Fibby
Anime Fanatic
"In this world, we stand on the roof of hell, gazing at flowers."
Posts: 324
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Post by Fibby on Sept 2, 2003 20:07:31 GMT -5
Wish-fulfilment - it's despicable because our fundamental desires are inevitably the same. Who's going to read crud that they can spin in their own daydreams. Solution? Make the wish unique?I guess that could work. Just strictly follow your plot and do not make things happen that would solely benefit the OC (but I'm quite sure you know this already. ) OC-centerism - it's despicable because the reader is forced to see the adventure about their favourite characters from a stranger's perspective. Further complication: OC turns out to be a Mary Sue Solution? Avoid perfectionism. Make OC identifiable to the reader. Further complication - how to make this OC identifiable then? How to make a character that readers can relate to? Secondary solution: make it a real person? Last complication: how do you make a real person? Is it just a person with some nasty habit like picking their nose? Does it mean that character must have spunk? I know flaws have to impact on the character's actions, but I feel like I'm still missing something else.Okay, simply making the OC have flaws wouldn't make him/her realistic. If you give your character spunk, there is a danger of making him/her... cliched. Maybe you could confuse your character. You know, to have the flexibility of giving the OC dimension. And the antagonist should not be truly evil. Give him/her a reason to hate, but not simply bcoz of a sorry past (another sure fire way to fail, but i'm sure you know this already. ) Another thing. Not everyone experiences such exciting events in their lives. Keep it real. But that could pose as a problem since this is a HxH fic. ^^;
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Yomi
Amateur Otaku
Posts: 129
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Post by Yomi on Sept 3, 2003 0:51:15 GMT -5
*shudders uncontrollably* I think I've seen four or five of those stories already. Oh my! I never thought of that! Think about the reaction from the readers once they find out! They'll hate her and scream bloody murder once they find out! Wow - and won't the showdown be spectacular - girl who is assassin pretends to be Kurata v Kurapika who is terrifyingly angry for having his emotions manipulated ( if he can be manipulated - I'm thinking Kurapika is very smart and to fool him, you've got to be ultra smart, but if you ultra smart, surely you can think of other ways to get rid of Kurapika without having to pretend to be a Kurata survivor...ok....so maybe there's a lot of explanation to do here...) - either way, you're in for a climatic fight. If you've got time, I think you could seriously think about this plot! You know what, I've picked on flawed OCs and called them Mary Sues. Now I'm wondering: are they really mary sues, or just a bad, bad character that's trying hard not to be a mary sue but is not making the cut into an OC, but because they have a 'flaw', they can't be the classic Mary Sue. Perhaps the definition of Mary Sue ought to be altered somewhat, or a new definition made for the new class of badly made OCs who, although have flaws that don't mean anything to the story, still lead a blatantly Mary Sue type of story. Thanks for helping me clarify the distinction Fibby! I think I was starting to confuse people when I lumped these two categories together! Perhaps Mary Sue's minimally better cousin could be called Saray May - eitherhow, I just want to avoid the two altogether. Oh - I call that the sob sorry excuse of a tragedy to gain cheap sympathy from the reader. No - I'm going nowhere near that track - right now, the story starts off with a clinical discussion between OC and her mother of the merits of staying single, then OC leaving home in the middle of the night to catch the bus, head towards the pier to find the navigator to take her to the first Hunter test. Pretty dull huh? I'm brainstorming. I'm thinking of real - like girl from middle-class family gone to join the Hunter exam in search for the meaning of life. To become a Hunter is an amazing privilege, not to mention it really opens your eyes up to the world and the kinds of people you can meet (*all eyes on Hisoka*) which slowly transforms 'real' girl more into not-so-real girl as she becomes more involved in the other world of nen-users. Brainstorming is coming with some ideas, but I really want to think of an end first so that I have a loose structure and won't rant forever. Hey Fibby, when's your HxH fic going to be ready to post?! Yomi
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Post by Eyes of Crimson on Sept 3, 2003 17:14:15 GMT -5
Oh my! I never thought of that! Think about the reaction from the readers once they find out! They'll hate her and scream bloody murder once they find out! Wow - and won't the showdown be spectacular - girl who is assassin pretends to be Kurata v Kurapika who is terrifyingly angry for having his emotions manipulated ( if he can be manipulated - I'm thinking Kurapika is very smart and to fool him, you've got to be ultra smart, but if you ultra smart, surely you can think of other ways to get rid of Kurapika without having to pretend to be a Kurata survivor...ok....so maybe there's a lot of explanation to do here...) - either way, you're in for a climatic fight. If you've got time, I think you could seriously think about this plot! I wanted to write that, but I don't think have the time/imagination to do that. You're welcome to use this plot if you like, Yomi-san. School is keeping me busy these days. >_< But if you don't think this idea'll come in handy in your story, I'll think about it seriously and write it in the weekend or something. ^_^
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yukki
Amateur Otaku
I'm a Gon Freecss fan girl
Posts: 53
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Post by yukki on Sept 3, 2003 21:03:32 GMT -5
oh, Sammi, can I use that idea, can I? can I? can I?? Pleeeease?? *puppy eyes*
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Yomi
Amateur Otaku
Posts: 129
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Post by Yomi on Sept 4, 2003 2:54:28 GMT -5
yeah, it is a good idea isn't it? The only thing you'll have to watch out for is why this female assassin should choose, out of all possible alternatives, to pretend to be a Kurata. Then you've got to somehow explain how Kurapika can be tricked so easily since he's such as suspicious and intelligent character. Bleh - still working on the new one, meaning delays on my current projects. *sigh* and I have to get my assignment over and done with first.... Yomi
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Post by Eyes of Crimson on Sept 4, 2003 18:09:06 GMT -5
Okie dokie!! Yukki, I'll leave you to this story!! ;D Let me read it when it's done, ok? ;D ;D
edit: Yomi-san, are you going to post the first chap soon?
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Yomi
Amateur Otaku
Posts: 129
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Post by Yomi on Sept 5, 2003 2:28:36 GMT -5
Um....not for some time perhaps....the prologue is still going a bit slow and everything, plus I want to be able to define her nen before I even get anywhere near fighting. So yeah will take some time. Yomi
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Post by Eyes of Crimson on Sept 5, 2003 17:01:37 GMT -5
I'm looking forward to reading it - but I can wait.
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Silva Sun
Anime Fanatic
Never hit a man with glasses. Hit him with a Baseball bat.
Posts: 225
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Post by Silva Sun on Sept 5, 2003 17:57:04 GMT -5
This has probably been said before, but I think the reason that MS/OC based stories aren't so enjoyable is because a fan, when reading a fanfiction, wants to read about familiar characters doing unfamiliar things. They don't want to read about your character.
If you want the audience to enjoy your story, you have to make them accept and enjoy reading about your character. You also have to include enough on their favourite characters so that they don't panic and think, 'this story sucks because there's no (Insert character's name) here'.
I'm leaving original characters out of fanfiction. It goes wrong too many times.
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Yomi
Amateur Otaku
Posts: 129
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Post by Yomi on Sept 5, 2003 20:11:52 GMT -5
Yup - this is just me experimenting whether you can really have an OC-centered fic which is acceptable. If it fails, I'm going to blame my writing skills. I think I'm committing a cardinal sin as well - starting with the OC. Bam - that's going to be a turnoff. I hope not - I've started the story with something that everyone can relate to: an argument with your mum ( oh gees? how unoriginal?) - but not the screaming and yelling type. Self insert you see, so I don't think I'm going to portray myself unattractively as to scream and kick and carry on like a baby --> I hope it appeals; I'm writing from the perspective of a twenty year old, and most female OCs in Hunter fiction seem to be in their early teens...easier to pair up with Killua or Kurapika I guess ( ). Plot: 55% conceptualized... Writing skills: 60% efficiency Yomi
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Post by Eyes of Crimson on Sept 6, 2003 9:57:39 GMT -5
That's good ^^ I've never read a story from the perspective of a 20-yr-old. Just a question: Is she - the OC, I mean - going to be paired up with Leorio? ^^;; Just asking.... ^^;;
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Fibby
Anime Fanatic
"In this world, we stand on the roof of hell, gazing at flowers."
Posts: 324
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Post by Fibby on Sept 6, 2003 11:41:22 GMT -5
i'm seriously giving up on the notion of writing the hxh fic, yomi-san. I don't think i know enough about hxh to make a parody out of it. And i don't read enough hxh fics to know what to make fun of. Maybe i'll give the idea to someone else that could make the most out of it. Any one interested?
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Post by Eyes of Crimson on Sept 6, 2003 15:52:24 GMT -5
You should at least try to write it, Fibby-san, that is, if you like HxH. There's no point in writing it if you don't like it. But then, if you like it, and you've got a good idea, you should definitely try writing it. ^____^
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Fibby
Anime Fanatic
"In this world, we stand on the roof of hell, gazing at flowers."
Posts: 324
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Post by Fibby on Sept 6, 2003 21:42:26 GMT -5
i like it, yes. i fell in love with the idea. but... i can't make a parody if i know little about the characters. ^^;
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Post by Eyes of Crimson on Sept 7, 2003 8:12:58 GMT -5
Hm.... you can find some info on the net, or you can just write a warning on OOC craziness I do that all the time ^^;;
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