--- Don Wang <donwang@ucla.edu> wrote:
> 	In the world of fanfic writing, being canon is
> everything.  If it
> isn't, why do you even use the characters from that
> setting?
----------

Not true.  It is if you are going to be writing what
is called a "Regular" fan fic.  It is one where you
stay strictly in canon for the entire story.

There is what is called a "Divergence" fan fic which
means somewhere in canon the story goes in a
completely different direction either at the
beginning, middle or end of the original series.

"Crossovers" are fan fics that mix the canon of two or
more different series together so the characters
interact.

Finally an UA or "Alternate Universe" throws canon out
the window altogether and lets you put the characters
in whatever setting you please with whatever
personality you please.

----------
> 	It is very hard to get around the main character's
> love interest no
> matter how much explanation you gave.  If there is a
> dominant love interest,
> it's generally set up the said character will
> prevail unless you do
> something like kill off major characters.
> 	Even if Akane wasn't engaged to Ranma 1/2, they are
> still attracted
> to each other... at least Ranma to Akane.  The Akane
> to Ranma direction is
> not as certain... it may be possible that Akane
> thinks of Ranma as merely a
> good friend if they were not engaged, the same way
> she feels about Ryouga.
> 	But even then, Ranma is not romantically attracted
> to any other
> female character beyond "Shampoo is pretty cute", so
> it still doesn't give
> you much to work with.
----------

That is a short sighted view, a trait that makes for a
bad fan fic writer.  A series canon is not a constant,
when you write fan fiction there is no law that says
you must stay in canon and these other situation
cannot ever happen.  That is a pretty narrow attitude.
 A fan fiction writer "requires" a very broad range of
views and a extremely vivid imagination.

---------- 
> > I have discovered though that Ranma+Kasumi fics
> are
> > EXTRAORDINARILY popular.  I'm writing one and I
> have
> > readers begging me to post updates as soon as
> > possible.  Its called "A New Direction Taken" if
> you
> > are interested.
----------
> 	Maybe people like to read certain pairings, but I
> find it pretty
> hard to justify most pairings and still say that it
> is related to the
> original.  
----------

Are you with the KOTF, because that is the same narrow
unwavering attitude they keep giving and cannot give
any further reasoning for their opinion other than the
same old "oh, its not canon".  The whole point of fan
fiction is "you don't have to stick to canon" all of
the time unless you want to write a story that just
takes place strictly within canon.  In my opinion a
person with such a narrow view makes for a perpetually
bored person because you can't get any enjoyment out
of anything for very long.  I've worked for years to
get my friend out that rut by introducing him to new
things and new view-points.  He is now aspiring to
become a fantasy writer.

====
--
Michael "TheZorch" Haney
zorchhaney@yahoo.com
Read my Anime Fan Fiction...
http://www.fanfiction.net/~michaelthezorchhaney
Visit the Zorch Central...
http://zorchcentral.4t.com/
Member of #SAS#, #WASHU#, KOME, etc.


	
		
__________________________________