Fair enough. In that case, first poke!

Hi by DigitalSocrates on 2010-03-11 23:42:00 UTC Reply

I've been lurking the PPC IRC channel for a bit, and the PPC board for a little less than that (while deriding the poor forum technology it uses) but July has been bugging me to post an introduction.

I'm not actually a regular reader of fan fiction, and I don't see the point in writing fan fiction rather than original fiction, so I guess the trial period before I start trying to write any MST's is a good idea.

Should I actually develop any liking for the entire concept, I'll probably be using Grey as an agent - an author avatar character I use in a webcomic that i'm not updating anymore called Grey Matters http://cyphimedia.com/graymatters/index.html (how do you link text on this thing? Standard [] tags?)

Welcome. Here's a tall ship. by Khajidu on 2010-03-20 19:19:00 UTC Reply

Fair winds!
Late Reply... by terrofen on 2010-03-13 15:47:00 UTC Reply

Hey, don't feel weird about not being that into the whole fan fiction thing. I don't write it either. But this place is more about being part of fandoms and the elimination of the nastiness that constitutes Sues than about writing fan fiction.

If you do decide to get into the MST business, which you should, as it is very fun, you should have this bag of punctuation. You'd be surprised how often you'll need it.
Welcome, new friend! by doctorlit on 2010-03-13 01:01:00 UTC Reply

Have a venomous arthropod! And don't worry about writing or not. You're welcome to just laugh along with the rest of us.
Salutations! by Maudlin Hart on 2010-03-13 00:20:00 UTC Reply

Welcome to the Board! Please deposit your sanity in the provided receptacle. *indicates bucket marked "Warg Fodder"* You shan't be needing it here. Also, here's a d20.

What kind? by DigitalSocrates on 2010-03-13 00:42:00 UTC Reply

I have about 4 of them already - 2 green (one with yellow splotches), a blue one and a transparent red one.

The Forum technology's kind of nostalgic, actually. by WikiMaster on 2010-03-12 11:44:00 UTC Reply

Anyway, have a Lauging Gas Chemical Sparayer!

Ooooooh by DigitalSocrates on 2010-03-12 20:29:00 UTC Reply

I love Sparayers.
Sorry for the mispellings. (nm) by WikiMaster on 2010-03-12 11:45:00 UTC Reply

Welcome! I give you a granite pillow and a pocketknife. by Sedri on 2010-03-12 11:01:00 UTC Reply

Believe me, you'll understand one day. *looks mysterious*

Really, welcome. It's nice to see you. Don't feel pressured to write MSTs or PPC missions if you're not interested, or even read the fanfics we recommend - it may be a bit odd, but you should enjoy your time here nonetheless :)

Well by DigitalSocrates on 2010-03-12 20:09:00 UTC Reply

I wouldn't want to come here just to lurk. I'll probably check out anything someone posts, even if I only skim it.

fandoms by DigitalSocrates on 2010-03-12 01:52:00 UTC Reply

I think my biggest problem critiquing fan fiction will probably be that I don't know fandoms well enough to distinguish non-canon from canon.

I'll take Harry Potter for example (although I think I'd try to avoid a topic that large as it's probably been tackled to death by the PPC as is) - I like the series, but I still haven't read the 7th book. I have incomplete knowledge of alot of topics, but nearly complete knowledge of almost nothing.
Hello! by Cinnia Aine on 2010-03-12 01:00:00 UTC Reply

Welcome to the PPC! Here's a dagger set from the Raven Armory and a bottle of bleeprin! (I partially agree with you about the fanfiction vs. original fiction thing, but only about the bad fanfiction and such. Good fanfiction, rare as it is, makes the whole world of fanfiction worthwhile. For the fanatics, that is.)
Hi. by Neshomeh on 2010-03-12 00:09:00 UTC Reply

I think I remember seeing you around. Good to know you found the place.

However, not wanting to be rude, I nonetheless feel the need to ask why you're here if you're not interested in what we do. There are lots of other places to go if you don't like us, and I personally could do without the sneering at us on our own forum--which uses HTML, not [] tags, and suits us very well.

~Neshomeh

don't want to be rude either by DigitalSocrates on 2010-03-12 00:42:00 UTC Reply

But i'll never broaden my horizons if i never try new things - particularly things that I might not see the value of right away.

And while writing fan fiction may not be my cup of tea, making fun of it actually sounds pretty intriguing. I may find that I don't have the stomach for badfic - in fact, I probably would have been content to lurk if July wasn't constantly poking me.

Welcome! by The Trojanhorse on 2010-03-12 02:59:00 UTC Reply

*hands you the celebratory plate of lembas*

However, I've got to ask, if you think fanfiction is a waste of time, and don't know any fandoms ... how are you going to tell good fanfic from bad?

I should think that... by DigitalSocrates on 2010-03-12 20:11:00 UTC Reply

I can distinguish bad writing from good writing fairly easily - that's the major indicator isn't it? And Mary Sues shine like beacons. The only problem will be if I read a fanfic in a fandom where there are already poorly developed characters and I may mistake a mis-characterization for just a poor character.

Fair enough. In that case, first poke! by Neshomeh on 2010-03-12 01:26:00 UTC Reply

*pokes*

I poke because I care, you see. {= )

Put it like that, yeah, I'm not much interested in writing fanfiction myself anymore, either (except possibly to finish that one HP fic that I've sworn year after year that I would finish). But I do like parody, satire, and generally flexing the sarcasm muscles in a mostly-harmless way, and badfic is a good excuse for it. So that's why I do it.

Badfic shouldn't need a stomach. That is, it's not all squick and horror (unless you go looking for it). Most of it is just adolescent self-indulgence. We're all guilty of it at some point, it's just that some people do it in particularly cracky and lulzy ways. That's the stuff that makes for a good PPC story (which is different from MST, by the way. You don't need Permission to MST).

So. In the spirit of broadening horizons, welcome. I do hope you'll learn to forgive the Board its foibles, though. Look at it as a good reason to be thoughtful about what you write, knowing that you won't get a chance to edit it later. It's good practice. {= )

~Neshomeh
but it totally is by DigitalSocrates on 2010-03-12 00:44:00 UTC Reply

a terrible forum technology. Not gonna make me budge on that.

Hello by gattsuru on 2010-03-12 00:03:00 UTC Reply

Good to see you here, and I hope everything's going well.

The boards support most HTML tags -

Google turns into Google.
Italics turns into Italics.
Strikethrough turns into ~~Strikethough~~
Bold makes things Bold.

Haven't tested everything, but the more common tags work. Would recommend against the ones.

HTML is fun... by Techno-Dann on 2010-03-12 00:14:00 UTC Reply

I've always wondered what would happen if I put in a </HTML>...
thanks by DigitalSocrates on 2010-03-12 00:06:00 UTC Reply

doesn't look like i can edit old posts though.