Toki
Mr. E
Posts: 27
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Post by Toki on May 14, 2018 14:45:31 GMT -5
Well, the main one I am looking at, I had LittleSoprano, look over and told me that the first two chapters were really hard to understand. And my original intention, didn't pan out in the way that I had hoped. So, honestly, I take her opinion really seriously. (I think I would be stupid not to)
So, I don't plan to change what happens, more so how I wrote how it happened. And it also have a great drop in readers from chapter one, to chapter two... so statistically there are less people reading according to FFnet stats, then I would like. I know there is a natural drop, but this is dramatic.
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Toki
Mr. E
Posts: 27
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Post by Toki on May 13, 2018 2:41:34 GMT -5
Dear Readers and content creators alike,
I was hoping to get your opinions and discuss the merits and possible issues with a quandry I have been agonizing over for a while now.
Is it an acceptable thing, for a fanfiction writer to update past stories, in the effort to make them better? Or is it better to leave it alone, if it's something that enough people already approve of?
I've been struggling with the though of going back to a few stories of mine, and maybe tweaking things, or some even down rightly re-writing the whole chapter or adding more to an already finished story. But I was wondering how other fanfiction scooby writers felt about doing such a thing, and also asking those who enjoy reading Scooby stories?
How would you feel, if a story has been well established for a while, that up and went and changed on you? Or would you like to see if that content creator might be able to improve said story, and do it better?
Or, is it worth to make a second story, with the added bits, leaving the older version alone so the readers would be able to see the two versions and then get to enjoy which ever they prefer without loosing the other one? (But then it doesn't help with the comments section if you are searching for added reviews)
I would love to hear feed back on this subject, and from anyone. Readers and Writers alike. I'm curious what people thing and if they have any experience with a favorite writer doing this, and if it was done well, or if you regretted them changing the original story.
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Toki
Mr. E
Posts: 27
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Post by Toki on Mar 1, 2018 1:22:59 GMT -5
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Toki
Mr. E
Posts: 27
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Post by Toki on Mar 1, 2018 1:18:49 GMT -5
I play several table top games, including several of the D&D versions. Mainly 2nd, 4th and 5th.
Hm... well to this day there is SO many monsters. So I figure a bunch have to be in the monster manuals.
Though I actually have a parody D&D, called Maidens and Monsters, in a Fanfiction story I a writing for myself, called Twenty Die XD So the gang play tabletop games. Velma is very much the Game Master!
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Toki
Mr. E
Posts: 27
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Post by Toki on Mar 20, 2017 6:47:43 GMT -5
Good to have you here Toki! I understand getting strange looks when talking about my love of Scooby Doo and cartoons in general. Then again I'm used to getting strange looks in general when my career choice (paleontologist) comes up haha. And I think I may have read some of your stories once before on fanfiction.net in the past. Think at least since I did have a quick look at a few seemed familar. Cute interactions between characters are the most fun to write and read imo. Most satisfying for me to since I find that kind of stuff the hardest to write, descriptions and depressing stuff is so much easier! Though I tend to often go a bit over the top with descriptions in my own writings... I often play on a breedable pet site that has Earth tones, so often we get people who love things like rocks and fossils there. But neat job style! I probably could have used your expertise many years ago when I wrote a ghost Dinosaur mystery. Looking back, I probably broke alot of things due to not knowing nearly enough. Thanky kindly for the nice words. I for some reason, are naturally slated for writing every day stories, and overall cute. How, I dunno. But it's what I seem to just do. And I just love character interactions. Certain shows last the longest in people's hearts, when the chemistry is there any bonds with the reader/watcher. Making them fans. I love descriptions. I probably write them way too much as well. But I think with my writing style, I can get away with it a tiny bit more. Since it's not like bogging down an action sequence or what not. But I consider myself an artist before a writer. So everything I write, I see in my head first. Like watching an actual episode, and then later put it into the best words I can. Hardest part of that, is multiple options, and not knowing which would be the most fun to pursue. I think depressing stuff can have it's place.(See 'Never Take Things for Granted') But when with Scooby, it's nice to have a more happy ending at the end, or an uplifting message. It also might help cheer up the writer as well, unless writing depressing things helps get it out. Yeah, It's sad that things ended up falling apart in VelmaDinkley.com. And worse I was there to watch the end of the Golden Age over there. But yeah, there is still a bit of action there, and they still have a chatroom every sunday. But probably not too much Scooby talk that I know of. I have been trying to poke my head in there and see old friends. But the timing has been off. And you do not know happy it makes me feel, hearing you say that about that story. I actually just got back in contact with LittleSoprano, since I missed talking with her. So it will be so nice to get to interact with my writing hero, and see how life has been treating her. Good to hear you are back at it! It will be nice to see your icon among the new posts. And I'm not one to talk, as I took off like 1-3 years before. And Danger-Prone ness is always fun. Heh, Russm is actually one of the few writers I have a story Favorited from. I apparently am really picky, when it comes to posting it on my ffnet listing. I literally only have four titles on there, and RussM's "Writing" is at the top. Granted, it's small, but it's cute. And worth a read. Need a longer version!
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Toki
Mr. E
Posts: 27
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Post by Toki on Mar 12, 2017 5:30:38 GMT -5
^Try writing the 80's pairings, they are also canon, Shaphne/Frelma makes the most sense out of all pairings. A reason you might have trouble writing Frephne? They're presented as perfect together. That's a dead end, the two have nothing to learn from each other. If they are with the other option in the group it makes sense. Fred/Velma shows Fred how acting smart is different than actually being smart and allows velma to let loose a bit, Shaggy/Daphne shows Daphne learning to be herself and also allows Shaggy to be a bit braver. I mainly see Fred kinda like a big brother to her. Since if they have known each other since APNSD, then he has seen her grow up. So I see him always jumping to be protective of her. And even more so as she became more beautiful and more danger prone. So he was so used to always looking out for her, trying to see her as a relationship seems a bit odd. I see them trying it, but not having it last long. Since them being together wouldn't really been to different than them normally. I mean, I have written some cute with them, but long term I don't see it lasting or it being just really close friends. And yeah, the 'perfect couple' concept is less fun to write. Daphne with Shaggy, it is far more fun to write, at least for me. With Daphne wanting to get her way... but with Shaggy's laid back nature, she would always win. So she doesn't really do it as much, which allows for cute interactions. Though I do see them being semi competitive with some things, like seeing who can eat the most pancake for breakfast, or racing to a restaurant to see who pays. Or fighting each other in a video games for house chores. And yeah, him being a bit braver, if the situation calls for it. Fred x Velma is my personal favorite. But I also see it as working the best. I think Velma needs in a relationship, someone she could rely on but in several different ways. If she was just looking for intelligence, she might have been seeing someone from when she was NASA. Being surrounded then by the best minds. But we also know that she is attracted to someone who is fit and in shape... because really why else would she had fallen for Johnny Bravo? XD I see her seeing someone who looks nice, has a good head on his shoulders, and would be able to push past her stubborn shields she puts up. Though she wouldn't actually ask for it, they would have to kind of know that she needs to be prodded past her comfort zones, though gently. Fred is a good match for that. He's not as smart as her, so she can overwhelm him with technobabble, but he's not stupid either. Able to challenge her mind, and working side by side with her on many things, and relying on her when it's over his head. And I bet Velma secretly would love to be a maiden, and treated as such. But to stubborn to ever admit it to herself, let alone anyone else. And I see Fred treating her like a princess sometimes, to make sure she is looked after and protected. And well, they could geek out together as well. Since she has to help him with his traps, since he probably doesn't build it all by himself.
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Toki
Mr. E
Posts: 27
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Post by Toki on Mar 9, 2017 3:19:25 GMT -5
Yeahhhhh, but still hard. XD =P Fred x Daphne, Daphne x Fred... Fraphne... What not. Hard for me to write and less wanting to do it when people bug me about it.
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Toki
Mr. E
Posts: 27
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Post by Toki on Mar 9, 2017 1:56:42 GMT -5
i would give scooby a girlfriend for a change. except ther relationship wouldnt be the focus, it would be on the team. I want Crystal and Amber to come back. Because that is a cute pairing for both Shaggy and Scooby. And well, it's ironic and cute that they fell for Aliens XD I actually find writing Fred x Daphne the hardest out of all the cute fluff I write in my stories. I have had a few successes, but in the grand scheme of things... Writing them is hard for me. I need to work on their plot more, but I find it far easier to do all the other cannon pairings over Fred X Daphne. Also, I get so many reviews asking for me to write that pairing, so personally I get a bit huffy when someone demands me to do something when I already have been having trouble doing it. So =P
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Toki
Mr. E
Posts: 27
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Post by Toki on Mar 7, 2017 15:09:35 GMT -5
Hey Guys, I read this and went on a google search myself. It ended up me taking a shot in the dark, and I emailed Rich Dickerson in the random hopes that he might get back to me to tell us about the proper information. This is the message I sent:
So I sent that two days ago, Waking up and checking my email. I was surprised and ecstatic to read this.
So, well... There you go. Mystery solved! *feels all proud to have helped solve the mystery*
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Toki
Mr. E
Posts: 27
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Post by Toki on Feb 22, 2017 21:28:52 GMT -5
You've already made some amazing contributions! Those storyboards on the velmadinkley site were super neat to see! Thankies. I actually used to talk quite regularly to the owner of VelmaDinkley.com back in the last 90's early 2000's. There was a great gang on their yahoo group, that really taught me a lot about Scooby when I came to the realization of how much of a fan I was. (I was working for a Blockbuster, and had a mother come in with her daughter in search of a good Scooby movie to make a classic SDWAY Daphne costume for Halloween. They were grabbing the wrong one, which had her jumper, not her dress, so I steered them to the right one, and offered other assistance with their Scooby questions. Afterwards, I decided that I had two choices. Either continue as is and just be a minor Scooby Geek, or take the plunge and learn as much as I could about the Series. I choose the latter.) So I spent a lot of time with the guy who ran the website in the chat, and the various people at the time who were amazing and welcomed me in to their group. Sadly, most have moved on, or have their normal adult lives to pay more attention too. But I made some really good connections. (I actually know and talk to my Writing hero Littlesprano, and she likes my work! <3) So I love the site and it has some amazing and great information on there. I just wished I remembered half the stuff I learned about Scooby from them. welcome to the forum. always nice to meet a big scooby fan. if you like writing, perhaps you should consider joining our current Scooby roleplay! we are always on the lookout for new players! Tempting... Though I am pretty bad at keeping up my writing schedule as is, with work and the like. So not sure how well I would be able to keep up with another RP.
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Toki
Mr. E
Posts: 27
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Post by Toki on Feb 22, 2017 21:14:43 GMT -5
Legend of the Vampire, is one of my favorites along with Witches Ghost. But the main reason why I love it, is the montage of the Gang going through the outback and really enjoying eachothers company. It's a small section of the film, but it really shows the gang hanging out, and having fun together. Tossing a ball back and forth, having a picnic, and laughing at each other. Things, you figure if you spent most of your childhood, and teen years with a group of people. You either hate their guts, or have an unbreakable bond. And this shows how close they are. Which gives credit to the style of writing I personally use. But the rest of the movie, actually has lots of small fan pokes, that they put in there for long time fans. Swapping Fred and Shaggy's outfits, making fun of being "Those Meddling Kids", and the sweet moment that Velma admitted that she was scared. Also a lot of the original voice actors returned for this movie, so It had the original Velma, Nichole Jaffee (from SDWAY and the reason Velma has glasses), The amazing Heather North (Rest your soul amazing lady) and possible return of Casey Kasam if he had still been gone at the time. (forgot which movie he returned back to the franchise in after the Burger King debockle.) But overall a fun romp. And well, added Hex Girls as well! Edit: How can I forget Velma in a feathered boa! And forced to sing in front of everyone! It was a small scene at the end, but I so see Fred and the rest of the gang loving to pull out that at family occasions to bug the heck out of their Brainac. Making her melt in a puddle of embarrassment. And the pride of her parents. Heather North is still alive. It's Mary Kay Bergman who's dead. oh, whoops. Yeah, I knew one of the ladies who played Daphne was dead. I said the wrong one. Sorry Heather, not trying to kill you off.
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Toki
Mr. E
Posts: 27
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Post by Toki on Feb 22, 2017 11:43:38 GMT -5
I don't have access to the article, but someone interviewed Casey Kasam and he explained his reasoning to making Shaggy a vegetarian like he was. I will have to search to see if it's still out in the internet, but this is what I remember him saying, and why I personally as a writer encourage and use Shaggy like this. AH! I still have the link! thinkprogress.org/casey-kasems-secret-legacy-how-he-used-scooby-doo-to-advance-his-values-af1e287657d1To me, this feels so Shaggy. Wanting a non-violent world, so he has a non-violent diet. And why I personally make him a Vegetarian. Though he is ok with the rest of the gang eating as they wish, and they support him in his reasoning.
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Toki
Mr. E
Posts: 27
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Post by Toki on Feb 22, 2017 11:32:28 GMT -5
I would think if something popped out of no where, in a dark and scary location... I would run too. Also, you don't know what will happen if you dont run, so it's pretty good to avoid being captures by a criminal who is doing this for a reason. So while fear does play into it, I figure with the gang there is a limit to the spooks before it becomes easier to predict. And then it's more of the case of a strategical retreat until you can learn enough about why the bad guy is doing what they are doing, and why. And then be able to set a trap to catch them.
"Usually a criminal has some type of ulterior motive when in costume. They are trying to find something, or stop people from going somewhere, or something along those lines. Once you understand what their motivation is, and had a better understanding of their end game... we can move into the process of capturing and unmasking them. If someone is making sure people stay away from a particular location, then it's easy to find that criminal if you go to that place they don't want people to be in. So, it is easier to set up one of Fred's traps, or use Shaggy as bait to draw them out." *snagged from her Reunion story, where Daphne and Velma explained this very thing*
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Toki
Mr. E
Posts: 27
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Post by Toki on Feb 22, 2017 11:26:41 GMT -5
Shelma... To me as a writer is hard and easy at the same time.
If I go with default Shaggy and Default Velma... (My default is like 90% of things until stopping before GaC. And occational movies that are good between Get a clue, and modern day. So SDWAY till WNSD, and movies.) Then I have a hard time seeing it working. But to argue against that, that is just going with the surface versions of them that the writers present. Because of the flow of the show, and emphasis of Shaggy being the running, eating machine that he is.
But as a writer, and focusing a lot on when the gang isn't on a mystery. I then have the chance to sit down and figure out who the man and woman behind why Shaggy and Velma are the way they are, to then find fun character developement aspects to work with and make fun and interesting stories with. Making who Shaggy is, when he isn't running all the time, or eating. The loveable, goofy laid back beatnik everyone knows and loves. And then take who Velma would be between Mysteries... and well there is some fun possibilities.
(Admittedly, I have another advantage as a writer, making them adults so they can be a bit more mature, and have grown after everything that has happened to them)
So my Shaggy is the kind of guy who puts his friends in front of his own needs. And thinks about them constantly. If they are happy, sad or things like that. And if there is a problem, he wants to fix it. In his own, Shaggy way. Like he's the kind of person that would drag someone out of the house, because they needed that breath of fresh air, ot steal the gang to go do something fun, after a long and hard mystery.
Velma, well... she probably often needs those sorts of "Shaggy interventions" holing herself in her room to work on projects, or the like. So it makes for good interactions.
My biggest concern for the pairing is longevity. I have a hard time seeing them be a couple for a long time. I just think Velma needs someone to be a bit more stubborn against her own bull headedness, and get in to where she kinda hides and reserves herself because she is scared about certain things (coughBencough cough) I don't know if Shaggy would be able to quite pry past all of her defenses, since he's more laid back and not a fan on conflict. So maybe they would work, but I don't see Velma being the best person she could be, without someone being able to make her open up and face certain things, and Shaggy as I see him, isn't that guy. Though, well if he really fell for her, he might be able to be written into becoming that guy. But well, I don't default ship the pairing on a serious and dedicated way. (I have my preferences, but write all pairings for my readers to enjoy)
*steps down off her applebox*
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Toki
Mr. E
Posts: 27
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Post by Toki on Feb 22, 2017 11:09:37 GMT -5
I kinda see Fred as the master mind, to compare him to Nate Ford from Leverage. He is skilled with a few things, but his strength lies in the fact that he understands all the strengths and weaknesses of his own group, even though they might be more skilled then he is overall. And he is able to make his plans, and know how to pull off solving the Mystery, because everyone is there and has certain jobs to play.
If you look at the earliest versions of Fred, Velma and Shaggy were classified as the 'silly' pair, and then he and Daphne were the 'straight' couple. Like if you look at the classic Odd couple, or Laural and Hardy type comedy. You need to have the serious, normal people, against the more crazy characters to make it funny. A very old style, that doesn't read as well now. Though the writers found it easier to just have Scooby and Shaggy, thus the shift of Velma into Fred and Daphne's 'straight man' group. But they needed to make that sides' scenes more comical, so that is where Daphne's dangerproneness seems to have shown up, and they put more emphasis on Velma's brains. To make their sides of the story more interesting. And as the years went by, writers had an easier time being able to write everyone but Fred, since he never really got much character development in the older shows. Being just an all around good guy, leader, boy scout, etc. The likes along Cyclopes or Captain America without the powers. The "Good old boy" sort of thing.
I mean, if you look. Fred didn't even get parents, until the Pirate movie in 2006... 2006! from 1969.... no parents. Sure, a few uncles, though most in Pup. But no parents until Skip and Peggy in Pirates Ahoy. That is how much under loved poor Fred is.
Boy scout feels very good description. Well, the older boyscouts that would walk old ladies across the street, and were prepared for anything. With a touch of love/mild obsession with Rube Golburges and want to keep his best pals safe.
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Personally, I also like to look at Pup as his backstory. And he's personally worried about endangering the Gang to his old, wild child imagination as an adult. He regrets being so distracted and putting them into crazy situations when he was more distracted by mole men, aliens and what ever came out of his uncle's magazines. So he tries to be very serious, and sticking with real facts and not be swayed by random gossip. Which makes him a bit of a stickler when it is to having fun, trying to be the responsible one, unless the whole gang is doing it.
Also, I see him spending a lot of time with his Air Force uncle growing up, which helps put some discipline into what once was a more flightly child as in pup. So he probably spent summers or something, when not with the gang, learning to be the right kind of man that you then see in like SDWAY. Responsible, resourceful, and a bit of a stick in the mud compared to the rest of the Gang who had very strong personalities.
Also, being a scout can actually account for his favorite neckwear. At least when my brother and father were in boy scouts, they had this bandana that they wore that was very useful. There is a whole section in the manual, that covers the importance of this article of clothing. The top one that comes to mind, is being able to use it for injuries, like aiding a splint, or becoming a tourniquet. *fishes out her old boy scout 80's manual* Just looking at the index, the skills a boyscout needed to know were wide rangeing. From edible plants, to making fires. Identifying birds, or knowing sign language. Tracking and trailing, to map reading. And this was just the 80's version. Older manuals had far more into it. So you needed to be smart enough to learn all of this. Far different time, then kids today can compare too. Also, I own several books of "Kids crafts" that entail that kids growing up in like the 60-70s would make their own toys, and sometimes their own furniture as well. Lots of physical hands on skills that are lost in today technology era. It was pretty standard for wood working skills, automotive, and other building things to be default growing up. You mended your own clothes, you could help dad with the car, and many other things that might seem weird to younger people today. But sadly that sort of thing is harder to translate as the years went on, and technology became more important. Fred's skills are from a different era.
Actually making Fred a jock... feels weird. I actually think Shaggy is more suited with his gymnastics and track. Though I can't see him as a straight A student either, mainly I figure he was running around solving mysteries. So actually besides Velma who probably would be studying while a monster is chasing her down, the rest of the gang were probably ok enough students, but not the most amazing grades. And probably had the respect of their teachers to look over tardiness, missing homework and maybe occasional naps in class.
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