Fanfic Writers' Virtual Water Cooler

[fems]

This could be part of my problem. Even so, some people on DA have favorited some of my chapters. One guy has the whole series faved already. so that must mean something. But you are most likely right, I may be mixing too many fandoms into one bowl. I think just using three works best. it inistally started as a short fic between me and Amann over how an Alesian would react to a Transformer and it took off from there into what it is now.

Also, please call me either Awi or Princess calling me PA makes me feel like that Amerikan state

It's cool when people favorite your fics, but in the grand scheme of things it doesn't really say all that much; I've seen people get nominated (or even winning) fanfic awards for stuff that's just plain awful and painful for the eyes/brain.

I have to agree that crossovers probably deter readers. For one, they are mostly only enjoyable if you know all the fics involved. Secondly, the fandoms all have to get the same amount of attention, which is often where crossovers fail. It's also important to portray each fandom as accurately as possible and at the same time ensure that the story makes sense for someone who is unfamiliar with one or more of said fandoms. Last but not least, the crossover has to make sense. There has to be a logical and satisfying explanation as to why these fandoms overlap.

The more fandoms you use the more difficult you make it for yourself; people have to know them all, or at least find them enjoyable/be willing to read it and you have to juggle a lot of characters.

[SF_and_Coffee]

I run into troubles with Carter, well, mostly she comes off to me as a miss goody two shoes.

I've never seen her that way...

It is not that I do not like carter persei, She's a good character, but I just cant write her off as a miss perfect who gets everything right the first time, She's naturally cerious to begin with, so that partly helps. Even professionals can snap and shoot someone.

Ah, you do realize that there's an entire SPECTRUM of difference between being "Miss Perfect" and being the kind of person who would just shoot someone out of anger, don't you? Why not just write her as someone who makes mistakes, but not THAT dire of a mistake? I mean, otherwise you have to explain why she wasn't court-martialed and dishonorably discharged from the Air Force or worse.

And no, a professional of her calibre is NOT going to "snap and shoot someone". Certainly not without losing her career, in which case you'll have successfully removed her from the story anyway.

I saw Carter in canon as someone who did make mistakes from time to time, and in ATWLB, I write her as someone who thinks she's made a mistake even when she hasn't. She actually has a guilt complex over it.

[Falcon Horus]

But an AU Carter might... like her evil twin or something.

[fems]

Maybe if it's RepliCarter... Although she seemed to prefer sword-like weaponry and certainly wouldn't be bothered by something as trivial as a little fight on Earth and/or kidnapping someone's daughter - she would just blow up the planet and be done with it.

[selene0789]

You know, I read a fic where Cassie was brutalized and raped, and Sam took it upon herself to identify, track down, and punish the perp. I'm not sure if I liked it or not, because while I'm not sure Sam would have done it, I do think that Cassie's victimization was a good enough example of what might turn Sam into someone we haven't seen before. If that makes any sense...

[Princess Awinita]

Good writing goes a long way...

Indeed it does. *gives Lemming a kilo of sugar.... watches her bounce off the walls*

[Princess Awinita]

It's cool when people favorite your fics, but in the grand scheme of things it doesn't really say all that much; I've seen people get nominated (or even winning) fanfic awards for stuff that's just plain awful and painful for the eyes/brain.

I have to agree that crossovers probably deter readers. For one, they are mostly only enjoyable if you know all the fics involved. Secondly, the fandoms all have to get the same amount of attention, which is often where crossovers fail. It's also important to portray each fandom as accurately as possible and at the same time ensure that the story makes sense for someone who is unfamiliar with one or more of said fandoms. Last but not least, the crossover has to make sense. There has to be a logical and satisfying explanation as to why these fandoms overlap.

The more fandoms you use the more difficult you make it for yourself; people have to know them all, or at least find them enjoyable/be willing to read it and you have to juggle a lot of characters.

This is also where the level of writing quailty comes in, if written rightly with equal ammounts of "spotlight time" for every character and such, the story works, otherwise it falls on its face, is that what you mean ? {just wanting to clearify is all}

[Princess Awinita]

I've never seen her that way...


Ah, you do realize that there's an entire SPECTRUM of difference between being "Miss Perfect" and being the kind of person who would just shoot someone out of anger, don't you? Why not just write her as someone who makes mistakes, but not THAT dire of a mistake? I mean, otherwise you have to explain why she wasn't court-martialed and dishonorably discharged from the Air Force or worse.

And no, a professional of her calibre is NOT going to "snap and shoot someone". Certainly not without losing her career, in which case you'll have successfully removed her from the story anyway.

I saw Carter in canon as someone who did make mistakes from time to time, and in ATWLB, I write her as someone who thinks she's made a mistake even when she hasn't. She actually has a guilt complex over it.

Basically for my reply I direct you downwards a bit in this post

But an AU Carter might... like her evil twin or something.

This story is 100% Alternate Universe. which lets me play with things a little bit. In the first story, Project Icegate, it takes place six years after the events of the first Transformers movie {I do not recall the exact year that movie was created, I assume 2007}, and two years after the events of the third Transformers movie. Since it is Au there are many things that are different from the natural world we see on the show itself.

for one thing, Carter and Jack and the gang and in fact everyone at NORAD are considered just base works and research people for NORAD tracking systems. Nobody in the outside world {or the pentagon or wherever else one can think of} actually know the true reason of the SGC in the first place, {save for NEST when Lake was captured in Project Icegate by Jack} That said, SGC, an d everyone that works on such above top secret stuff like the 'Gate and such are not exactly someone you can find in a phonebook. So, yes, Carter shot Lake twice, a bullet per knee. She did not loose her job because it was never put on the report for the mission at the time. Kept to the team and only the team knew about it. However Lake has been harboring the memory and wants revenge.

Since this is an AU world, Lake has access to technology beyond what Carter can reach, thanks to the Autobots and NEST. the Hardys get involoved when a Autobot acting as a secretarty to another man goes missing and are thus drawn into the story, they get more details in story three, Project Moon, Project One where everything gets to make sense. I have it all planned out ahead of time, so I know a direction this story is going in.

Because this is AU, I am taking risks that others wont, or don't even want to attempt to take. They follow a preset path, they don't dare go off it for fear of what others might think. so, for staying on the path, it looks good to me, but personally, I hate staying on the straight and narrow and so start my own twisting path with many branches off it. Why ? Because I want to do just that, I want to write what I want to write.

And yes, a professional can snap, trust me, I know of some who have.

[SF_and_Coffee]

My point was that you seemed to be suggesting that Carter either has to be "goody two shoes" or homicidal, and I was reminding you that people aren't that binary; there's a huge spectrum in between. And I'd still like to know in what kind of alternate universe she wouldn't get court-martialed out of her career for doing what you suggest she might do.

But whatever. I just don't have a lot of patience with writing characters badly out of spite for the characters. It's why I don't write SGU fic, for example; I don't like any of the characters, so I have no desire to write them.

[Princess Awinita]

My point was that you seemed to be saying that Carter either has to be "goody two shoes" or homicidal, and I was reminding you that people aren't that binary.

But whatever.

which is actually true, people aren't that binary, I guess my muse is just making me write this way because it is what it wants.

[Cold Fuzz]

which is actually true, people aren't that binary, I guess my muse is just making me write this way because it is what it wants.

It's not just about being binary. It's basic consistency with established character traits. Unless you're dealing with an alternate universe where Carter has a borderline personality but is still a scientific genius, shooting someone because of anger just doesn't track with what we know about her.

I think what you're looking to create is a grey character. Unfortunately--or fortunately, depending on your point-of-view--Carter doesn't come off as a grey character in most Stargate stories.

In the fic I'm writing, many of the main characters are grey, which has been a treat to write for me. In Doctor Who, some people may not consider the Doctor to be a grey character, but he is: Yes, he is good most of the time, brave, and righteous. But he's also scatterbrained, doesn't have too much empathy at times, and has a strong manipulative streak in him. He also has little patience for people who can't keep up with him intellectually. And yes, he most definitely lies. Would he ever kill someone in cold blood? I highly doubt that the Eleventh Doctor would, but some of his past selves... perhaps. Would he kill to save another person's life? The Eleventh Doctor likely would. The Tenth, likely no.

The narrator in the fic is a sheriff's deputy. He is no white knight and would probably rebuke someone for thinking of him as such. Yes, he believes in respecting the rule of law and is very zealous in enforcing it. He can be very compassionate and is quite empathetic towards others as he's someone who almost always knows what other people are feeling. He has a particular soft spot in his heart for children and is very protective of them. He also has his own code of honor and justice. But he can be calculating and ruthless in his application of the law. He can be horribly cynical, distrusting, and sullen. If one pushes him far enough, physical and other forms of violence (he's a powerful telepath) are definitely on the table. Would he ever kill someone in cold blood? The narrator himself acknowledges that the potential is there and must always keep himself in check.

One of the alien cultures he encounters loves and fears him at the same time. They venerate him as a living incarnation of fire. Fire gives off light and warmth and is a beacon of hope in the dark. In the context of a candle, fire can be very introspective and contemplative. In certain fairy tales, fire also frightens away dark creatures. However, fire burns terribly at the slightest touch. Uncontrolled, it is devastating on a massive scale. As a means of torture and death, fire is hideously brutal and without mercy.

These dualities about the narrator follow him throughout the entire story. At first, he has trouble accepting himself in these terms. As the story progresses, he stops questioning this duality. Interestingly enough, his companions are all grey characters too. They don't seem like it but after a period of time, a reader will see that none of them are what they appear to be.

If you're seeking to create a grey character like this, I think Samantha Carter doesn't quite fit these profiles. Perhaps you could create a grey character who is an authority figure that functions as a big contrast to someone like Carter?

[Choo1701]

After all, like Lemming says, this story IS an AU series.

Getting away from 'who likes who and what should happen to them' ("Keller on Destiny? KELLER ON DESTINY!" Long story lol ...You have to be there ...) because this is revolving around an AU story, so in context, it doesn't matter since something's changed and we aren't in the vanilla universe anymore.

HOWEVER If you have your highly skilled military officer/scientist knee cap someone (twice) there's got to be a good reason too. 'Just because' doesn't cut it. Now Princess Awinita hasn't mentioned the problems the two characters have gone through but if they are good, solid reasons then it will work. If their not, it may begin to fall about later on in the story because ...

Good writing goes a long way...

< what he says.

Good solid reasons, or you might start tripping over them later on or writing yourself in a corner. If you have a 'tootie frutti' universe Awinitia, it would probably be best to sit down and plan most of the story out before you start writing.

Big scope fan fictions usually start to get tangled and complicated for the reader and the writer when you start introducing a LOT of characters and all the different situations their in. You could easily find yourself trying to work out whats going on with: "Jack on Novas with OC character A and B fending off Evil Race 4, while Sam's with Dr Lee on the Deadalus with OC Characters C and D trying to free Cam and Daniel who are trapped in Melmac-4 with OC E, F, G battling OC Race 1 and 2. MEANWHILE; on Atlantis ...."

[Princess Awinita]

Getting away from 'who likes who and what should happen to them' ("Keller on Destiny? KELLER ON DESTINY!" Long story lol ...You have to be there ...) because this is revolving around an AU story, so in context, it doesn't matter since something's changed and we aren't in the vanilla universe anymore.

HOWEVER If you have your highly skilled military officer/scientist knee cap someone (twice) there's got to be a good reason too. 'Just because' doesn't cut it. Now Princess Awinita hasn't mentioned the problems the two characters have gone through but if they are good, solid reasons then it will work. If their not, it may begin to fall about later on in the story because ...



< what he says.

Good solid reasons, or you might start tripping over them later on or writing yourself in a corner. If you have a 'tootie frutti' universe Awinitia, it would probably be best to sit down and plan most of the story out before you start writing.

Big scope fan fictions usually start to get tangled and complicated for the reader and the writer when you start introducing a LOT of characters and all the different situations their in. You could easily find yourself trying to work out whats going on with: "Jack on Novas with OC character A and B fending off Evil Race 4, while Sam's with Dr Lee on the Deadalus with OC Characters C and D trying to free Cam and Daniel who are trapped in Melmac-4 with OC E, F, G battling OC Race 1 and 2. MEANWHILE; on Atlantis ...."

Lot to reply to I'll go through it in list format.

1. I think I have read such a story, I know for a fact that Dr Lee went nuts when he visited in a fanfic I once read somewhere, forgot where though
2. Yes, there is a good history behind it all, though Sam had to do a cover up initally when Lennox asked her about how she knew Lake and such. The history and everything will be revealed in the third story, which the first two chapters are in progress as I slowly work out of writers burnout. {got a small flame going!! YAY!!}. The third story wil lhave lots of reveals about Lakes life and how she met up with the SGC and such. Also the fight Lake and Carter had that ended with Lake getting kneecapped {in and out of the hospital in two months flat too! all it takes is a simple stasis tube device and some Autobot friends....}
3. Teal'c is awesome, though it is hard as heck to write him anywhere, so naturally he is not in the story, though he is mentioned a few times. third story will have more details.
4. Good solid reasons, yes, preplanned, I rarely write anything without planning it out and at least outlining it all first.
5. I've been trying to keep the original characters to a minimum whereas I focus on the characters already in the story already introduced in the first book {for example Swallowtail, my autobot and her fellow Autobots, and others from that universe, plus Lake, then the stargate characters, some OCs made by a friend used with their permission, etc.} I try not to just dump too many things all at once.it then is a jumbled mess and wont work. So by outlining everything first, it works out better. some characters, like the Three Stooges {Crank, Zippy and General} got a few scenes, but do noy appear at all in the second story, they apepar in the third though I think twice or three times.
6. Vanilla Universe, no idea where that came from O.o So I wont ask

Though one thing is silly; one guy in a private message once asked me "Can a machine actually DO that ?" and I said "you never know, I choose to just not ask if they hit a deer when their muffler is all bent out of whack"

[Choo1701]

[*]Good solid reasons, yes...

Then you should be fine.

Vanilla Universe, no idea where that came from O.o So I wont ask

*opens the Water Cooler's freezer* TA DAH! Ice Cream flavours.

[Princess Awinita]

*opens the Water Cooler's freezer* TA DAH! Ice Cream flavours.

I do not see Vanilla though ???

[selene0789]

I do not see Vanilla though ???

I was gonna say... "ummm, isn't the vanilla the one thats right in front of our faces?" but then I realized that the IMG url says "black sesame soft ice cream"... WTH??

That'd be a nasty surprise to bite into, if'n I was expecting vanilla.

[Choo1701]

I was gonna say... "ummm, isn't the vanilla the one thats right in front of our faces?" but then I realized that the IMG url says "black sesame soft ice cream"... WTH??

You're thinking into it this much, you need to pull up. Pull up!! PULL UP!
PPPPPPUUUUUUULLLLLLLLLLLL UUUUUUPP PPPP!!!!
AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!! *big explosion*









(for arguements sake: Vanilla Ice Cream. There. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW!?!)

[Falcon Horus]

Maybe if it's RepliCarter... Although she seemed to prefer sword-like weaponry and certainly wouldn't be bothered by something as trivial as a little fight on Earth and/or kidnapping someone's daughter - she would just blow up the planet and be done with it.

Ah such trivial things... just blow it up and be done with it.

Indeed it does. *gives Lemming a kilo of sugar.... watches her bounce off the walls*

Like a bouncing ball going every which way.... mind your head!

...homicidal...

Don't know exactly where my mind was at, but I misread that as homocidal and was thinking "What the frell is that, homocidal?" ... and then I noticed my mistake...

[selene0789]

Don't know exactly where my mind was at, but I misread that as homocidal and was thinking "What the frell is that, homocidal?" ... and then I noticed my mistake...

Hahahahahahahahah! oh, that's great!!

[SaraBahama]

*opens the Water Cooler's freezer* TA DAH! Ice Cream flavours.

Oooo...don't mind if I do *grabs nice, normal flavor -carmel looks good*

thank you!

You're thinking into it this much, you need to pull up. Pull up!! PULL UP!
PPPPPPUUUUUUULLLLLLLLLLLL UUUUUUPP PPPP!!!!
AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!! *big explosion*

Ah, Choo! I thought you knew us better that that! We ALWAYS think too deeply into things...