Hopefully no one has already discussed this but it's a problem that I've been having for quite some time. On the days when I'm far too lazy to actually start typing out an update,I like to look over the past stories I've written on both Fictionpress and Fanfiction.net. What I've noticed is this pattern of incomplete stories that I promised myself I would go back and finish but never actually did. My question is: Is it wrong to completely drop a story or should all stories be completed despite the lack of interest?
I have one little "gem" that is turning four years old in a few months and I'm feeling kind of uncomfortable with it not being finished. Sure,I'm not interested in it and its based off an anime I don't believe in anymore but should I finish it regardless? It's still my baby but I have other babies that I love more.
I have one little "gem" that is turning four years old in a few months and I'm feeling kind of uncomfortable with it not being finished. Sure,I'm not interested in it and its based off an anime I don't believe in anymore but should I finish it regardless? It's still my baby but I have other babies that I love more.
- Mood:
annoyed
Don't you hate it when you read a story on fp and for some reason, maybe it's really late, you're tired or whatever, you think to yourself, MAN that story is AWESOME. Like, how did the author do that? It was so fun, wow they're good. I'm totally gonna recommend this. FAVORITE AUTHOR, FAVORITE STORY, etc.
But when you return all you can think is how shitty it is. And you wonder why you'll only have ever had a one-night stand. S/he was hot when you tumbled into bed, but fugly in the morning light.
What is this called? It's also in the same area of reactions as feeling like all of what you wrote last night was shit, but that's on the perfectionist side.
hit me
But when you return all you can think is how shitty it is. And you wonder why you'll only have ever had a one-night stand. S/he was hot when you tumbled into bed, but fugly in the morning light.
What is this called? It's also in the same area of reactions as feeling like all of what you wrote last night was shit, but that's on the perfectionist side.
hit me
Recently I’ve come across various flames, whether or not they are on FP or other sites, they are there. We’ve all seen them, and have all read them at one time or another. The bigger question is whether or not the flame is truly a flame, or opinion.
An example. Many who hear the word flame when describing a reviewer, will think: a personal attack on said story/author. Here is a simple example that in a way, can be defined as a flame (in my opinion): 'This story sucks.'
That is in a way an opinion, anyone can see that. But in what way does it define itself as a ‘flame’; well for one, it doesn’t have anything to back up on said comment. Yes, you stated it sucks, but in what way? How does it suck? Another thing is the fact that not only didn’t the reader say why they felt that way, but in no way was it constructive to the author. You stated it sucked, but in what way could it become more productive, and improve to make it better? And lastly, said reader didn’t act respectively. The word ‘suck’ in my opinion, isn’t right to use when describing why you don’t like the story. To me, that would be a flame because you’re not expanding why you felt it was that way, how the author could improve, and lastly, you were not respectable. You were in a way personally attacking the story/author.
Now, what about the opinions you come across where the reader states all three of the above, and the author still feels it is a ‘flame’? I recently came across one of those, where the author actually deleted said ‘flame’ and then put up an author note basically saying that they were right, the reader wrong, and then stated some very derogatory words. I myself, felt no respect for the author that did this, and I had read the supposed flame, and to me, felt it was just a person respectively, clearly and constructively stating their opinion. Shouldn’t we reviewers be allowed to state what we feel on said story/author in that way? Why would that automatically warrant as a flame, and then a personal attack publically by said author just because they felt bad about the comments?
Another thing that I see is that authors will say, constructive criticism is welcomed, but then will turn around and say, if you have nothing nice to say then don’t say it at all. Not all criticism is nice, or will be thought of as nice by the author. Everyone feels different emotions while reading their reviews, who’s to say that what you’re saying is something that will bother the author? Why should we, as reviewers, have to hold back in our opinion even if we do the three I mentioned above, to not get publically attacked and count as a flame? Aren’t we all allowed to state our opinion if we want to? What makes the difference between flame, and constructive opinion?
I’d like to hear a few thoughts on this if you can. Whether or not you agree that they’re the same or if they’re different. Or maybe, you’ve received a flame before, and or opinions by a reviewer.
On a side note, I’m an author on FP, and in no way am I bashing on authors. I’m more ranting in how some handle their flames, or constructive criticism/opinions. Also, I’m new on fPdebate and would love some feedback on what I said.
A handy article I came across:
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/itmanagemen
Pretty much it covers the basic grammar mistakes; differentiating between the there, their and they're's, then and thans, etc,. Though obvious, there's a couple in which I didn't know, such as the difference between i.e. and e.g.
Anyway, I posted this because honestly, even though most of these mistakes are really minor, when I come across them in a fic it totally takes me out of it. And then if it keeps happening, I usually just quit the story.
So a couple of things:
- If there are egregious errors in the story you're reading, do you tend to keep going or quit right then and there? I usually quit, but sometimes I click to the last chapter to see if they've improved writing wise.
- The stories I stick with longer than others are usually the ones that have a really good summary and/or a really interesting premise. But if the story and writing end up falling flat, I'm out. ... This isn't really a question... haha.
- What kind of pet peeves do you have, grammar, cliches, bad characters, etc., that annoy you to the point where you just abandon the story?
Oh, and here's something totally off topic: a follow up to the whole plagiarism thing. So uh... with what seemed like a big chunk of people gone, did the gap in fp get filled? The people that quit- do they still follow these fp communities? Are they still writing? Is there still rampant stealing going on? I actually haven't been to fp in a long time so... what's going on guys? :D
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/itmanagemen
Pretty much it covers the basic grammar mistakes; differentiating between the there, their and they're's, then and thans, etc,. Though obvious, there's a couple in which I didn't know, such as the difference between i.e. and e.g.
Anyway, I posted this because honestly, even though most of these mistakes are really minor, when I come across them in a fic it totally takes me out of it. And then if it keeps happening, I usually just quit the story.
So a couple of things:
- If there are egregious errors in the story you're reading, do you tend to keep going or quit right then and there? I usually quit, but sometimes I click to the last chapter to see if they've improved writing wise.
- The stories I stick with longer than others are usually the ones that have a really good summary and/or a really interesting premise. But if the story and writing end up falling flat, I'm out. ... This isn't really a question... haha.
- What kind of pet peeves do you have, grammar, cliches, bad characters, etc., that annoy you to the point where you just abandon the story?
Oh, and here's something totally off topic: a follow up to the whole plagiarism thing. So uh... with what seemed like a big chunk of people gone, did the gap in fp get filled? The people that quit- do they still follow these fp communities? Are they still writing? Is there still rampant stealing going on? I actually haven't been to fp in a long time so... what's going on guys? :D
Hi, my name is Candid. And I'm addicted to Supernatural stories. I've read a lot - the good, the bad, and the downright ugly - and it's made me think a lot about what constitutes a "good" supernatural story. The stories that I like tend to have protagonists that aren't always the damsels in distress. They're strong, but reasonably so, and sometimes they even bail their men out of trouble. I also like stories that are well-researched and grounded with a healthy dose of reality. So here is a list of traits that I like (and hate) when it comes to the paranormal:
The good
-A form of authority - whether it's the Volturi, the Talamasca Caste, or the Ministry of Magic - power needs curbing.
-Research. I think the best supernatural stories (in my opinion) are the ones rooted in folklore. J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, for example, contains a lot of Easter eggs for people who paid attention in Mythology and World History class.
-Nontraditional supernatural beings, like the Sidhe (faeries) or the Djinn (genies).
-Strong, female characters that aren't a) immature, b) whiny (some people call this "snarky" but I don't really see the wit in complaining about everything), or c) reckless.
-Well-written fight scenes.
The bad
-Characters that don't fit their situations. For example, one should not be able to sneak up on a two-thousand-year-old vampire and just stake him - after all, he's lived this long for a reason, right?
-Female characters that immediately fall in love with and swear they'll die for the main character - unless they have a good reason for it ("he's so hot" does not constitute a good reason)
-Male characters that start out fearsome and intimidating but become pushovers three chapters later.
-New girl/new boy in school who acts "strange."
-Pseudo-goth names, like Ravyn and Raine. Actually, this goes for most genres, but I think it's particularly annoying in Supernatural stories. Silly names just grate my nerves like no other - it's why I still can't quite bring myself to touch J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series.
The downright ugly
-Stealing spells from Harry Potter and/or anime shows i.e. Avada kedavra no jutsu!
-Inserting song lyrics from Matchbook Romance, et al. into your story for no reason.
-Bad sex scenes. A bad sex scene can ruin an entire story. I recently read a published(!) book with a description of a man's penis that went something like this "... the harder, hotter length pressing against her thigh like a steel bar ..."
-Protagonists that are just ... perfect. They have no flaws, or the flaws that they do have are meant to be endearing or to elicit sympathy i.e. "giving too much," getting sexually abused for being "too beautiful," or randomly falling down at inconvenient moments. Even the Olympic Gods had flaws; it was part of their appeal.
-Female characters who argue with themselves. " ... no, he's not hot, bad Mary Sue! BAD MARY SUE!" "... you know you're imaging him without those leather pants ..." "... dammit. ... stupid brain."
What are some things that you would like to see in supernatural fiction? And what are the things that make you want to punch teddybears in the face?
The good
-A form of authority - whether it's the Volturi, the Talamasca Caste, or the Ministry of Magic - power needs curbing.
-Research. I think the best supernatural stories (in my opinion) are the ones rooted in folklore. J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, for example, contains a lot of Easter eggs for people who paid attention in Mythology and World History class.
-Nontraditional supernatural beings, like the Sidhe (faeries) or the Djinn (genies).
-Strong, female characters that aren't a) immature, b) whiny (some people call this "snarky" but I don't really see the wit in complaining about everything), or c) reckless.
-Well-written fight scenes.
The bad
-Characters that don't fit their situations. For example, one should not be able to sneak up on a two-thousand-year-old vampire and just stake him - after all, he's lived this long for a reason, right?
-Female characters that immediately fall in love with and swear they'll die for the main character - unless they have a good reason for it ("he's so hot" does not constitute a good reason)
-Male characters that start out fearsome and intimidating but become pushovers three chapters later.
-New girl/new boy in school who acts "strange."
-Pseudo-goth names, like Ravyn and Raine. Actually, this goes for most genres, but I think it's particularly annoying in Supernatural stories. Silly names just grate my nerves like no other - it's why I still can't quite bring myself to touch J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series.
The downright ugly
-Stealing spells from Harry Potter and/or anime shows i.e. Avada kedavra no jutsu!
-Inserting song lyrics from Matchbook Romance, et al. into your story for no reason.
-Bad sex scenes. A bad sex scene can ruin an entire story. I recently read a published(!) book with a description of a man's penis that went something like this "... the harder, hotter length pressing against her thigh like a steel bar ..."
-Protagonists that are just ... perfect. They have no flaws, or the flaws that they do have are meant to be endearing or to elicit sympathy i.e. "giving too much," getting sexually abused for being "too beautiful," or randomly falling down at inconvenient moments. Even the Olympic Gods had flaws; it was part of their appeal.
-Female characters who argue with themselves. " ... no, he's not hot, bad Mary Sue! BAD MARY SUE!" "... you know you're imaging him without those leather pants ..." "... dammit. ... stupid brain."
What are some things that you would like to see in supernatural fiction? And what are the things that make you want to punch teddybears in the face?
- Music:Make a Move - Lostprophets
I've always been a short-story writer. I think the longest thing I've ever written was around 10,000 words. Most of my stories range between 3,000-6,000 words. But about three years ago I started working on a novel. I had no idea how to approach it, how much planning should go into it, if I should make an outline, etc. I just sat down one day with an idea and starting writing. About ten chapters into it I realized I had no idea what the hell I was doing. I didn't know where the story was going; I'd written myself into a corner; I had already made several erroneous decisions regarding the characters, plot, etc. I scrapped everything I'd written and started over.
Since then things have pretty much followed the same cycle. I get several chapters into it, realize I hate everything I've written, and start all over. I took time to write a little backstory for the characters to use as a reference point. I also wrote out a very detailed outline. With exception of the ending, I know exactly where I want the story to go. But I can't seem to maintain my interest with the story over an extended period of time. I'll put the story aside for weeks/months at a time. When I return to it, I always go back and read everything I've written. Then, instead of picking up where I left off, I just constantly edit and re-write the first few chapters. Several times I've contemplated just abandoning the story altogether, but something inside me prevents me. Even though I know the story is terribly uninteresting and will probably turn into a giant smoldering pile of feces, I'm determined to finish it. I look at it as a learning experience, an example of everything not to do in the future.
I'm envious of you writers who seem to have no trouble cranking out multiple novel-length stories. How the hell do you do it? What kind of planning goes into it beforehand? Is most of it organic, or do you already know where the story's going? Many of you post chapters on Fictionpress before the story is even complete. Don't you worry the story's initial course will be swayed due to certain comments/feedback? Or does that actually help you stay motivated, knowing that people are reading/enjoying your story and looking forward to the next chapter? How do you maintain your interest during the time it takes you to complete the story? How do you keep track of everything that's happened without contantly having to go back and re-read everything? Do you edit as you go along? Or are you more concerned with completing the first draft, then editing and re-writing afterwards?
Any and all advice is welcome.
Since then things have pretty much followed the same cycle. I get several chapters into it, realize I hate everything I've written, and start all over. I took time to write a little backstory for the characters to use as a reference point. I also wrote out a very detailed outline. With exception of the ending, I know exactly where I want the story to go. But I can't seem to maintain my interest with the story over an extended period of time. I'll put the story aside for weeks/months at a time. When I return to it, I always go back and read everything I've written. Then, instead of picking up where I left off, I just constantly edit and re-write the first few chapters. Several times I've contemplated just abandoning the story altogether, but something inside me prevents me. Even though I know the story is terribly uninteresting and will probably turn into a giant smoldering pile of feces, I'm determined to finish it. I look at it as a learning experience, an example of everything not to do in the future.
I'm envious of you writers who seem to have no trouble cranking out multiple novel-length stories. How the hell do you do it? What kind of planning goes into it beforehand? Is most of it organic, or do you already know where the story's going? Many of you post chapters on Fictionpress before the story is even complete. Don't you worry the story's initial course will be swayed due to certain comments/feedback? Or does that actually help you stay motivated, knowing that people are reading/enjoying your story and looking forward to the next chapter? How do you maintain your interest during the time it takes you to complete the story? How do you keep track of everything that's happened without contantly having to go back and re-read everything? Do you edit as you go along? Or are you more concerned with completing the first draft, then editing and re-writing afterwards?
Any and all advice is welcome.
Hey! I'm new to this community, so I thought I would post something.
One of the biggest turnoffs for me when I'm looking for a story is ridiculous character names. Sometimes I'm just browsing through, and I find this really great summary; I open the story and BAM! I see the character name and I hit the back page button. I get the feeling that some authors try too hard to come up with unique names that will set them apart from everyone else. But when a name is just so out there that I can no longer concentrate on the actual story, there's a problem.
Naturally, main character names are very important. It really says something about the character. I'm going to use a character of mine as an example. Her name is Evy. I picked it because I liked the name, but also because it worked for her. She's a good girl, naive, but also sharp and passionate, and I thought the girliness of 'Evy' along with the sharpness of the V in the middle really characterized her perfectly. To top it off, it took me about 2 minutes after I decided to write the story to officially decide to use that name. Also I really love it when authors choose names that are completely contradictory, like Lacey from "The Host" by Stephenie Meyer. It's like you know the character because you know the name is its antithesis. It cracks me up every time.
My grandmother has this saying: "You think long, you think wrong" (of course it's normally used while we're playing cards or something, lol). I think there is some truth in that. It seems like some overthink the character's name so much that it loses its... well, its character. Simple is usually best. A character named Kate is not automatically more boring than a character named Amore (or something to that effect). In fact, I would rather read about Kate than Amore.
Do absurd character names turn anyone else away, or is that just me? I just think that people shouldn't concentrate on making their character names unique, and should instead concentrate on making their story unique. It seems like it's compensating for something.
One of the biggest turnoffs for me when I'm looking for a story is ridiculous character names. Sometimes I'm just browsing through, and I find this really great summary; I open the story and BAM! I see the character name and I hit the back page button. I get the feeling that some authors try too hard to come up with unique names that will set them apart from everyone else. But when a name is just so out there that I can no longer concentrate on the actual story, there's a problem.
Naturally, main character names are very important. It really says something about the character. I'm going to use a character of mine as an example. Her name is Evy. I picked it because I liked the name, but also because it worked for her. She's a good girl, naive, but also sharp and passionate, and I thought the girliness of 'Evy' along with the sharpness of the V in the middle really characterized her perfectly. To top it off, it took me about 2 minutes after I decided to write the story to officially decide to use that name. Also I really love it when authors choose names that are completely contradictory, like Lacey from "The Host" by Stephenie Meyer. It's like you know the character because you know the name is its antithesis. It cracks me up every time.
My grandmother has this saying: "You think long, you think wrong" (of course it's normally used while we're playing cards or something, lol). I think there is some truth in that. It seems like some overthink the character's name so much that it loses its... well, its character. Simple is usually best. A character named Kate is not automatically more boring than a character named Amore (or something to that effect). In fact, I would rather read about Kate than Amore.
Do absurd character names turn anyone else away, or is that just me? I just think that people shouldn't concentrate on making their character names unique, and should instead concentrate on making their story unique. It seems like it's compensating for something.
I was browsing through the archive and it seemed like there hasn't been a post on this yet. But there has been and I hadn't noticed, I'm sorry!
Anyways, on to the question.
Who/What is your muse?
You've probably been asked that numerous times before but I thought we could possibly all share it here. What exactly motivates you to write? How do you feel when your inspiration is missing? Are you not able to write at all or does it just pale in comparison with your better works? I know that some people have a specific muse yet others have muses that are like chameleons. Ones that change everyday depending on their mood, etc.
I guess I could say that my own muse would be Chicago itself. Seeing the landscape just fills me with a sense of awe every time I look even though I've lived here most my life. I love how when you walk downtown, you can see so many people, so many relationships, stories that were never told. Like this is the world I'm apart of. It just fills my head with ideas. Sometimes I see smaller buildings reflecting in the light of skyscrapers and seeing it just sparks so many ideas. And I love people-watching in a busy city like this. There are so many stories to be told and created. There are so many events to be witnessed that could be woven into my own story. That's why I carry a notebook everywhere I go.
To whom do you want your writing to speak to? And do you write for your muse?
I was wondering if there is a specific person or group of people that you really want to reach out to. What/who are you writing for?
For me, I write to escape and relieve the stress. So I write for myself. It's almost like an indirect way of communicating with my feelings and desires. (That sounds corny.....but hey, I live in Illinois! ......../lameness/) But eventually, I hope my writing skills will grow and I will be able to connect with the people that actually read my stories and works. I guess since my muse is Chicago, I wish that someday I would be able to communicate with the people through my writing.
How do you record your ideas?
Let's say you're out with your friends and you're at a cafe or something. And 'zing', you get a sudden plot idea. And it's absolutely amazing. What do you do? Do you have a personal notebook that you carry with you? I use to not have a pocket notebook and so I would have to grab napkins or something and borrow pens to write down an idea since I cannot remember things for the life of me. It usually makes me out to be quite the odd person. =D
So, anyone care to share? I'm secretly dreading the thought that no one will reply or something.
Well, nice to meet you all. =D
Anyways, on to the question.
Who/What is your muse?
You've probably been asked that numerous times before but I thought we could possibly all share it here. What exactly motivates you to write? How do you feel when your inspiration is missing? Are you not able to write at all or does it just pale in comparison with your better works? I know that some people have a specific muse yet others have muses that are like chameleons. Ones that change everyday depending on their mood, etc.
I guess I could say that my own muse would be Chicago itself. Seeing the landscape just fills me with a sense of awe every time I look even though I've lived here most my life. I love how when you walk downtown, you can see so many people, so many relationships, stories that were never told. Like this is the world I'm apart of. It just fills my head with ideas. Sometimes I see smaller buildings reflecting in the light of skyscrapers and seeing it just sparks so many ideas. And I love people-watching in a busy city like this. There are so many stories to be told and created. There are so many events to be witnessed that could be woven into my own story. That's why I carry a notebook everywhere I go.
To whom do you want your writing to speak to? And do you write for your muse?
I was wondering if there is a specific person or group of people that you really want to reach out to. What/who are you writing for?
For me, I write to escape and relieve the stress. So I write for myself. It's almost like an indirect way of communicating with my feelings and desires. (That sounds corny.....but hey, I live in Illinois! ......../lameness/) But eventually, I hope my writing skills will grow and I will be able to connect with the people that actually read my stories and works. I guess since my muse is Chicago, I wish that someday I would be able to communicate with the people through my writing.
How do you record your ideas?
Let's say you're out with your friends and you're at a cafe or something. And 'zing', you get a sudden plot idea. And it's absolutely amazing. What do you do? Do you have a personal notebook that you carry with you? I use to not have a pocket notebook and so I would have to grab napkins or something and borrow pens to write down an idea since I cannot remember things for the life of me. It usually makes me out to be quite the odd person. =D
So, anyone care to share? I'm secretly dreading the thought that no one will reply or something.
Well, nice to meet you all. =D
Did you know that as of this september, I will be a member of FP for nine years? NINE years? It is amazing how time flies. I am currently uploading parts of my second finished novel in those nine years. Some part of me feels like - this is all I've accomplished in nine years? But another part of me knows that I finished other projects, like my poetry, and also graduating from university and other various "life" experiences.
Some questions that I am curious about:
What were you like when you first started writing on FP?
How have you changed in your writing since then?
Do you wish you've accomplished more?
If you could accomplish one thing with your writing, what would it be?
For me, I was fairly young when I first started putting my stories onto FP, so all of my early attempts are honestly embarrassing. I touched on some more mature topics that I didn't have any experience with, so my writing from that perspective was fairly shallow. I feel like now, nine years later, my writing style has become a lot better, but since I've taken a long hiatus from writing stories, I feel a bit rusty. So it is true, at least for me, that in order to write and to produce, you have to keep on writing.
However, I think that my goal in writing is still the same. I want to capture an authentic experience, I want my readers to think - this could happen to me. I want my stories to be realistic, yet with a hint of fantasy as well.
What are your thoughts?
Some questions that I am curious about:
What were you like when you first started writing on FP?
How have you changed in your writing since then?
Do you wish you've accomplished more?
If you could accomplish one thing with your writing, what would it be?
For me, I was fairly young when I first started putting my stories onto FP, so all of my early attempts are honestly embarrassing. I touched on some more mature topics that I didn't have any experience with, so my writing from that perspective was fairly shallow. I feel like now, nine years later, my writing style has become a lot better, but since I've taken a long hiatus from writing stories, I feel a bit rusty. So it is true, at least for me, that in order to write and to produce, you have to keep on writing.
However, I think that my goal in writing is still the same. I want to capture an authentic experience, I want my readers to think - this could happen to me. I want my stories to be realistic, yet with a hint of fantasy as well.
What are your thoughts?
so now i'm pretty ... reluctant ... with all this plagiarism business going on. i mean, obviously it's not uncommon, just that i think with myrika's stories being found to have been copied, more and more people are actively searching for works that resemble their own or are being alerted, etc. quite a lovely and helpful chain reaction.
anyway, with the numbers of reputable (and some of the better ones) authors dwindling, it reminded me of my own encounter at ff.net. i won't get into it, but screencaps are your best friend, especially after they start denying it or making poor excuses. just saying. but that's not the issue here. being that i'm not new to that sort of stupidity, it makes me really angry and personally upset on behalf of others and am hoping that it never happens to my original pieces.
which brings me to the following questions:
———
OMG SO LONG, SORRY! :( but it was really bugging me and i needed to ask.
anyway, with the numbers of reputable (and some of the better ones) authors dwindling, it reminded me of my own encounter at ff.net. i won't get into it, but screencaps are your best friend, especially after they start denying it or making poor excuses. just saying. but that's not the issue here. being that i'm not new to that sort of stupidity, it makes me really angry and personally upset on behalf of others and am hoping that it never happens to my original pieces.
which brings me to the following questions:
• for those who have been plagiarized, do you think you would have been better off not knowing those deeds were taking place? the more i think about it, the more i believe that ignorance is bliss. sure, bringing justice to those who are guilty is both satisfying and relieving, but the thought of taking such extreme (yet warranted) measures wouldn't have crossed your mind.
• although everything we write is considered original in their own right, would you be more offended if your fanfics (if you write those) were plagiarized versus your originals? does it matter? i've only ever had fanfics plagiarized and written under other fandoms, combining my stories into one (which makes it harder to find) but still being hysterically obvious about it. yet in retrospect, i am now okay with it. that doesn't mean i'd like it to persist but i'd rather have those plagiarized rather than ones i build from the ground up.
• to those who aren't fazed at all by this – if your original work was plagiarized, would you continue to post your chapters? are you confident enough in your work and your readers to do this? i ask this one, in particular, because i'm sort of wavering on the issue. in the event (and cross my heart it never happens) this happens to me, i'm trying to decide which would be best. in the grand scheme of things, i have no intentions to sell my work. if someone were to copy what i've written for money, i know i'd be hurt and upset by it, but i wonder if it's even worth that extra effort to hunt them down. if one of your copied works were to be successful due to someone's idiocy, there's a good chance that it'll all be traced back to you, right? so is the effort necessary?
in regards to the last, i don't mean to say that what certain fp authors are doing now is unnecessary, but i speak hypothetically.
sometimes i feel sad for the authors who are working hard to take their plagiarists down, so to speak, but i also feel that it's inescapable. for every one you take down, there's always someone else who'll crop up.
that aside, my next question is now focused on this plagiarism haven (or something or other; i found out about it through samanthanicole's profile when she updated ... sort of). i think it's a really awesome idea and a nice precautionary method for your works, but all things considered, i have these questions:
even if you guys are taking those extra steps to ban out certain users, how do you become convinced that none of the users you accept have secret motives? it just makes me really curious because, going back to everything i've said above, it sort of makes your efforts futile if you keep posting online. nothing is safe on the internet, as they say.
are you guys setting certain guidelines to people who request to be on your community? such as the longevity + reputation of a user on fp? i'm just concerned for everyone who's putting in that much work into something that might not really have the desired effect in the long run.
———
OMG SO LONG, SORRY! :( but it was really bugging me and i needed to ask.
Hey guys,
I just wanted to stop by to let everyone know about a new community called![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
fpwatchlist.
This community is keeping an eye out for FP authors that have been plagiarized on other sites; certainly not an easy task, what with all lazy-ass buffoons running rampant. It's an excellent community and will be a great support I'm sure; I urge everyone to join and post any evidence of plagiarism you might come across.
-Deena
I just wanted to stop by to let everyone know about a new community called
fpwatchlist.This community is keeping an eye out for FP authors that have been plagiarized on other sites; certainly not an easy task, what with all lazy-ass buffoons running rampant. It's an excellent community and will be a great support I'm sure; I urge everyone to join and post any evidence of plagiarism you might come across.
-Deena
- Mood:
sleepy
For those who have been plagiarized, how were you (or anyone who has helped you) able to find the plagiarists, especially the ones on fanfiction who changed all the names? :/
Most of the time, I just copy and paste story passages into google and see what pops up, but idk. I feel it's a very neanderthal way of doing it. There has to be an easier way, haha.
Most of the time, I just copy and paste story passages into google and see what pops up, but idk. I feel it's a very neanderthal way of doing it. There has to be an easier way, haha.
Oh okay. So I've been doing some thinking about the issue of plagiarism... and I'm kind of confused. Let's say I write a story about the whole step-brother and step-sister scenario, would I be copying Myrika? Even if my storyline is COMPLETELY different.
So that's what I sometimes get confused about; and what is the borderline between similar storylines and plagiarism, because fiction is so interconnected now...
So that's what I sometimes get confused about; and what is the borderline between similar storylines and plagiarism, because fiction is so interconnected now...
Please do not use this community to plug your own stories or ask for reviews. This is also not to be used as a personal journal, for releasing steam unrelated to Fictionpress or otherwise. This community is to discuss points about fictionpress. It is preferred that you introduce your own perspective(s) and/or argument in your post. Please do not just post, "This author sucks. Discuss" or "I don't get enough reviews. This is stupid. Let's bash people who do get a lot of reviews." These posts will be removed. 'Ranting" is all right, but please go about it in a civilized manner. Posting is not moderated; please do not make it so that it has to be.
A debate is not the same as a flame war. I have seen some comments that are on the verge teetering between flamebait and argument. Should the debate be centered on ad hominum attacks or problems between two members, please do not clutter the community with your drama.
Do not make a new post to simply introduce yourself. As the other introduction post is 3 years old, please feel free to introduce yourself again here.
Nickname: Cynic; Angeline
Username on FP: http://www.fictionpress.com/~sketchingac
Favorite genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Why do I love reading/writing: I read to escape or when a story is very intriguing. I don't write anymore.
One other odd fact about me: I am a Harry Potter fanatic & I hate spiders. :x
A debate is not the same as a flame war. I have seen some comments that are on the verge teetering between flamebait and argument. Should the debate be centered on ad hominum attacks or problems between two members, please do not clutter the community with your drama.
Do not make a new post to simply introduce yourself. As the other introduction post is 3 years old, please feel free to introduce yourself again here.
Nickname: Cynic; Angeline
Username on FP: http://www.fictionpress.com/~sketchingac
Favorite genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Why do I love reading/writing: I read to escape or when a story is very intriguing. I don't write anymore.
One other odd fact about me: I am a Harry Potter fanatic & I hate spiders. :x
Has anyone else recently noticed the number of people removing stories due to plagarism? Or are taking preemptive strikes against plagarism and have decided to stop posting on fp?
In the past week I've gotten around four alerts that were pretty much chapters detailing why the author would no longer be posting, because of plagarism or their nipping the prospect in the bud before it even happens.
Have any of you contemplated getting off of fp after you were plagarised//before you get plagarised? Has there been a rise in plagarism and I'm just not aware of it?
I just find in interesting that this week I've gotten that many alerts for people stopping what their doing due to plagarism or the possibility of it when before most stories were taken down [that I'd been following] because 1. author was rewriting it 2. author was lookin into getting it published.
So anyone else noticed a rise in plagarism/preventative plagarism type activities on fp? How would deal with being plagarised?
Heyyyy. It's been a while since I've posted but I decided that I FINALLY have something to rant about on fp. I don't know why but I find it REALLY pathetic or annoying to receive random PMs from people I have never heard of, asking for reviews. I have no idea how they find me but it's kind of grating - even if their stories MIGHT be good - but really... does it piss anyone else off?
Or maybe someone has posted something similar to this already...
Or maybe someone has posted something similar to this already...
Hi, I'm new here. In fact, I just joined and saw that this community had not been updated since April! I felt that there was a need (in me, anyway) to change that. So here I am!
A little intro about me:
( About mee! )
So... I have been a member of FictionPress since January 2003. I have never been a truly active writing member. I wrote here and there, but I mostly left reviews. Bad reviews. I was actually rereading my old reviews from way back when and cringing. I was the type of reviewer that said "OMG that is great! if u don't update, i'll come n find u!" ...Yeah. I'm really not proud of it. However, FictionPress let me grow as a reviewer. I began to realize it would be more helpful to give suggestions about what they could fix and change to make their story better. I began to leave more constructive reviews and I started to feel like I was helping the future writers. Or wannabe writers, anyway. In fact, FP has led me to realize I really want to be an editor for Young Adult novels. :-) That's what I'm going to college for. At least, I hope so.I'm an English major right now. Has anyone else had an experience like that?
Also, since I joined when I was 13 (I am now 20 by the way), I have noticed a great decline in "good" writing. Now I know most of it is young writers who are probably thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, etc. and do not really know how to horn in their skills. (Heck, I'm twenty and I barely know how to do that! :P) I'm not denying that I wasn't like that. But when I joined FP, the "greats" were there; the stories like Queen of Glass, A Thorn in the Kingdom, A Coward's Wisdom, And Then She Met The President's Son, etc. I'm not saying there weren't bad stories then because there were. However I've noticed a REAL decline in "good" writing. It seems all the stories are in the Romance section and they are all clichés (good girl/bad boy, punk/loser, popular/loser, etc.). That or they're all supernatural stories. I understand they were probably influenced by the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer(yuck.), but has it always been like this? Have there always been such an abundance of cliché stories on FP? Or is it just new? Do the stories on FP come and go because of actual book trends (i.e. Harry Potter, Twilight, etc.)?
Does anyone else see this or is it just me?
A little intro about me:
( About mee! )
So... I have been a member of FictionPress since January 2003. I have never been a truly active writing member. I wrote here and there, but I mostly left reviews. Bad reviews. I was actually rereading my old reviews from way back when and cringing. I was the type of reviewer that said "OMG that is great! if u don't update, i'll come n find u!" ...Yeah. I'm really not proud of it. However, FictionPress let me grow as a reviewer. I began to realize it would be more helpful to give suggestions about what they could fix and change to make their story better. I began to leave more constructive reviews and I started to feel like I was helping the future writers. Or wannabe writers, anyway. In fact, FP has led me to realize I really want to be an editor for Young Adult novels. :-) That's what I'm going to college for. At least, I hope so.
Also, since I joined when I was 13 (I am now 20 by the way), I have noticed a great decline in "good" writing. Now I know most of it is young writers who are probably thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, etc. and do not really know how to horn in their skills. (Heck, I'm twenty and I barely know how to do that! :P) I'm not denying that I wasn't like that. But when I joined FP, the "greats" were there; the stories like Queen of Glass, A Thorn in the Kingdom, A Coward's Wisdom, And Then She Met The President's Son, etc. I'm not saying there weren't bad stories then because there were. However I've noticed a REAL decline in "good" writing. It seems all the stories are in the Romance section and they are all clichés (good girl/bad boy, punk/loser, popular/loser, etc.). That or they're all supernatural stories. I understand they were probably influenced by the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer
Does anyone else see this or is it just me?
- Mood:
contemplative
oh god. i want to stab my eyes with a pitchfork.
what is with these stories (that seem to never end) about the main MC's love interest being the leader of his werewolf pack? werewolf, werewolf, werewolf! i hate smeyer with a fiery passion. her books are the only reason, i think, that these stories are being produced like baby rabbits.
i don't think it'd bug me so much if they were well-written, and if they were few and far between, but there was one day where there was at least one werewolf story per page. oi.
what do you think of them? has this been going on since the twilight phenom or long before that and i'm just out of the loop?
what is with these stories (that seem to never end) about the main MC's love interest being the leader of his werewolf pack? werewolf, werewolf, werewolf! i hate smeyer with a fiery passion. her books are the only reason, i think, that these stories are being produced like baby rabbits.
i don't think it'd bug me so much if they were well-written, and if they were few and far between, but there was one day where there was at least one werewolf story per page. oi.
what do you think of them? has this been going on since the twilight phenom or long before that and i'm just out of the loop?
The only pics I approve of are JD Allen's drawn ones. Her Rafe was exactly what I pictured. Other than that, typically the cast lists for FP stories are, well, shit. How many times must Emily Vancamp be casted for the leading role? No, I did not picture the main guy as Abercrombie model #528. The cast lists are the same generic good-looking people. If your MC looks so "ordinary," then why is the actress she oh so apparently resembles hot?
Also, the cast lists can tarnish what readers imagined a character to look like. One of the aspects of writing is to make the reader see what you, the writer, is seeing. Like how I can honestly say my Rafe is JD Allen's Rafe. If you've done the job right, the cast list is useless. I wrote in a review for a story where the author asked what people would think about a cast list that I wouldn't like cast list since "attractive" differs from person to person (the story was Heart Lotion SPF 20, so there's a lot of hot guys). My perception of hot could be different from hers, so if I saw the cast list for the character I'd want to bang but the casted was unbangable, that would be devastating.
So, I'm 100% AGAINST.
Also, the cast lists can tarnish what readers imagined a character to look like. One of the aspects of writing is to make the reader see what you, the writer, is seeing. Like how I can honestly say my Rafe is JD Allen's Rafe. If you've done the job right, the cast list is useless. I wrote in a review for a story where the author asked what people would think about a cast list that I wouldn't like cast list since "attractive" differs from person to person (the story was Heart Lotion SPF 20, so there's a lot of hot guys). My perception of hot could be different from hers, so if I saw the cast list for the character I'd want to bang but the casted was unbangable, that would be devastating.
So, I'm 100% AGAINST.
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fpdebate- Fictionpress Debate
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Page Summary
- juuichi_mint : Unfinished Business [+2]
- zure : spellbound for a little [+4]
- bloodyxunicorns : How to Define What is Flame, and What is Opinion [+39]
- narkoleptik : Grammatically speaking... [+18]
- smarmosaurus : (no subject) [+23]
- zure : Web 2.0 [+3]
- gilee7 : Advice on the Novel [+12]
- lamouette83 : character names [+64]
- prado_red : Who/What is your muse? (and other questions) [+22]
- judes : some random thoughts [+15]
- dearlovegood : lots of questions on ... yes, plagiarism. and long post, sorry! [+19]
- bleedingfilth : On the Look Out [+4]
- nghi360 : Plagiarism detection? [+30]
- dl_cross : (no subject) [+14]
- sketchingacynic : Just a reminder; Introductions [+23]
- nightshade_03 : (no subject) [+31]
- dl_cross : Random PMs [+8]
- seeyouupside : Newbie here! [+42]
- dearlovegood : (no subject) [+15]
- blaanidblaanid : Character Pics/Cast lists [+28]
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