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Haikujitsu β How Fanfics Work
Published: 2012-12-30 03:40:30 +0000 UTC; Views: 4976; Favourites: 114; Downloads: 0
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I'm a strong believer in delayed gratification.
Okay, I'm a bit of a tease, but I always loved this experience as a reader and I want to pass it on.
The advantage of a serialized format like fanfiction is that you can use real time as a storytelling device. Waiting is part of reading. Readers must take it a chapter at a time. Find the core of the story, the motivation of the characters, the reader's desire, and play with it. Polish it up and make it big and beautiful. Give them a good look at it, but keep it just out of reach. Sure it'll drive people crazy, but when they finally, finally make it to that goal the payoff will be so much sweeter.
Cheers,
-Hj
Danny Phantom belongs to Butch Hartman and Nickelodeon.
This comic belongs to me.
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Comments: 59
you fic writers are evil, you know that right? WE CAN'T HANDLE THE SUSPENSE!!!! >0<
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So true!
So many ideas... Not enough strategy...
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*nods* It's an eternal struggle...
-Hj
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This is amazing.
It's annoying when a chaptered fic is actually a short story [or even vignette] all dressed up.
But this...
I keep scrolling up just to look at it again. It's adorable!
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Aw, thanks! Phantom's a cute lil guy.
I was trying to figure out exactly how to say this and somehow it ended up as a visual metaphor instead. Whatever works, I guess...
-Hj
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I am going to bookmark this thing and fish it out when dealing with stupid peoples.
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Then my work here is done.
-Hj
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Finally re-found this wonderful work!
Also congrats on finishing your fic!
You had me captivated the whole way through. And yes I'm still using it to teach.
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Thanks! I'm very happy to have finished it.
Send me a link if you ever put those lessons online! I'd love to read them.
-Hj
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Delayed gratification is my favorite toy.
-Hj
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Thanks.
Nice username, btw. Can I assume this is the Ragnelle from the WA forums?
-Hj
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Jepp. You can 
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I ran into the same problem with haikujitsu and Yahoo mail. It was the only place that username had ever been taken; go figure. 
-Hj
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OMG THATS SO CUTEE <333
and thats a good point!
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Best of both worlds.
-Hj
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Yep, the advantages to fanfiction. With a published book, people can speed through them and miss important hints here and there. But with FF, a chapter at a time makes readers go back and look at it again.
The problem with me is dividing the chapters right. The past few weeks I have been so focused on getting chapters out that I didn't look at the big picture. So if you were to read a story by moi, it would flow awkwardly.
...Unless that's just me overly criticizing myself. Which is much more likely
And hey, I found your DA! And hey, that sort of rhymed!
*looks down at comments* Yay! I'm not alone! I'm not the only terrible person to review late!
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*waves* You found me!
True. And it can seem more exciting because the cliffhangers aren't just a page away. That gives you time to build up some nice anticipation.
I'm a big advocate of finishing your rough draft first. That can give you a much better feel for the pacing and you won't feel as rushed because you *know* you're going to finish it. Plus you have so much more time for editing! You can choose your cliffhangers with care and make chapters more cohesive.
Don't let reader anxiety push you into publishing when it's not finished. On the other hand, don't let author perfectionism keep you from publishing at all. You have to hit a balance and know when to quit polishing and put it up already.
-Hj
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That's a great idea. I should have done that in the first place, but I was thinking, "Hey, I have the first chapter done now. Why not post it?"
That's the last time I listen to you, brain. ..grumble... grumble...
Anyway, thanks for the advice! Rough drafts will (hopefully) help a lot.
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Tempting, innit? But if you publish Ch. 1, get to Ch. 9 and realize that if you'd mentioned pickles in the first chapter it would have made a perfect foreshadowing for the resolution to the sandwich of doom dilemma, then where will you be? 0_0
I was about 3/4 done with my draft when I posted PoT's prologue. Now mind you, that draft was maybe 32k. Between rewrites and editing it's grown to 57k. "finished draft" doesn't mean "done" by a long shot...at least with the way I tend to write.
-Hj
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XD Exactly.
But I'm still new to FF... still learning these things. Maybe someday (soon?) I'll figure out the tricks to writing fanfics and posting them, one chapter at a time. But in the meantime... trial and error. Lots and lots of trial and error.
Usually when I write rough drafts, I try to make them as "finished" as possible, so I don't have to go back and rewrite everything. I still end up editing a ton though. Ah, well. 'Tis inevitable.
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The only way to get anywhere with anything.
That's good (saves you time later) but you will have to go back over them. My only problem with trying to write at "finished" quality is that I start stressing over getting the wording just right and stall out. And you will have to edit. Just how 'tis.
Good luck with your writing! I'll have to come by sometime and check you out.
-Hj
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Oh wow. I canβt believe I never really thought about this before.
Well . . . I have in a way. I considered writing a two-shot to try to give a small break for an effect (but I never got around to actually writing it). And I have made a decision never to post a chaptered fic all at once (if I will ever finish one). But the reasoning behind it was the logic that posting all at once would not bring the same attention that gradual posting would (I live off attention β itβs kind of bad, but itβs hard for me to feel self-confident about anything I do). I have read so much fanfiction that I feel like I notice patterns, one of them being that some adequate fanfics donβt have much popularity because they were uploaded all at once.
Although, knowing when exact updates occur will heighten the excitement even more. And, for whatever reason, reading a fanfic all at once sometimes gives an even greater effect for me. I have several examples of stories that I have eagerly followed but forget about because they were drawn out too long. Then there are some stories that I read all at once β they affected me so much that I keep rereading them.
Having this idea directly presented in your drawings is quite intriguing. Your chibi Danny is also very cute. And I also like how you had the comic progress. Comparing the enjoyment of reading a story to getting a ball and increasing its difficulty β it somehow gives me a different, organized perspective that amuses me.
Yes, I have read Phantom of Truth. I love it. I have just been a very, very bad person and have not been leaving any reviews for fanfiction. And because I have not been leaving any reviews, I feel guilty, so I have not added any favorites. Which means that I show no appreciation for some of the things I love . . . (I need to stop doing this.)
Sorry for the long comment. Very nice idea and drawings!
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Don't apologize for a long comment! I love to talk.
There are many benefits to posting gradually, I think, and that goes for the writer just as much (or more) than the readers. On the writer's side of it, you have more opportunity to interact with fans, get feedback, revise, incorporate any concrit you've gained, etc. And yes, the extra attention is nice. Uploading all at once is never a good idea UNLESS you have a specific philosophy and reason to do it (ie, MyAibou who writes long fics designed to be read as a whole, like novels).
If you can update at an exact time, then do it! I'm horrific at meeting deadlines so I try not to give out specific update dates. It leads to tears and gives me ulcers.
There were a lot of awesome fics I've read in one sitting, but my philosophy is that after I'm done publishing, that will be available for basically as long as FFn exists. The chance to offer it as a more interactive, engaging experience through serializing it only comes once, that first time. After that it'll be available for anyone and they're quite welcome to devour it whole.
Yay illustration! I was trying to sort out my thoughts on it and frustration with the wording kinda came out as visual. Phantom was kind enough to lend a hand.
Glad you like my fic! You're right, you're a terrible person. 
-Hj
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I haven't thought much about the author's benefit from reviews, probably since I haven't written any multi-chaptered stories yet. I fear that I will get too heavily influenced by what the audience wants, however. I'm also leaning towards finishing one first because my writing tends to come out in badly timed spurts that makes it hard to stay consistent.
I didn't notice anything different with MyAibou's stories compared to others . . . I think I have to become much more observant about literature before I write anything of my own.
You raise a really good point with the fact that it is more interactive when the story is serialized. I think this actually makes me want to finish first even more; interacting with other people makes me feel uncomfortable. But, it would be a learning experience . . . I'll have to think more about this.
I'm glad your idea turned into a comic. Again, it works very nicely.
I finally left a review, although I can't promise future ones. For whatever reason, constantly communicating with people feels awkward and, therefore, takes me a lot of time. Thanks so much for your reply!
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I think reviews are one of the best things about the FFn format. Getting reader reactions to your work in real time can tell you so much about how well you're communicating and how your story looks to someone else. That's invaluable in improving your writing.
I do think starting with a rough draft is a good idea, though, because that makes you a lot more sure in what you want to do.If you already know where you're going then hopefully you'll only make the *right* changes and be able to hang onto what you really liked about your story in the first place.
Honestly I haven't read MyAibou's fics (yet!). 
Yay, you reviewed! Thank you! I'll get back to you on FFn soonish. 
-Hj
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Or in a shiny blue ball. Same difference.
-Hj
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This is so true. The bad part is when the ball just rolls away in chaptered fics and you never get a conclusion
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Ah, yes. That is the problem, isn't it?
Not much I can say for that one. To the authors I would recommend getting a complete first draft done and then to stick to updating like glue. The readers just have be willing to take that chance with a WIP. :/
-Hj
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LOL yep. totally. And in this world of instant gratification, no wonder patience is hard to find. Someone who is that commited to writing something and taking that much time and being that careful to make the best story ever is rare. I applaud you for that ^.^
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Though there is the flipside too--sometimes the characters run away with the plot and *won't give it back*. Or sit around twiddling their thumbs. That seriously tries my patience. Grr...
Anyway. Yes. Thank you.
-Hj
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Poor lil' guy. I'm so mean to him...but we have fun together.
-Hj
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lol thats good :3
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hooray, it's done! chibi Danny is so darn cute, I just want to pinch his cheeks. it looks a lot more legible now too with the typed text. *thumbs up*
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Yay!!! *collapses* Good gravy, I spent a disproportionate amount of time on this one.
He is cute, isn't he? I just want to take him home and give him cookies.
It looks miles better with typed text. Penmanship has never been my strong point.
-Hj
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The flaw in that plan: I stop caring if I have to wait too long. I read VERY few WIP, usually won't even start them until they're complete because a) I forget what was happening by the time it get's updated and b) I don't trust fic writers to finish. Personally, I don't think a writer should post a story unless they are 100% certain they will finish it and they can update it in a timely fashion, but since so many do, I generally wait until they're finished unless the idea REALLY intrigues me, like PoT. Althugh I have to say, having to wait for the last couple chapters does dampen my enthusiasm somewhat. I'm always most excited for more right after I finish what's there. My excitement wanes the longer I have to wait.
I also think novel-length stories should be read like a novel, not a serial, unless they're written as a seriel (ie chapters are self contained even if part of an arc.) I have one site I post to where the moderator told me I HAVE to wait a week between chapters, and it throws the pacing COMPLETELY off and the story suffers for it. Scenes that take place ovr multiple chapters work if youcan read them at once or close together. Over several weeks they're just impossibly long. The best novels are page-turners, the ones you THINK you'll put down at the end of the chapter, but you can't and end up reading in one sitting. That's what I strive for in my writing.
I guess the difference is I see my writing as novels that happen to be fanfic as opposed to fanfic that happens to be long.
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Oh and by the bye, it's incredibly flattering that you made an exception to read PoT. Thank you. It's so very nearly finished, too. I'm going to do my best to get it all published by the end of January.
-Hj
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You're welcome! I think it was a fan art that drew me to it, and I liked the concept and thought I'd check it out. Honestly, 90% of fics I check out without knowing the writer first I don't get past the first chapter because they end up being poorly written, so I half figured I probably wouldn't read the whole thing anyway, but it was not only a great concept, but well-executed, so it sucked me in even though it was unfinished.
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So your general cynicism about strange fanfiction inadvertently won me your readership? I'll take that.
-Hj
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I suppose that's one way of looking at it.
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*nods* Absolutely, and that's a valid difference in opinions and writing approaches.
I should probably add the caveat that while I think a waiting period is important, it should be *regularly spaced*, *reliable* and *frequent*, meaning once every week or so. A month (or two months, ehehe) is entirely too long.
I also agree that fanfics should be finished (or very nearly so) before they begin updating. Part of the reason for such a deep distrust of fanfic writers is that they jump into publishing while they feel inspired and then later, inevitably, lose interest. This sucks. It really, really sucks and makes it difficult to feel at ease reading anything without a complete on it. But I don't think that's enough of a worry to prevent me from giving more optimistic readers the fic as a serial first. The way I see it, the fic *will* be finished eventually, and then it will always be available to those readers who wouldn't touch it beforehand.
I think of chapters as individual parts of a whole, and write them accordingly. I like playing with fanfiction as a genre and try to make that an integral part of the story. The length is incidental to the space I need to explore the concept. So yeah, what you said.
-Hj
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I don't think there's anything WRONG with doing it as a serial. It seems to be what most fanfic writers and readers prefer, in fact. It's just not a good fit for MY particular style. So again, not really a criticism of your advice, just making the point that that doesn't work for every fic, every writer, or every reader, and that there are plenty of readers out there who won't read a WIP unless it's from someone they know. I have friends who never finish fics, but I read what they post because they're friends. I have friends who are very reliable and always finish, so I read their WsIP. But I very, very rarely will read an unfinished WIP I just stumble across.
And yes, if you write it as a serial, that approach would totally work. I think it's working fine for PoT, for example. Again, just a nod to different writers' styles. Neither is right or wrong, just different, and writers should take that into account as they figure out how best to publish their own work.
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Indeed. I think it's interesting (and valuable) to think about and discuss those differences, and the strengths and weaknesses of both sides. So thank you.
-Hj
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Yeah, me, too. I love these kinds of discussions. It helps me be more intentional in my writing and why I do what I do, rather than just being random and hoping it all works out.
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