Fanfic Rules?

Moderators: Bookworm, starkruzr, MrFireDragon, PrettyPrincess, Wapsi

User avatar
jwhouk
Posts: 6053
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2012 7:58 am
Location: The Valley of the Sun, Arizona
Contact:

Re: Fanfic Rules?

Post by jwhouk »

And all I got was an old scroll out of the whole thing.
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
FreeFlier
Posts: 2492
Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2015 11:33 pm
Location: Land of the webbed feet

Re: Fanfic Rules?

Post by FreeFlier »

Just Old Al wrote:Here we have been referring to characters like that as para-aware.
Ah, that works.
Just Old Al wrote:I also strongly recommend that PM is your friend - stepping on someone else's characterizations is not nice at all. In the book we all got to the point where we could write each other's characters and the NPCs pretty well - but even then we collaborated to make sure it was right and not just OK. None of us bite (OK, maybe Phix, but Neil likes it) and would be more than happy to advise/assist/help. For example, I can easily write Neil/Greg/Al/most characters but I can't do elf worth a damn...so when i needed to work with Safyr or Emerauld I called on DInky for assistance. GLytch used to call on me for interactive dialogue with his characters from the ruling junta, for another example.
Oh yes . . . E and I were emailing each other chapters for approval . . . and also copy-editing. That was fun . . . wish we'd finished that.
Just Old Al wrote:I suggest you practice riddles...Al nearly ended up Neil's co-husband in that little pavane in the Library. if she had just let him get a coffee first....
At this point I don't see a library visit happening, but I don't always know what my characters are going to do.

OTOH, if he did get there, he might vanish for days . . . :lol: :roll: . . . or forever. Voluntarily. :roll:

Sgt. Howard wrote:
DinkyInky wrote: . . . Anyway, what is it with guys seeing a mid four-figure wedding ring on a woman's hand thinking, "Challenge accepted." . . .
"No Trespass" is pretty self explanatory
Never understand that myself . . . rude and uncultured.

Got to watch an average-size guy get taken way down on that kind of trip . . . made blunt and unwanted passes at a co-worker . . . then this male voice behind him comments "She said no."

Oaf whips around "It's none of . . . your . . . unh." He's looking at this weightlifter's chest . . . :shock:

"Jimmy, dear, would you see Johnny to the door?"

Yep, he'd been caught harassing the lady by her very large husband. :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:


My unmarried sister habitually wears our great grandmother's wedding ring . . . she has referred to it as a pest-repellent strip.
ShneekeyTheLost wrote: . . . I've discovered a good way of filtering the kids out of the dating pool. "Where were you on 9/11". If they respond with something like 'my parents...', that's your cue for urgent business that suddenly developed elsewhere.
Amusingly, I was at my parents' house . . . I was working second shift at the time and had gotten some things for them, so I took them over and watched a bit of the coverage before heading for work. (I didn't have a TV . . . still don't.) However, I was more than ten years out of college at that point. :?
Just Old Al wrote: . . . I have to confess, that bit of writing was part Sarge and I talking about things early on and part pure stream-of-consciousness barfing onto the keyboard. I was laughing my arse off and typing at the same time - I couldn't wait to see what would come out of my fingers next.

It was amazing. After the earlier bits that went out it was SO nice to do some plain old physical comedy that it just wrote itself.
Those sequences are fun . . . sometimes fitting them in can be a hassle, but it's usually worth it.
Just Old Al wrote: . . . Funniest thing is that Al was like Nicodemus - I never intended him to become a real character. He was supposed to be a one-shot cameo in the Tina story, then go on his way. Well, that sureashell didn't happen. Dumb SOB just could NOT keep his mouth shut in the coffee shop....argumentative old git.
I've had that happen . . . he was supposed to be a one-time character that one of the primary characters brought in to solve a specific problem, and then he came back to solve a similar problem . . . then he moved to center stage and the central character fell in love.

It worked, though.

I've also had characters read the script . . . then take a strange turn in the middle of the scene. Those can be worth the extra effort too.

--FreeFlier
User avatar
jwhouk
Posts: 6053
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2012 7:58 am
Location: The Valley of the Sun, Arizona
Contact:

Re: Fanfic Rules?

Post by jwhouk »

I'll admit - and Sarge and Al can attest to this - there are some characters that I've found I just write better than others. Suzie comes easy because of her background; Monica because I can relate to her.

Oh, and please read the little Writers Guide to the Wapsiverse - especially the part about Minneapolis - for some more of my thoughts about this universe Pablo has constructed.
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
User avatar
GlytchMeister
Posts: 3733
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2013 2:52 pm
Location: Central Illinois
Contact:

Re: Fanfic Rules?

Post by GlytchMeister »

My contribution:

Sometimes characters have problems. Sometimes those problems are there for a reason. If you feel like solving someone's problem for them, run it by the co-author first. I try to make sure my characters have conflicts to struggle against... Yes, in a collaboration, I make sure the internal or character-specific conflicts aren't as a big of a deal as the overarching conflict, but it's still there - in a way, the conflict is part of the character.

For example - if someone were to come by and zap John's brain so he could remember everything from before his time in The Hole, it would throw a huge spanner in the works for John as a character.

I suppose this is more of a concern with characters who have their own stories... With someone like... maybe Al? Al-the-author, so far as I know, doesn't have any major long-term plans for Al-the-character... So making alterations to that wouldn't be such a problem. However, I would talk to Al-the-author anyway, out of common courtesy and reasonable caution.

It's almost a non-issue with background characters, but I would still find whoever made the background character and check with them just to make sure that character isn't a Chekhov's Gary or something.
He's mister GlytchMeister, he's mister code
He's mister exploiter, he's mister ones and zeros
They call me GlytchMeister, whatever I touch
Starts to glitch in my clutch!
I'm too much!
User avatar
AmriloJim
Posts: 1190
Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2012 10:47 pm
Location: 35ºN 101ºW (for the GPS-challenged, that's Amarillo TX)
Contact:

Re: Fanfic Rules?

Post by AmriloJim »

ShneekeyTheLost wrote:Someone will have to host the server. Hopefully that won't be too difficult. Doesn't take many resources to host, although you probably don't want to do it on the same computer as a client.
I've already set aside space on my hosting for this... http://wtf.image66amarillo.com/
User avatar
TazManiac
Posts: 3701
Joined: Fri Nov 29, 2013 6:53 pm

Re: Fanfic Rules?

Post by TazManiac »

DinkyInky wrote:When in doubt, PM and plot is your friend. Also, patience. Some of the writers working in progress have stressful jobs that take away from here. They're really not ignoring you.
this, but underlined.

I fell right out of a recent collaboration to the point that I'm (I guess) more than ten pages behind the times, and embarrassed to read and catch up. Folks do fine work around here.

btw, Dinky, I'm <symbolically> sticking my fingers in my ears and reciting the time honored "la-la-la-la-la..." over and over... so there. B])
User avatar
DinkyInky
Posts: 2382
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 9:38 am
Location: Where there's more than Corn.
Contact:

Re: Fanfic Rules?

Post by DinkyInky »

Just Old Al wrote:
DinkyInky wrote:You did fairly well, all things considered...

And as for the letting you get coffee first, "Here kitty, kitty" would have probably not happened, and well, everyone but Phix(and possibly not Neil either, but nobody's asking) really enjoyed that bit...I can only imagine the radio play...
My voice is shaky, but for the radio play I insist on doing that catfight myself. You gonna do Phix? :twisted: Need to get Shneekey to tell me how to sign up for that voice call service he was talking about.

As for Neil, he told Al afterward he'd never seen anything like it and that he was laughing like hades till he needed to step in and break it up. Something about "Mad dogs and Englishmen" came up...and he cautioned him never to tell Phix what he said as he had a real aversion to being eviscerated by his wife.

I have to confess, that bit of writing was part Sarge and I talking about things early on and part pure stream-of-consciousness barfing onto the keyboard. I was laughing my arse off and typing at the same time - I couldn't wait to see what would come out of my fingers next.

It was amazing. After the earlier bits that went out it was SO nice to do some plain old physical comedy that it just wrote itself.
Safyr: Evisceration...is a very interesting sensation. Not for everyone, I'm afraid...
Yanno how some people have Angels/Devils for a conscience? I have a Dark Elf ShadowKnight and a Half Elf Ranger for mine. The really bad part is when they agree on something.

Aphyon chu kissa whol l'jaed.
--Safyr Drathmir
User avatar
jwhouk
Posts: 6053
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2012 7:58 am
Location: The Valley of the Sun, Arizona
Contact:

Re: Fanfic Rules?

Post by jwhouk »

I'll throw in my two-pence about writing the "Al takes Daisy to London" thing. It could have been a massive failure, because I was imposing something on the character Alan had been building - namely, that one of the side effects of the Elixir had essentially changed him into looking all the world like a slightly older Sean Connery.

But - I provided Al a framework, and let him describe what was going on, while I just put some support roles around him. There'd been plenty of references already - heck, Buck's daily driver is a Bentley, for crying out loud; I'd already established that his greatx5 grandpappy Ebbie Calvin was a tinkerer, and it just seemed natural that Buck's dad would have ended up a Bond fan - if only for the gadgets.

So a scene that could have just been a throwaway of "Al goes back to Bond Street for clothes" got turned into a truly fun scene - and the "last one was blown up by SPECTRE" line made it.
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
User avatar
Just Old Al
Posts: 1683
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 4:43 am
Location: Wilderness of Massachusetts
Contact:

Re: Fanfic Rules?

Post by Just Old Al »

GlytchMeister wrote: I suppose this is more of a concern with characters who have their own stories... With someone like... maybe Al? Al-the-author, so far as I know, doesn't have any major long-term plans for Al-the-character... So making alterations to that wouldn't be such a problem. However, I would talk to Al-the-author anyway, out of common courtesy and reasonable caution.
Oh, you have NO idea.....Agent Geezer ("Stop calling me that!") may be married off now, but a spot of adventure is never out of the question.

Admittedly, high adventure is likely not in the cards after "Thicker Than Blood" but would not be ruled out - and the old coot is not as old as he used to be. Remember, there's always that miserable redneck to get him into trouble - then stand at his back as they fight their way out of it.

To specifically address your point, though, as long as it is a realtively self-contained unit Al can participate anywhere and everywhere someone might want/need him. The story in process is an example, where he's reading his newspaper and figures out what happened...then mashes the Big Red Button.

I will, however, not rule anything out with him - as the character is talking to me now it's not like something interesting may not come out over a pot of coffee and a scone or three.
"The Empire was founded on cups of tea, mate, and if you think I am going to war without one you are sadly mistaken."
User avatar
Just Old Al
Posts: 1683
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 4:43 am
Location: Wilderness of Massachusetts
Contact:

Re: Fanfic Rules?

Post by Just Old Al »

jwhouk wrote: So a scene that could have just been a throwaway of "Al goes back to Bond Street for clothes" got turned into a truly fun scene - and the "last one was blown up by SPECTRE" line made it.
That was SO much fun! I had no idea where you were going with it initially but that is another one that essentially wrote itself. That last line was a classic. I wouldn't mind a DB5....

It's also an example of a cooperative effort between two writers - Joe knew what he wanted and where he wanted it to go, and I had the background and the character to get it there. Other than Prescott's I've been into just about everything in that story personally - the Tube, London, the cabs, the street scenes and even the Page 3 girls in the paper - all are familiar. When you can combine all of that in one story you get great mental pictures.
"The Empire was founded on cups of tea, mate, and if you think I am going to war without one you are sadly mistaken."
User avatar
jwhouk
Posts: 6053
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2012 7:58 am
Location: The Valley of the Sun, Arizona
Contact:

Re: Fanfic Rules?

Post by jwhouk »

Best part was, it helped the story along.

Daisy probably would have never admitted this, but the visit to London reminded her of all the good times with Rock. That might be something in a future epilogue, by the way - the signed photo of Mr. Connery with Rock is found by Alan while moving things in/out for the renovations to begin.
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
User avatar
Just Old Al
Posts: 1683
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 4:43 am
Location: Wilderness of Massachusetts
Contact:

Re: Fanfic Rules?

Post by Just Old Al »

jwhouk wrote:Best part was, it helped the story along.

Daisy probably would have never admitted this, but the visit to London reminded her of all the good times with Rock. That might be something in a future epilogue, by the way - the signed photo of Mr. Connery with Rock is found by Allan while moving things in/out for the renovations to begin.
And THIS is an example of the self-sustaining reaction, folks. We brought this up, and Joe had an idea, and this dovetailed into other parts...and off it goes. So much of this type of fiction is the richness of the universe, and Pablo be praised THAT we have in very large measure.

It's also brought to the table by the writers here - we all have our specialties. Greg is an armorer (and incurable romantic) with a serious medical background, I'm a jack of all trades, Joe knows the legal world far better than I ever want to, GLytch and Taz are techies and so on. That adds a lot to things when you're not getting regurgitated Wikipedia entries.
"The Empire was founded on cups of tea, mate, and if you think I am going to war without one you are sadly mistaken."
User avatar
Sgt. Howard
Posts: 3329
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 11:54 pm
Location: Malott, Washington

Re: Fanfic Rules?

Post by Sgt. Howard »

Joe wrote the first Wapsi fanfic that I am aware of by inserting himself into wapsi square. Then, about a year ago I drew a cartoon where I got the dogsnot scared out of me by Phix- and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Phix was mentally, emotionally and spiritually quite parallel with my own Miss Annie... thus, I was inspired to have Cornelius (a character from another work of mine, 'The Gospel of Ishmay') show up and seduce the Kitty. It was a quick write and an easy read- from there I wrote 'the Elixir' and Joe jumped onboard by writing about Monica's reaction to the wedding. He also was involved with 'Happy Wedding'. He did 'Fearless, I did 'U-296',, Al and I collaborated with "It happened at Mucho Mocha", then again with 'Two Sergeants and a mystery"... Joe and I did "150 years ago" and again with "16 years later"... the "Thicker than Blood" Involved myself, Al, Taz, Glytch, Joe and Dinky Inky... and has been a blast. As I am doing this off the top of my head, I'm sure I've missed some critical points...
Rule 17 of the Bombay Golf Course- "You shall play the ball where the monkey drops it,"
I speak fluent Limrick-
the Old Sgt.
FreeFlier
Posts: 2492
Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2015 11:33 pm
Location: Land of the webbed feet

Re: Fanfic Rules?

Post by FreeFlier »

GlytchMeister wrote: . . . Sometimes characters have problems. Sometimes those problems are there for a reason. If you feel like solving someone's problem for them, run it by the co-author first. I try to make sure my characters have conflicts to struggle against... Yes, in a collaboration, I make sure the internal or character-specific conflicts aren't as a big of a deal as the overarching conflict, but it's still there - in a way, the conflict is part of the character. . . .
Conflict of some kind is central to a story. If there's no conflict, there's no story.

it can be internal in the character, or external between characters, or external between the universe and the character(s), but there needs to be conflict for a story to be interesting.

---

I've only ever done the one collaborative story, and that collaboration started when someone sent me a PM telling me that his story was based on a starting point after my in-progress story and asking advice on a character's motives at a certain point . . . it grew from there.

The collaboration was a lot of fun, especially when one of his primary characters filled a need I had in my story . . . that character became a supporting character in my story, and my primary became a supporting character in his.

But we didn't announce that, and were waiting to see if anyone noticed . . . if they did, nobody commented.

--FreeFlier
Post Reply