On Sat, 01 Mar 1997 04:34:56 -0800, hikari <hikari@ricochet.net>
wrote:

>>Chan Wei Lik wrote:
>> You know, if you think us fanfic writers are so lousy at what we do, =
then
>> why don't you so us the right way to write the idea AMG fic.
>
>I heard from people who tried to do that and got hammered.  So, well,=20
>what shall I do?  Maybe other people have higher degree of patience, but=
=20
>for me, I simply don't respond well to nasty thing, that's part of my=20
>nature which I am afraid can't be changed easily. =20

What are we talking about here? I certainly hope not to buy "Writer's
Guide to AMS" in order to write fanfiction. Or perhaps we fanfic
writers should submit our drafts to Fujishima Kosuke with the note,
"Are the characters acting according to their profile?" Sorry, but my
nature is slightly confrontational.

The whole point of fanfiction is to gather different insights into the
lives and minds of the characters, not to ensure they conform to a
certain continuity. Sometimes, continuity is a bad thing, which limits
the situations in which the characters can act.

Throughout the 13 volumes of the manga, we haven't seen how the
characters will respond to all situations - which is why the manga is
still being written. And, of course, continuity is going to change in
time because the characters change in time. Skuld's reaction to a
situation in volume 5 and then in vol 10 or 14 will be different, even
in similar situations.

>And you, my friend,=20
>you at least pay attention to details in the AMG series, but you can't=20
>say the same for others, right?  And I am sure you know of people who=20
>based their stories *solely* on DH version and dubbed OVA (which=20
>contains a lot of translation errors, such as that "I want you to be my=20
>girlfriend" thing), not to mention even with such limited information,=20
>they choose to overlook even some more useful hints.  That doesn't seem=20
>very responsible to me.

Now I don't pretend to know any more than basic Japanese. And yes, my
primary knowledge of AMS comes from the OVAs and DH translations.
However, even allowing for errors in translation, I think the
characters' thoughts, feelings, and intents come across well - at
least as well as *any* kind of language translation. In what way does
this limit fiction? If I'm writing within the confines of the OVA,
where's the problem? If I write within the confines of knowledge
learned from the DH translations, does that diminish the power of the
work? As much as I would love to take the seven+ years to properly
learn basic Japanese, or to travel and live in Japan and experience
the Japanese culture, time and money are limiting factors. Therefore,
I do the best I'm able with the tools at my disposal.=20

When I write something, my foremost thought is in a character's
reations, not in the details of thier life. As I've stated at the end
of my fiction, I'm writing to evoke a feeling.

What are your thoughts on crossover fiction, by the way? Should that
not exist, for you're taking two universes that are seperate and
putting them together?=20

I'd like to see this thread evolve into a meaningful discussion.
Ultimately, it does affect all writers who base their work on others.

 - lg -

--
"Do you follow all their rules?" --Sydney
"Do you break them all?" --Morgan
lgoodbar@tecinfo.com