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Reviewer: tinker13 Signed [Report This]
Date: Sep 12, 2017 07:16 pm Title: The Basics

I dont what about a local college that teaches programming.  they might be looking for projects for students or know someone.  it's been years since I've been to school and I just moved so I dont know anyone remotely adequate 

 

how is the site with funds?  I meant to ask

 



Author's Response:

I wish it was that easy. In all likelihood, that just would mean they're able to do wordpress (possibly). We have posted ads for our needs before (paid, obviously), but didn't get any credible hits. Currently the site expense already exceed donations. Sadly, at this point in my career and personal life, I'm constantly overextended time-wise and I spend all my free time just maintaining the site. That's fine with me. It's a good break from the stress of everything else (I'll leave it at that as this is public), but I can't put more time into it than I have available.

I've kept the "support" topic's tracking of expenses vs donations (on the home page under news) up to date. Thanks for asking :) 

Reviewer: tinker13 Signed [Report This]
Date: Sep 12, 2017 05:58 pm Title: The Basics

Each chapter costs you 1 point.  if you review you get 5 points.  no points no reading..I know search engines give you points for using them but its a programming thing.   Just a thought.



Author's Response:

That's something we've had up our sleeves. The only issue - finding a programmer skilled with efiction. Any chance you know of one looking for a commission?

Reviewer: Gabby7 Signed [Report This]
Date: Sep 12, 2017 07:57 am Title: The Basics

Giiirrrlll, heck naw! Lol. That was one of my fears too. I know this is the opposite of what you're trying to do but is there a way that if a person read a story 3 times without reviewing they can't move to the next chapter until they leave a review...a full sentence review? Do you think that will have a negative effect? 



Author's Response:

I wish! It is not possible unless we had many more donations (as that would be a time intensive endeavor to figure out) and a programmer capable of figuring this out. 

I don't think that would have a negative effect 

Reviewer: Gabby7 Signed [Report This]
Date: Sep 11, 2017 09:26 pm Title: The Basics

This is a great topic! First, I'm very thankful for the comments I receive...I love reading them, but I'll have to agree with Tinker and Fire...it can be very discouraging when a writer spends time and effort on creating a story and not receive adequate responses. I like to do the questions at the end of each chapter too, to help get thoughts and comments going. I personally love reading a thorough review...i try to leave detailed reviews for when I read as well...it's encouraging. So, I agree, a full sentence should be required. My main issue is posting a chapter and seeing over a hundred reads (not counting the ones who click in and click out because they don't like it) only to receive 3 or 4 comments. I know this topic is to help getting people to review more, but in situations like that, is there a thank you button that could be created? 



Author's Response:

Hey :)

I'm glad that my requests from new members are in line with your guys' wants (at least so far). My feedback to them is always to stress how much writers give to the community and reviewers' responsibility to let them know their gratitude by reviewing what they've read. Still, we have a TON of members who rarely/never review and I'm trying to figure out a nonpunative/coercive method to encourage them to review more frequently. 

I've toyed with the idea of a thank you button. My fear is that it will replace the need to review, so a story will end up with tons of thanks and maybe 1 review, rather than 4+ reviews. What do you think? Would that be an okay trade off in your mind?

Reviewer: tinker13 Signed [Report This]
Date: Sep 11, 2017 09:21 pm Title: The Basics

for the test chapter, Maybe a category but there are guidelines that it has to be a certain minimal number of words so that yu dont get people who post  20 test stories that just say " I was thinking of a story with Michael being a clown in the circus and falling in love with a trapeze girl" (bad example I know)  but you get the gist.  the test chapter would have to be like the first chapter of a new story, to pull you in.

 

I dont know if theres a way to do it but maybe you are only allowed to have it there for a certain amount of time and it either becomes a story or they have to delete it. again to prevent people from posting 20 stories and never doing anything with them like we've seen with certain authors that have faded off into the sunset but had like 100 3 chapter stories.  I would limit how many test stories you can have posted at 1 time. ( 1 or 2?)

 

 

 

 



Author's Response:

We have it set so that people have to include 250 words if the chapter is going to be able to post :) Hence the slow down in journal updates of one sentence and/or chapter updates that are really "should I continue?"

Hmmm. Let me mull on that before we take any action ourselves (or go ahead and start it yourself). I'm trying to decide if that should be a separate category or simply one thread people can add on to.

Reviewer: brandyandMJ Signed starstarstarstarstar [Report This]
Date: Apr 25, 2017 10:38 pm Title: The Basics

"Honestly at the rate I'm going Mars Vs. Venus, Sweet Lady, I Want You, and Gangsta Lovin will all be done by May or June because I write some HUGE chapters for those stories and I have a plan.  I NEED to stick to the plan and not steer off,  that's how i jump all over the place." - Brandy (Feb. 23, 2015)

Lies, I told. I love going back and reading these chapters/the reviews that people left, but damnit I was talking a lot of stuff two years ago. Sweet Lady is still up and running, I Want You is gone, Gansta Lovin' is done (at least I stuck to that one), and Mars Vs. Venus is under major construction. 

But anyway consistency in both updating and writing is very important. I would never abandon my story the way some people have. I've seen stories made in 2011 and they're updating them this year and it only has a good 8 chapters. - Brandy (Feb. 23, 2015)

Then she turned right around and did what she said she wouldn't do, lol. This is like the pot calling the kettle black... I had no room to talk. Granted at this moment I probably wasn't doing it, but then I did and to multiple stories. I guess that's why my grandmother always told me never to say I won't ever do something because you never know. 

I guess the only logical explanation I can give is that at times I rush into stories without properly thinking them through? If I can be honest I love writting, but I tend to put more on my plate than I can handle, and that's when life gets in the way (school, work, etc). Although I've tried to make up for my inconsistency's the best way I can over these last couple of weeks. 

Anywho, do you think you'll ever come back to this? 



Author's Response:

You mean to tell me: having started 38743837 stories in close proximity to one another, you have a problem with having too many ideas and making too long of a to-do list of obligations?! shocker :P

I feel like most of the missteps I see fall under the topics already covered.......I've been super busy the last year and sadly, have the time to maybe have the mental energy to read a couple chapters every couple months. My spare interwebz time is usually spent opening accounts/exchanging emails with members. What would you have me write on?

Reviewer: Stella Belle Signed starstarstarstarstar [Report This]
Date: May 21, 2016 01:01 am Title: The Basics

This is already super helpful! Thank you x

Reviewer: KerenOlivero Anonymous [Report This]
Date: Apr 26, 2015 06:20 pm Title: The Basics

off topic I know but I just wanted to pop in and say you're welcome to contact me so we could talk things out one on one.

Reviewer: MJfreak23 Signed [Report This]
Date: Apr 12, 2015 05:25 am Title: The Basics

Hey Redone, I was wondering if you could do me a solid and read my story, Reflected Soul, and give me your honest opinion on what I could do better. I'm a writer, but sometimes I lapse back into old habits with my writing and things tend to become a bit muddled. Thanks a bunch! :)



Author's Response:

Done :)

Reviewer: MjjPYT Signed [Report This]
Date: Apr 04, 2015 03:22 pm Title: The Basics

I've been meaning to say that this is very important, this whole guide, and I'm glad you're doing it. Great tips and Ideas that are helping me with my narratives in general. Thank you!



Author's Response:

Thanks for letting me know that you've found it useful!

Reviewer: TutThreeSevens Signed [Report This]
Date: Mar 25, 2015 08:44 am Title: The Basics

I apologize if my last post came off as trying to change your opinion on dreams in a story. It really wasn't my intention. It was more for a personal inquiry outside of stories. Dreams are a personal interest of mine and I know some people don't feel they have any bearing on our reality. I was just being nosy. Lol. Your answer did cover things though so thank you for that and bearing with me. 

<333



Author's Response:

It kinda did, so I'm glad to hear that wasn't your intention. Sorry if I was short. I believe that dreams can have a significant impact in some ways, but not in the scenarios you described. For instance, PTSD is often expressed in  dreams that feature a trauma being in some way repeated and reexperienced. One might then avoid sleep, use substances to try and block the dreams or decrease arousal, leading to substance dependence or legal issues. Or, because of poor sleep and being constantly on edge, they might become more irritable, argumentative, and emotional with others. A similar change in personality could be said for having sleep terrors or sleep paralysis. The point being, these are very significant and worrisome conditions, and not typical dreams.

Now, dreams (and nightmares) in general, can key one into their feelings/stresses/distress that they might not otherwise be aware of. Now, am I a fan of dream dictionaries or whatnot? Generally not. Too formulaic and removed from context, imo.

Reviewer: TutThreeSevens Signed [Report This]
Date: Mar 24, 2015 08:25 pm Title: The Basics

Lol cool cause I love discussions too. And it's no sweat at all bb we're sharing thoughts and ideas and I'm always open...<3

Let me pick your brain further...

So this thought is less about the stories in general and more about experience vs theory.(<--I can't think of a better word to fit right now)I'll use the example of stubbing  my toe. I can have an in depth discussion with you about stubbing my toe he possible feelings and harm that can come from it etc.  I can even watch people stub their toes And try to understand how they're dealing with the feelings from it. To go even furher I could reminisce on having stubbed my toe before but the only way I can truly know what stubbing my toe on that particular corner of the coffee table feels like is to actually stub my toe on that corner. How does this correlate? If you dreamt about stubbing your toe on that corner and the feeling is fresh in your mind, it might as well had happened physically cause you recall the pain even the small cut you got from it, that expereince would make me want to stay away or at least be weary of that corner of the coffee table. So that being said do you think that outside of stories that is, that a dream can provide you with foresight? or is it more of a hindrance cause you can't live your life avoiding the coffee table just because of a dream?

<333



Author's Response:

I think dreams can definitely provide insight.  Jungian psychology exists for a reason.  I'm not exactly sure what you are asking as there are several hypothetical questions in there.  What I've been trying to say, and what I am not going to change my opinion on, is that I do not think that a dream justifies significant OOC actions.  I could see a slight and brief modification of action, but not a significant and lasting change. Does that in anyway answer any of your questions? I hope so!

Reviewer: wonderfultonight Signed starstarstarstarstar [Report This]
Date: Mar 16, 2015 10:47 am Title: The Basics

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/14fX79jQHLJbKxKg3YpkZmLUXjKG9osXNkYFN_bRD-84/viewform

I just found this survey on tumblr about defining and describing your OC's. It was honestly SO useful! They ask you the normal questions, but then a lot of in depth ones that make you think about not only who the OC is as a person, but what their point is within the story and how their arc should be played out GIVEN THEIR PERSONALITY. Maybe you could post this in an author's note of yours--it could be really useful to people who are planning stories, have writer's block, or are trying to figure out the direction of their story and the characters. It's a little lengthy, but honestly so, so, so good to just sit down and think about this stuff. There were a lot of questions I'd never even considered in terms of Julia and I feel like I've learned a whole lot about my writing style and the direction of my story :)



Author's Response:

Shoot - I missed this before. Is it the survey that you find helpful, or is it the results? The results seem focused on gender, sexual orientation, race, and some personality factors (e.g. warmth, dominance, emotional stability). The results read like a social psych experiment.

Do you find the questions more helpful than:

http://fuckyeahcharacterdevelopment.tumblr.com/post/50825149893/character-sheets-and-character-creation

http://www.writingclasses.com/InformationPages/index.php/PageID/106

? I'm looking to update a previous segment and will bump it when I do so. I'll wait until I hear back from you, though ;)

Reviewer: MI-Is-My-Morphine Signed [Report This]
Date: Mar 13, 2015 08:21 am Title: The Basics

Well, I tend to agree that a lot of the critique, especially in the review section (take mine for example) is people's subjective opinions. But that doesn't mean it's less helpful for those who want to improve or get more comments. Many writers enjoy writing stories to entertain their readers. It's just easier for them to do so when they know what their readers like. Also, people's tastes vary and it's interesting to share and see what people have in common. At the end of the day, it is completely up to the writer to choose which points to take or leave. You are perfectly free to write a love story inspired by a telenovela or a horror fic with vampire MJ sucking kids' blood. Go as far as your imagination allows. And if you like, u can rite a hole story lyke dis. 



Author's Response:

Totally agree. I feel as though I prefaced the fact that this is partly my opinion, in my summary.

i shud rite a chaptr lyk dat. Id rawk dat shit owt

Reviewer: realtalk92 Signed [Report This]
Date: Mar 12, 2015 08:09 pm Title: The Basics

 Very interesting and this review is kinda long sorry lol

I know Im going to be in the underdog here but I agree with Coco as well and I actually think Coco made some really good points in their last comments.

 

 Some of the critiques and recommendations here are actually  really good pointers but I feel some of these critiques are just subjective opinions about "what some don't or don't like in a story" not necessarily pointers on how to improve as a writer. Now I understand everyone has their own personal style of MJ fan fiction writing that they prefer  reading and that's fine.

However, I don't see why all fan fiction writers have to write in a "standard way" when its creative writing. Some of these "rules" kinda defeats that purpose in my opinion.

The whole point of MJ fanfiction  writing(in my opinion ;) is out of pure love for Michael. We are all here because we are MJ fans. I don't see why people should be artistically restricted in how they choose to express that in their story or fantasy. I am in no way trying to offend  :) but just being honest with how some of the critiques came off to me in my opinion.

In my opinion, I think we all should be encouraging each other as writers and supporting each other and not looking down on each other's works ( whos is the best writer or who is not the best writer- now of course there are always going to be more talented and creative writers but I feel all works and ideas should at least be valued and respected).

It's one thing to say, "Yea this can help with grammar or developing a story plot" but it is another to try to dictate ideas and concepts someone should or should not put in their writing if they "want more reviews".

I don't think everyone who writes a story here comes here for that. Maybe some people write stories because that's what they enjoy doing. Maybe some people are not striving to be "perfect" writers and this is just something they do for fun because they love Michael or because they like writing because it makes them feel good (there can be many reasons but just giving some examples)

I just don't like this whole "elite" rulemaking of MJ fanfiction writing and I don't think whether someone has a lot of reviews or a lot reads dictates whether a story is a good story or not. I guess I am trying to say,it might not necessarily be  the writing that is the problem but maybe every story is not for everybody (and thats okay) but at least creative freedom is respected and encourage. Once again, I am in no way trying to offend with this opinion but just my personal opinion about some of the suggestions stated. 



Author's Response:

I appreciate you breathing more information to what Coco was saying. I was hoping she'd expand upon her comment. :)

My thought is that these "rules" aren't rigid. They vary by case, so I'm not quite sure what you mean by "standard". They are often flexible, as I've conveyed over and over. Those that aren't, are generally identified in highly regarded published literature vs. that which is often relegated to discount stores.

I have also stated time and again that these are a combination of my opinion, the opinions of others, and research I've done. I'm sorry if I haven't made that clear enough :/

As to encouraging each other, I believe several reviewers have stated that this helps inspire them on how to develop as a writer. That is my goal - to encourage writers/budding writers to feel like they have more information/assistance in developing their stories. Often people start writing without a clear sense of what they are doing, then 2-20 chapters in...they stop. They hit "writer's block" or feel trapped by where they took their story. My intention is to help writers avoid that block and/or overcome it when they get there. IMO perfection is unattainable, but progress is always a goal.

About your "want more reviews" point. Fair enough. How about if I say, "if they want more people to stay engaged in their stories and/or take interest"? I just mention reviews as those are an excellent means of finding out whether people are staying engaged, what they think about one's story, and lessening the void that one faces when posting a chapter into the great abyss of the interwebz.

I notice that you are focusing a lot on reviews. Is there a reason that point is so salient to you? What if I removed that entirely and the focus was just on becoming a better writer and/or deepening and strengthening fanfiction?

I think assumming that I am poo-poo-ing creative freedom is a gross overstatement. There are tons of different types of FF that I've favorited, that I read, that I'll give shout outs to. Now, if by creative freedom you mean that I'm not down with people portraying Michael as a sex offender or in sexual relationships with minors, then I'll cop to that. Then again, I suppose you could say the same thing for this site as it doesn't condone such writings.

I apologize if I'm terse - long day and I'm trying to go through each point directly.  I hope you stick around and reply. I would really like to further operationalize some of the points you've made. That will help me know exactly where I might need to make changes and/or where I'm not being explicit enough.

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