At Anime North, in 2008, I had the fortune to take in a fun panel titled 'Fic Fic Boom!', a lesson/discussion on how to write terrible fanfic. Taking the opposite approach to most fanfiction panels, it went at length about how to inflate your review count, hold chapters hostage, and generally pander to the fanbase.
Unfortunately, subsequent years the scheduling proved problematic, and I haven't been since. This year, however, I'm taking up the torch - at Animaritime, I'm putting on a similar panel, 'Pandering To The Pit Of Voles'. I plan to 'educate' everyone who attends on how to write the worst of the worst. Dramatic cloaks may be worn.
What I am looking for, TFF, is input from you on what topics I should bring up. I'm working on an outline now, but I'm sure I've forgotten many key points. Or not-so-key points. The point is, this is a chance to snark about the worst of fanfiction and I want advice from the experts on such snark.
Some of the talking points I'm considering:
Demanding a certain review count before continuing the story.
Selecting your username: Is DracoxSephiroth739 too cliche? (No.)
Bashing characters you don't like.
High School AUs: How to throw away all that boring plot in favor of relationship drama with the characters-in-name-only.
Beta Readers: Replacable by spellcheck, or just unnecessary?
And so forth. What say you, TFF?
Unfortunately, subsequent years the scheduling proved problematic, and I haven't been since. This year, however, I'm taking up the torch - at Animaritime, I'm putting on a similar panel, 'Pandering To The Pit Of Voles'. I plan to 'educate' everyone who attends on how to write the worst of the worst. Dramatic cloaks may be worn.
What I am looking for, TFF, is input from you on what topics I should bring up. I'm working on an outline now, but I'm sure I've forgotten many key points. Or not-so-key points. The point is, this is a chance to snark about the worst of fanfiction and I want advice from the experts on such snark.
Some of the talking points I'm considering:
Demanding a certain review count before continuing the story.
Selecting your username: Is DracoxSephiroth739 too cliche? (No.)
Bashing characters you don't like.
High School AUs: How to throw away all that boring plot in favor of relationship drama with the characters-in-name-only.
Beta Readers: Replacable by spellcheck, or just unnecessary?
And so forth. What say you, TFF?