been portrayed, etc - to me it's a wasted scene and I'm out of the ff. Putting something in, just to put it in, is IMO the lowest level of creative expression.

 I also agree about there being some uses for the cliche characters and concepts, as I stated in that segment and the reviews. These can still be done well. I'll be posting another chapter of cliches soon, and I think the same about many of those. If the writing is good, the author takes a unique slant, and/or in some way adds a spin to it, it can work in the author's favor. There are very few instances in which I think an author just shouldn't go there...and those tend to be the ones that are: a)banned on this site or b) show that the author has no clue what they are talking about (Just thinking off the top of my head of instances that I've seen recently: a court case that ignores how court cases proceed, a PO dating their client, a therapist dating their client, a student who attends med school and college at the same time, a student who takes gen ed courses during law school, etc). One could argue that there is an audience for both, but one could also argue that there was an audience for The Chevy Chase Show, Celebrity Boxing, Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire, and 2 Girls 1 Cup... I'm not naming those to say that the writers are similarly low brow, but to make the point that stating that there is an audience for everything, doesn't necessarily mean that that is the audience an author wants.  I'm essentially writing this for those authors who strive to eventually have a story that appeals to readers in a similar way that Michael's music appealed to the general public. He didn't go for the small niche, he strove to be timeless and make music that all people could enjoy.

Thank you for clarifying re: my phrasing. I will attend to that more carefully in my next segment on cliches.

I focused on replies as those are originally why I started this thread. People were asking and begging for replies/reasons why they weren't getting replies. So, I'm going to be completely blunt: I think replies are an important measure of whether or not people enjoy a story. When people are members and read a story but don't post a review, it's not simply because they are being lazy. Often there is another reason that they aren't saying. It could be because they don't like what they read, they feel it is played, there is something in it that turned them off, it is forgettable, they are otherwise occupied at the moment, the author never replies to them, or they just don't know what to say. I don't think that I ever said that low reviews meant a story was bad or that reviews are an end all, be all. Please quote me if I did....

There are readers who don't give reviews and instead favorite stories or just give ratings.

^I've done that in a couple some cases. Mainly when the author doesn't engage with the readers....and those are also the first stories I remove from my "favorites".  The thing is, that as a writer, that isn't as helpful as a review. You don't know what they are responding to when they neg you or favorite you.  Ditto for readers who read a story they like and don't give any reviews. That's like having a fan who loves to hear your song on the radio, but never requests it, doesn't purchase your album/singles, and doesn't play it on spotify.  It's a fan that clearly isn't gripped enough to do anything about liking the song. 

 

I hope my response makes sense. It's early and I'm tired lol. Thank you again for clarifying and expanding more on what you said. You helped me to better flesh out my thoughts on this topic (in my head) as well as gave me some points to ponder as I go forward with this segment.

Reviewer: TutThreeSevens Signed [Report This]
Date: Mar 14, 2015 07:18 pm Title: Writing Suspense into your Fiction

Oooo this is excellent!! I need this especially for CTTG. My recently posted chapter of Inked also has a high Suspence factor to it was well. I love a good suspenseful story. 

 

3)can you give some examples of reptilian that works well? 

 

5)This I have had a little issue with in both stories. Luckily I'm quick on my feet and I've been able to steer things back to where I need them to be.  Where was this segment a month shot!!!! Shakes fist at sky!! This is even more proof to me how much this thread is needed. 

 

6) The cliffhanger. I may have over used this too. Lol. I have a love hate with cliffhangers. I love them but then I need immediate gratification of the next chapter. This is why I kinda like catching stories that have already been established where I can move chapter to chapter without waiting. 

 

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PS I have to say SkyWriter's reviews always has me in tears when I read them. OMG. Lmaoooooooo. 'Sausage under my barbecue hood'. (Paraphrasing) DEAD!!! you hear me!! DEAD!!!

 

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I'll leave this little quote that me and the hubs were discussing just yesterday and it rings true for this thread.

 

"Do not correct a fool because they will hate you for it. Correct a wise man because he will forever be grateful..." This is gold. 

 

Love it as always!! More soon! <333

 

 

Author's Response:

I love that quote. Thanks :) I'm a huge believer in the quote: "Perfection is the willingness to be imperfect" by Lao Tzu

3) I'll add a mini segment with an example. Anything else I should post an example of that you (or anyone else reading this) can think of?

5) LOL. Sorry eep.

6) this is easy to over use. It's so tempting to include as an author....and it's also why I typically wait until a story hits past 25,000 words to read.

SkyWriter is full of those gems. Srsly. I can't respond to any of her comments with even a modicum of seriousness. .

Thanks as always!