What makes a good fan fic?

[Sord]

I don't just mean a character and a solid storyline. What I am asking is why are they accepted?

[Sord]

p.s. i don't mean why aren't they hated

[RavenTW]

Usually plots that expand the PSO universe are the most widely accepted fanfics. For instance, Davion's fic brought about the ideas of Ragol being of interest to omnipotent entities. Deathscythe Alpha's "Do Hucasts Dream of Electric Rappies?" series considers a cult in the shadows of the now-ancient Pioneer 2. Then there's the fics that connects PSO to the original Phantasy Star.

But it all comes down to the uniquness of the plot in the end.

[KaFKa]

...that and how much people have fun reading it. i mean, it doesen't matter what medium you're putting the story though, if it is a weel made story, people will like it. i mean, i could have done my fic back in medieval times and it would still have it's relevancy. i guess it's just based on the reader, since most of us enjoy reading fanfics, and at least a few of us like to read books in general.

theres my 2 cents, anybody have a way to extrapolate anything from this that i didn't cover?

[Kadou]

On 2003-11-20 18:07, RavenTW wrote:
For instance, Davion's fic brought about the ideas of Ragol being of interest to omnipotent entities.



Damnit. Now you make it sound like I stole his basic idea. Wait, if you're reading my fic, forget I said that.

I'd have to go with what both Kafka and Raven wrote. All I have to add is that if you want it to be put into the Fan Fiction section of this site, you have to have proper spelling. Blah, my one and a half hundredths (sp?) of a dollar.

[Jaks]

Hikara's Protectorate 1, has the idea of IDOLA being a seperate entity from Dark Falz and having Rico return to the living realm.

Robo47's PSOZ:a crossover fic, put Zero from Megaman X into the PS universe for a short time.

[Kadou]

On 2003-11-20 18:32, Jaks wrote:
Hikara's Protectorate 1, has the idea of IDOLA being a seperate entity from Dark Falz and blah blah blah...



*caugh caugh* ... *shifty eyes*

[MQuantum]

well, if you want to write a good fanfic, if helps if you have a true understanding and love of reading. If ya know what I mean.

You also must consider your characters carefully, because even the basic FALZ WILL DIE story with interesting haracters and a few plot twists is good, but not the best.

I truly feel that if you try to expand your horizions, and write beyond the narrow path the game designers have lain for you, you are on you way to becoming a good writer. The best writers are influenced largely by their own creativity and wanderings. I'm not saying it's wrong to actively seek inspiration, but if you do get it, it's best to use it as the first pebble of your castle, and nothing more.

And finally, I will consider you at least a good beginner if you use correct speeling (<-- Intentinal... http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif), Puntuation, and grammer. If I can't read it, it makes it marginally harder to read...


P.S. Commas are good, regardless of what your Langauge Arts teacher may or may not say... And Elipses are perfectly legal too... It's all your style, don't let anyone tell you different. Like my teacher...

[ladyjaderiver]

Lady Red Comet says:

"What makes a good fanfic? A good author. What makes a good author? I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."

[odie2088]

well...i'm obviously at least a mediocre author, if the view count on my fic has anything to do with it, or the fact that my friend begged me to write more of it...but i think a good fanfic should have these things...
1) Good plot progression. if the story just jumps around and the characters kill things, chances are, ppl wont like it. unless they're sadistic, or they just like those things. i, on the other hand, prefer a good plot.
2) Use your vocabulary to your advantage! make your fic SOUND interesting. you know, put it words that just make the reader go like, woah, i can imagine that, just use imagery.
3) GRAMMAR! grammar and spelling....need i say more?
4) Have your fic how you want it. You don't have to listen to me, i'm just half-raving/half-suggesting this stuff, because i like to write and i read a ton, which is kind of weird since i'm a gaming fanatic and i can type pretty freakin fast (just look at the posts of the first 3 or 4 chapters of my fic, ppl (mostly mquantum) thought i shot up caffeine! anyways, just make your fic want you want it to be. if you want it to die, you might as well shove c4 up its nose and run off and detonate it. if you want it to keep going, you better get a defibulator and some vitamins and supplements! chances are, you might have people that say things like, "ur fic sux!" or, "ur fic sux a lot!" etc etc, and if you actually let people convince you ur fic sux, then it probably eventually will, so, just ask for "constructive" criticism, i get that without the "constructive" sometimes, but not a lot. chances are, they'll just help point out grammatical and spelling mistakes, help you figure out things (like that ..., ", and ' change into ?) and they'll just suggest things to make your fic better, like longer chapters. *cough* TEMJIN-ON! *cough* excuse me. anyways, i'm done suggesting, that was the longest thing i ever posted and stuff, i think...oh well, i hope it helps. (and remember...DONT ANNOY THE MODS! they'll lock ur fic and stuff)

[Hikara]

A few plot twists here and there keep people interested... heh heh.

[HUnewearl_Meira]

On 2003-11-21 14:40, odie2088 wrote:
1) Good plot progression. if the story just jumps around and the characters kill things, chances are, ppl wont like it. unless they're sadistic, or they just like those things.


Or if it's the second movie of The Matrix.

Anyway.

Here's my tip on what makes a good fic. It comes down to one simple rule: If you don't like it, neither will your readers.
Hold yourself to as high a standard as you care to, but just remember that if you can't drag yourself through writing a certain chapter, you'd probably be just as well off to re-think the chapter and write it differently. I know I've done this several times just recently. So just have fun with it.
Another thing I reccomend... Try to have at least ONE scene in the fic that raises the hair on the back of your neck. Odds are it won't have quite as much impact on the reader, but if it does have that much impact on you, then you can be certain that it's an exciting scene.

[Garanz2]

Yeah I agree on many of the points already made. I would have posted earlier but I didn't notice this thread until just now.

Really, the best writing you can do is the writing you like best. For instance, if you like fantasy, and read lots of fantasy books, you should be better at writing fantasy yourself. I never post a chapter of BFBRRR without reading it through, chopping and changing here and there, until I really enjoy reading it and think that it fits in well with the story. If the author doesn't like it, the reader probably won't as well.

[odie2088]

well...the second matrix movie isnt a fan fic, now is it? I DIDNT THINK SO! and if you want plot twists...check out my fic, around chapter 10....or is it 9? oh well, big plot twist there, and i agree with the points made before the ones i restated! WOO HOO! but have fun with your fic, just remember that, and listen to people, they're like your teacher/mentor/tudor/teach-you-stuff-until-you-get-sick-of-listening-people

[Sagasu]

do you rreally wanna know? Allright then, the secret is...


LOTSA LOVE AND A SHITLOAD OF PARIENCE!!!!! ^_^

You have to love what your doing, and enjoy creating worlds that other people can explore. But you have to have the patience to see through your creation so that the person is actually drawn into a place where the people and places seem real, as if you where reporting about a story in the news...

But that basically cuts it, hope that helped ^_-

[odie2088]

well...uh....whats "parience"....sounds familiar....patience, maybe? did you mean patience, and not parience? it does involve lots of parience

[Sagasu]

Patience, oops ^_^

[odie2088]

lol, I LOVE POINTING OUT TYPOS THAT I DON'T MAKE! i dont get to do it much...but i do it to my friend all the time! once he made a horribly bad typo, and made "nope" into "nopt"

[Raneth]

Well, I've never written a fanfic before, as I'm more of an original writer, but fanfic authors have it easy. The world and the characters are already selected for them, (Although PSO is an exception when it comes to characters) so little creativity is needed. When writing a fanfic, the most important aspect is writing style. No matter how interesting your characters or your world, if you don't write your story in an engaging way, no one is going to want to read it.
Secondly, make your characters believable and multifaceted. Give them a background that effects the decisions they make, or it won't be realistic. With good characters, even an unoriginal story can be entertaining, and that is the true aim of a fanfic writer.

[Robert_Wolf]

Another thing that makes a good plot is expanding on what Sonic Team wrote into their plot. For example, the military has always been a nuisance in PSO. Nobody likes or trusts them. But why? That's what my fic focuses on. I also try to show that not all of the soldiers are evil. Try to expand on the basic plots of the game.

[odie2088]

yeah, like raneth said, MOST fanfic writers have it easy. some just make up completely different things and just use a teeny bit of the setting, or they dont use it at all, they use settings MENTIONED in the game, like some ppl...not me though, lol.

[Nai_Calus]

I think one can derive what makes a good fanfic by looking at mine, and whatever I've done, doing the exact and utter opposite.

Yup.

Spelling and occasionally putting a blank line in for readability helps.

I can't even spell occasionally tonight. -_-; I think I need to go to bed. >_>

[odie2088]

...you're so tired you spelled occasionally right and then said u spelled it wrong? ...WOAH!