FORKNI-L

FORKNI-L Digest - 18 May 2001 to 19 May 2001 (#2001-161)

Sat, 19 May 2001

There are 9 messages totalling 327 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. FK: Into the Millennium - Site Update
  2. comments, critiques, and disclamers (2)
  3. To post or not to post
  4. The Art of Bringing Across
  5. Images from Techie Nerd inquiry :)
  6. Quick Question (2)
  7. It's for charity!

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Date:    Fri, 18 May 2001 14:44:02 -0700
From:    Steve Hood <nexus_dragon@y.......>
Subject: FK: Into the Millennium - Site Update

Greetings everyone! Excuse me from RL commitments.

Forever Knight: Into the Millennium has been updated
to include what's been written through May 18th, 2001
(according to the FKFIC-L list, in any case). Please
let me know if there's information missing (and/or
things need to be added or subtracted).

http://www.geocities.com/nexus_dragon

Also, congratulations to the winners of the 2000
FKFanFic Awards!!! Good work guys!


  -Steve
(your FK: Into the Millennium webmaster)

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Date:    Fri, 18 May 2001 18:49:01 EDT
From:    Jean Graham <JeanG477@a.......>
Subject: Re: comments, critiques, and disclamers

Susan Clark <sclark@b.......> wrote:

>I welcome any comments and critiques. I've gotten a lot of really nice
>positive feedback, and I appreciate that. I've been told when I've done
>things wrong, from a story or grammar sense. I appreciate that also. I've
>had people tell me they didn't like the story, but I wrote it well...

Couldn't agree more. One of the first things we always tried to impress
on the students in our writing workshops, when I taught 'em, was that
criticism of your work, positive *or* negative, is par for the course, and
even if it does feel as though you're laying your newborn out naked on the
snowbank (as one student's rather colorful analogy once put it), you will
indeed survive the ordeal. Unless you shrivel and retreat at the first
negative comment, your literary baby will survive, too, and should be the
stronger for it. You'll learn to see your work as others see it, and to
accept some suggestions as valid and others as something you can safely file
under "Ignore This" (tho the latter isn't always an option with pro sales,
alas).

>I do agree that it helps to have a thick skin. But, people are writing for
>different reasons, and I fully appreciate that. Not everyone is writing for
>the same type of feedback, and that's fine.

I know that not all FK or other fanfic writers aspire to sell original
fiction as well, but for those who do, please be aware that the
aforementioned thick skin will be an indispensable necessity when you begin
dealing with pro editors, as I'm sure others on this list who've sold
professionally can attest. "Real" editors can be everything from super-nice
and accommodating people to outright-nasty pains in the keister, but nearly
all of them will ask for at least a few changes in your story/novel/whatever,
and if you want that signed contract and its accompanying paycheck, you'll
work with them. There are also editors who delight in sending out extremely
nasty rejections (though, thank God, not many) -- and you learn to shrug
these off, round file 'em, and if you belong to a writers guild (SFWA, HWA,
etc.), report the editor as bad news so other writers can beware of him/her.

>For myself, I want to be a better writer. I say all comments are welcome
>(when I remember to type that part in), and I do mean it.

Likewise. Comments on anything I write, fan or pro, is always welcome, even
if it isn't always praise. My FK story "A State of Grace" (posted a few years
ago and still on both fkfanfic.com and my website) elicited more comments
than anything else I'd ever done, most of them very emotional reactions ("I
loved this: it really made me think," "I *hated* this: it made me cry," "I
*loved* this: it made me cry," "Nick would never do that!" etc.) and I
appreciated every one.

So, please cheer up, FK fan writers, and above all, keep writing those
stories. Just because your stuff may not be one reader's cup of Earl Grey
doesn't mean it won't be someone else's. Heck, you can't possibly please
everybody -- there's no point in trying to.

--Jean Graham (who is presently slogging through several pages of revisions
to her story requested by an anthology editor!)

   My FK and other fanfic is at: http://members.aol.com/JeanB7

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 18 May 2001 19:10:34 -0400
From:    m chamberlain <mcham_thorne@h.......>
Subject: To post or not to post

Klytaimnestra wrote:

 Do people prefer me to post what
 I already have, and then post the rest as I write it?  Or is it better to
 wait until I've got the whole story & then post the lot?  My preference is
 to wait until I've got the whole story written, because then I can take time
 revising and making sure it all fits.  But would it be preferable to just
 put it up as and when?

I don't know about other people's methods, but when I write a story I start
out with a detailed outline. However, even with that, I quite often find
that the story goes off in unexpected directions, and I'd hate to get to the
end and find I couldn't make changes to the beginning because I'd already
started to post it. In any case, even what seems to be the most logical
story ever written will always benefit from a final proof reading, IMHO. As
much as I really want to read your next story, Laurel, I'd wait 'til it's
all done before starting to post, which it sounds as if you'd rather do
anyway.

Mary

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Date:    Fri, 18 May 2001 16:39:18 -0700
From:    Lady Ariake <lady_ariake@y.......>
Subject: Re: comments, critiques, and disclamers

--- Jean Graham <JeanG477@a.......> wrote:

> even if it does feel as though you're laying your
> newborn out naked on the
> snowbank

I have a workshop coming up in a couple months...may I
borrow this saying?  The author supervising it will
find it highly amusing...<g>


> all of them will ask for at least a few changes in
> your story/novel/whatever,
> and if you want that signed contract and its
> accompanying paycheck, you'llwork with them.

I sold my first story this past winter (though I have
a lovely collection of poetry rejection slips if
anyone would like to see ;)  and while the editor was
a wonderful lady and even forgave that rookiee me
forgot to put a word count on it and trusted me to
give her one over the phone, she asked me to tweak it
a bit in places.  Her critiques were very valid and I
appreciated them, just as I appreciate the reasons
given in the rejection slips (except the form letter.
That's just a form letter and I like to laugh at it.)
I did make the changes she asked for and they made the
story clearer--also, they gave me something to think
about for the next one.  College workshops were useful
that way, too, though sometimes they didn't quite
"get" what I was writing--I write dark fantasy, they
wrote more...literary...works.  You know what I mean.
;) But they were generally polite about their
critiques, and that's about the only thing that will
make me dismiss a criticism out of hand--if it's an
outright flame.  I love when people comment on my
stories, especially compliments of course, but I'll
take any well-thought-out remarks offered, even
largely negative.  At least it shows they read it and
thought about it, even if they didn't like it. And I
can always think about what they said when I'm writing
my next story.

Jennifer

=====
"If you're going to have delusions of grandeur, go for the really satisfying
ones."  (Marcus Cole, Anla'shok, or my life motto.)

Gold Anareth, firelizards brown Dral and bronze Tamet.  (See what I mean?)

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 18 May 2001 20:03:16 -0000
From:    Barbara Vainio <bevainio@w.......>
Subject: Re: The Art of Bringing Across

I think I remember Screed saying that "not cleaning your plate" i.e. killing
the victim, would result in the person coming across.  This would certainly
fit the Jack the Ripper scenario.  LaCroix was so horrified or disgusted by
the tainted blood, he left without finishing the job.  Isn't that what he
asked Nick to do?

It seems to me that the FK vamps drain the people they want to bring across
to just before the point of death and then feed them to  finish the
transformation.  That's why Nick ahs had some problems - he can't stop and
drains the people completely.

So the feeding could definitely be used only to establish the "family bond"

Barb

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Date:    Fri, 18 May 2001 18:10:52 -0700
From:    Kyer <kyer@p.......>
Subject: Images from Techie Nerd inquiry :)

I want to thank all the people who responded.  Even those who went away
shaking their heads and muttering about what planet my mind was currently
boarding at. : P
So far, Macro File may be the solution to my fic quandary.  But I want to
thank Nancy K., for inspiring this wonderful bit of imagery which, alas, is
unusable in the story itself:

Merlin to Nick:  "Well... its possible he might be akin to search engine
'spiders'."
<Behind the vampires, Wizardmon gasped as the mirror he was looking into
reflected an eight-leged creature instead of his humanesque self>  "Gaaaah!"
Natalie attempts to calm  the frightened digimon down by giving him a bakery
sweet.
Merlin:  "Then again, he might be more related to 'cookies'..."
<Jade eyes go wide in horror as the digimon spits out his oatmeal treat.  He
swoons into the coroner's arms.
Natalie <frantically trying to revive Wizardmon>  "Guys...maybe you should
work out his pedigree upstairs?"

:)=
Kyer, kyer@p.......
gotta go---Major wind storm popped up!

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 18 May 2001 21:34:48 -0600
From:    Angela Gottfred <agottfre@t.......>
Subject: Re: Quick Question

The following is from the file FKCHARS.txt, which is accessible thru the
forkni-l list on yahoogroups.com.

Richard Vetter--on police commission. (Black Buddha 1) He used
to prosecute cases. (Outside the Lines) When he was Capt. Richard
Vetter, he shot & killed Jimmy Malick as part of a drug bust that ended
in a hail of bullets (Night in Question). Wants Tracy to move into
Corporate Crime Division and do forensic accounting; has an annoying
habit of calling her cell phone when she's on duty. (Strings) Always
offscreen.

To view fkchars.txt, go to www.yahoogroups.com, join the forkni-l list
there, and then click on the "files" menu for forkni-l.

Your humble & obedient servant,
Ligeia

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Date:    Sat, 19 May 2001 13:33:21 -0400
From:    Allie Percy <allie@g.......>
Subject: It's for charity!

Thanks so much to all those who participated in the recent GWDFC
Internet Charity Auction!  We were able to raise over $2700 for
Children's Hospital Foundation thanks to the generosity of all the
bidders and donors!

There were a few scattered items left in the charity closet which we
decided to auction off on eBay in order to reach a wider audience
including non-Ger fans.  If you are interested in other fandoms, you
may want to check these auctions out:

http://cgi6.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewListedItems&userid=gwdfc4kids

Thanks everyone!
--
Dr. Allie (allie@g.......)
Internet Charity Auction!  http://www.gwdfc.org/auction
--

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Date:    Sat, 19 May 2001 12:43:37 -0700
From:    Cloud <clouddancer@h.......>
Subject: Re: Quick Question

I've rewatched BB 1&2, OtL, Blackwing & AA. I've also gone over the
transcripts for AtA, Blackwing, DoN, Fever, HoD, LK, LNMTA, MBiaV, OtL,
SoB, Strings, TG.

So far no mention of a first name for Tracy's father. The only things
that can be quoted from canon, that I've seen so far, are, "Her father's
on the police commission."; "Commissioner's daughter, proceed with
extreme caution."; "Woman cop, Commissioner's daughter." The candy box
Reese gets in BB says, "Captain Reese Congratulations from the
Commissioner" There are a few other quick mentions of the Commissioner,
but I have yet to find anything with a first name. I have a few more
episodes to watch. (Oh the shear torture of it all!) *tongue firmly
planted in cheek* I'll let you all know if I find anything.

I've heard the name Richard Vetter over & over in fanfic, I just can't
remember ever hearing it in canon.

--
Cloud         <clouddancer@h.......>
Vaquera, Incarnate, Lonely Heart & closet Night Haven
http://www.geocities.com/cloudworley/Clouddancer.html

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End of FORKNI-L Digest - 18 May 2001 to 19 May 2001 (#2001-161)
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