Because it's all about the writing

This is going to be a strange question, especially since I've made myself scarce around LJ lately, but it's bugging the heck out of me, and I can't find info on it anywhere on the net.

I should add that it probably won't mean anything to anyone under forty, so if you aren't at least that old, ask someone who is. Pass the word. Someone, somewhere, must remember this.

Okay: does anyone remember a civil defense commercial that ran on local stations (maybe just mine, but I doubt it) in, I think, the 1960s? It was animated, and showed a regular guy doing various activities. Then, a stern-sounding voice would say, "WHEREVER YOU ARE, WHATEVER YOU'RE DOING, IF YOU HEAR THIS SOUND..." followed by the air raid siren. Then, they would tell you to go to a shelter, or hide in your basement, or whatever, and listen for further instructions. The last image of the commercial was the guy's hand reaching out from under a table and turning on his radio with a "click."

That scared the hell out of me as a kid. They used to run it during during afternoon cartoon shows (I specifically remember The Hulk), and I used to close my eyes and tightly cover my ears until I was sure it was over. Still, that voice used to come haunt me at bedtime, making me hide under the covers with a pillow over my head, as if The Voice could somehow reach out and grab me.

It was terrible growing up during the nuclear era, when the Cubans or the Russians or whomever might send missiles our way at any moment, and my school, as well as many other buildings, had those yellow and black plaques marking them as civil defense shelters.

God, I feel old.

Help, please?

Does anyone know of a Stargate SG-1 virtual season 11 being planned?

...has been posted! Link is here: Into the Breach

After a significant delay, Chapter Four of Stargate: Alchemy is finally up! Chapter Five to follow soon.

follow the link

Okay, let me get this straight:

( spoilers ahoy )

( not really spoilers )

( Read more... )

( SG-1: The Quest, Part 2 )


( SGA: The Return II )

I’ve decided to quit posting warnings on chapters of Stargate: Alchemy from now on.

It’s not that big an impact, really; after all, aaaaaahz and I are writing a gen AU (of sorts), so it’s not as though any kind of sexual squick will sneak up and whack someone over the head. Still, it means that from now on I won’t be telling you (other than through the rating) whether anyone swears, or anyone dies, or any type of emotional intensity is present.

Why have I chosen to do this? Mainly, it was the influence of this post, which I found through metafandom. I’ve never been much for either political correctness, or being deliberately incorrect. Mainly, I just like to do my own thing in a way that suits me best. And, as hth_the_first’s post reminded me, I like the element of surprise, and think our readers should have the benefit of it too.

This isn’t terribly controversial, I know, since we don’t have hundreds of readers hanging on every word. (Or if we do, hey, drop me a line! *g*) Still, I thought I should say something about why the warnings disappeared, in case anyone noticed.

Found on a Doctor Who community (RTD refers to Russell T. Davies, one of the show’s producers): “I feel quite happy to critique RTD's plotting and writing without having to offer an alternative.”

That statement bothers me. Not the bit about RTD’s writing; certainly, the poster is welcome to his opinions, whether I agree with them or not. No, the real problem in that sentence is the bit about not offering an alternative.

Maybe it’s the writer in me, but I always figured that if you thought something was bad, you instinctively knew what would have made it good. Otherwise, what basis would you use for comparison? “Man, that really sucked.” “Okay, what would have made it not suck?” “I dunno, just… something else.”

Does. Not. Compute.

When I negatively review an episode of one of my series, I have reasons for disliking it: “Red Sky” was bad because they ignored both scientific reality and SG’s own canon; “That Which Is Lost” was bad because neither Ed nor Al learned anything of value; “Love and Monsters” was bad because the Doctor and Rose were treated like secondary characters. In all three cases the alternative (at least one of them) is fairly obvious.

So, my questions are: is it okay to just say “New Who sucks, the last episode sucked, RTD’s writing sucks,” without going any further or giving any reasons? Is my brain the only one that automatically says, “they shouldn’t have done that, they should have done _x_ instead?” And, could I really write a better episode of SG than “Red Sky?”

Don't know about the others, but on that last one, I’d have to say, “yeah.” :)

Well, I've got the new computer up and running, finally. Wow, what a difference! I can surf the web, play games, write and play music at the same time... and everything doesn't come to a halt when mail arrives.

Tomorrow, I'll start catching up on my flist. Plus, I've got some writing to do. It's been way too long since the last chapter of SG: A was posted.

( Cut for Doctor Who spoilers )

Sam Carter will be appearing on SGA next season because TPTB still have Amanda under contract. Wonderful.

Think she'll bring her pedestal with her? You know, the one the writers put her on right before her character started going downhill.

Daniel is the only character who will fit comfortably on Atlantis without duplicating someone else's effort. They don't need Sam.

So, I've been away from my journal for a while, due to various sorts of busyness, and when I come back, what do I do? Complain, of course! :)

Thing is, I'm not sure this is a problem you can do something about. It may be that because I'm traveling off the beaten path, marching to my own drummer, and all those other good cliches, that I'm just going to have to put up with this. But, I thought I'd mention it, and get it off my chest.

When you write fic, naturally you want others to know about it. If you've got people who are willing to rec you to their flist, that's great. If there's a place where you can post your own listing (such as sga_noticeboard), that's great, too. If not, then it's up to newsletters to put your information out there. And two things that fannish newsletters do a lot of is categorize and abbreviate.

It's understandable, really. I did a newsletter myself for a while, and I know editors are trying to convey as much as possible in a fairly limited space. So, to make it easier to find certain types of stories, they categorize them: gen, het, slash, crossover, AU, etc. They also squeeze as much as possible into one or two lines: title, author, universe(s), category, rating, and URL. If you've written something conventional, such as an SG-1 gen story, or an SGA Sheppard/McKay, everyone gets it, and they can decide whether they want to click on the link. Cross-universe is a little more tricky, but I can still decide whether I think Stargate/Doctor Who is worth my time.

But... what happens if you've written something unconventional? How do you entice readers when you've only got one line and a few accepted abbreviations to get your point across? Now, don't get me wrong; I'm very grateful to newsletters and the maintainers who work so hard. Without them, I and other fans like me wouldn't know where to find such a wide range of material. The problem I'm running into is that newletters are limited in terms of space, and if your work needs explanation, that's going to lose you readers.

Let's get specific: my writing partner aaaaaahz and I are currently working on a Stargate SG-1/Fullmetal Alchemist novel, released in chapters. With a listing like that, you'd expect the characters in both universes to interact, right? And if you don't know a thing about anime, or FMA in particular, you'd probably pass it up, figuring you wouldn't understand or enjoy it. The only problem is, I'm not writing a crossover.

What am I doing? As the primer says: "it's a re-imagining of the Stargate universe, with FMA ideas, plot points, and character traits blended in to create a new and different adventure." In other words, I've dismantled the FMA universe and incorporated pieces of it wherever I think appropriate... a character trait here, a plot point there. The message I have for potential readers is that you don't have to know anything about Fullmetal Alchemist to follow the story. That's precisely the type of thing newsletters have no room for.

So, what's the solution -- not just for me, but for anyone in my position? As I said earlier, I'm not sure there is one. Many fandoms don't have a "noticeboard" type community, where you can write your own announcement. Not everyone has friends willing to rec (and explain) their work. Newsletters deal in volume, not specifics.

I think we may be out of luck.

Well, the fuss over at fanficrants about selling fanfic, which later spilled onto fandom wank, seems to be over. I admit I participated to a small extent, because what was being said left a very bad taste in my mouth.

The main reason it bothered me wasn't the passive-aggressive attack on someone from my flist (although I didn't like that, either); it was the sheer ignorance of fannish history, particularly fanfic/fanzines. I know that history, because I lived a great deal of it. I've been to almost two dozen conventions over my fannish lifetime. I've written for, edited, typed, proofread, slipsheeted (mimeo), collated, sold, and of course bought zines. To put it briefly, I've been around the fannish block a few times.

Rehashing the details of the wank yet again won't do anyone any good. However, since this is something I feel very strongly about, I've come up with a list of reasons why (in my informed opinion) I think fanzines are a positive thing, rather than negative, and decided to post it for posterity.

One caveat: When I say zine, I'm talking about print fanzines. Zines on disk or CD are a newer phenomenon, and the rules may be different.


Seven Reasons Why Selling Fanzines* Isn't Bad, Wrong, or Hazardous to Your Fannish Health

1. Zines have been around a long time.

Writing fiction about media characters, and collecting one or more stories into a book/magazine format, for distribution to other fans: this is the definition of a fanzine. Zines have been around for forty years, ever since ST:TOS. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of them out there right now, and thousands more which are sadly out of print. They even have their own convention -- MediaWest -- and their own yearly awards for the best of the best, the FanQs.

It bothers me when people make it sound as though zines are an aberration, something "normal fans" don't do. What they don't realize is that this was THE way fanfic was distributed before the Internet came along. To create them is to follow a long and distinguished fannish tradition.True, there aren't as many of them these days, but in some ways they are still preferable to reading fic on a computer screen.

2. The word "selling" is relative.

When we talk about selling something, the implication is usually that a profit is being made. Fanzines are a little different: generally, they're sold for cost, meaning the publisher gets back most of the money they put into it, period. Rare is the zine publisher who breaks even on a regular basis; even more rare is finding someone who actually makes money on the deal.

How can a zine sell for $25 - $30 and not be a ripoff? Well, let's look at a typical set of costs: paper and ink to print out the first copy; all the subsequent copies; printing the covers (more if they're color); binding the zines together; gas/airfare/postage to deliver the zines; publicity (flyers, web space, etc); contributor copies; buying a dealer's table at a convention. (Remember, of course, that the authors aren't being compensated for their writing, the artists for their artwork, or the publisher for their time and effort.) If your zine is enormously popular and you make a thousand copies, the cost per zine will be lower. If you're not sure how it will be received, and only make a few, the cost will be higher.

There's also the practice of "rounding up," which is common in zine publishing. If it costs me $23.71 to produce each zine, I'll probably charge $24, or perhaps $25, when I sell it. That makes it easier on both buyer and seller, because exact change isn't required. And the leftover money isn't omg, profit!!! -- either it will go toward some expense I forgot to factor in, or as seed money for the next zine I produce. No one's getting rich here, folks. Really.

3. They already know about us.

"They," of course, are the creators of the various shows/movies/books/anime/games which make up media fandom. Every so often some fan will scream that we need to keep our heads down and our asses covered, because if They find us, They will come after us. Guess what? They already know about us, and about fanfic. By and large, they don't care.

It's true that what we're doing is technically illegal. (Or at least, the legality hasn't been defined.) It's also true that some creators, especially book authors, have specifically asked us not to write stories in their universes. Beyond that, most creators turn a blind eye to this type of activity. They know that the more publicity we generate within the fannish community, the more popular their product becomes, and the more money it's likely to make (from DVDs, etc).

Of course, the unwritten fannish rule which goes along with this freedom is don't shove fanfic in TPTB's faces. If they're forced to confront it, they may feel they have no choice but to protect their copyright by sending out C&D letters. As long as that delicate balance is maintained (you don't mention it, and neither will I), we can keep on truckin', and everyone's happy.

4. Internet fic is actually higher-profile.

Think about this: which will catch a creator's eye more quickly -- making a few bucks off a zine they've never heard of, or posting your fic on a public website where they, their agent, and their lawyer can Google it in less than thirty seconds?

I'm not saying we shouldn't have netfic. Sometimes it's nice to be able to post your writing to a global audience, and get feedback much faster (and more often) than you would otherwise. Plus, as I said above, most creators don't care as long as they can cheerfully ignore it. But if you're intent on making the argument that zines are a fannish disaster waiting to happen, understand that fic posted on the net is a much more likely source of trouble than zines ever have been, or ever will be.

5. No one's going to sue you.

Yes, I know people use this as a scare tactic, but unless you're trying to compete on the same playing field as the creators (such as selling fanfic openly on Amazon), they're not going to the trouble of suing you. It's true that overzealous lawyers will occasionally issue Cease and Desist letters, but that's mainly websites, and that's as far as it ever goes. You're not going to lose your house because you own, or create, fanzines.

6. When someone crosses the line, fandom takes care of it.

As you would expect, there are those fans who don't know, or don't want to abide by, the unwritten rules of fanfic. I've already mentioned the two most important rules: don't shove fanfic under TPTB's noses, and don't use it to make a profit. When someone gets it into their head to violate one or both of those rules, word spreads quickly, and the fans come out fighting. In most cases, there's no need for authorities... we police our own quite well. and the "offender" usually backs down before any real harm is done.

7. Zines are a bonding activity.

There's nothing quite like a collating party, or a binding party, or a pack-n-ship-em party to promote friendship while getting something done. There are lots of laughs, food, and you come away with a real appreciation for what it takes to get a zine "to market." These get-togethers usually take place among a local group of friends, but I've also known them to happen at conventions, sometimes running all night if the deadline is tight.

Oh, and you haven't lived until you've sat behind one of the dealer's tables at a busy con. One time my friend and I agreed to man the table for an eagerly awaited zine -- the third in a trilogy of stories. When the room opened, there was a line for everyone else, and a line for our table. I met a lot of people that day, put a lot of faces with names, and had a good time doing it. Give it a try!


*if you want to know more, check Wikipedia's entry on fan fiction.

I was going to write a nice, long rant about fanfic and zines, and other things that are currently exploding over at fanficrants. At some point, I still might, but for now I'll just show you the post I made instead:


But unless you have the resources to stand up in court and get that changed, don't go selling fanfiction, even if it's at cost of printing, or way under cost, or whatever, where people can see it.

You're entitled to your opinion. I'd defend your right to have it. I would not defend your posting it here, and then insisting you're right, because it flies in the face of history and logic.

You're not getting the message. What sky_dark did has been done by many fans, on a constant basis, for almost forty years. EVERY con has printed fanfic in some form available for the cost of producing it. It's also sold through the mail. I could name you half a dozen zines from the Stargate fandom that are available right now. How, exactly, is this hurting anyone? How do you think fandom has managed to survive and flourish all these years, if the situation is as dire as you say?

Yes, there are certain cases that are problematic. I know of one person who put fan material on a CD and tried to give it to the Firefly actors. Another woman wanted to be paid for her fanfic so she could make a living at it. These types of things are aberrations -- and when they happen, fandom calls them on it.

If you think printed fanfic is a problem, stay away from it. Don't expect the rest of us, many of whom have dozens or hundreds of zines in our collection, to get worked up about it.


What sky_dark (who is on my flist) did, btw, was sell her novel-length FMA story -- in printed form with a color cover and extra illustrations -- for cost at a con. That's a zine, folks. They've been around a while. :)

I liked it, a lot.

That's all that really needs to be said, I suppose. However, since we in the US won't be seeing any more episodes for nearly six months, I should give the half-season a nicer send-off. So, ( here's why I liked it: )

( spoilers ahoy )


ETA: Tonight's SGA? Now that is tension done right.

I'm pleased to announce that after talking about it for ages, Stargate: Alchemy is finally a reality! ::Sara does a virtual tapdance::

SG: A is a Stargate SG-1/Fullmetal Alchemist fan novel, written by myself and aaaaaahz, and released chapter by chapter. It isn't a direct crossover, but instead a re-imagining of the Stargate universe, with FMA ideas, plot points, and character traits added to the mix.

I've created a separate journal for the story, so please visit (and friend) sg_alchemy, where you'll find the first chapter, along with a Primer and character information to help you understand where we're going with this.

Whee! We actually did it! ::sounds of celebration::

So, I went out yesterday and bought the Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shamballa movie. On sale, and with an additional 10% discount, no less. Cost me less than $20, and I am thrilled, especially because this is the English version I've waited for.

Although I'm watching much more anime these days (Naruto, DNAngel, Eureka Seven, Bleach), FMA will always be my favorite. For me, it has the perfect mix of characters, unfolding plotline, art style, and of course Vic Mignogna's voice. :) I've fallen in love with Ed (the way a writer does), and that attachment's not going to end anytime soon.

( CoS spoilers and meta this way )

Who here is old enough to remember the CBS Radio Mystery Theatre?

In case you aren't, it was one of two attempts during the 70's - 80's to revive the art of radio drama (the other being Rod Serling's Zero Hour, which wasn't nearly as good). The RMT was narrated by E.G. Marshall, and cast a mix of former radio stars, and more "current" tv and film actors. (I remember several with Kim Hunter, whose voice I recognized from the Planet of the Apes movies.)

Why am I bringing this up now? Because, while searching through my audio tapes earlier today, I found an unlabeled tape containing a complete episode of the RMT. It's called "Accounts Receivable," and isn't necessarily one of their better ones, but it sure brought back a lot of memories.

Our local radio station aired the show at 10:07pm, right after the hourly news break. I used to get into bed, turn out all or most of the lights, and listen with closed eyes and an open mind. It always started with a very creaky door opening, and E.G. Marshall inviting us to listen to "the sound of suspense, the fear you can hear." For someone used to watching tv, it was a wonderfully imaginative experience. The music was very atmospheric (frequently borrowed, I later learned, from the original Twilight Zone), and the stories often had a twist in them that I didn't quite see coming. As a bonus, if by chance I missed the evening's episode (or really liked it), I found a faint but audible station from Buffalo that broadcast at 11:30pm.

My favorite story, as I recall, was about a future world where men and women lived in separate camps, and frequently raided each other for mating partners. A young warrior named Flower captured a man in order to have a child as she'd been ordered, but couldn't get pregnant. Time was running out before the man was to be killed (the problem was presumed to be his), and in the meantime the couple had become attached to each other, so they left, knowing they'd be outcasts of both camps. Later, they found some old ruins, where they discovered that men and woman had lived and worked beside each other in the past, until some cataclysmic event broke them apart... Yeah, okay, it sounds cliched now, but back then I thought it was the best thing since cheez whiz in a can. I always was a sucker for anything that sounded vaguely sf.

The tape I found is complete, from the squeaky door to the end music. It even has commercials -- which made me laugh when I realized I still remember the words to the True Value Hardware jingle. It's priceless, at least to me, because I've dearly missed the show all these years. If only it were available on tape or CD... but it's not, apparently because the producer, Himan Brown, doesn't want it to be. Maybe there are some *cough*websitesofferingcopies*cough* places where I can find a soundbite or two, if I look....