Writers' Workshop General Chat Thread

[Kyuu-Tales]

There's the difference between you and I: I'm primarily a fanfiction reader and writer. (I mean, I already have to know everything about books (apart from reading them) for my job...) Darn it if there haven't been times I've been stunned by the stuff people turn out in the realm of fan work. I just don't feel that magic and familiarity from books anymore. To each their own.

It's also important to note that fanfiction archives sometimes devote a section of their sites to original works. Publisher's Weekly features self-publishing platforms' bestsellers and I think at one time Wattpad was among those cited. (The popular romance series After was originally on Wattpad.)

 

[Beth Pavell]

I read books as much as I ever did, though admittedly much less fiction these days. One of my resolutions for the New Year will probably be to start reading fanfiction more regularly again. Thanks to one reason or another I've very much dropped out of the habit, which a) is hardly a becoming of a Workshop mod, and b) I don't like feeling sequestered in my own little fanfic world

 

[BackSet]

I try to read fanfics that interest me but I have the attention span of an otter. Heck, otters have better attention spans than me.

Plus I can get through most books in an hour tops (if it takes more than a day, it's either a long read or I keep getting distracted) but fanfictions seem to take forever to even get through more than 3 chapters. I don't know why. I'm sure my oerception of time has been warped.

 

[Kyuu-Tales]

I suppose it was an oversight and terrible assumption on my part. Just because this is a Pokemon Message Board and I'm posting to a writer's section doesn't mean that discussions will necessarily involve Pokemon-related fiction. These things are not mutually exclusive.

 

[Greninjaman]

I do have a bit of an idea and would like some advice: A standard journey fic through Kanto, BUT there are no humans, only Pokemon (of course, any region can potentially work). One thing I would need to do is to give a reason as to why the humans are gone.

Not sure if I will do this.

 

[Nitro Indigo]

People have unfortunately gone a little hog wild with the tagging system by using it to make "clever" remarks about their work.

That's what I meant by tags getting cluttered, as well as those massive multilayer crossovers with a bajillion tags. When you click on a fanfic, character tags are separate from the rest. Why can't it look like that in search results, too?

I joined AO3 because I wanted to get around to writing fanfics that weren't MLP/Pokémon crossovers. I wrote one called Pokémon World: New Order where all of the humans in the Pokémon world became Pokémon, and I was desparate to get noticed... Then I realised that I'd written myself into the corner because I couldn't think of how to continue without repeating the same surprised reactions.

fanfictions seem to take forever to even get through more than 3 chapters. I don't know why. I'm sure my oerception of time has been warped.

I have that too. I get distracted by other tabs.

 

[Kyuu-Tales]

I started writing a Gen VIII piece last night focusing on the Gym Leaders and Champion, and I'm really excited about it. I'm definitely being more than a little ambitious because I know what I have in mind requires a lot of skill to execute.

I... can't actually say much more about it. It's super involved and kind of niche. (And I don't want to violate forum rules.) Wish me luck!

 

[Lord Kyuubi]

I do have a bit of an idea and would like some advice: A standard journey fic through Kanto, BUT there are no humans, only Pokemon (of course, any region can potentially work). One thing I would need to do is to give a reason as to why the humans are gone.

Not sure if I will do this.

The first thing that occurs to me to ask is why do you want the humans gone, and why does it still have to be one of the official regions? Do you mean all the standard cities and locations will be the same but with no humans? So does that mean they disappeared recently, or have they been gone for a long time? Is it commonly-known in-universe why the humans disappeared, or does no-one really know why?

As for specifically what the reason should be, it depends a lot on the tone and themes of your setting and story. The first thing that occurred to me was some kind of virus or disease could have wiped them out, but had no effect on Pokemon. Or maybe some legendary Pokemon just decided 'Humans should not be', and had the power to abruptly wipe them from existence for some reason. But I don't know if anything like that is remotely suited to the kind of thing that feels in-tune with the story you're trying to tell, so there's a limit to what I can really contribute.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Just because this is a Pokemon Message Board and I'm posting to a writer's section doesn't mean that discussions will necessarily involve Pokemon-related fiction.

That's true, and we welcome all sorts of writing-related discussion, and this chat thread supports general socialisation among the community here, but it's certainly true that most discussion is related to pokémon fic.

A standard journey fic through Kanto, BUT there are no humans, only Pokemon (of course, any region can potentially work). One thing I would need to do is to give a reason as to why the humans are gone.

Why would a pokémon do a circuit of Kanto if all the humans are gone?

Not sure if I will do this.

If you commit to a fic, I'll be happy to contribute more to any question you may have.

 

[Nitro Indigo]

Also, when I said that I didn't like how the AO3 tags for main Pokémon games after Gen 5 have "Version" in them, I meant that the official game titles don't have "Version" in them anymore.

@Greninjaman @unrepentantAuthor Maybe the protagonist is going on a journey to find out why humans disappeared?

 

[Lord Kyuubi]

I did once consider an idea for a oneshot in which the trainer was in hospital, and her Pokemon went off to get the city's badge for her on their own. Don't really know why I've never actually got around to writing it, since I was quite invested in the idea and characters, I guess I most likely thought of it when I was busy with college stuff and just didn't have the time. I probably would have time nowadays though. Hm. Anyways, getting sidetracked aside, that's one example off the top of my head for a Pokemon taking a gym challenge without their trainer. Granted not one very strongly related to the context, but I don't know, it could inspire something.

More relevant suggestion, maybe the Pokemon who formerly belonged to gym leaders want to keep doing the same thing? Keep taking challengers and battling them just because that's what they've known for so long? ...Actually, that makes them sound a bit like soulless bits of programming, so maybe not. Maybe the protagonist is a Pokemon who has heard of the old gym gauntlet from years long past, and wants to revive the tradition? That might work a little better.

 

[Nitro Indigo]

Last night, I came to the realisation that the reason why some tags on AO3 are multilingual, but not others, is because maybe people were typing in names from either language with relatively the same frequency. AO3 tags will sometimes be autocorrected to a similar one.

Also, I haven't written a fanfic that isn't a Pokémon crossover in years. I've just started writing a My Little Pony crossover that may very well be the first fanfic containing an Indeedee.

 

[Beth Pavell]

Late week reminder that sign-ups for the Reviewing Secret Santa close on Sunday 8th! If anyone's procrastinating on that I encourage them to get their entry in, because we can't extend the deadline for late entries: this is so everyone's Secret Santa can be handed out in a reasonable amount of time.

If anyone just wants to sign up as a reviewer, they can, but entries still need to be in by Sunday

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

The holiday season is well-underway! Bit nippy and dark for my liking, but that's what we have midwinter festivals for, isn't it? Hope everyone is doing well.

 

[Juliko]

Does anyone have any plans for Christmas?

 

[BackSet]

The usual. Open presents at home and then go over to my Grandma's house for dinner. Or was that lunch?

 

[Beth Pavell]

I may be working Christmas Eve again, which honestly wouldn't bother me in the slightest. My current contract ends then, so most likely that'll mean I'll have nothing to do till the new year

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

I'm probably going to have my partner's family round on Xmas Eve, then we'll head to friends of my mother for a giant meal on Xmas Day. It'll be the first Xmas with my grandparents in a couple years, which is nice, but it'll be soon after the general election, which guarantees either smugness or bitterness from my grandfather. Joy of joys.

 

[UselessBytes]

Not doing much myself. Heading to Colorado for a little bit to visit family and friends prior to the actual holiday, but pretty much just chilling at home for the most part. Definitely welcome, the end of this semester was particularly stressful so a low activity holiday is something I could use right now.

 

[Kyuu-Tales]

I'm Jewish, so we don't observe Christmas. I don't expect to spend more than a night celebrating Hanukkah.