The State of the Fanfiction Thread ...

[BattleRanger]

A message to all fanfic writers and fans ...

While the future of the PR television show may still be up in the air, we can now all rest in the fact that Rangerboard will remain ...

However, I feel the fanfic section here has grown a bit ... stale and feels a bit confined. I'd like to take this opportunity to propose a few changes to the fanfic section here.

Firstly, I think as a service to the writers, I'd like to see RB adapt some new rules ...

1. Each fanfic should have a disclaimer. (A template should be provided for those who might need it)- This is mostly to 'CYA' (or Cover Your Ass) for each writer and for the board as a whole.

2. I think we need a 'fanfic only' subforum and a 'general discussion' subforum for the Fanfiction section.

3. With these subforums, the fanfics could benefit from not being clogged up with discussions and comments that could be posted in the General Discussion subforum.

I know Ray has already allowed me to keep my Database thread alive, when he has specified that we should not create a new thread for character/zord/mentor/villain/etc information (which was adapted following my creation of my Database thread). For that, I am grateful. However, as a writer and fan of these other great works, like those of Ryuranger and TSoldier, I think that these changes could be extremely beneficial for the fanfic community here on RB.

Thank you all

Patrick Smith 'BattleRanger'

[y3k]

1. Each fanfic should have a disclaimer. (A template should be provided for those who might need it)- This is mostly to 'CYA' (or Cover Your Ass) for each writer and for the board as a whole.

Why? Disclaimers are ultimately pointless. Aside from the fact that large companies usually turn a blind eye to fanfics/fanart/fanvids/fanvoodoo/whatever due to the huge can of worms that would be open if they did go after them, if Disney *really* wanted to come after your fanfic, they'd simply ignore your disclaimer and go after you for copyright infringement regardless. I shouldn't be forced to put an icky disclaimer on anything I do if I don't want to.

Disney has bigger fish to fry. Like hospitals with murals of Mickey Mouse.

[Impy]

Why do you need to compress cover your ass into an acronym? That's...that's not like a widely used acronym. By anyone.


...are you trying to START an acronym? Because...subtle!

[NinjaStormRavageRed]

didnt you leave rb for rangercast?

[BattleRanger]

Why? Disclaimers are ultimately pointless. Aside from the fact that large companies usually turn a blind eye to fanfics/fanart/fanvids/fanvoodoo/whatever due to the huge can of worms that would be open if they did go after them, if Disney *really* wanted to come after your fanfic, they'd simply ignore your disclaimer and go after you for copyright infringement regardless. I shouldn't be forced to put an icky disclaimer on anything I do if I don't want to.

Disney has bigger fish to fry. Like hospitals with murals of Mickey Mouse.

Granted ...

Why do you need to compress cover your ass into an acronym? That's...that's not like a widely used acronym. By anyone.


...are you trying to START an acronym? Because...subtle!

Its an acronym used a lot in law enforcement, particularly corrections.

didnt you leave rb for rangercast?

I joined SPRC, but I haven't left RB ... RB is still home, I just feel like the fanfic thread could benefit from a new setup.

[bushwacka666]

1. Each fanfic should have a disclaimer. (A template should be provided for those who might need it)- This is mostly to 'CYA' (or Cover Your Ass) for each writer and for the board as a whole.

The disclaimer point has already been covered aptly by y3k. Many fics here have been without any kind of disclaimers for years, and as far as I'm aware none of the writers have ever been targeted for copyright infringement or whatever else licence owners can go after you for. We all know that Disney are aware of these boards and do monitor them, so they've got to be at least aware of the fics that are here. But my guess is that (hopefully) they're not that bothered about them. As y3k said, if Disney really wanted to I think they could just come after the writers regardless of a disclaimer, but they just simply don't.

Don't get me wrong: I do see the reasoning behind disclaimers in some places, but I don't think Rangerboard needs to be one of them. Disclaimer or not, I really don't see how any fic here gives the impression of the writer trying to claim ownership of the entire franchise, nor do I see that as the writers' intentions, and quite frankly nor can I see any reader seriously assuming this without being a complete 'tard; it's FanFiction, and everybody - Disney included - is already perfectly aware of that.

I would say leave this one as it is. Some writers prefer to include disclaimers on their fics anyway, and that's fair enough - no reason they can't continue to do so. But for those that don't, I honestly don't see it making the slightest bit of difference here.

2. I think we need a 'fanfic only' subforum and a 'general discussion' subforum for the Fanfiction section.

3. With these subforums, the fanfics could benefit from not being clogged up with discussions and comments that could be posted in the General Discussion subforum.

This one I don't have much to say about, because in the end it's more down to personal preference than anything else. I know that in the past some people have tried running separate threads for their fic and discussion on it (mostly these were before the introduction of the rule that all threads must include an acceptable length of actual fic-age - which I realise that you're technically breaking now, but we'll overlook that for the time being! :P ).

However, speaking as a fic writer myself, I personally like everything all in one thread for my stuff. It's enjoyable having the discussions more closely linked to the story itself. For the readers - including anybody who may be just starting it perhaps many years after the thing was finished - seeing comments talking about certain things and already placed after the appropriate chapters can really allow them to be drawn in to the whole thing. It invites them to consider the ways other people feel on how the story develops and progresses, and in turn that can prompt them to form their own opinions and theories. They may agree or disagree with other people on certain points, and this all works to encourage further discussion - precisely what I love to see happening in my fic threads! :023: But if the discussion was in a separate thread, I think it would be more difficult to catch up on comments at relevant places in the fic, it would be harder to naturally associate one thread with the other, and would ultimately just make the whole thing less personal.

As I said: this one's more down to preference - others may feel the complete opposite to me on this subject, which is fair enough of course, but that's my personal view on it. In any case though, the rules as they currently stand state that fic and discussion must be kept in the same thread anyway - the reason for this rule is that it keeps the whole forum far more tidy and less cluttered, and I think it achieves this rather well.

***

BattleRanger: you say that these changes could be "extremely beneficial" for the fic community here, but in all honesty, I can't see how they would make things much different from the way they are now. The disclaimers are adopted by some people already which is fine, but it's never seemed to matter for the writers who don't. The separate fic and discussion threads is a suggestion which more people would probably be more flexible on, but even if the current rule was removed, I'm sure there would still be some people who would prefer to keep their fic structure the way it was.

Ultimately, both points would come down to personal tastes anyway. Some people would include disclaimers, others wouldn't - no change to the way things are now. Some people might have separate threads for fic and discussion, others (like myself) would keep using the one - and it's this level of difference between fics that could get confusing, and one that I think makes the single thread rule a necessary one.

I'm not trying to shoot you down, BattleRanger - you're entitled to an opinion and more than welcome to express it. But (for better or for worse) so am I, and I'm sorry... I just can't see these big benefits that you feel these changes would provide.

I'm going to leave this thread open so other fic writers/readers may join in the discussion and put forth their own views. However, since this isn't an actual fic thread, another mod may choose to close it anyway. If that should happen, BattleRanger or indeed anybody please feel free to send me a PM if you'd like to talk about it further.

[Jacen]

2. I think we need a 'fanfic only' subforum and a 'general discussion' subforum for the Fanfiction section.

3. With these subforums, the fanfics could benefit from not being clogged up with discussions and comments that could be posted in the General Discussion subforum.


Why?

I'd rather have all the stuff relating to my fict in my thread. I don't want to make two threads for the one fan fiction. And I quite enjoy seeing comments posted in my threads. Makes me feel like someones actually enjoying my stories (pfft :P)

[BattleRanger]

You make a lot of good points, bushwacka, but I just feel that the thread here is very one-dimensional. We have the stickies for images and promos ... but we don't have a general discussion where we can just talk about fanfics and stuff ... and frankly, I don't feel very good about being allowed to go around the rules about not creating a new thread for character/zord/mentor/villain/etc information, even if the rule was adapted after I had created the Database.

There should just be a bit more freedom here- sure, it might spur more people to post their little promos or whatever as its own thread, but with moderation, it shouldn't be a problem.

[Jacen]

There should just be a bit more freedom here- sure, it might spur more people to post their little promos or whatever as its own thread, but with moderation, it shouldn't be a problem.

The last thing we want is to clutter up the forum through. If you go out there and look, you can click just about any thread and be rewarded with a story. What if those rules were removed. You'd click a link and get... a promo? a character bio? A discussion? Great, but wheres the story?

I personally maintain a seperate site (database.bomyne.net) for all my fict related bios and promos that I link to from my main fict threads.

[GreyRanger]

I don't see a problem with having the first post of my fics as the bio/zords etc, gives a quick overview for people to look at before they read my stuff. Sure, if you have excessive material, maybe hyperlinking would be a more concise way of presenting it, such as Jacen's method, but most fic writers don't have that much in terms of bios.

As for comments in a separate thread, as mentioned before, it's better to have them with the fic so that the writer can see the comments as respond accordinly; rather than having multiple threads just to discuss a certain plot point and whatnot, it's right under the relevant post, so others can read and add thier own comments.

[Beckoner]

I tend to agree. Discussions about given author's work would be most relevant in the thread they originate from. Having multiple threads would just be redundant. The reason why there isn't a lot of free-for-all discussion currently is because people more or less come here to read stories. They offer comments, but it's not a chatty forum.

Opening the board up for more "freedom" would just open the door for people to peddle their stories and countless shameless plugs.

Now there have been threads that weren't specifically about one particular story, and those have worked out fine. For example, if someone was to start a thread challenging writers to participate in say, a collaboration; I don't think the moderators would have a problem with that. As for miscellaneous information about a story, just pop it in the OP post of your story thread. It works well.

[BattleRanger]

All I guess I'm really after is the freedom to have a separate Database thread for my fanfic without fearing it might be closed ... not to say I have ever felt threatened of such action, in fact, I am very thankful that it has been overlooked and allowed.

That being said, I have had people complain about having to read through comments and discussions in my own fanfics just to get to read the story itself. I want the fanfic to be as welcoming and engaging for everyone as is possible- one of the reasons I created my Database thread here.

Not only that, but as I am writing the sequel to my fanfic, I really only have my Database thread to openly discuss it without having to create a thread for the sequel itself ... if we had a general discussion thread for fanfics, that wouldn't be an issue.

[bushwacka666]

V[]etal []_ion]As for comments in a separate thread, as mentioned before, it's better to have them with the fic so that the writer can see the comments as respond accordinly; rather than having multiple threads just to discuss a certain plot point and whatnot, it's right under the relevant post, so others can read and add thier own comments.

Indeed. In addition to that, another point I was trying to make earlier was that by keeping comments in the same thread, I think it can really benefit the fic itself and how the story develops. Fic writers may take the comments of their readers on board and use their feedback to flesh out future installments. In turn, a reader going through the thread is "treated" to this journey: they can see for themselves how the comments are received and how they could influence the story - cause, action and result all displayed together. IMO, such a process is a rewarding experience for both writer and reader.

I probably should've made that point more clear in my first post, but it was getting pretty lengthy as it was - I was starting to feel like Cyrax9! :D

You make a lot of good points, bushwacka, but I just feel that the thread here is very one-dimensional. We have the stickies for images and promos ... but we don't have a general discussion where we can just talk about fanfics and stuff ... and frankly, I don't feel very good about being allowed to go around the rules about not creating a new thread for character/zord/mentor/villain/etc information, even if the rule was adapted after I had created the Database.

You know what? Reading this section of your reply now makes me feel as though I may have slightly misinterpreted part of your original argument. Please feel free to clarify things in any case, but if I did misunderstand you, then I do sincerely apologise for my mistake.

I took your original post to mean a suggestion of one thread solely for chapters of a fic, and a separate thread for any and all comments/feedback/discussion relating to that particular fic. However, I didn't consider the possibility that you may have been talking about a more broad discussion regarding fics in general (off-the-top-of-my-head examples including, for argument's sake: newcomers asking for good fic recommendations, competitions similar to the old "Fic of the Month" contests etc. Or indeed topics like this very one we're discussing now!)

If this was the case, then I'm actually inclined to agree with you a little more here. Sometimes discussions like those can pretty good and enlightening ones, but with the rule of "nothing but actual fics in the fic forum", we sadly lack a definitive place for such things - if they're posted in the fic forum, they'd most likely be closed because they're not actual fics. The only other possible place of relevance would be General Discussion, but then they'd probably be closed because they're FanFic related. We can't win!

In all honesty, I have actually wondered about this kind of problem before. So if this is more along the lines of what you were getting at, BattleRanger, then I want to make sure you know that you're not alone in your concerns.

Having said that, however: any move like this would need some pretty strict guidelines. We'd have separate threads for general fic discussion, whilst simultaneously keeping discussion of a specific fic inside that fic's dedicated thread. Such distinctions may not always be easy to make, and I wouldn't be surprised if you still got individual fic discussion leaking over into the general area. Could still a bit messy and disorganised - I'm not sure if one could dictate such guidelines in any way that would totally avoid confusion for some people on where their posts should go. Also, on top of that you've also got the fact that it would still result in more threads/topics on the board than what there are now, which - as I said in my first post - doesn't do anything to reduce clutter, which is precisely what the current "only fics" rule is in place for.

[BattleRanger]

Thanks for sharing that. I know at one point, the Fanfic thread had a lot of things going for it other than fanfics, some of which became tarnished (like the Fanfic of the Month) ... not that I'd like to see those return, but what harm would there be in general discussions, or even in fic specific discussions, if the author wished to separate the discussions and comments from his fanfic?

Its a matter of opinion- myself, I would prefer the separation. Its just that we don't have the freedom to do so and instead of just doing it, I wanted to get everyone's thoughts and discuss this in a civil manner (which I want to applaud everyone for doing!) ... then, we can perhaps present our issues to those responsible for moderating this particular forum.

[Bradlee_Scott]

How about you limit how many previews per fanfic you release before releasing it? I would LOVE a rule about that because I swear there is an ad for the same fic every page. If this were a movie I would boycott it for the shear fact that it's being over promoted!

Or maybe we stop trying to fix what isn't broken? It seems to me that you're the only person who has a problem with how the fanfic section is being run.

[BattleRanger]

Nothing in that post benefited this thread ... if you disagree, then just articulate how you disagree. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt here and remind you that we're discussing how to better the fanfic thread- not how to better each other fanfics and how we choose to promote them.

[TSoldier]

A message to all fanfic writers and fans ...

~SNIP~

The disclaimer point has already been covered aptly by y3k. Many fics here have been without any kind of disclaimers for years, and as far as I'm aware none of the writers have ever been targeted for copyright infringement or whatever else licence owners can go after you for. We all know that Disney are aware of these boards and do monitor them, so they've got to be at least aware of the fics that are here. But my guess is that (hopefully) they're not that bothered about them. As y3k said, if Disney really wanted to I think they could just come after the writers regardless of a disclaimer, but they just simply don't.

Don't get me wrong: I do see the reasoning behind disclaimers in some places, but I don't think Rangerboard needs to be one of them. Disclaimer or not, I really don't see how any fic here gives the impression of the writer trying to claim ownership of the entire franchise, nor do I see that as the writers' intentions, and quite frankly nor can I see any reader seriously assuming this without being a complete 'tard; it's FanFiction, and everybody - Disney included - is already perfectly aware of that.

I would say leave this one as it is. Some writers prefer to include disclaimers on their fics anyway, and that's fair enough - no reason they can't continue to do so. But for those that don't, I honestly don't see it making the slightest bit of difference here.


This one I don't have much to say about, because in the end it's more down to personal preference than anything else. I know that in the past some people have tried running separate threads for their fic and discussion on it (mostly these were before the introduction of the rule that all threads must include an acceptable length of actual fic-age - which I realise that you're technically breaking now, but we'll overlook that for the time being! :P ).

However, speaking as a fic writer myself, I personally like everything all in one thread for my stuff. It's enjoyable having the discussions more closely linked to the story itself. For the readers - including anybody who may be just starting it perhaps many years after the thing was finished - seeing comments talking about certain things and already placed after the appropriate chapters can really allow them to be drawn in to the whole thing. It invites them to consider the ways other people feel on how the story develops and progresses, and in turn that can prompt them to form their own opinions and theories. They may agree or disagree with other people on certain points, and this all works to encourage further discussion - precisely what I love to see happening in my fic threads! :023: But if the discussion was in a separate thread, I think it would be more difficult to catch up on comments at relevant places in the fic, it would be harder to naturally associate one thread with the other, and would ultimately just make the whole thing less personal.

As I said: this one's more down to preference - others may feel the complete opposite to me on this subject, which is fair enough of course, but that's my personal view on it. In any case though, the rules as they currently stand state that fic and discussion must be kept in the same thread anyway - the reason for this rule is that it keeps the whole forum far more tidy and less cluttered, and I think it achieves this rather well.
I just wanna say I agree with everything in your post, Bushwacka666.

The mandatory disclaimer idea is just....well, Bushwacka covered all my POV's on that very well. Thumbs down on that one.

As for a general fanfic discussion thread, I really would hate to have to weed thru the comments to Mega NeoZeo Rangers v5.05 and Power Rangers: Phantom Magicians X and other fanfics whose 2nd chapters never see the light of day, to see if anyone commented on mine. The responses are part of the whole creative process for the authors, and I don't see how NOT providing them in direct response to a fanfic, in it's own thread, is in any way practical, especially with no real means to track relevant comments. Too many hoops to jump thru, and a lot of us already spend too much time doing that just to find a fic that we like, let alone want to respond to..

And, as for your 3rd point, BattleRanger, my friend: when did responding to a fanfic become "clogging" it? Any fanfic author that finds constructive criticism and encouragement of their writing endeavors to be a collection of refuse that obstructs their productivity, please raise your hand.

V[]etal []_ion;3111306']I don't see a problem with having the first post of my fics as the bio/zords etc, gives a quick overview for people to look at before they read my stuff.

I'm not holding you responsible for everyone that does that, but I'm just curious as to why you feel the need to post bio/zord promo's prior to posting a fic? Personally, nothing keeps me away from a fic more effectively then seeing it start with a profile for the Rangers/Powers/Zords, etc. It's like, when did the term "storytelling" lose it's definition? Shouldn't I learn all these things about your Ranger's and their Powers AND YOU as a writer by reading the story? What should I expect to get from the story or author if they can't present its own characters and elements in a way I can take in and process, rather than having the facts foisted upon me beforehand like a damn cheat sheet? Doesn't the author feel deprived of their opportunity to display their talent and creativity by not presenting their characters and the other elements of their story in such a way, stuck barren of unique introduction and, therefore, denouement?

I do understand how it can be fun to conceptualize an idea one thinks is cool and then lay it out in more detail but, for me, I don't think it's a coincidence that the fics that don't last or get the least amount of attention were the ones that started out with those kind of promo's, prior to the Sticky Thread . On the one hand, artistic renderings are awesome cuz the visual aids are helpful, for me in particular, cuz PR is very visual for me (as the allure of kung-fu fighting and giant Mecha battles tend to be for most people), so when I reading a fanfic I'm picturing the action going on in my head. In that respect, it's helpful for me to know what the Zord's and villains clashing look like. But mostly, I feel like if someone has to spend so much time telling me the name, birthdate, height, favorite foods, most embarrassing moment in high school, etc, then I know not to expect the actual fanfic to be able to explain those things in any kind of creative way, if at all. I hate feeling like I need to be given a cheat sheet on who these Ranger's are beforehand, cuz it usually just means that the fic is going to fail to define those characters within the boundaries of the story itself.

All I guess I'm really after is the freedom to have a separate Database thread for my fanfic without fearing it might be closed ... not to say I have ever felt threatened of such action, in fact, I am very thankful that it has been overlooked and allowed.

That being said, I have had people complain about having to read through comments and discussions in my own fanfics just to get to read the story itself. I want the fanfic to be as welcoming and engaging for everyone as is possible- one of the reasons I created my Database thread here.

Not only that, but as I am writing the sequel to my fanfic, I really only have my Database thread to openly discuss it without having to create a thread for the sequel itself ... if we had a general discussion thread for fanfics, that wouldn't be an issue.
My problem with that idea is that I just don't see how much of, if any, kind of discussion is expected to be had about a fic that isn't even posted yet. And I'm not saying yours, but I mean new or Potential fan fics in general. I understand that people might want to openly discuss their upcoming projects, but by now, seeing too much talk before the actual project surfaces itself makes me fear a fanfic will be lacking the attention it should have gotten instead of all the promotion and pre-discussion. It makes me very leery of a fic when it feels like WAY too much time or detail is going into the set-up and promotion of a fic that hasn't even surfaced yet, let alone have a specific start date. I just feel like more time and energy should be put towards the commencement and completion of a fic, rather telling me Jason's long-lost time-displaced cousin is the Red Ranger and he REALLY likes Ice Cream.

Anyway, like I was saying, your idea for a GD thread for these purposes I don't think is justified enough to implement. Again, there's only so much to say about a fic that somebody hasn't even posed yet. You have some ass kicking promo's yourself, BattleRanger, and I count myself among the fans looking forward to Rising Storm but, though I see that you feel the justification for a place to "openly discuss" upcoming projects, there's a reason that the majority of your recent responses in the Database have been your own. What else are people suppose to say, besides "Looking forward to it"? Once people announce their upcoming projects, there's really nothing more to say or do about it but wait for it to come. I don't think a whole new GD Fanfic subforum is a necessary waiting room. Not for the visitors, and not for those who'd have to waste time policing it.

[Bradlee_Scott]

The fanfic thread being fine as it is is my opinion. If I am correct this thread is about how the fanfic section can be bettered by your suggestions. I say it's pretty beneficiary as it's just another tally on the bedpost that says it's fine how it is.

And I say we can better the entire fanfic section not by your inane rules but by limiting some posts in certain areas. Sure, people should be free to post, but there is limit to a normal post before it just gets too crowded with one's shameless ability to self promote.

I will say that a general fanfic discussion thread is a good idea because it's a forum to talk about fanfic without it being on a specific fanfic. But creating a sub forum just takes up space that isn't needed. If you wanna post bios and such, post them in the first post of the fanfic before your first chapter.

And to be completely honest, this all just seems like you're not looking out for all the fanfic writers, just your own ass because you want more places to post about your fanfics. Sorry if it's off base, but from what I can tell it's a one man show with tons of extras to bring in an audience.

[BattleRanger]

I am thoroughly satisfied with the reaction from Fire and Ice ... and no, this really isn't a way to promote my new fic or anything of the sort. (Not that you said that, but its my fear that some may interpret it that way).

I just want to discuss things like what inspires the individual writers ... discuss concepts for fanfics, get feedback there without having something concrete enough for a promo or summary.

I love to have individual feedback in my fanfic threads, btw ... but its been a handful of readers who have complained about having to go through so much of it just to find the actual work they are reading. I understand that and through my bit of OCD, I can totally appreciate a separation of the two.

This isn't just for my own personal goals- I want each and every writer to be able to have these freedoms, whether they choose to exercise them or not. I'm not saying that everyone should have a separate thread for their fanfic discussion- but if one of us does, and everyone agrees that even through they may not utilize it, they wouldn't mind someone else doing so, then it would be possible.

[TSoldier]

Well, I also have had some readers inquire about getting to read my fanfic sans all the comments and, while part of me wants to say that each serial fic should have an opening page that gets updated with direct links to the new chapters and episodes, the next problem is that there are only so many fics that ever actually build up an appreciable amount of chapters to make any kind of index for.

[Bradlee_Scott]

Everything you just said you wanted to do can easily be done.

searching for fic chapters? Easy, post the URL of the newest chapter at the end of the previous. If you're unsure of how it can help check out the Starlight Rain fic. Tristan revolutionized fic reading for me with that! Having a separate thread is utterly pointless.

And as I said before, a general discussion thread is good, but it can get complicated because people may start misinterpreting it for a promo thread and post there.

[BattleRanger]

Bradlee Scott, If my promotion of my fanfics bothers you that bad, for whatever reason, then you might could see why I see the need for a general discussion or another place that isn't particularly run or created by a writer, but is a public discussion of fanfics for him to promote said fanfics.

You're totally biased against me because you feel my promos are choking up the promos/summaries thread? And only now, as I am trying to better this forum, you choose to voice your complaint? That's a bit off, in my opinion. If you had a problem with this, you should have handled it through the appropriate channels- i.e., contacting me personally or contacting a mod.

This particular thread is a broader call for overall changes ... not just, "hey, this guy is getting in my nerves." But then again, this whole issue you have with me and how you are choosing to deal with it proves that there are some of us here who are not mature enough to have a civil discussion of such changes.

[BattleRanger]

Well, I also have had some readers inquire about getting to read my fanfic sans all the comments and, while part of me wants to say that each serial fic should have an opening page that gets updated with direct links to the new chapters and episodes, the next problem is that there are only so many fics that ever actually build up an appreciable amount of chapters to make any kind of index for.

I think the index concept is a great way to do this ... and it does skip the comments as well. Its an individual choice for each author whether or not to build an index ...

[TSoldier]

I think it's a good way to keep things pertinent for everyone. There are a lot of different types of fanfic readers out there, some who don't even like fanfics but happen to like ones in particular, and would hate to have to sift thru discussions about other fics they don't like or aren't reading just to talk about the one they like. Indexing is a little time consuming, though. I remember it took me a while to do, but the end result is very simple and clean...even though I don't remember how to do it anymore lol. This is an example of mine http://rangerboard.com/showpost.php?p=1800346&postcount=473 and I think it would keep things neater and easier to access for readers if writers did this. It'd also prevent losing readers who just get too flustered having to search thru comments to find an actual episode or maybe even get things ruined for them when they read spoilers in comments to episodes they haven't read yet but are trying to get to.

[Bradlee_Scott]

I'll admit it now- your promos annoy the hell out of me. They are a lot of post in frequent succession and it feels way to excessive. I hate running down a page to see promos when the bulk of them are about yours.

But that has nothing to do with this. This is about taking up a lot more space on an already crowded message board that just recovered from some serious glitches caused by some overcrowding. You're suggesting we add a subsection and new threads for what we already have going just to give it a new name.

Who said you couldn't create an archive in your own story? There's no rule saying you can't put direct chapter links in your thread. And it is completely pointless to have a separate thread for comments than to just keep them all together in the story.

I am all about talking about fics you wanna write but you can do that in the promo thread if I am not mistaken. You're still promoting a story that you are thinking of writing. Heck, Trist and I have both posted promos for stories that neither of us are going to write but we had inspiration so we posted the idea.

I do like the general discussion idea. But it's when you pull away from what inspires you and all that jazz to talking about things you wanna write about and fics you wanna create that it muddies the water between the promo thread and the general discussion.

[BattleRanger]

That's a great way of doing it ...

... of course, I am also very keen to one which is really like an index of the chapters and sets up the author's introduction. Its a very jarring thing to just jump right in to a story without any logo or anything ... in my opinion.

I like mine (http://www.rangerboard.com/showpost.php?p=2964214&postcount=1), because I also have links to the Database, deleted scenes, etc. Its like a DVD menu ...

BTW, I am going to go ahead and discuss somethings here as open topics and see where it leads us ... feel free to jump in guys and maybe we can do without a General Discussion after all ...

[BattleRanger]

Thanks for your honesty, Bradlee. I accept your criticism ... I still like your fic and I have to be equally honest and say that it annoyed me to see you treating your fic like it was an actual movie ... instead of just honoring what it really is. Its a neat and innovative way of doing it, a viral way of advertising, which is something I recently decided to use as well. You dream big just the same as I do- so hopefully, you can appreciate my uniqueness the same way I appreciate yours.

That being said, at the end of it all, all I'm really after is the ability to be able to separate my fanfic and my database without feeling like I'm doing something which may get a thread that I've literally poured hundreds of hours into closed and locked away. I also would like to be able to have discussions here without having to clutter up my own threads or others (such as the promos and summaries thread.)

[GreyRanger]

On the one hand, artistic renderings are awesome cuz the visual aids are helpful, for me in particular, cuz PR is very visual for me (as the allure of kung-fu fighting and giant Mecha battles tend to be for most people), so when I reading a fanfic I'm picturing the action going on in my head. In that respect, it's helpful for me to know what the Zord's and villains clashing look like.

That, Tsoldier, is my point in it's entirity; i'm a very visual person, so if i can imagine what's going on, describing it is very easy; i try and provide the same for my reader, i don't add in bios just to throw stuff at them. Everything on the bios is stuff that gets you into the charcters' past (say if the fic theyr'e reading is a continuation from another one), so you as the reader can enjoy the fic all the more.

[Jacen]

That's a great way of doing it ...

... of course, I am also very keen to one which is really like an index of the chapters and sets up the author's introduction. Its a very jarring thing to just jump right in to a story without any logo or anything ... in my opinion.

I like mine (http://www.rangerboard.com/showpost.php?p=2964214&postcount=1), because I also have links to the Database, deleted scenes, etc. Its like a DVD menu ...

BTW, I am going to go ahead and discuss somethings here as open topics and see where it leads us ... feel free to jump in guys and maybe we can do without a General Discussion after all ...

Check out my fan fict, Power Rangers: Heavenly Warriors. In the first post, I have links to all my chapters that when you click them they open in their own windows and allow someone to avoid the discussion if they don't want it.

Personally, I agree and think a general discussion thread would be a good idea. One that I can post in to ask other authors for help, or just generally chat about fan fiction.

[bushwacka666]

I've mentioned before that I personally prefer to keep my actual fic and discussion on it all in the same thread (and prefer to see others like that too). Speaking as that person, at the risk of sounding like I'm being a bit condescending here, I'd put forward the following suggestion for those who want to just read the fic without wading through comments:

Basically, fic chapters would be by far the longest posts in a thread (or they should be anyway!). From my experience, it's very easy indeed to simply scroll straight down to the next long post and only takes literally a couple of seconds to find it. Not a difficult process at all.

In other news... I still think any promos/previews for a specific fic are fine where they are. I was against the promo thread at first. I used to start my fic thread with a promo, then started the actual story a few days later. Hell if it wasn't for the "only fics" rule, maybe I'd still do that - does it really make a difference making an individual thread for a promo when you know that said thread will be containing the actual fic as well anyway? But I got used to the promo thread and have to say that I don't mind it now.

***

Its a matter of opinion- myself, I would prefer the separation. Its just that we don't have the freedom to do so and instead of just doing it, I wanted to get everyone's thoughts and discuss this in a civil manner (which I want to applaud everyone for doing!) ... then, we can perhaps present our issues to those responsible for moderating this particular forum.

If the people here as a whole were able to come to more of a universally agreed consensus on how we wanted things to be, then I would be only too happy to present the case to the other mods. Unfortunately a couple of issues currently prevent me from going ahead with this:

1) Perhaps the most obvious and yet most important point: I very much doubt a universal agreement is something we could all come to. There's always going to be differences in opinions. If we changed things around, there's going to be some people not happy about it. If we left things as they were, there's going to be some people not happy about it - the simple fact is that you can't please everybody!

I want everyone to please understand that I'm not singling anyone out or getting on anyone's cases when I say that - again we're all entitled to have our own opinions - but realistically speaking, it's exactly those opinions which prevent us all from agreeing on every point. In this respect, nothing would really change because there will always some people who just wouldn't approve of the current system. I'm not sure if the mods would go for anything that's going to cause that much controversy.

2) If I'm brutally honest, I wonder if a lot of the mods would even pay much attention to the case anyway. Don't get me wrong: I respect many of the mods and I think they do a fine job of trying to keep the Good Ship Rangerboard on a steady course. However it has to be said that the FanFic forum is one of the areas that doesn't get a lot of love among the mods - there's more than one who would actually be glad to see it go altogether. I don't want it to seem like I'm speaking on their behalf or putting words in their mouths, but it wouldn't surprise me if some glanced at the basic proposal for about 5 seconds and then went "Request denied... next!"


BTW, I am going to go ahead and discuss somethings here as open topics and see where it leads us ... feel free to jump in guys and maybe we can do without a General Discussion after all ...

Officially speaking, I guess I should probably close any thread you make like that, but I won't! :D (If they wanted to, another mod would just do it anyway). As I've stated several times before, we have the "only fics" rule, but it's not like I've never seen this rule being bent before. There have been a few minor threads such as asking for fic recommendations that were never closed. I'm sure other mods beside me would have seen them, but obviously they chose to leave them. So maybe I'm misjudging them a little, and some might actually be more lenient with it.

I would say for now that, sure BattleRanger, try these threads out. Nothing to lose really, just as long as one doesn't go too overboard with them. Of course we just have to bear in mind that, without an official changing of the rules, any such thread could still be closed at any time without warning.

[ShadowRanger]

I like the promo thread. I have nothing against people posting a promo and then a fic. I just find it annoying to see a page filled with promos that say coming soon and then never arrive. Look at the promo thread, how many of those promos actually turned into something?

I left the other thread alone because they were discussion of fanfiction in general. Had Battleranger started one of those 'help me name my Rangers' pet goldfish' threads, it probably would have been closed.

Oh and from a personal viewpoint, one reason I don't stick my fics on here is because I don't want replies cluttering up the thread.

[Jacen]

Basically, fic chapters would be by far the longest posts in a thread (or they should be anyway!). From my experience, it's very easy indeed to simply scroll straight down to the next long post and only takes literally a couple of seconds to find it. Not a difficult process at all.


From a personal viewpoint, I prefer comments that are as long as my chapters :D.

[Judge Joker]

Hold on...


The fanfiction thread?


I think you mean the fanfiction forum. This, which you started to post this, is a thread. You posted it in the fanficiton forum.

[FlashmanX]

I think the disclaimer thing we don't need

but the fics having a separate place and a general discussion place would be beneficial. especial to me cause I do that mobile fan fic thing. Also because every time I see new post in a fics thread I get excited thinking new chapter when its only discussion. (happens everyday in ryurangers fics)
The other problem is if a fic is epic like tsoldiers and gets alot of discussion then it can cause the thread to go flaky. example needing a new video game thread in GD every month because the thread gets so large it causes freezing and double post and such.

I WANT TO ADD A NEW IDEA TO THIS THREAD PLEASE THINK ABOUT THIS

A separate area for COMPLETED fan fics. Authors like aaron hong and kali i know have completed fics that could be hard to find. Storys like the bennet legacy or ryurangers could benefit by people being able to see the 1st story in the series rather than loose fans who come into the newer season and don't understand why something is happening.

[Jacen]

I think the disclaimer thing we don't need

but the fics having a separate place and a general discussion place would be beneficial. especial to me cause I do that mobile fan fic thing. Also because every time I see new post in a fics thread I get excited thinking new chapter when its only discussion. (happens everyday in ryurangers fics)


I WANT TO ADD A NEW IDEA TO THIS THREAD PLEASE THINK ABOUT THIS

A separate area for COMPLETED fan fics. Authors like aaron hong and kali i know have completed fics that could be hard to find. Storys like the bennet legacy or ryurangers could benefit by people being able to see the 1st story in the series rather than loose fans who come into the newer season and don't understand why something is happening.

A sub forum that ficts that have had their finale are moved to? That sounds like an excellent idea to me.

[FlashmanX]

yes exactly and it works very well

http://tokuasia.com/ they have a great fan fic community and they do have an area for completed fics

everyone who likes fan toku fiction needs to join them and check the place out its awsome

they have 4 diff fan fic sub forums 1 for ranger fiction 1 for ultraman fiction 1 for kamen rider fiction and 1 for misc fiction

[TSoldier]

The other problem is if a fic is epic like tsoldiers and gets alot of discussion then it can cause the thread to go flaky.
Ummm....Can I ask you to define "flaky" for me? I'm just curious....


http://tokuasia.com/ they have a great fan fic community and they do have an area for completed fics

everyone who likes fan toku fiction needs to join them and check the place out its awsome

they have 4 diff fan fic sub forums 1 for ranger fiction 1 for ultraman fiction 1 for kamen rider fiction and 1 for misc fiction
I am having a hell of a time trying to even understand the layout of that site. Can I ask you or somebody to help me figure out how and where to post MMPR: ANI there? Is there a place for that kind of fic there? I'm not even seeing a place to register there. Feel free to say, "fuck no, you're on your own, TSoldier", though...

[V-Dramon]

suggestion: make a sticky thread for general fanfic discussion and news.

other than that, i wouldnt change anything, i like that the forums here are simple and easy to use. theyre not as cluttered with a gazillion subforums like on rangercast.

i mean really, you dont need 5,000 different forums for fanart and fanfiction.

[Beckoner]

I tend to agree with the above post. The current system is working. A little more free form general fanfic-oriented discussion would be nice, but a lot of us end up taking that to PM anyway since it's what we're used to.

Aside from the occasional noob, this forum is pretty content heavy. By far the most spam free forum on Rangerboard.

[cyrax037]

I like the idea of a new area for completed works.

what I plan to do with my upcoming fanfic, to save me alot of trouble in posting everything all over the place(I don't plan to keep it at JUST RB) is I'm making a website for it, with character profiles, background info, pics, everything(my fic going to be pic heavy, not placed in the fic itself, except for MOTW and new characters that are important, but its going to have a place for character/gadgets pics)

That way, when I post, I can basically just post the link to the new episode.

[BattleRanger]

I think that we need to vote and voice our opinions here, figure out what changes we feel could benefit the forum, and present them to a mod ... it'd be even better if the main fanfic mod, whomever that person may be, would step in and explain which options are possible and which ones are just overboard.

[Time Ranger]

Ummm....Can I ask you to define "flaky" for me? I'm just curious....


I am having a hell of a time trying to even understand the layout of that site. Can I ask you or somebody to help me figure out how and where to post MMPR: ANI there? Is there a place for that kind of fic there? I'm not even seeing a place to register there. Feel free to say, "fuck no, you're on your own, TSoldier", though...

I am apart of that site it's a very good fan fic site. It's very easy to register ect......Peace God Bless :)

[NinjaStormRavageRed]

I think that we need to vote and voice our opinions here, figure out what changes we feel could benefit the forum, and present them to a mod ... it'd be even better if the main fanfic mod, whomever that person may be, would step in and explain which options are possible and which ones are just overboard.

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you dont even post stories here. :eusa_wall

[FlashmanX]

Ummm....Can I ask you to define "flaky" for me? I'm just curious....


I am having a hell of a time trying to even understand the layout of that site. Can I ask you or somebody to help me figure out how and where to post MMPR: ANI there? Is there a place for that kind of fic there? I'm not even seeing a place to register there. Feel free to say, "fuck no, you're on your own, TSoldier", though...



You know how the board recently had issues with timing out and accidental double post and slow load times. I ment that

this link might be better. look for create corner and ranger fics are under 5-Coloured Masterpieces, u;trman is Mystery Q Weekly, kamen rider is Every Mask Tells A Story
http://tokuasia.com/board/index.php

[FlashmanX]

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you dont even post stories here. :eusa_wall

what? he post one of the biggest long running fan fics here
who are you? you have been here since 2003 and posted only 438 times

[Lisa J]

If the proposal for completed works to be in a separate or sub-forum because it's hard to find them in this current forum, then that's not a good reason. There are many complete one-shot fics that would easily fill up the sub-forum, and yet again fics will be "hard to find".

But a separate thread for completed works can work. And whatever work you've finished, you can edit your own post in the thread to add links to your various complete fiction. Then, that would be easy to search within the thread.

EDIT: Everything else I've heard so far doesn't really warrant any change. I was thinking that having a discussion thread for fics was a good idea, but knowing people, they'll just be pimping out their own fics left and right, and then I'd have to infract people for spamming and whatnot, and that's just more work and more angry people than needed.

[FlashmanX]

sticky a thread for completed works there would have to be no discussion in it just a post of I'm so and so and heres my completed work link link link and heres my work in progress link link link


thats cool idea lisa lets do that

[Jacen]

sticky a thread for completed works there would have to be no discussion in it just a post of I'm so and so and heres my completed work link link link and heres my work in progress link link link


thats cool idea lisa lets do that

Rangerboard is very good at enforcing strict rules. If they have a strict no conversation rule, then it'll work.

Through the sad thing is that if your fict is on page 20, it may not get read because people will stop at page 1 or something

[Nic]

BattleRanger, you're a pal...but for me personally, I don't see the need for changes based on your suggestions.

The disclaimer issue annoys me for the same reasons y3k mentioned back on page 1. Someone here suggested I post my fic on another forum and one of their moderators posted in the thread saying if I didn't add a disclaimer to the first page, it would be closed. The rule bugged me and always has. It's just so useless.

I like having the comments about my fanfiction within the threads designated for them. If you have a multi-chapter fanfic you can easily lay all of that stuff out in the first post or on the first page. I know you (BattleRanger) are a writer like myself who really delves into the material in a planning and preparation sense and that means knowing so much about the story that may or may not make its way into the actual writing and that makes people like us want to share all of that extra stuff. We just have to remember that it may or may not be relevant to the people actually reading the story. There have been tons of things that never made their way into the actual text of my fics but I felt were interesting tidbits. In the end, they weren't necessary to tell the story in a way that made it fully developed. I do share those things with readers in the discussion as the story progresses if they come up. Otherwise they remain unposted, which isn't a terrible thing.

As some people have already mentioned, it's not hard to index your chapters if readers want to avoid reading comments about them. The only complaint I ever got was from someone who was spoiled by the comments because they saw them first because they scrolled past the chapter without realizing it. Of course, my chapters tend to be the longest thing on the page. I have started linking the individual chapters in an index/guide on the first page to lead the person to the chapter. It's not that difficult to do. As FlashmanX (I think) said, it can be disappointing to see a fic at the top of the forum page and click to see it's only comments and not a new chapter. If people simply click on the first page and see an index/guide, they can see a link to the next chapter, if it's been posted.

If you're really interested in a free way to have only the text without comments visible, you can always try something like blogger, where each post would be the next chapter and the comments would only show up if someone clicked on a link to them. That's one of the reasons I like fanfiction.net which keeps comments separate from the actual text.

Having a separate general discussion subforum would get cluttered with nonsense pretty quickly I think. I think any of that could fit into one of the other Sticky threads we already have. It's what they're there for, if it's going to be discussion about fic ideas or simply commenting on upcoming fics and brainstorming. I do agree that some people promote the hell out of their work repeatedly, but if it annoys me I don't go in there. I'm glad that thread exists since most of those stories never see the light of day. I'd really hate a whole subforum like that.

BTW, I love discussion threads about fanfics in general and Rangerboard tends to leave those open if they are viable and actually about a topic relating to fanfiction. The problem comes when people turn it into a spam promo about their personal fic or they go asking for help.

As for the idea that we have a thread where people link to their completed fics...I'm too lazy to contribute if that thread did happen. I'd just rather link them to my fanfiction.net profile which neatly lists all of the fanfiction you've posted on their site with a handy link directly to it.

I love Rangerboard's fanfiction forum because it's easy to navigate with little spam clutter and the real crap gets closed pretty quickly. It can be a little rigid sometimes but you just gotta take the good with the bad. I'd really hate for it to become like other forums with dozens of subforums.


and remember, everyone, that if you can't find what you're looking for use the Search Function or you can go to that person's profile on here and click on all the threads they've started. Their fanfiction will be on the list.

[Kalyx triaD]

The current way of things seem pretty fine. It's that somebody questions conventions, though. Keeps what is on its toes.