The Star Ocean Universe

I hope that the new year, for only being two days old, is treating everyone well.

As was mentioned in a previous entry, I'm going to be revamping what I do for The Star Ocean Universe (which is what I renamed the blog). In looking at the last posted weekly schedule, I have an idea as to what's going to be staying on and what's going to disappear.

First up on what I intend to keep:

1 - Ask the Star Ocean Character, Character Facts, Character Studies

These entries are written for the same day, and I rather enjoy writing them. It's fun to see the kinds of questions people ask, to look up what others have found out about the Star Ocean characters through the game play, and getting a better feel for the characters.

2 - Conversation Topics

There are various aspects to each of the Star Ocean games that sometimes people don't know they even exist. A lot of the time it's through private actions and starting up dialogue between the NPCs of the game and the hero's avatar. It becomes one of those moments of, "Was that really said" and "Did that really happen" so the player goes back and finds out that, yes, it was said or yes, that it did happen and vice versa.

3 - Game Talk

I think Star Ocean could benefit from more games. I really do so I naturally will write about the games I want to see. For 2013, I am also going to look back on the previous Game Talk entries and expand more on the ones I've already written.

Also, I will post well-written submissions of Game Talk by others who wish to contribute. Submission guidelines will follow.

4 - Fanfiction and fan art/Crafts

Yes, I will continue to post fanfiction - written by me and by others - to this blog. For artwork and fiction not written by me, I will post what I have permission to post so, if you didn't write it, don't submit it to me to share. If there is a story or piece of artwork you think should be displayed in The Star Ocean Universe, link it to me, and I will ask the author or artist for permission. Or you could point the artist or author in my direction. Either way will work. Submission guidelines will follow.

This will also hold true for crafts like plushies, t-shirts, and other fan-made items.

5 - Cosplay and Photography

Cosplay and photography get their own little area, not because they're not crafty or fan-based - they're both - but because they can both fit in a number of different areas. I've seen cosplay photos of people at conventions and in their own backyards. Which then would they be categorized as? For fun and for conventions? I'd rather cosplay be by itself and not be divided up between for fun and at conventions. (Most cosplayers have fun at conventions so . . .)

As for photography, it's more than just taking pictures of the merchandise Star Ocean fans own and have come up with over the years. It's also conventions, cosplaying in the backyard or at the beach with friends, and creating web comics (I have a friend who does that). It's having fun with the figures and plushies. It's a very broad area, and one that I personally have fun with every time I have my camera in hand. I love taking pictures of my Star Ocean figures, and I'm more than willing to share what I've done and what others have done as well (with their permission).

6 - Current Projects List

Very few things were taken off of it so please refer to the new list instead of last year's to see what I intend to do this year (it's the first entry of the month and the year).

7 - The Voice Actor List

The Star Ocean Universe is more than just games and toys. It's the voice actors who bring the characters to life. My goal is to post little bios and projects lists for the Star Ocean voice actors.

8 - Game Reviews

For now, Game Reviews by me are on hold. I've only written two, one being a revision of the first, but I've not had a chance to play anything else beyond Till the End of Time and The Last Hope. If others want to submit, they can. Submission guidelines will follow.

9 - Holiday themed and Character Birthday Entries

Holidays are a part of every culture. It's only natural to want to write and create holiday themed stories and artwork. The same goes for character birthdays. I still have some characters that I want to assign birthdays to so they don't feel left out (two games give official birthdays, two games don't - that hardly seems fair). Submissions accepted for holidays and birthdays. Submission guidelines will follow.

I'm currently debating as to whether or not I should continue with Convention Talk. When I first started to run with it, it was to help people understand the differences between small and large, local and big name conventions, and the potential costs associated with attending. Beyond posting a list of upcoming conventions, I'm not sure what else I can do with Convention Talk, but I also don't want to take it off the list. It could evolve into something dedicated to the Star Ocean Fan Event I keep mentioning. We'll see. This also applies towards Game Tips.


Now for the list of things I will no longer be doing with this journal:

1 - Fanfiction Writing Tips

At this point, such a thing would be better suited to a more generalized fanfiction author blog. The tips themselves don't apply to just the Star Ocean fan base but to all fan bases. I feel it would have a larger impact if I were to just take the fanfiction writing tips and write about them in a different journal where more people are going to see them and not just Star Ocean fans. (Plus, I'm very particular about the many aspects of writing. I can become quite the, er, diva for lack of a better word . . . Grammar Nazi is more suitable, and, if I'm going to sound harsh, I'd rather it be in a multi-fandom journal as opposed to the Star Ocean Universe.)

2 - Dream Houses

I mentioned this in the Projects List from January 1. For starters, coming up with a unique house/lifestyle for every character in the Star Ocean Universe is becoming increasingly difficult for me since many of the characters have similar personality traits to other characters in the series, and it's like . . . yeah. Redundant, and I think after a while, many people who read that particular segment would agree. Because of that, it is now discontinued. When I finally get Roger's Ask the Star Ocean Character segment posted, there will not be a Dream Houses segment attached. If people were enjoying this, I do apologize.

There will be more changes in store for The Star Ocean Universe throughout the month and the entire year. It's only the second day of the new year, and there's a lot I'd like to do in order to make this blog (and my other blogs) successful.

Submission Guidelines:

So you would like to submit something to The Star Ocean Universe and enhance the experience for your fellow fans. Excellent! Here at the Star Ocean Universe, I know that it's the fans who help to make the games into the successes that they are, and the more we fans can share the love, the better!

However, before you rush off to your email with my email addresses (luthersfayt@gmail.com or thestaroceanuniverse@gmail.com), there are a few rules/guidelines that I've put into place that all must follow.  This makes it easier for people to read and find what you're working on, have worked on, and generally more enjoyable for the rest of us fans to appreciate what you've done.

General Submission Rules:

1 - No profanity or explicitly graphic material.

This strictly applies to areas Game Talk, Game Reviews, Toy reviews, game conversation topics, convention reports, and experiences with meeting the voice actors at conventions as well as get-togethers with fellow Star Ocean fans. I will maintain a level of decorum and professionalism with each and every entry that isn't fanfiction related. It's okay to not like a particular character or a particular event in the Star Ocean games. It is not okay to lace a review with expletives because of it. It's also not okay to call a particular character any kind of a derogatory name. While one person may not like that character, another person will.

Also, when it comes to the aforementioned areas, I will not accept anything with sexually explicit or violently graphic material or innuendos. That falls into another category completely as to why I won't, and it will be covered when I get to the cosplay, fanfiction, and fanart submission rules.

2 - Use proper spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation.

This rule does not strictly apply to article submissions. It applies to fanfiction as well. If it isn't easy for me to read upon receiving it, I will send it back to the individual submitting the review, Game Talk, or whatever else is being submitted. This will be guaranteed. While this is a fan-run blog, as was mentioned in the first rule, I will be maintaining a level of decorum and professionalism. If it isn't easy for me to read and understand, I will run with the belief that it will not be easy for others to read and understand. Think of it this way: you wouldn't buy a magazine or a book if the writing was atrocious. Please show your fellow fans the same courtesy that authors and editors show their fans. Proofread and make sure it's done correctly.

If you are not sure if something you've written reads well, ask for a friend, relative, teacher or fellow fan to read over it for you. You can even ask me to double-check it first and edit if you're still not sure after that. I will edit but only at the request of the person submitting something for journal publication.

3 - Have fun

No one is obligated to submit anything for this journal. It's more fun if people want to share something than it is if they feel *required* to share something. No one is required, but for those who *want* to, these rules are for you.

Fanfiction, Fan art, Cosplay, and General Photography Submission Rules:

1 - No sexually explicit or super graphically violent stories or depictions.

I do not use mature content filters for this journal. It is open to anyone old enough to play and enjoy the games of Star Ocean. Yes, there is violence in the games, but a writer does not need to go into a play-by-play of a character's torture at the hands of another. Yes, dark stories will be dark, but some things can be overdone. Use discretion when it comes to how much violence you're portraying in your works.

Regarding the sexually explicit: I've not been allowing it. Period. I won't even post it in my own material. There are sites for that kind of material. A fan-run journal open to fans of all ages is not one of them. I will read over every piece sent to me very carefully. Anything graphic will not be posted. Innuendos are fine. As with the violence, a play by play isn't allowed and does nothing to further advance the story anyway. I will not lose my journal because someone doesn't want to follow the rules I've set forth.

2 - Plagiarism will not be accepted.

Seriously, if you didn't write, don't try to pass it off as your own. For starters, it's laziness, and it lacks class and tact. Second, it demonstrates that you're not creative on your own. Third, it just makes you a thief and one of the worst kind on the internet. If I absolutely must, I will head to sites like fanfiction.net, archiveofourown.org, and deviantArt to be sure that the story, the artwork, and the photography are the genuine product of the person sending it to me. This, of course, will be determined by the honesty of the people submitting works to me and whether or not someone tells and proves to me it can be found somewhere else under the name of someone other than the sender. Artists and writers are very protective of their works, and they have the right to be. That is time spent and heart put into creating something, either as a gift to a friend or just to share with fellow fans.

Be cool. Don't plagiarize.

3 - Keep the OCs down to a minimum.

I am not opposed to original characters finding their way into fanfiction. I've used original characters in my fanfiction. It, of course, depends on what my story calls for in terms of characters and events. However, fanfiction should not be about the original character and how quickly said character can get favorite character to like him/her and in the sack. It should be about the established characters of the fan-base.

** There is an exception to this rule, but it depends on the artist's/writer's ability to demonstrate how well the original character can blend into the Star Ocean Universe. If the fan is going pre-game, I will definitely read/look it over and consider it for publication. There are only five games for Star Ocean right now so there's definitely a lot of wiggle room when it comes to pre-game stories.

4 - No God-moding of any kind or God-like OCs in the fanfiction. Period.

While almost anything is possible in fiction, some things just take things out of the realm of credibility and make a story flat out ridiculous. If your OC is perfect, can do anything without even trying, and basically outstrip all of the established characters, it won't make it to the journal. Heck, I'll stop reading once I see it.  OCs must be flawed, must have moments of doubt and weakness, and overcome obstacles the same way the established characters do. The flaws, the weaknesses, they give us reasons to want to like your OC, to root for why the OC is the best person for the established character over the established canonical pairing. They also give life to the story.

To put it another way: You don't like it when someone jumps and does something or can do something better than what you can. If you don't like it in real life, no one likes it in fanfiction.


5 - Utilize Claimers and Disclaimers.

This is more of a guideline. If someone forgets, it won't be a disqualification for me to post. I can write a disclaimer as well as anyone, but, if your work has OCs, make sure you get the claimer in!

6 - Include Author's Notes where applicable and utilize them wisely.

If you're submitting a story that you've posted somewhere else and have a huge list of thanks for readers - don't include it. Believe it or not, space is limited here on the journals, not only because of what I have planned, but because of limitations imposed on bloggers by the site. If an entry exceeds a certain word length, it will not post. Period.

However, if you researched something, wish to write a brief blurb on how you came up with your story idea, or write a description for an art piece, that's perfectly acceptable, and I will include such author's notes.

7 - Include warnings, characters who appear in the stories, pairings (if applicable), and the work's rating.

This should be fairly self-explanatory, but, if it isn't, then here it is: If your work contains anything that might be considered squicky by another reader, make sure you include a list of warnings. If you're not sure what's considered squicky, here is a list: male/male relationships (yaoi), implied sexual situations, moderate violence, female/female relationships (yuri), male-pregnancy*, torture, language, xenophilia (sex with aliens),  drug use, and shouta (where one person in the pairing is under a certain age, i.e. fifteen-year-old Albel with a twenty-five-year-old Vox).

Pairings are not a requirement for any story. If it's a piece where Albel and Fayt get into trouble or a reflection piece between Crowe and Arumat, that's acceptable, too. Pairings should not be a reason to read a particular story or to write it.

8 - Include the title and the world.

Seriously. Make sure to include the title of the work. You wouldn't leave it blank at fanfiction.net when submitting. Please show me the same courtesy. (I can guess the world, for the most part, based on the character names used, but if it's a story that pre-dates a particular game, then world is very important.)

Regarding Crossovers:

I will accept most crossover stories, cosplay, and art work. Star Ocean is a game within a game. Most crossovers don't fall into the realm of crack, and they can be made believable because of how the series was written. However, at some point, a little bit of background info is needed so that all readers can justify why the crossover will work in the first place.

Regarding Songfic:

I don't dislike songfic, BUT there are reasonable limits to everything. If someone sends me something with the lyrics of an entire song, I will not post it. It won't be just because of the space restraints imposed on what I'm aiming to do for the day's entry and the site, but because for an entire song to appear in a story is just flat out ridiculous. It does the opposite of what the writer is trying to do - it detracts from the story. The only exception I will make is the song is written by the author for the sole purpose of the story, and even then, I ask that the author use discretion on how much is written into the story. The story isn't about the song itself. It's about creating that wonderful impact that leaves the reader breathless and wanting to read more.

Now, one might think that these are a lot of rules for this blog. In truth, it really isn't, and it's no different than what anyone would find on sites like fanfiction.net and archiveofourown.org and with magazines.

Chaptered fiction will be accepted so long as the author is currently working on it and is making an attempt to keep it updated. One-shots are preferred.

And that's all for today. I really want to get a few more things done for the blog as well as finish the next entry for Ask the Star Ocean Character for Roger so I can move on to the next character.

Until tomorrow!