Story Trends

Pickle:

Yeah, when I review a story, I like to say what I was thinking and point out any mistakes or opinions that I had.

I began writing fanfiction 4 or 5 years ago with Harry Potter. I used the same tactic you did but I now know a better way to ease things along. Not everything has to be so fast. Green Day came really easy, maybe because I didn't use OCs as much as I developed AU worlds with the same players.

And I love it when someone asks me to beta for them or they ask me for advice or my opnion.

I write big posts like that because I want someone to listen and understand that they can do better! Don't settle for the mediocracy, step out of your comfort zone, ask for help and make something you're proud of.

Yes, it bother's me that the only comments people make are ones such as: omg this totally rocks! pm me plz. I mean, I'd appreciate it if someone would make suggestions and speak in detail. If I'm doing anything wrong, if I've got some information wrong, I'd like to know. I would do that for people, but most storie's have too many problems to speak of and some goods ones don't need it at all...

Pickle:

Yeah, when I review a story, I like to say what I was thinking and point out any mistakes or opinions that I had.

I began writing fanfiction 4 or 5 years ago with Harry Potter. I used the same tactic you did but I now know a better way to ease things along. Not everything has to be so fast. Green Day came really easy, maybe because I didn't use OCs as much as I developed AU worlds with the same players.

And I love it when someone asks me to beta for them or they ask me for advice or my opnion.

I write big posts like that because I want someone to listen and understand that they can do better! Don't settle for the mediocracy, step out of your comfort zone, ask for help and make something you're proud of.

Yeah I agree,
but obviously people want to be liked and be on good terms with everyone. So they don't want to seem like a bitch to make comments on how you could improve a story or plot. Instead they'll praise a certain work and hope to God that person realizes for themselves that they are in dire need of improvement.

But Pickle, when you commented on my first story It actually helped a lot. I'll admit that sometimes it would drive me crazy but kudos to you for actually being honest.
But obviously not all advice should be taken, People should be allowed to have their own writing style and if somebody doesn't like it, then they shouldn't read it.

*Goes back to eating*

HavingAGreenDay:

P-nut:

The vampire thing seemed to come from him dressing as one once for halloween...suddenly everyone jumped on it like it was a fetish of his or something...

Has anyone else noticed how, even in like 1980, everyone in the story has an iPod and the latest iMac and MSN and an Xbox/PS2...THEY DIDN'T EXIST! THE MEGADRIVE CAME OUT IN OCTOBER 1988. Play a Megadrive, then a PS, notice the difference...gah. And CDs...another product of the 80s, stop writing about Billie Joe and Mike going through each others CD collections when they first meet. It couldn't have happened...

I would say CDs and cell phones are the most commonly seen in stories that are supposed to be dated in the early eighties.

If anyone's seen THE WEDDING SINGER, CD's were around in the mid to late eighties. So they coulda had CDs in their teens. If they coulda afforded them though, because the product was brand new then, so more expensive than they are now.

Pickle:

Yeah, when I review a story, I like to say what I was thinking and point out any mistakes or opinions that I had.

I began writing fanfiction 4 or 5 years ago with Harry Potter. I used the same tactic you did but I now know a better way to ease things along. Not everything has to be so fast. Green Day came really easy, maybe because I didn't use OCs as much as I developed AU worlds with the same players.

And I love it when someone asks me to beta for them or they ask me for advice or my opnion.

I write big posts like that because I want someone to listen and understand that they can do better! Don't settle for the mediocracy, step out of your comfort zone, ask for help and make something you're proud of.

Whoa. I've been writing fanfiction since 1996. *feels old*

ThisIsGreenDay:

HavingAGreenDay:

P-nut:

The vampire thing seemed to come from him dressing as one once for halloween...suddenly everyone jumped on it like it was a fetish of his or something...

Has anyone else noticed how, even in like 1980, everyone in the story has an iPod and the latest iMac and MSN and an Xbox/PS2...THEY DIDN'T EXIST! THE MEGADRIVE CAME OUT IN OCTOBER 1988. Play a Megadrive, then a PS, notice the difference...gah. And CDs...another product of the 80s, stop writing about Billie Joe and Mike going through each others CD collections when they first meet. It couldn't have happened...

I would say CDs and cell phones are the most commonly seen in stories that are supposed to be dated in the early eighties.

If anyone's seen THE WEDDING SINGER, CD's were around in the mid to late eighties. So they coulda had CDs in their teens. If they coulda afforded them though, because the product was brand new then, so more expensive than they are now.

Yes, highly unlikely though. Cassettes would have been the way to go for them I would say.

HavingAGreenDay:

ThisIsGreenDay:

HavingAGreenDay:

P-nut:

The vampire thing seemed to come from him dressing as one once for halloween...suddenly everyone jumped on it like it was a fetish of his or something...

Has anyone else noticed how, even in like 1980, everyone in the story has an iPod and the latest iMac and MSN and an Xbox/PS2...THEY DIDN'T EXIST! THE MEGADRIVE CAME OUT IN OCTOBER 1988. Play a Megadrive, then a PS, notice the difference...gah. And CDs...another product of the 80s, stop writing about Billie Joe and Mike going through each others CD collections when they first meet. It couldn't have happened...

I would say CDs and cell phones are the most commonly seen in stories that are supposed to be dated in the early eighties.

If anyone's seen THE WEDDING SINGER, CD's were around in the mid to late eighties. So they coulda had CDs in their teens. If they coulda afforded them though, because the product was brand new then, so more expensive than they are now.

Yes, highly unlikely though. Cassettes would have been the way to go for them I would say.

Definitely. I didn't get a damned CD player and CDs until Xmas 1995. *grumbles* And I still have cassettes...and vinyl. *is ancient*

I danced to my mom's Michael Jackson's Thriller record when I was a young'n...back when it was only a few years old.

And Green Day was, like...11 years older.

But, yeah...people....write about VINYL OR CASSETTES!!!. Just because you're a young'n and never knew anything else but CDs or iPods...remember us old people didn't have that. Thus, neither did Green Day.

HavingAGreenDay:

ThisIsGreenDay:

HavingAGreenDay:

P-nut:

The vampire thing seemed to come from him dressing as one once for halloween...suddenly everyone jumped on it like it was a fetish of his or something...

Has anyone else noticed how, even in like 1980, everyone in the story has an iPod and the latest iMac and MSN and an Xbox/PS2...THEY DIDN'T EXIST! THE MEGADRIVE CAME OUT IN OCTOBER 1988. Play a Megadrive, then a PS, notice the difference...gah. And CDs...another product of the 80s, stop writing about Billie Joe and Mike going through each others CD collections when they first meet. It couldn't have happened...

I would say CDs and cell phones are the most commonly seen in stories that are supposed to be dated in the early eighties.

If anyone's seen THE WEDDING SINGER, CD's were around in the mid to late eighties. So they coulda had CDs in their teens. If they coulda afforded them though, because the product was brand new then, so more expensive than they are now.

Yes, highly unlikely though. Cassettes would have been the way to go for them I would say.

*Walks in ready to date EVERYONE*

As someone that is the same age as our wonderful Green Day boys, let me tell you what it was like in the 80's. I was 11 yrs old in 1984.

Back then it was all about cassettes and albums. Though the cassettes took over by mid 80's, til then albums(vinyl) ruled the world.

BETA MAX was still around though also by mid-late 80's VCRs made the beta a dinosaur.

CDs did come out in the late 80s early 90s but as was said, they were EXPENSIVE... and the cassettes will still cheaper.

God I remember the Casingle ( a cassette single the same idea as a 45 record)

I remember taping music off the freeakin radio on my BOOM BOX

okay.. done taking a trip through memory lane

sampalletband:

*Walks in ready to date EVERYONE*

Whore.

sampalletband:

BETA MAX was still around though also by mid-late 80's VCRs made the beta a dinosaur.

Shit, I remember watching ET ony my babysitter's Beta Max with her three sons.

And that was my memory lane...and enough of my spamming...sorta. M'sorry.

Kimberlane:

Pickle:

Yeah, when I review a story, I like to say what I was thinking and point out any mistakes or opinions that I had.

I began writing fanfiction 4 or 5 years ago with Harry Potter. I used the same tactic you did but I now know a better way to ease things along. Not everything has to be so fast. Green Day came really easy, maybe because I didn't use OCs as much as I developed AU worlds with the same players.

And I love it when someone asks me to beta for them or they ask me for advice or my opnion.

I write big posts like that because I want someone to listen and understand that they can do better! Don't settle for the mediocracy, step out of your comfort zone, ask for help and make something you're proud of.

Yeah I agree,
but obviously people want to be liked and be on good terms with everyone. So they don't want to seem like a bitch to make comments on how you could improve a story or plot. Instead they'll praise a certain work and hope to God that person realizes for themselves that they are in dire need of improvement.

But Pickle, when you commented on my first story It actually helped a lot. I'll admit that sometimes it would drive me crazy but kudos to you for actually being honest.
But obviously not all advice should be taken, People should be allowed to have their own writing style and if somebody doesn't like it, then they shouldn't read it.

*Goes back to eating*

Wow, I'm glad I helped. And you're right. Not all advice should be taken and that is something for each author as an individual to decide. Sometimes the author knows something the reviewer doesn't and their comment is then obsulete. However, normally, general advice and suggestions are written out of enjoyment of the story and hoping to notch it up on the story chain. But in the end, it is for each writer to decide. Obviously, some advice is completely ignored.

One thing I see in storie's is that there's nothing but dialogue and no description.

EX:

"How are you?"

"I'm fine. Hey, let's go to that party!"

"Sure!"

"Okay, I'll get my keys and we'll go."

I'd like to know who's saying it, a description of their reaction, and how they said it. Meaning: give it some emotion and detail.

I also see the POV changed a number of times. It's so confusing! Switching between two different POV is fine, but when it's switched around so many times, it's get's utterly confusing!

I also see alot of dialogue and text that isn't separated. Like the entire chapter in one whole paragraph. That's not a good idea. It's difficult to read such vast amounts of text in one chunk.

Hmm...what to discuss further.

Handguns For Hearts:

One thing I see in storie's is that there's nothing but dialogue and no description.

EX:

"How are you?"

"I'm fine. Hey, let's go to that party!"

"Sure!"

"Okay, I'll get my keys and we'll go."

I'd like to know who's saying it, a description of their reaction, and how they said it. Meaning: give it some emotion and detail.

I also see the POV changed a number of times. It's so confusing! Switching between two different POV is fine, but when it's switched around so many times, it's get's utterly confusing!

I also see alot of dialogue and text that isn't separated. Like the entire chapter in one whole paragraph. That's not a good idea. It's difficult to read such vast amounts of text in one chunk.

Hmm...what to discuss further.

Oh man, I'm glad you brought that up, I hate storys that have 10 different people's point of view. I mean, its ok if a story is in the first person, and then switches to the third person occasionally. That way you get to see what's going on in other characters' lives instead of just the main character.
But storys that go:
*Billies POV*
I went to the studio and saw a really cool guitar
*Adies POV*
I woke up and Bllie wasn't there
*Tre's POV*
I couldn't find Mke at the gas station
^Those drive me insane, usually I don't read them

sampalletband:

HavingAGreenDay:

ThisIsGreenDay:

HavingAGreenDay:

P-nut:

The vampire thing seemed to come from him dressing as one once for halloween...suddenly everyone jumped on it like it was a fetish of his or something...

Has anyone else noticed how, even in like 1980, everyone in the story has an iPod and the latest iMac and MSN and an Xbox/PS2...THEY DIDN'T EXIST! THE MEGADRIVE CAME OUT IN OCTOBER 1988. Play a Megadrive, then a PS, notice the difference...gah. And CDs...another product of the 80s, stop writing about Billie Joe and Mike going through each others CD collections when they first meet. It couldn't have happened...

I would say CDs and cell phones are the most commonly seen in stories that are supposed to be dated in the early eighties.

If anyone's seen THE WEDDING SINGER, CD's were around in the mid to late eighties. So they coulda had CDs in their teens. If they coulda afforded them though, because the product was brand new then, so more expensive than they are now.

Yes, highly unlikely though. Cassettes would have been the way to go for them I would say.

*Walks in ready to date EVERYONE*

As someone that is the same age as our wonderful Green Day boys, let me tell you what it was like in the 80's. I was 11 yrs old in 1984.

Back then it was all about cassettes and albums. Though the cassettes took over by mid 80's, til then albums(vinyl) ruled the world.

BETA MAX was still around though also by mid-late 80's VCRs made the beta a dinosaur.

CDs did come out in the late 80s early 90s but as was said, they were EXPENSIVE... and the cassettes will still cheaper.

God I remember the Casingle ( a cassette single the same idea as a 45 record)

I remember taping music off the freeakin radio on my BOOM BOX

okay.. done taking a trip through memory lane

I'm sure I've heard Mike and Billie Joe both say that they used to get the bus into Berkeley and flip through the vinyl in shops rather than actually buying it because they couldn't afford to.

I remember wanting desperatly to own a proper ghetto blaster, one of the those big double tape deck numbers with an AM/FM radio and the massive extendable aerial. I wanted to walk around with it on my shoudler like the guys on American TV programmes used to. I never got one...my mum always said that it would be silly doing that in a village in South East England...I had the basketball boot style trainers and the backwards hat though...because I was a cool child.

I also remember my dad coming home with his mobile that he just got from work...it was about the size of a breeze block and had a shoulder strap to carry it around on...I thought it was the single coolest thing in the world.

I also remember spending probably more time than I did actually listening to a tape running it forward and backward to get to the right point so you were at the beginning of a track...and dancing with my (boy)friend to Love Shack by the B52s when it was number 1.

Pickle:

That's just a friggin screenplay and not a story! I hate it! It irritates the piss out of me! If you can't write a paragraph, don't even attempt to write and post a story! I honestly think editors should have the right to just reject that crap! It would make our selection process a lot easier as there is less trash to filter through.

What bother's me is that they go through the trouble of editing some horrible storie's, and they end up getting deleted.

Hmm. I hope I don't sound stuck up when I say this, but I think a few storie's that are very popular, and looked upon as terrific, could use SOME improvement, but of course I've got no room to talk in that area.

Handguns For Hearts:

Pickle:

That's just a friggin screenplay and not a story! I hate it! It irritates the piss out of me! If you can't write a paragraph, don't even attempt to write and post a story! I honestly think editors should have the right to just reject that crap! It would make our selection process a lot easier as there is less trash to filter through.

What bother's me is that they go through the trouble of editing some horrible storie's, and they end up getting deleted.

Hmm. I hope I don't sound stuck up when I say this, but I think a few storie's that are very popular, and looked upon as terrific, could use SOME improvement, but of course I've got no room to talk in that area.

I shudder at the thought of those.

Let me save you the trouble then dear: I think a lot of the 'popular' stories are nothing but over-hyped crap of their cliques. I see the noise made about them and I get curious, so I check them out. I must not be on the same level as them. . . . I must be on a higher one because they are not worth me sitting there and trying to understand.

When I want to read a story, I randomly pick them off the Made Up Stories list. I don't get very far, but I sometimes find some all right ones that, with the proper tuning, would be enjoyable.

Oh, and what's with the surge of non-GD stories?

*sits back and watches Hanguns and Pickle discuss*

I was so hoping you two would get around to chit chating...

You both have very similar ideas about how stories should go and be...

*beams like proud parent*

Pickle:

Handguns For Hearts:

Pickle:

That's just a friggin screenplay and not a story! I hate it! It irritates the piss out of me! If you can't write a paragraph, don't even attempt to write and post a story! I honestly think editors should have the right to just reject that crap! It would make our selection process a lot easier as there is less trash to filter through.

What bother's me is that they go through the trouble of editing some horrible storie's, and they end up getting deleted.

Hmm. I hope I don't sound stuck up when I say this, but I think a few storie's that are very popular, and looked upon as terrific, could use SOME improvement, but of course I've got no room to talk in that area.

I shudder at the thought of those.

Let me save you the trouble then dear: I think a lot of the 'popular' stories are nothing but over-hyped crap of their cliques. I see the noise made about them and I get curious, so I check them out. I must not be on the same level as them. . . . I must be on a higher one because they are not worth me sitting there and trying to understand.

When I want to read a story, I randomly pick them off the Made Up Stories list. I don't get very far, but I sometimes find some all right ones that, with the proper tuning, would be enjoyable.

Oh, and what's with the surge of non-GD stories?

I see alot of storie's that are actually very good, but are overshadowed by some popular ones...

I was enthralled with reading the storie's quite awhile ago, and as I kept reading, I thought every story was absolutely wonderful. But then, for some odd reason I cannot explain, I suddenly stopped reading the storie's. I limited myself to reading very few storie's because they were the only one's that interested me. Now, I read alot more. I go back to the stories I once saw as great, and slap myself. They weren't all that great. There are only six writers on this site that I find very good at storywriting. Hmm. I guess I've matured with Made Up Storie's.

And I don't know about the non-GD storie's. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this Made Up Storie's section about GD fan-fiction? I think it's more suitable to pm people with non-GD storie's...

You know something I hate to see in made up stories?

Authors writing about stuff that they don't know. And I don't mean that authors should write only about things that they have experienced, but that if they're gonna write, for example, a disease, or a psychological problem, they should at least do some research on the subject so they actually know what they're writing about, basing their arguments on the story on more than just what they saw in a movie.

The other thing I hate is when authors exaggerate happenings that should look real. For example, I once edited a story where the father did not only beat his teen daughter, but he also bounded her, with chains, to her bed and basically tortured her.

Handguns For Hearts:

Pickle:

Handguns For Hearts:

Pickle:

That's just a friggin screenplay and not a story! I hate it! It irritates the piss out of me! If you can't write a paragraph, don't even attempt to write and post a story! I honestly think editors should have the right to just reject that crap! It would make our selection process a lot easier as there is less trash to filter through.

What bother's me is that they go through the trouble of editing some horrible storie's, and they end up getting deleted.

Hmm. I hope I don't sound stuck up when I say this, but I think a few storie's that are very popular, and looked upon as terrific, could use SOME improvement, but of course I've got no room to talk in that area.

I shudder at the thought of those.

Let me save you the trouble then dear: I think a lot of the 'popular' stories are nothing but over-hyped crap of their cliques. I see the noise made about them and I get curious, so I check them out. I must not be on the same level as them. . . . I must be on a higher one because they are not worth me sitting there and trying to understand.

When I want to read a story, I randomly pick them off the Made Up Stories list. I don't get very far, but I sometimes find some all right ones that, with the proper tuning, would be enjoyable.

Oh, and what's with the surge of non-GD stories?

I see alot of storie's that are actually very good, but are overshadowed by some popular ones...

I was enthralled with reading the storie's quite awhile ago, and as I kept reading, I thought every story was absolutely wonderful. But then, for some odd reason I cannot explain, I suddenly stopped reading the storie's. I limited myself to reading very few storie's because they were the only one's that interested me. Now, I read alot more. I go back to the stories I once saw as great, and slap myself. They weren't all that great. There are only six writers on this site that I find very good at storywriting. Hmm. I guess I've matured with Made Up Storie's.

And I don't know about the non-GD storie's. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this Made Up Storie's section about GD fan-fiction? I think it's more suitable to pm people with non-GD storie's...

This is fun. I like you.

You are absolutly right. There are some really good stories on here but you never hear of them because, like I said, this is a very cliquey board. It's like highschool, if you're not in with the "cool, in, Made up stories kids," you don't get a lot of visual. I'm one of those and I will be honest, it used to bother me. It used to bother me a lot but it doesn't bother me as much anymore. Given it still irks me, but I just think of what I'm about to say and I feel better.

The downlow really good, passionate writers are like the punks. They aren't necessarily in a posse and they don't get a lot of credit for thier work, but the credit they do get is normally rather good. They raise the bar and have that inner pleasure that they're sticking it to the mainstreamed man by anting it up a bit. It's about the story, the writing. Not about how high their score is or how many times they make the recommended list or how many one lined reviews they get. They do it because they enjoy it and they have something to say and they want to share it with others who understand it and influence others who are struggling with it. I am proud of my low key stories and the fact that I don't belong to a clique.

Believe it or not, there are quite a few non-GD stories on here. Some are mentioned on this section of the forums board. Oh, don't try to tell them that they're wrong. . . .I tried. I just get the 'It's a free country and I'll do what I want' crap. I want to delete the crap (Because it's not really worth reading whether you want a Green Day story or not) and slap them upside thier idiotic heads.

Also, notice the threads that are for helping writers with thier stories get buried under 'REad My StORi Cuz ITs KeWL' threads? That's why I stopped making them. That also burns my piss. I want to help you but if you don't want to help yourself and are pleased in being mediocre, I'm not worrying about you.

Hand, it is a pleasure talking to you.
Samp, why didn't you make this connection earlier?

CristhyneS:

You know something I hate to see in made up stories?

Authors writing about stuff that they don't know. And I don't mean that authors should write only about things that they have experienced, but that if they're gonna write, for example, a disease, or a psychological problem, they should at least do some research on the subject so they actually know what they're writing about, basing their arguments on the story on more than just what they saw in a movie.

The other thing I hate is when authors exaggerate happenings that should look real. For example, I once edited a story where the father did not only beat his teen daughter, but he also bounded her, with chains, to her bed and basically tortured her.

See, and that's another thing. I can honestly say that I write about somewhere that I've been in my life or know a lot about. That's why I don't really do the whole 'Everybody's a rockstar' kind of deal.

The over-exaggeration is gross because, at least I've seen it as such, it's about some over the top torture and rape and murder. It really is. What you just described is disgusting and that person is really twisted.

Another thing about story writing which kind of relates to people writing about what they don't know. I treat each story like it's a term paper or somthing that you would write for school: Sometimes you have to do research For example, when I was writing the beginning of Senior Slumps, I knew it was taking place in the early nineties and i wanted to write in a scene where she listens to her CD player but i couldn't remember for the life of me what kind of Walkman they had back then. So i read up on the time line of them to find out how developed they were.

As nerdy as it sounds, knowing about the time in which your story takes place can seriously make a difference between a good and bad story.