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star_ocean_fanI've decided something. If Albel Nox were to have a facebook page, Mondays would probably not be his most favorite day of the week. Not saying he's lazy - far from it - but, up until he has the first cup of coffee in the morning, beware. Albel Nox is not pretty first thing in the morning.
(Luther, on the other hand, is a Monday person, a morning person, a "give me that coffee now" person, and a control freak. :))
That's my totally random thought for the day. Perhaps even for the week.
* * * *
Where Earth Stands Politically After World War III
I'm not someone who normally delves into politics. For the most part, I believe most politicians to be lying idiots who like to treat the general populace as nothing more than mere tools. Some aren't as bad as others, but it's just an overall feeling that I get.
I bring this up partially because the U.S. (my country) is revving up for another presidential election. Four years ago, it was a very brutal election. I mean, to me, there wasn't any particular candidate that I was excited for and wanted to see in office, and I don't think very many people were all that excited about the candidates. For many, like myself, it was a choice between the lesser of two evils. Now that it's a major election yet again in this country, it has me to thinking about the political face of Earth (overall) in the Star Ocean universe.
Here's what I know about the political face of Earth for the Star Ocean universe after the events of World War III. Elections are still held. There's no question about that in my mind because of Deputy Director Shimada. In The Last Hope, he's the commanding officer of the U.S.T.A. - hence Deputy Director in front of Shimada. And I know he runs for office or is planning to run for office . . . perhaps President . . . at this state in the Star Ocean universe, it's hard to tell if President is for the entire world or only half of it . . . With only four games to really go by, it's difficult to say.
But elections are held. In an effort to protect himself from a scandal, Deputy Director Shimada has told the Eldarians, after their planet was destroyed and their refugee fleets under attack from black, S.R.F.-looking ships, that the S.R.F. doesn't exist. He even admits to Stephen Kenny that he can't be associated with such a scandal. He doesn't deny that the Earth is in a dire situation - rapidly deteriorating environment and all that - but it isn't in his best interest to admit that the S.R.F. exists. Elections are coming up in the following year, and he doesn't like anything that makes him look bad.
Of course, The Last Hope is only one of four games. While there isn't much of a political layout for Earth in Till the End of Time, there is some sort of politics going on that can be likened to how our current political system is run. I'm going to speculate that, if elections are held in the year 10 S.D., they're held in the year 772 S.D. I'm just not sure of the scale.
* * * *
Fanfic Writing Tip #6 - Input from Readers
As a writer who's posted fiction to a fanfiction website, I can tell you there's something a little exciting about receiving constructive or positive input from a reader. Part of it is validation for the work you've put into the story. It stokes your ego to hear that someone loves your story. The other part of it is the thought of someone read my story. Constructive reviews can point out your weaknesses and help you to improve upon your strength. Reviews from readers can be inspiring. I personally love the kind of reviews where someone tells me I crafted such a well-written, emotional story, that it's put the reviewer in tears. And that person isn't prone to tearing up so easily. As a writer, I feel it is my duty to evoke some kind of emotion in the reader so those kinds of reviews let me know I've done what I've set out to do.
There is, however, a pitfall to receiving input from readers. For the beginning fanfiction author, be ware of the exuberant reader who gushes about loving your story and also starts offering up ideas on how to make it better. While finding ideas to inspire writing is always good, the source of the ideas isn't always good. This is in part because the reader in question, unintentionally, wants to make the story you've crafted as his/her own instead of taking the time to sit down and write a story. Such readers don't often realize that they can create an insecurity in the beginning author, which then leads to the author making some poor decisions when it comes to writing. Second-guessing yourself on what you need to do next isn't any fun, and it can take the fun out of writing.
Also, be ware of the fans who insist and persist on pushing their ideas on you. Gushing reviews with thoughts in the reviews on what you could do next are, in my opinion, rather innocent in nature and should be taken as such - suggestions to do with as you please. If the idea can spark a writing spree, it's always a good thing. (Be sure to thank the reviewer for sparking the idea, too.) However, some people want to talk to you personally, to offer up their ideas, and they're the ones who can become quite persistent. The ones who become persistent are the ones intentionally trying to take over your story.
Don't let them do that. My encouragement to fellow fanfiction authors is to trust their instincts on their ideas and on whether or not the story should be longer or stay a certain length. If you do feel that a reader is correct in an assessment, go with it. Just don't let anyone mess with your head.
To conclude this, I'm going to recommend that fanfiction authors do the following.
1 - When offered up ideas in a review, check the reader's profile. If there aren't any stories listed under the name, consider that a red flag. While the gushing nature of the review might be nice, I personally find it a tad insulting to get ideas from a person who either hasn't written a story or has but is too scared to publish it. If it's a red flag for you, be polite and decline the use of the ideas. If there are stories, be it one or two hundred, it isn't so much of a red flag for me. I can at least respect the fact that the person has taken the risk of not only writing but publishing.
2 - This ties in with checking a reader's profile. If the reader has published stories as well, don't just rely on the reviews to the stories. The number of reviews, the glowing praise of the reviews aren't good indicators as to how well that person can write. Click on a story that interests you and see the kind of style that the person has developed. If it gives you headaches, then the ideas the reader is offering you aren't the kinds you're going to want for your stories. Or so I guess.
3 - Trust your own ideas. Polish and hone your skills as a writer the same way you would participating in a sport of some kind. The more you practice, the more you refine your techniques, the better of a writer you will become.
* * * *
Convention Talk
I'm going to move this week's convention talk to tomorrow.
Hope everyone had a good weekend!
(Luther, on the other hand, is a Monday person, a morning person, a "give me that coffee now" person, and a control freak. :))
That's my totally random thought for the day. Perhaps even for the week.
* * * *
Where Earth Stands Politically After World War III
I'm not someone who normally delves into politics. For the most part, I believe most politicians to be lying idiots who like to treat the general populace as nothing more than mere tools. Some aren't as bad as others, but it's just an overall feeling that I get.
I bring this up partially because the U.S. (my country) is revving up for another presidential election. Four years ago, it was a very brutal election. I mean, to me, there wasn't any particular candidate that I was excited for and wanted to see in office, and I don't think very many people were all that excited about the candidates. For many, like myself, it was a choice between the lesser of two evils. Now that it's a major election yet again in this country, it has me to thinking about the political face of Earth (overall) in the Star Ocean universe.
Here's what I know about the political face of Earth for the Star Ocean universe after the events of World War III. Elections are still held. There's no question about that in my mind because of Deputy Director Shimada. In The Last Hope, he's the commanding officer of the U.S.T.A. - hence Deputy Director in front of Shimada. And I know he runs for office or is planning to run for office . . . perhaps President . . . at this state in the Star Ocean universe, it's hard to tell if President is for the entire world or only half of it . . . With only four games to really go by, it's difficult to say.
But elections are held. In an effort to protect himself from a scandal, Deputy Director Shimada has told the Eldarians, after their planet was destroyed and their refugee fleets under attack from black, S.R.F.-looking ships, that the S.R.F. doesn't exist. He even admits to Stephen Kenny that he can't be associated with such a scandal. He doesn't deny that the Earth is in a dire situation - rapidly deteriorating environment and all that - but it isn't in his best interest to admit that the S.R.F. exists. Elections are coming up in the following year, and he doesn't like anything that makes him look bad.
Of course, The Last Hope is only one of four games. While there isn't much of a political layout for Earth in Till the End of Time, there is some sort of politics going on that can be likened to how our current political system is run. I'm going to speculate that, if elections are held in the year 10 S.D., they're held in the year 772 S.D. I'm just not sure of the scale.
* * * *
Fanfic Writing Tip #6 - Input from Readers
As a writer who's posted fiction to a fanfiction website, I can tell you there's something a little exciting about receiving constructive or positive input from a reader. Part of it is validation for the work you've put into the story. It stokes your ego to hear that someone loves your story. The other part of it is the thought of someone read my story. Constructive reviews can point out your weaknesses and help you to improve upon your strength. Reviews from readers can be inspiring. I personally love the kind of reviews where someone tells me I crafted such a well-written, emotional story, that it's put the reviewer in tears. And that person isn't prone to tearing up so easily. As a writer, I feel it is my duty to evoke some kind of emotion in the reader so those kinds of reviews let me know I've done what I've set out to do.
There is, however, a pitfall to receiving input from readers. For the beginning fanfiction author, be ware of the exuberant reader who gushes about loving your story and also starts offering up ideas on how to make it better. While finding ideas to inspire writing is always good, the source of the ideas isn't always good. This is in part because the reader in question, unintentionally, wants to make the story you've crafted as his/her own instead of taking the time to sit down and write a story. Such readers don't often realize that they can create an insecurity in the beginning author, which then leads to the author making some poor decisions when it comes to writing. Second-guessing yourself on what you need to do next isn't any fun, and it can take the fun out of writing.
Also, be ware of the fans who insist and persist on pushing their ideas on you. Gushing reviews with thoughts in the reviews on what you could do next are, in my opinion, rather innocent in nature and should be taken as such - suggestions to do with as you please. If the idea can spark a writing spree, it's always a good thing. (Be sure to thank the reviewer for sparking the idea, too.) However, some people want to talk to you personally, to offer up their ideas, and they're the ones who can become quite persistent. The ones who become persistent are the ones intentionally trying to take over your story.
Don't let them do that. My encouragement to fellow fanfiction authors is to trust their instincts on their ideas and on whether or not the story should be longer or stay a certain length. If you do feel that a reader is correct in an assessment, go with it. Just don't let anyone mess with your head.
To conclude this, I'm going to recommend that fanfiction authors do the following.
1 - When offered up ideas in a review, check the reader's profile. If there aren't any stories listed under the name, consider that a red flag. While the gushing nature of the review might be nice, I personally find it a tad insulting to get ideas from a person who either hasn't written a story or has but is too scared to publish it. If it's a red flag for you, be polite and decline the use of the ideas. If there are stories, be it one or two hundred, it isn't so much of a red flag for me. I can at least respect the fact that the person has taken the risk of not only writing but publishing.
2 - This ties in with checking a reader's profile. If the reader has published stories as well, don't just rely on the reviews to the stories. The number of reviews, the glowing praise of the reviews aren't good indicators as to how well that person can write. Click on a story that interests you and see the kind of style that the person has developed. If it gives you headaches, then the ideas the reader is offering you aren't the kinds you're going to want for your stories. Or so I guess.
3 - Trust your own ideas. Polish and hone your skills as a writer the same way you would participating in a sport of some kind. The more you practice, the more you refine your techniques, the better of a writer you will become.
* * * *
Convention Talk
I'm going to move this week's convention talk to tomorrow.
Hope everyone had a good weekend!
