What do you look for in fanfics?

[BattleRanger]

Personally, I love to see a spin on something I've already seen ... while I have to congratulate people for their creativity, I have no interest in reading Star Ninja Space Pirate Taskforce ... or Power Rangers: Oblivion War ... these are fun, in their own way, but it does little for me. (I'm writing this, because I'd also like to see what fans of those type of stories like about them.) I'm not knocking anyone for writing these writers (unless they are those who pollute the pre-story and profile thread with tons of story ideas, with random names and ideas, just because they can). I just usually have a hard time with original concepts, myself.

I think epic stories like Ryuranger's Champions saga and New Generation are great, as they respect the canon of the show without being restricted by adhering to it. But that's just me ...

[y3k]

I like stuff that adds to the universe. Not remakes, not random Sentai translations, not Forever Whatever or reunion shows. Explore the existing universe. What kind of religions exist on Triforia? Is KO-35 the only Karovian colony, or is there a whole group of them? What kind of culture do the Horathians have? What do Mirionites and Terra Venture colonists do on their days off? How many magical dimensions are there? Are there other riders, or defenders, or knights? PR is a *magnificent* sandbox to play in, the likes of which cannot be rivaled by any show. Even 40 year franchises like Star Trek have their limits of what they can explore. PR is the ultimate grab bag, embracing both magic and technology, and only giving us hints of what is really going on, so as to make us wonder and think.

Secondly, give me a good story. Give me characters that I can relate to--either original creations in a new (but related) setting, or the old guys...just not in something so cliche as a teamup or a reunion or anything. Show me their interactions. Have them fight, have them be friends. Make me laugh and cry. Make me feel for the characters, rather then making mary sue creations, or using the older casts to go through the motions.

Thirdly, there needs to be a theme, a point. What's the POINT to the story? One of the best fanfics I've ever read is from Rovang; Loss of Innocents. It's a *great* character piece for Jason, Trini, and Zack, and explores their motivations and what happened to them during the eight-some episodes before the switchover after their actors had left. It's a wonderful work that raises the question what's the difference between good and evil? Do monster have a right to exist? The fighting in the story is from the show, and just there as a transition--the focus of the story is Jason and his discovery.

[BattleRanger]

damn, I wish I could read the Rovang story ... sounds interesting ...

[y3k]

damn, I wish I could read the Rovang story ... sounds interesting ...

http://rovang.org/fanfic.htm

Get reading.

[cyrax037]

well, although I'm not much of a fic reader, tho I do write some. ( I know its kinda hypocritical of me, i write and want others to read it, but I seldom read any others. Kinda messed up right?)

I've been reading Darky's fic. What I like about it, is its pretty well thought out, explores various aspects of the PR universe, while blending in some of our own reality. Some scary shit to be sure. It makes you wonder, makes you question.


Other then that, I do like the idea of original concept stories, if there is room for that in a paticural universe. It works well in Power Rangers, or Star Wars, but you try that in something like Supernatural, or Buffy the vampire slayer, its much smaller universe, so you got to work extra hard to play it out logically. (Altho you can do it in both, there is just enough room for it if you try)

I have written fics for supernatural, and a cross over fic between Angel, Charmed and the anime Shaman King.
I never published my supernatural fics, cuz those where personal, and for my own gratification only, but in my Angel fic, I used a logical dimensional crossover to mix the characters. I wouldn't say it was GREAT, but quite a few people got a good laugh out of it. (which is was suppose to do, it was more of a comedy then a serious one)
But I like it when the writer has put real thought into something. When the story is piss poorly put together, contradicts itself over and over again, and isn't put together well, I won't read it. There are plot points that might seem lame and stupid at first, that I'm willing to forgive, IF its done in a thought out, logical manner, that works in the universe that the story takes place in.

[carklak]

As both a reader and a writer, I enjoy stories that are well written and fast paced that respect the canon of the show. I'm open to reading different kinds of PR fan fiction as long as the characters act and speak the way I expect them to. I think the fact that there are "gaps" in time within the series works in the writer's favor as far as having quite a bit of leeway to be creative without straying from the accepted norm of the PR universe.

Carla K

[Beckoner]

I generally read anything that's well written, structured, and has a good story.

I'm not generally a fan of fics that feature canon characters, since they will never be written believably due to the fact that they do not own the characters. If they are however, written well, I will look past it and simply view them as original characters. That said, I think it's lazy and silly when people use pictures of celebrities to be their custom Ranger cast. Is it really so hard to describe what your characters look like, and let our imagination do the rest? Now if you want to use photos to establish a scene, or show what some kind of crazy villain looks like, by all means. But I'm sorry, seeing Ben Affleck as the Red Ranger just ruins it for me. In general, I hate fics that try to "expand" on the canon. It's like EU Star Wars to me. If I didn't see it on my television, it doesn't mean anything.

I despise Mary Sue fics, and I will quickly turn away from them. I'm very visual, so I like battles that are decently described and fast paced. I don't however, care for fics that are written like someone's trying to pitch a screenplay to the show.

I enjoy fics that include elements of realism in them, like governments and what not. Comedy is always welcome in my book if you can pull it off. I also like fics that have Rangers where the characters are not cardboard cutouts of Ranger archetypes, that have some actual personality to them.

Basically, everything I like about a fic, I [tried] to incorporate into my own, most notably after the first season. Since I don't use canon characters, but DO use the suits, I basically tried to have my cake and eat it too (trying to avoid shameless plugs, but long story short my own fic is set in our real world where morphers have randomly been introduced into the real world).

I don't mind fics that use their own fabricated suits, so long as pictures are included so I can imagine them in action during the fighting scenes.

[Judge Joker]

Proper writing, good story telling and characters that are not over-cliché.

[GreyRanger]

What do i look for in a fanfic?

I look for story, a drive, a point to whatever it is that i'm reading. If not for this, then why read and continue to read the fic? The characters, the description etc may be phenomenal, but if it's just ramblings, then it won't really inspire me and other readers to think 'whoa, that really was something.'
The characters themselves, for me, have to appeal to me. That doesn't mean i have to like them, but they have to have a real personality and not be forever the 'brooding hero' or 'the saint', because there are no real people like that (even if this is a work of fiction.)
Like y3k has said, exploring the universe the writer has laid down, helps give realism and an anchor for the readers to grab hold of whilst they traverse through the fic.

For the oneshots out there, then i guess good description and a plot or point/motif/theme has to run through it for it to be compelling enough to read. It could be 'oh i just had this idea' or 'this is only good enough for a one off' and i'll readd it either way.

I despise script fics, and refuse to read them on that very basis, because it lacks description and hurts my eyes to read.

[BLANKS]

Hmm, what do I look for in a fanfic? First most, originality. I'm not to big on fan-created fics myself, yet I like originality. Hmm, go figure. Fanfiction.net, and a lot of other sites that carry fanfiction are polluted with the same stuff over and over, that it makes it a mission itself in trying to find something decent to lose myself in for a few hours. Originality is lost.

I also like a good spin on a fic, and within staying within continuity. And if one has to add to the mytho's in their fiction, which is always a plus, it has to be believable to an extent, not just because it suits the writer. But if it is an AU, then the characters, if sticking with canon PR characters, I want their personalities to at least be somewhat recognizable.

Myself, I go for shock factor when I write, because like I wrote earlier, originality is almost vacant on sites such as ff.net, and its not entirely the said writer's fault. There are many people who have an idea that they want to get out of their head, and there is no such telling how many other people have the said idea looming about in their mind as well. Such an example... having Kim or Kat pop up in Reefside to take claim on an undiscovered Pink Dino Gem and to renew a said romance with Tommy. Ugh. Brilliant the first time around... damn near boring and unoriginal after the tenth said idea only wrote differently.

Just my two cents on what I look for in PR fics when browsing the net... when I have the time.

[AwesomeRanger]

One of my favorite fics is the Crystellan Saga. It was like epic and there was like this mini Crystellan Saga universe. I'm thinking of writing a fic that is kinda like that but with more actual Power Rangers characters. I think most people here don't really enjoy team ups but I personally do. I'm going to try and mix and match up some of the characters to form different teams in this huge intergalactic thing. I'm not sure. Something like that... Should be fun.

[AwesomeRanger]

Oh and I'm also a huge fan of Zords/Cool Powers. What I liked about the Crystellan Saga was all the Zord combinations.

[OmegaRedMkII]

If it is an original story, the name of the team is what can easily turn me off. If it is something like Power Rangers Star Force, or Global Defenders, I most likely won't read it. If it is in canon, like persay Twilight's Forever Red II, I am looking for something the fits in the canon, well written plots, and cool characters. If it is good, it's good.

[Nightcrawler]

What do I look for? For it to NOT be somene elses version of something that already exists. I dont want to read about Jason, Trini, Zack, the SPD rangers, whatever. Give me smething original, don't piggyback off of someone elses work.

[GUY W/ 1000 NAMES]

Fresh ideas, innovative story-line w/ proper execution, killing off major characters unexpectantly, well detailed fighting scences and little bits of humor here and there.

Another fun concept is where the author changes 1 or 2 details in cannon and the rest of the story gets complety twisted and unexpected; [exs.: in the 1st movie, Alpha typed in the wrong coordinates and sent the Rangers to Mirinoi instead of Phadeos. Or in the 2nd movie, Tommy saves Jason and Kim but falls into the pit instead(been trying to think the latter through for a while)]

[Psycho Tangerine]

I love reading Power Ranger fanfiction. I like stories that are well written and have some detail. I can't stand when people are too lazy to at least get a beta reader.

I like humorous stories, but good ones (that are actually funny rather than stupid) are difficult to find. I like angst, drama, suspense, and team-up stories, but only if the story grabs my attention. I prefer canon rangers to original rangers. I'm not a fan of romances, but will read them. I think the Tommy/Kim reunion fics are way overdone, but if the author actually comes up with a creative twist on that, then I will read it. And I can't stand stories that center around an original character (Mary Sue/Marty Stu).


I read mostly in Fanfic.net. There are sucky stories, average stories, and great stories. I keep my own list on which authors to avoid and which ones I like (but this is based on my own personal preferences).

[night ranger]

I love reading Power Ranger fanfiction. I like stories that are well written and have some detail. I can't stand when people are too lazy to at least get a beta reader.

I like humorous stories, but good ones (that are actually funny rather than stupid) are difficult to find. I like angst, drama, suspense, and team-up stories, but only if the story grabs my attention. I prefer canon rangers to original rangers. I'm not a fan of romances, but will read them. I think the Tommy/Kim reunion fics are way overdone, but if the author actually comes up with a creative twist on that, then I will read it. And I can't stand stories that center around an original character (Mary Sue/Marty Stu).


I read mostly in Fanfic.net. There are sucky stories, average stories, and great stories. I keep my own list on which authors to avoid and which ones I like (but this is based on my own personal preferences).

Are you the same Psycho Tangerine who does 'When ranges meet' on ff.net?

[rangerfan99]

I look for a story that can be read like a novel and has character depth. I don't really like it when the fics are planned out like the TV show, and much rather prefer if it isn't limited to the "MOTD Plan." Sure I read of few of those, but that's only because the stories are very good and are creative. The rest aren't that creative and are all generic.

Script format isn't my favorite thing to read, either, so I usually stray away from them most of the time. And Original characters are okay, as long as you are using only original characters. I've read way too many Mary Sues that I put down after the first "episode"

[Kirinranger]

For me, I like stories that get you hooked from the beginning and do their best to keep you wanting more. Sure there are some that try to put their own twist on something that has been done before and see where they can take it. (Like the one I have been working on) Important thing is to try and have fun with it.

[PR-rangerfan]

As a writting enthusiast, I must say that I respect the effort that is placed on a single fanfic. Even one shots are worthy of a good read. However, as a well read person, I must regretably state that I have higher standards. I can't just be expected to read a Tommy-Kim reunion fic, or some 'original' idea that sounds suspiciously (spelled?) unoriginal (how many 'Dragon Force', 'Star Force' etc. are there?). However, every now and then I find a gem. That Rovang fic is FANTASTIC.

However, THAT is not my standard. My standard is simple: Make it interesting. How can yu make it interesting? Have an original idea. Did Tommy reunite with Kim? Explore the sexual tension between the two, or the emotional dilemma between revisiting a past love or staying true to the one they already have. If you ARE going to do an original team, gimme an AWESOME backstory. the Debug EXE story is what comes to mind. Oh, and make it canon.

But that's just me.

[Darky]

I've been reading Darky's fic. What I like about it, is its pretty well thought out, explores various aspects of the PR universe, while blending in some of our own reality. Some scary shit to be sure. It makes you wonder, makes you question.

Hey thanks man. If anyone wants to read it, just PM me, it explores a lot of the PRU in a Star Trek sort of way and also goes into a bit of V For Vendetta and X-Files.

[cyrax037]

I look for a story that can be read like a novel and has character depth. I don't really like it when the fics are planned out like the TV show, and much rather prefer if it isn't limited to the "MOTD Plan." Sure I read of few of those, but that's only because the stories are very good and are creative. The rest aren't that creative and are all generic.

Script format isn't my favorite thing to read, either, so I usually stray away from them most of the time. And Original characters are okay, as long as you are using only original characters. I've read way too many Mary Sues that I put down after the first "episode"

Yeah. Its interesting, the fic I'm working on(Or trying too, busy life and prior writing commitments to get through) my team IS an original team, yet at the same time, they are not. They aren't in PR canon, but my fic(Leak Alert) is actually sorta a cross over fic. But different, in that I'm takeing characters from one story(or video game in this case) and revamping the story into Power Rangers. No connection will be made to existing PR canon, but relies heavily on the game story canon. Basically, in ancient times, this team was formed to battle evil yada yada yada. Now in modern times the team will be reformed, as Power Rangers. Not original, but I hope to put my own original spin on it. I think it'll come out well. I know most people say that, and end up failing miserably, but I honestly think fans of both this and the game, will enjoy it. ( My main fear is the fans of the game, coming against it simply becuz its mixing it with Power Rangers)


And no, I will not name that VG its coming from just yet. I will wait till I have a few episodes written before I do any PR for it.(HAHA, funny play on abbreviations there)

[Time Ranger]

I like Ranger Fan Fics that deal with real life things. They don't have to morph every episode because character centered episodes are really good. I see less of those. It seems like you have to fight and morph every ep, but it doesn't mean that it'll be good. I am cool with Ur own created Orignal Characters and using Characters from the show to balance it out. Peace God Bless :)

[rangerfan99]

Yeah. Its interesting, the fic I'm working on(Or trying too, busy life and prior writing commitments to get through) my team IS an original team, yet at the same time, they are not. They aren't in PR canon, but my fic(Leak Alert) is actually sorta a cross over fic. But different, in that I'm takeing characters from one story(or video game in this case) and revamping the story into Power Rangers. No connection will be made to existing PR canon, but relies heavily on the game story canon. Basically, in ancient times, this team was formed to battle evil yada yada yada. Now in modern times the team will be reformed, as Power Rangers. Not original, but I hope to put my own original spin on it. I think it'll come out well. I know most people say that, and end up failing miserably, but I honestly think fans of both this and the game, will enjoy it. ( My main fear is the fans of the game, coming against it simply becuz its mixing it with Power Rangers)
And no, I will not name that VG its coming from just yet. I will wait till I have a few episodes written before I do any PR for it.(HAHA, funny play on abbreviations there)


I kind of wish I had changed what I had said now, as it makes me sound like a hypocrite. My upcoming, still in the works, story is using the character names from a season and I am kind of adding in a few new characters, which makes it a Mary Sue, pretty much, yet it is more of a re-imagining/ way to understand the whole new continuity/world that is in my head.

What I guess I had been trying to say was that there are too many generic Mary Sues out there. Make them different. This all leads back to the whole creativity thing as well, so if you want the rest of my opinion, go back to the first page and read my original post which is like near the bottom.

[Plan Xander]

I enjoy canon and non-canon stories. I'm happy with reading any kind of fanfic story -- provided it's well-written and has some decent characterization.

What irks me about long ongoing stories is that the author either has no idea where to go with their story and just doesn't go anywhere. And incorporating RB members into the story just doesn't feel right and feels like "Okay, [insert name here]. You have your cameo." Those two problems stick out like a sore thumb in one mod's story -- I won't say the mod's name or the title.

[CroweXV]

It needs to be a good story, and it needs to be well written, more so well thought out. Most of KSuzie's stuff on FF.net is a great example of this. It may take her a month to put up a chapter, but it's always worth the wait. If anything happens, it's for a reason, not just to have something happen. You need to give me a reason to care about the characters. And that very rarely happens in this fandom. I don't personally dig rewrites/reimaginations, but some of RyuRanger's Ultimate series are so well done, that I have to read them.

[cyrax037]

I kind of wish I had changed what I had said now, as it makes me sound like a hypocrite. My upcoming, still in the works, story is using the character names from a season and I am kind of adding in a few new characters, which makes it a Mary Sue, pretty much, yet it is more of a re-imagining/ way to understand the whole new continuity/world that is in my head.

What I guess I had been trying to say was that there are too many generic Mary Sues out there. Make them different. This all leads back to the whole creativity thing as well, so if you want the rest of my opinion, go back to the first page and read my original post which is like near the bottom.

yeah, I knew what you meant. There are alot of stories, that don't put any depth, or interest in their characters. I hope to do atleast 3 focus episodes for each main character. Might mean I'll have to have a longer 'season' then what we normally have now on the show. I might be shooting myself in the foot, but I have a fairly large character list. The team is larger, due to a larger team from the game canon. Its an odd formula I have, and I pray to God that it will work out!

[Ranger2025]

I look for fanfics that keep the PR story at a innocent level. When I read Power Ranger fanfiction, I am reliving my childhood. I understand people want to give the characters and stories more depth; go into relationships between characters a bit; make the dialogue and fights more realistic-Fine, Go nuts. But I lose interest when people package it for adults. When a fanfiction character is attacked by a baddie, I want to see them say "Crap!" or something even cleaner, not "F*ck!" And relationships shouldn't get past kissing. I'm not a prude; in real life I cuss like a sailor (not in front of kids though) and have quite a collection of R, NC-17, and XXX movies:005: , but I don't need that when I'm trying to be 9 again.

[ZeoFury]

I look for a story that can be read like a novel and has character depth. I don't really like it when the fics are planned out like the TV show, and much rather prefer if it isn't limited to the "MOTD Plan." Sure I read of few of those, but that's only because the stories are very good and are creative. The rest aren't that creative and are all generic.

Script format isn't my favorite thing to read, either, so I usually stray away from them most of the time. And Original characters are okay, as long as you are using only original characters. I've read way too many Mary Sues that I put down after the first "episode"

I'm ashamed for "plugging" but if you're looking for a story that has a storybook format (as opposed to a script), original characters, and where depth takes priority over morphed action, than you might want to check out my fic "The Power Rangers."

http://rangerboard.com/showthread.php?t=125553


But as for the topic at hand, I typically don't read the same type of stories that I write. I do like reading fan fiction with original characters, but I'm a fan of reading the more campy genre of fiction rather than the "dark, realistic" kind of things that I tend to write.

[cyrax037]

I look for fanfics that keep the PR story at a innocent level. When I read Power Ranger fanfiction, I am reliving my childhood. I understand people want to give the characters and stories more depth; go into relationships between characters a bit; make the dialogue and fights more realistic-Fine, Go nuts. But I lose interest when people package it for adults. When a fanfiction character is attacked by a baddie, I want to see them say "Crap!" or something even cleaner, not "F*ck!" And relationships shouldn't get past kissing. I'm not a prude; in real life I cuss like a sailor (not in front of kids though) and have quite a collection of R, NC-17, and XXX movies:005: , but I don't need that when I'm trying to be 9 again.

yeah, same here! Mine, (I know I talk alot about mine, but honestly, its cuz I don't really READ alot of fanfics, but I know what I would like, and thats what I'm incorporating in mine) its going to stay pretty much on the same level as PR, but sorta like it would be it if was geared for teens. No cussing, Not much into relationships, but if I throw that in, it probably won't go beyond flirting, pining, and maybe kissing. But there will be death. If people die, they won't be "destroyed" they will die. Doesn't necessarily mean they can't or wont' come back, but dead they shall be.

[Crazy Davey]

I'd like to see me, put into a fanfic... I'd totaly be an awesome charecter.... I'll read any fic that somehow manages to put me into their story.

[Judge Joker]

How's this? I worked very hard on it!

------------------------------------

One day, Davey attempted to log on to RangerBoard, but RangerBoard was down.

"Huh..." Davey said. He then went on to another website.

The end.

[y3k]

I like to imagine that, if I ever wrote about Davey...he'd be like that redshirt in the new Star Trek movie. You know, the one that gets sucked under the drill.

[Crazy Davey]

clearly, no one can see what an awesome Red Ranger I would be.... Although, I like y3k's idea of me getting sucked in a drill :cool:

[Ranger2025]

yeah, same here! Mine, (I know I talk alot about mine, but honestly, its cuz I don't really READ alot of fanfics, but I know what I would like, and thats what I'm incorporating in mine) its going to stay pretty much on the same level as PR, but sorta like it would be it if was geared for teens. No cussing, Not much into relationships, but if I throw that in, it probably won't go beyond flirting, pining, and maybe kissing. But there will be death. If people die, they won't be "destroyed" they will die. Doesn't necessarily mean they can't or wont' come back, but dead they shall be.

Yeah thats cool, as long as people aren't being disembowled or something.

I'm ashamed for "plugging" but if you're looking for a story that has a storybook format (as opposed to a script), original characters, and where depth takes priority over morphed action, than you might want to check out my fic "The Power Rangers."

http://rangerboard.com/showthread.php?t=125553


But as for the topic at hand, I typically don't read the same type of stories that I write. I do like reading fan fiction with original characters, but I'm a fan of reading the more campy genre of fiction rather than the "dark, realistic" kind of things that I tend to write.


I like yours, but I (my opinion, not telling ya what to do) would clean up the language and the parent's deaths. But thats just me. You ar a good writer, but our different views on this keep me from really getting into your fanfic. No offense.


And Crazy Davey, I swear: There will be a fanfic based on Crazy Davey: Awesome Ranger VEEERRRRRY soon ;)

[ZeoFury]

I like yours, but I (my opinion, not telling ya what to do) would clean up the language and the parent's deaths. But thats just me. You ar a good writer, but our different views on this keep me from really getting into your fanfic. No offense.

None taken. I thought about who the "audience" on this board was while starting to write Chapter 3 and I've toned down the language a lot aside from the occasional slip of the tongue. I considered going back and editing the really foul language and I may just do that since I don't think it would take away from the tone of the story.

The parents' deaths are the driving force behind the introduction of the Rangers, however, but I also thought about editing that to make some of the detail less explicit. It isn't done to offend people. :023:

[cyrax037]

Yeah thats cool, as long as people aren't being disembowled or something.

Yeah. Thats not really my style of writing, it can have its place, such as a horror flick(tho I am not really a big fan of the genre either) its just my style. Altho I do get big into Halloween, and wont shy away from a really gruesome display.:005: When I write, I usually try to stick to normal TV guidelines, whether intentional or not. As an aspiring filmmaker, I'm probably more likely to do TV series, over movies, maybe even made for tv movies. Just seems to fit me better.


I must admit, I'm a fan of the heroic death scene. Like Dinobot in BeastWars, and Katsamoto from Last Samurai. I've always liked those. Maybe cliche, but they always strike a cord with me.

[Ranger2025]

I must admit, I'm a fan of the heroic death scene. Like Dinobot in BeastWars, and Katsamoto from Last Samurai. I've always liked those. Maybe cliche, but they always strike a cord with me.

The death of Dinobot was the last good thing they did in that show, and they did it between a lot of CRAP. Thats a death for a kid's hero.

[ThisSpaceForRent]

Let’s start with what I DON’T want out of a fic, shall we?

First of all, I must say, an immediate turnoff for any fan-made work of Power Rangers is anything that claims to be ‘realistic’, because let’s face it--- NOTHING is ‘realistic’ about fifty foot monsters in rubber costumes battling color-coded super heroes. Kaiju isn’t really ‘realistic’… Godzilla has been everything from a hero to a horror, but never in the ~gritty, mature, realistic~ way everyone either claims or wishes it would be. Sentai isn’t any more ~realistic~ than Power Rangers… the occasional trickles of blood and scrapes and stuff? They only last an episode. Not realistic.

Besides, realism for this genre just doesn’t work for me. It comes off hackneyed and stupid. Especially when most people think the that ~realism~ means a gratuitous use of swear words and purposefully dislikable characters. I don’t want to see a team of escaped convicts become Power Rangers in a bid for redemption. This is Power Rangers; not The Terminator. This is Toku and Kaiju, NOT Cloverfield.

People confuse ~realism~ with relatability: a character doesn’t have to be ~realistically written~ to be relatable. Harry Potter is relatable, NOT realistic. Cinderella is relatable, NOT realistic. Writing characterization well has nothing at all to do with realism.

Please, keep your hustlers and pimps and hussies and Degrassi rejects out of Power Rangers. Because it doesn’t work. It’s lazy and illogical. And it reads like the crap you find on FanFiction.Net.

Things that seek to ~mature~ the franchise but completely miss the point also annoy me to no end. There should be no shame in loving a series meant for children. We grew up with it, not the other way around: that’s the point. ~Power Rangers for Grown Ups~ will never do anything for me but make me angry. Fics that kill off Trini because of Thuy’s accident are tasteless and enrage me. It’s not an original idea. It wasn’t the first three hundred times it was done and it isn’t now. Fics that set the construct of Power Rangers into a place they don’t belong… the end of the world, for instance. Not my cup of tea. Keep death, explicit sex, torture, overzealous displays of whatever religious doctrine you may support, ~political intrigue~, etc. OUT of Power Rangers.

Stroking of one’s ego ala self-inserts or, worse yet, an entire cast of self-and-friends-inserts is a surefire way to guarantee I won’t give it the time of day.

Oh, and don’t even SPEAK to me about crossovers outside of certain other Toku. I’ll stare daggers into your soul. Buffy has no place in Power Rangers, and vice versa.

If you’re going to ~re-imagine~ the franchise, please do it in a way that is respectful and makes sense in comparison to the canon. Remember what the essence of each character is. Remember what role each character is supposed to fit and what function they serve in the team dynamic. Remember that Power Rangers is about an ENSEMBLE, not just one or two characters.

I don’t like fics formatted as scripts. They don’t read as enjoyably to me as a narrative style.

What I want in a fic? Simple. Originality. Or at least enough creativity that things aren’t predictable. Don’t wanna read any fiction involving Tommy marrying Kim, nothing involving alleged Ranger offspring… None of that does anything for me.

I like seeing original stories with original characters, suits, locations, and all of that… just so long as they’re interesting, well-crafted, and Ranger-esque. Power Rangers has a certain feeling about it that sometimes even the actual series misses for me. Time Force, Wild Force, Overdrive, and RPM in particular miss the mark for me in terms of FEELING like a Power Rangers story with the appropriate characters and such. Rangers are genuinely nice people by default… even the ~cocky~ ones are good people at heart. I don’t want to read anything where all of the characters are pompous, postulating jackasses. There’s enough of those in real life.

Make believable characters. Not realistic, we went over that already. Make the character believable in the context of the world they live in. The world of the Power Rangers, for all of the space aliens and demons and such that reek havoc in-universe, is a relatively peaceful place, at least so much that, by and large, actual death is rare and hardly ever spoke of… to the point that the only Ranger to legitimately die was brought back to life. Magna Defender died legitimately, but he was not a Ranger, and his death didn’t feel gratuitous the way a lot of deaths in fic seem to be.

Basically, don’t screw over my childhood with your twisted fantasies of how you would do Power Rangers if you got the chance… because there’s usually a good reason as to why you aren’t and never will be in a position to count in that regard.

If you can write descriptively, poetically in prose, give me characters with actual depth (the way the ORIGINAL characters actually have, if you actually pay attention), then chances are I’ll give it a shot. If you’re the author of a story that is nothing but empty, flatly stereotypical ~badass~ characters in a crapsack world where everything is doom and gloom, or your characters are just horribly written and portrayed, I’m not interested. If your story has no plot or interesting tale to weave, I have no interest in your story, I’m sorry to say. There's more, I'm sure, but this is quite enough for now.

The sad thing is… a lot of fan fics are this way. That’s largely why I don’t read many of them. The fear of running into problems with plotting and story construction keeps me from writing my own fics, which is largely why I keep them to myself, outside of the visual aids I make to accompany the ideas.

[Hurricane Black]

So, according to your high and mighty rant, you're pretty much dissing every writer in the Fanfic Forum...minus yourself, of course. Because there's a wide variety of all of the story formats that don't interest you flowing through this forum.

First of all, childhood be damned. I've read stories ranging from your apocalyptic end of the world scenarios to works with a strong political background. They've all been great and you know why? One, because the person writing it knows what they're doing, and two, all of those scenarios are entirely plausible within the realm of PR. The world on the brink of death because a great evil has managed to win? Possible. The government stepping in because they view the Power Rangers as vigilantes? That's possible, too. Regardless of what we're shown on tv, it barely scrapes the surface of the places you can take Power Rangers.

I like characters that are flawed. None of this "Oh, I'm afraid of heights. Let's use this episode/chapter to conquer that and I'll be all fine and dandy from here on out". No one wants to see a team of perfect Mary Sues who are perfect at everything and so sugary sweet to the point of being nauseating. Not everyone gets along with everybody. I like to see tension when the situation calls for it. Everyone accepting Tommy on the team, no questions asked? No way. I want to see at least one person who's concerned with a guy that practically beat them within an inch of their lives hanging around.

I like diverse characters that stand out on their own. None of this cardboard cutout mess where you can replace the name and gender of their character and they'd still read the same boring way. I want the loner, geeky person on the team who's trying to break out of his shell and get along with everyone and enhance his self-confidence. I enjoy the growth, the change in a person.

And mature doesn't always mean blood, guts and gore. There's nothing wrong with PR being more dramatic than it normally is. What I'm really trying to say is that I enjoy when writers aren't afraid to step out of the box by not sticking to the same old format.

[ThisSpaceForRent]

So, according to your high and mighty rant, you're pretty much dissing every writer in the Fanfic Forum...minus yourself, of course. Because there's a wide variety of all of the story formats that don't interest you flowing through this forum.

Oh, I'm sorry. Did I strike a nerve? I didn't realize that me sharing my opinion in a thread asking about what you are and aren't looking for in a work of fiction that will never see the light of day beyond, at best, hundreds of people based on the works of other people (in this case, based on a work which is itself based on something else) was ~high and mighty~.

And, yeah, pretty much every writer... if pretty much every writer uses those piss poor tactics to write a story.

First of all, childhood be damned. I've read stories ranging from your apocalyptic end of the world scenarios to works with a strong political background. They've all been great and you know why? One, because the person writing it knows what they're doing, and two, all of those scenarios are entirely plausible within the realm of PR.

Yeah. In a world with wacky space wizards and the realistic tactic of targeting one U.S. city at a time with usually no more than five monsters. In the daytime. That makes perfect sense. Governmental kabals and ~sentient computer viruses~.

Put it this way, if you find RPM ~enthralling~, as it appears you do, then we come from two completely different schools of thought.

The world on the brink of death because a great evil has managed to win? Possible. The government stepping in because they view the Power Rangers as vigilantes? That's possible, too. Regardless of what we're shown on tv, it barely scrapes the surface of the places you can take Power Rangers.

Just because you can do it, doesn't mean it should be done. Theoretically, you could make The Smurfs horribly twisted and horrifying... but, considering what The Smurfs are and were made for, that would make no sense.

I feel the same way about Power Rangers. Again, my opinion. I'm entitled to it, just like you are to yours.

I like characters that are flawed. None of this "Oh, I'm afraid of heights. Let's use this episode/chapter to conquer that and I'll be all fine and dandy from here on out". No one wants to see a team of perfect Mary Sues who are perfect at everything and so sugary sweet to the point of being nauseating. Not everyone gets along with everybody.

Yeah, not everybody gets along with everybody... but a ~team~ of people who hate each other? Have you ever watched Power Rangers?

Everybody rags on MMPR, despite the fact that those characters were stereotypes that actually GREW. Nobody seems to notice that growth. Billy was fumbling, awkward, and nervous and he became confidant and compident. That's character development. Kimberly was never a bitch, but she was always a Valley Girl... even as she grew into a stronger Ranger. Trini was afraid of clowns.

Flaws don't mean being an asshole. Flaws are character tics that set a character off and provide room for growth... But to pay attention to that growth, isn't it logical to have characters who you don't want to murder?

I like to see tension when the situation calls for it. Everyone accepting Tommy on the team, no questions asked? No way. I want to see at least one person who's concerned with a guy that practically beat them within an inch of their lives hanging around.

Rocky initially was jealous of Tommy when he became the White Ranger... unless I'm remembering that wrong. Either way, whatever. The show worked for what it was.

I like diverse characters that stand out on their own. None of this cardboard cutout mess where you can replace the name and gender of their character and they'd still read the same boring way. I want the loner, geeky person on the team who's trying to break out of his shell and get along with everyone and enhance his self-confidence. I enjoy the growth, the change in a person.

I agree... I hate monotone casting and static characters. But Power Rangers works in a way that uses ~stereotypes~ to it's advantage. In that instance, they are referred to as tropes, I believe. There is a trope for every color designation of Ranger. Sometimes two or more. But the thing is, I am a believer in "it's not cliche if it WORKS."

Problem is, a lot of the things I've seen simply DON'T.

Again, they don't work for me. They may work for you, and that's great. But I'm talking about myself now.

And mature doesn't always mean blood, guts and gore.

I agree, it doesn't. Explain to me, then, why any story that purports to be a more mature take on Power Rangers features at least one of those?

There's nothing wrong with PR being more dramatic than it normally is.

Oh, I agree... Again, when it's DONE RIGHT. Shoehorning shit in there that doesn't work (~romantic turmoil~, ~death!~, etc.) is what bothers me the most about that situation.

I could deal with a little Degrassi-ism in a Power Rangers story... but not so much that it takes away from the actual Power Rangers part.

What I'm really trying to say is that I enjoy when writers aren't afraid to step out of the box by not sticking to the same old format.

Again, I agree... But it isn't taking it outside of the box when it's something EVERYONE does. It's just putting it in another less conspicuous box. Like how RPM's writing and story are just shit, but because it's a new ~srs bsns~ setting, people are wetting their panties over it.

If you are going to change things up, make sure you know what your reference material is. Otherwise, you come off looking ridiculous...

In my opinion, obviously. Have to keep saying that. Some people get confused.

[..Red X..]

Most of what I like has been said. Solid plot, character growth, a skilled writer, no Mary Sue, etc.

However, one thing I enjoy is the concept of having a regular person (ie: not from PR or any other show canon) somehow attain ranger powers and/or the ability to bestow them upon others. PR in a "real life" setting can be done in so many ways.

[ThisSpaceForRent]

Most of what I like has been said. Solid plot, character growth, a skilled writer, no Mary Sue, etc.

However, one thing I enjoy is the concept of having a regular person (ie: not from PR or any other show canon) somehow attain ranger powers and/or the ability to bestow them upon others. PR in a "real life" setting can be done in so many ways.

If done impeccably well, I could read something like that. Probably only a one-shot, though, as I'm not exactly sure how a series or full story with that theme would play out.

But a great writer with vision can get me to read almost anything.

[cyrax037]

Remember that Power Rangers is about an ENSEMBLE, not just one or two characters.


What I want in a fic? Simple. Originality. Or at least enough creativity that things aren’t predictable.


HAHAHA.:005: I'm sry, its just, I find it a bit funny if you think about it.
Mate, I say you should have typed that up a long time ago, and airmailed it to Mr. Kalish, cuz he DEFIANTLY didn't get that memo.:005:


Rocky initially was jealous of Tommy when he became the White Ranger... unless I'm remembering that wrong. Either way, whatever. The show worked for what it was.

Are you talking about prior to Rocky becoming a ranger? Cuz when Tommy became the white ranger, Jason, Zack and Trini where still part of the team.


I do see some of your points(altho, I thought it could have maybe been made is a little less hostile way, but whatev)
I don't like the gratuitous death of characters, but it shouldn't necessarily be something to shy away from completely. There has to be a MEANING to that characters death. In my fic, I have already set the deaths of a few certain characters, but there is a very good reason for this, and I wouldn't do it, if I didn't think it would distract from the over all story if I didn't kill them off. But I agree, overall, I'm not a fan of gratuitous swearing in a fic about PR, or any show where there is NO swearing. For PR, No swearing, in, say a Supernatural fanfic, you can get by with minor swearing, and makes sense there. But if the story is good, I can roll with it, but overall, it is a little distracting to hear Tommy say FUCK YOU! (Unless its a parody fic or something, like my Secret Thoughts of the Red Ranger video on youtube.:005: )

[HMR]

The instant deal-breaker with me with Fanfiction is grammar and spelling. I can let the occasional misspelled word or other minor flub slide, but, if it's overabundant in the first paragraph? Yeah, I just click back as quickly as possible. But, if it's good (doesn't have to be perfect) and has an interesting premise, then I start looking for other things.

My biggest thing with fanfiction is reasoning. I'll buy anything if it's entertaining and presented in a somewhat logical way. If you can present a reasonably believable explanation, be it just hints at first and gradually revealing more over time or with giving every last minute detail at the get-go, for why a person is the way they are, or how something is done, or why things are the way they are. This is especially important when changing preconceived notions, be it the notions of what many believe to be basic elements of PR, or changing canon. Pulling a movie reference here: Star Trek. It was an awesome movie. Not as scientifically intelligent as TOS, but it had amazing characters, some very dramatic and comedic moments, and was highly enjoyable, yet, it was so drastically different with events from TOS, but they explained it in the movie with the alternate timeline. Yes, the alternate timeline concept isn't new for Star Trek, with the mirrorverse and all the offshoot alternate timelines during TNG, but PR isn't foreign to this concept either, with MMPR:TM, and Dark Wish and Wipeout (I think that's the name of that NS one with Tori in the alternate Blue Bay Harbor). Sure, a lot of people think AUs are total cop-outs. Personally, I like them because they can show what happens when things don't go right or you make the other choice instead, such as Dark Wish. The more you change the notions or a canon, the more you need to put that explanation on WHY you changed it in the context of the story. But, even though establishing a reason for things in a story gives you leay-way, there are some things that do go a bit too far, mainly brutal dismemberment, gushing gore galore, explicit sex (implied is okay) constant obscene over-cussing just for cussing sake, as well as utter perfection, over-exaggeration, and too-much lightheartedness.

I also look for mature, somewhat realistic fics, and hope I can find an intelligent one. Now, when I say mature and realistic, I'm not talking like "R"-rated mature and I'm not talking about real-world everything. Yes, this is Power Rangers fanfiction. It's based off a kids' show, so turning it into a full-on war epic a la Starship Troopers is gonna be, well, rather difficult, and a bit odd (but, once again, with the right reasoning, I could buy it). When I say mature and realistic, I mean characters presented in a way a normal person would act in say a PG or PG-13 movie. Honestly, it's not that far-fetch. Look at Sentai. Yes, it's a Japanese children's show, but, American and Japanese television standards are rather different. Though it's used sparingly, in Japan there is the use of some language, their characters are allowed to bleed, have scrapes and cuts (and implied gashes) and, characters in Sentai are allowed to die and stay dead (though, there is always a purpose/reasoning for it that always has an impact on the outcome of the season). If directly adapted from the Sentai, PR would have content that would change the age range. I'm not saying PR should be a direct adaptation of Sentai, but, if you ask me, if certain elements are a-okay for Sentai, it's acceptable fore PR fanfiction. I like to have something structured around reality, then expand on it plausibly. Oh, and also, when I say intelligent, I mean something like Pinky and the Brain, Animaniacs, Freakazoid, Batman:TAS, Samurai Jack. Those cartoons were more than just cartoons: they had their moments of pure genius. I don't expect every fic out there to be like that, hell, I don't even think I've written one yet(hopefully), but they are great to have.

Also, this is just one last little thing I wanted to add, when I do encounter a fic that's a reworking of a season in an established alternate universe, I like to see what they do with characters, and I kinda hope they change things up. No ranger in the history of PR has been perfect, other than Divatox, though, Bridge, Ziggy, Flynn, pre-wedding Zedd and RJ are about as close as you get if you ask me. There are a lot of characters that had potential, but just kinda fell short because of a few minor things, then there's the rangers that were utterly horrible, and then even the ones that had ZERO personality. I think if you've established your own vision of something, that you shouldn't feel totally restrained on what you can do. As an example, TSFR mentioned in a post how he finds fics that kill of Thuy Trang's Trini very disrespectful. In a canon-based fanfic, killing off her portrayal of the character is. However, in an established AU with a obviously (possibly dramatically) different Trini, I don't feel it's disrespectful because it was not the character Thuy crafted. It's just like in Star Trek, Chris Pine's Kirk is similar yet different than William Shatner's Kirk: they may share the same name and same position, and have very similar traits, but they are two different men.

That's just my two cents though.

Edit- Oooh! Something just popped into my head that I just remembered. It's not something I look for in fics, but I remember TSFR saying he didn't like characters who were total jerks/rather unlikeable. Yeah, I realize I might be in the minority, but I just wanna say that I really like unlikeable characters who have selfish motivations and aren't what you would expect to be a ranger. They add that bit (sometime loads) of tension to the dynamic of the team, but they're tricky to write, and they need always need something to counterbalance them, and, once again, they need that reason to be a jerk/bastard/asshole/bitch that they are. I've personally have come up with a lot of these types of characters, mainly because I've always like the chance to have someone see something that makes them begin to think about what kind of person they are. Sometimes, they begin to slowly lighten up, and, eventually, grow into a better person, while other times, they go from an absolute bastard who disrupt the team's dynamic to just a regular bastard that no longer resists the team dynamic.

[yami senshi youkaiou]

Well just to chime in my 2 cents that's a good question since all you guys bring up a lot of good points.

Most of the time I probably do enjoy a lot of those fics that try to imagine Power Rangers as Battlestar Galactica or Heroes in spandex err excuse me "Self Replicating Nano Fibers" or whatever your explanation of choice for the suits but other times I might enjoy a "Power Rangers (insert theme here) Force" fic as long as it actually captures the "feel" of a super sentai or power rangers season or the theme isn't just there for the costumes, and zords like if it's something that involves mythological creatures or monsters it uses actual myths, and legends about them like if an MOTD is a yokai the story involves actual Japanese mythology.

Or using a non-Power Rangers example I might read a fic based off G-Gundam or Digimon that isn't about pre-existing characters but is about the adventures of new characters in the already existing universe.


Then again what I might read, what I myself may write tend to be two different things like my big ambition in life wouldn't be making the next X-Men or Whatchmen as much as making the next Ben 10 or The Secret Saturdays so I tend to write something like that.

Plus I tend to want to write my own concepts rather then other people's because someday if I have the means to I might want to pitch it to Cartoon Network, or Nickelodeon, and because if I'm trying to think how I would have done a show differently, and the way I'd do it involves changing one one of the basic concepts of the original then it seems like I might as well make a different story altogether.

Other times I might borrow from a show like Heroes or Harper's Island not to be "Dark, and Serious" or anything like that but because I like how they handle having multiple characters, and having overarching plots where everyone's connected.

It's weird because sometimes I want to do things both ways like I might write a story with elements of Kamen Rider, and Super Sentai, and write where the Kamen Rider inspired characters, and MOTDS are explained as the next stage of evolution or as people came back from the dead through magic or technology, and explain the Sentai inspired ones as modern day ninjas, or some secret government agency but still imagine the Sentai inspired characters being played by folks in spandex tights, and the MOTDs, and Kamen Rider inspired characters being played by guys rubber suits, or plastic "armor"

Like I might do typical MOTD plots but write like my MOTD is an actual criminal or unexplained creature, and my villain group is treated like an actual criminal organization or cult.

And I'd write weird dialogue like the authorities are talking about the MOTD, and they're going:

"They call him Jimmy "The Panther" Kowalski"

"Why do they call him that?"

"Because he's a panther mutoid"

(interested) "Hmmm"



Or I might write the characters getting into weird predicaments in their normal, and superhero/supervillain lives like the bad guys being like the characters on L.O.S.E. or the big bad being public service announcement writer, and after his big "dark master of evil" moment, turns around, and asks his minions "Hey what's a good catchy slogan recycling?"


I'll admit that's why I like the pre-story, and profiles thread, and why I agree on the beta reader idea because I want to know what works, and what doesn't in my fics before I write them, then again sometime I wish I was writing with someone else so that that way if there was something I was good at, and something I wasn't I could just stick to what I was good at, and let someone else write the part I wasn't.

[cyrax037]

Sure, a lot of people think AUs are total cop-outs. Personally, I like them because they can show what happens when things don't go right or you make the other choice instead, such as Dark Wish

I'm a big fan of AUs! Like the Mirror Universe in Star Trek, that has been repeated in other shows, such as Buffy, Charmed, and that alternate world Tori was in, even if it was her imagination. (I'm still not sure on that one, guess its up to each individual to determine) I just LOVE that story. I'd love to see a mirror world with just about every story. Hell, I'd be fascinated to know what all goes on in a mirror world version of my own town! The Wish, from BTVS was one of my favorite uses, cuz it was, well I dunno why really, I just liked it! It was so different, seeing the good guys being totally completely evil.


Oh, and also, when I say intelligent, I mean something like Pinky and the Brain, Animaniacs, Freakazoid, Batman:TAS, Samurai Jack. Those cartoons were more than just cartoons: they had their moments of pure genius.

THANK YOU!!!! Animaniacs, and Pinky and the brain where AWESOME!!! And Batman:TAS, Superman:TAS all the way to to JL and JL Unlimited, and the various batman JL animated movies! They had some kickass writing! Awesome, awesome writers! I wish those writers, would be used for the live action movies.

[Acatl]

What do i look in fanfics? SENSE!
and grammar and proper punctuation. I have stumbled across fics whose summary promised a lot, and then the fic itself was plagued with leetspeak, or worse, it was written in a single paragraph, making it unreadable.
Second, Originality. While i *am* sick of "children of previous rangers" premise, i have seen some *Really* good ones that make it work, and i have read ones with incredible ideas that just fell flat on how horribly written they are.
Plausibility and likeable characters are another thing. I have seen stories where it starts with a well written ranger, and then i realize that all of the other rangers behave in the exact same manner, and any conflict that arises is forced. What i say, is, unless there isn't a reason of why the characters should behave or dress similar, then they shouldn't. I have seen some of those detailing the characters clothes and then be totally unmatched for their peronality, like a "shy and modest girl" wearing a mini-dress, or a geeky guy wearing the latest fashion(even with brand glasses)
And while i admit that i'm not a fan of deaths, gore and all that stuff, there are children shows nowadays that deal with some of that, and make trulymaster pieces. If they had wanted a"children show" we would have ended with another dumb rip off of Looney Tunes instead of Avatar, or the DCU

[cyrax037]

Well, that's like the above mentioned justice league/JLU. They dealt with death, hell, they even pretty much showed alternate Supes killing Luthor. Kara, on one episode, where her, Stargirl, the guy in the mechanical suit(don't know his name) and GL went to that other world in the center of the earth or whatever. Kara was loosing her powers, and there was this GIANT chuck of Kryptonite, and she said flat out that if it had not been for her powers being drained, by I assume the simulated red sun or something, that the exposure would have killed her almost instantly. She also fought with a sword, and hacked into monster like enemies. Not all blood and gore, but you knew what was going on, but they didn't have to show blood spraying everywhere and all that. Intelligently done, well written, and just over all good stuff! There is where you find the balance between writing a fanfic of a kids show, and make it a little more mature, at the same time retaining some aspect of the kids show. I would highly suggest watching some Justice League episodes, to see how a well written story goes, that targets a teen audiance, instead of targeting smaller kids, or adults, but appeals to all! Hell, my dad loves JL almost as much as I do! It was a great show!
(I just wish Boomerang would stop playing that Solomon Grundy episode where he got resurrected and Harkgirl had to put him down.)

Also, I think I've mentioned this before, but you don't always have to be able to spell and have the proper grammar. But if that is the case, PLEASE use a spell checker, reread it to look for errors, and even try to find a friend or family member who IS good with spelling and grammar, to read it and find your mistakes, and correct them.

Naturally, I'm not a strong speller, nor a super strong grammar expert. Like when I type of message boards. But usually, when I write, then END result, is pretty close to being perfect on those issues, because I write in a word processor that has a great spell check, and my dad will read my rough draft, and correct any spelling or grammatical errors. Its a good idea, if you're serious about doing a well written fanfic, to have and editor that can fix mistakes!:023:

[..Red X..]

I also strongly dislike crossovers. Keep Sailor Moon and X-Men out of PR.

[Kamen R2J]

Explore the existing universe. What kind of religions exist on Triforia? Is KO-35 the only Karovian colony, or is there a whole group of them? What kind of culture do the Horathians have? What do Mirionites and Terra Venture colonists do on their days off? How many magical dimensions are there? Are there other riders, or defenders, or knights? PR is a *magnificent* sandbox to play in, the likes of which cannot be rivaled by any show. Even 40 year franchises like Star Trek have their limits of what they can explore. PR is the ultimate grab bag, embracing both magic and technology, and only giving us hints of what is really going on, so as to make us wonder and think.

Funaro said it best, that Power Rangers is a unique show because it isn't about robots, ninjas, or wizards, but about robot ninja wizards. I do agree that PR has a huge universe to explore, and I think it's a damn shame they may never be explored except by a fan's work.

I've said this a million times, but I would love a comic series that plays around in the expanded universe of Power Rangers.

One of the best fanfics I've ever read is from Rovang; Loss of Innocents. It's a *great* character piece for Jason, Trini, and Zack, and explores their motivations and what happened to them during the eight-some episodes before the switchover after their actors had left. It's a wonderful work that raises the question what's the difference between good and evil? Do monster have a right to exist? The fighting in the story is from the show, and just there as a transition--the focus of the story is Jason and his discovery.

....

I have to find this.

[y3k]

...

Post four, Eric. Two down from the one you just quoted.

[BLANKS]

I must admit, I'm a fan of the heroic death scene. Like Dinobot in BeastWars, and Katsamoto from Last Samurai. I've always liked those. Maybe cliche, but they always strike a cord with me.

I'm pretty bad for killing off characters, but when I do, it serves a purpose and helps progress the story. Normally that death usually occurs near the end of the fic's completion, but usually the death happens with a bang.

I've killed Sky twice and Jack, Z and Sydney once, and crippled Bridge, in like two different stories. Anyone who knows my stuff, knows that some one is gonna croak before the end:023:.

[Acatl]

I also strongly dislike crossovers. Keep Sailor Moon and X-Men out of PR.

Heh, it depens on the settings and how well written is to *all* the parties.
The thing with most east/west and other fics is that they completely ignore the language barrier, or when one or the two are set in a very specific timeline. Heck, *some* stories can be played as happening in the same "dimension" (Like PR and Sailor Moon), while other will need a dimensional hopping by force(Anything that tries to cross over with Dragon Ball).

But i would rather read a good written crossover than a SPD/Any Other Season set in the present, with people magically knowing the SPDs.
The most jarring example? A fic who contained this line
"Call Lucas and tell him to come to the present. Oh, and he has to drop by 2025 to bring Sky with him"

[..Red X..]

That reminds me. I really dislike when people don't have a sense of time. Even if it's 2025, Jason and Kim probably wouldn't be able to have a 20 year old grandson.

[Kamen R2J]

...

Post four, Eric. Two down from the one you just quoted.

And you know what else I'd like to read? Shade of Grey. Gee, I wonder what happened to the guy who wrote that.

(...thanks.)

[y3k]

And you know what else I'd like to read? Shade of Grey. Gee, I wonder what happened to the guy who wrote that.

(...thanks.)

Shade of Grey was an experiment that failed (one of...actually, have I ever had an experiment that *didn't* fail?). I wanted to see if I could do something different, and it turned out that it was simply too difficult of a project to pull off right.

[Kamen R2J]

I understand completely, I just like jerking your chain about it because I can, and also because it was a very good concept that, as you said, was much too difficult to pull off.

[Beckoner]

Most of what I like has been said. Solid plot, character growth, a skilled writer, no Mary Sue, etc.

However, one thing I enjoy is the concept of having a regular person (ie: not from PR or any other show canon) somehow attain ranger powers and/or the ability to bestow them upon others. PR in a "real life" setting can be done in so many ways.

Funny you mention that, because that's what my series is actually about. The whole concept was based on a random thought I had in which I wondered: what if some regular old Joe in today's world got fully functional morphers?

[..Red X..]

Yeah. That's why I liked World Benders Season 2. I wasn't a big fan of either SPD or Overdrive, but Dino Thunder is among my top (insert relatively low number near five) favorite seasons. Seeing one of the less technologically-based teams replayed in today's world was interesting.

[Bionic Red]

Shade of Grey was an experiment that failed (one of...actually, have I ever had an experiment that *didn't* fail?). I wanted to see if I could do something different, and it turned out that it was simply too difficult of a project to pull off right.

I know the feeling. I started one fic that was loved by... five people? But I couldn't finish it because I overcomplicated it.

You probably never heard of it. (http://www.rangerboard.com/showthread.php?t=39807)

[yami senshi youkaiou]

Shade of Grey was an experiment that failed (one of...actually, have I ever had an experiment that *didn't* fail?). I wanted to see if I could do something different, and it turned out that it was simply too difficult of a project to pull off right.

Where is it? I can't find it

[y3k]

I don't think I ever posted it, because from the outset I didn't know if I could finish it. Eric's pretty much the only person to have ever read the first part.

[yami senshi youkaiou]

I don't think I ever posted it, because from the outset I didn't know if I could finish it. Eric's pretty much the only person to have ever read the first part.

Ahh I see I thought maybe the mods/admins got rid of it or it was one of those threads you can't find cause it so old.


But yeah I hear ya that's another thing I have I either have a hard time thinking out the plot or I do but then I watch or read or what have you something, and I think (Well shoot why didn't I think of something like that?), and I'll keep going back to the proverbial drawing board.

[y3k]

But yeah I hear ya that's another thing I have I either have a hard time thinking out the plot or I do but then I watch or read or what have you something, and I think (Well shoot why didn't I think of something like that?), and I'll keep going back to the proverbial drawing board.

That's exactly my problem with Peacekeepers. It's an idea I've been working on since 04, and it's been through two reboots thus far (one of which was never released). Once I get a couple chapters in...I take a break for a month or so and realize...shit, this all needs to be rewritten. AGAIN. But then again, it IS my baby. I've never had any other writing project I've been so caring towards. It's almost as if it's my muse, if I get stuck on another writing project, I go back and retool Peacekeepers for awhile. I think part of me is reluctant to actually finish it.

[Psycho Tangerine]

Are you the same Psycho Tangerine who does 'When ranges meet' on ff.net?

Yes I am.

[Peter]

Shade of Grey was an experiment that failed (one of...actually, have I ever had an experiment that *didn't* fail?). I wanted to see if I could do something different, and it turned out that it was simply too difficult of a project to pull off right.

And you know what else I'd like to read? Shade of Grey. Gee, I wonder what happened to the guy who wrote that.

(...thanks.)

I have a fanfic entitled "Shades of Grey". One of my best works, heh. Never mind.


PR is a *magnificent* sandbox to play in, the likes of which cannot be rivaled by any show. Even 40 year franchises like Star Trek have their limits of what they can explore. PR is the ultimate grab bag, embracing both magic and technology, and only giving us hints of what is really going on, so as to make us wonder and think.

*This* is why Power Rangers, as a franchise, appeals to me so much. There's no limits. You can go anywhere, do anything. Take your characters to any place in space or time, and it completely fits the genre. The Power Rangers can face social issues at school, or stare down the gods at Ragnarok without flinching.

That, right there, is why I love the show. Thanks for that Tom :).

[Ninjaizer]

I enjoy original ideas.
I like fluid stories where the action is an integral part of the plot.
I like when people create a whole new cast of heroes and villains and take the franchise to a new place.

I don't read stories that feel like a Degrassi episode that concludes with a giant monster battle. I don't care for teen drama. I don't care if the Yellow puppy ranger panics because she has a zit and problems with her emo boyfriend while the Green bonzai ranger struggles with algebra because his parents are divorcing.

I'm glad there's a lot of different fanfics available for every taste.

[yami senshi youkaiou]

-snippage-

Well since this got bumped anyway.

The thing with me I've figured out is that I can come up with a basic idea for something but then when I try flesh out everything (plot, characters all that stuff).