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niankhsekhmetSince this topic has come up among a few of my friends, I thought I would comment. It seems that it has gone on for a little while. Rather than sit on my hands, I am just going to let things fall where they will. Please note that nothing in this post is about anyone specifically, it is just a general commentary and needs to be iterated.
Many of you know that I have been writing and roleplaying for many years. I cut my teeth on the now-defuct site, Ancient Sites, which has evolved into Ancient Worlds. Now, before Ancient Worlds came into being, all those people who were without a home needed a place to be. This led my writing partners, Dan Rice, Sydney Longfellow, Ki Longfellow and I start Pan Historia. Pan Historia has a sister site, Pan Erotica. The latter is not a porn site. And, like it's elder-sister site, Pan Historia, it is focused mainly on writing and roleplay.PE is just more writing and roleplay that goes in a more mature direction. It is writing focused, RP is just part of what happens because in either of them, the format is toward "novels". Communication is absolutely key. And you have to have alot of good communication to make that sort of thing work. If you don't you're screwed. Suffice it to say I've been doing all of this stuff for a very long time.
Many of you also know that I am the mun (writer) for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
fannyfae, who has been in the LJ community ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
theatrical_muse, amongst others. Fanny has been a character of mine since back at the very inception of Pan Historia - since 1999. That is a long time to be writing any character. Over time she has evolved.
No character, unless they are a Sue or are incredibly boring can go through their literary life and not change some. I will be rewriting and reformatting a great deal of material for Fanny for NaNoWriMo. This muse wants to be a book and by God, she is going to be! She has roleplayed with many. She isnt the only character I do roleplay by any stretch of the imagination. I think last count over on the Pan sites, I have in excess of about 28 characters which are all active in about a dozen novels. Unfortunately, due to real life events this past month has seen me get behind not only on the groups on LJ, but also on Pan Historia. That just isn't a way to run a business. I know that. I also have a straight gig (job) and a son, a priesthood in a temple that I am very dedicated to, herbal clients that I serve and a home. In short, I have a life outside of writing and roleplay. Sometimes those things will take precedence. It isn't an excuse, it's a fact.
Re: Roleplay
Unless you are actively roleplaying with another person, I fail to see the need to ask other people how they roleplay. There are no needs for polls, or lengthy discussions about it. Who gives a flying goddamn what anyone else's opinion is if you have worked it out with your writing partners? And if you have not worked it out with your writing partners, and you don't communicate with them you have got absolutely NO ONE to blame but yourself for any issues that arise. Before you even write one joint-post, storyline, RP or etc. with that person, talk about whether they are plot-centric or character-centric in their writing. Ask them if they do use AIM or any other chat client such as IRC, or email, etc what their preferences are about description, action, whether or not they are comfortable with writing smut together and how they feel about story elements. Is plot open ended? Or is even what is discussed in AIM chat, for example, which most people will consider "meta" or OOC (Out of Character) and not set in stone as an absolute. If you think it is an absolute and get your panties in a twist, then talk to your writing partner. If you don't, again, it is *your stuff* so you are just gonna have to deal. If you are slow with threads, for crying out loud, tell your writing partner. Don't let them find out later that you have life issues going on or they may think you have the attention span of a gnat. Who needs that on either side of the equation?
Muses and their writers are free to change their minds. We have all had characters go silent or extremely noisy on us, or freak out about things that would't have made we the writer ever think twice. Those characters (and writers) who were once just passing friends, can develop very intense and prolific friendships where the muses just go nuts over each other and then those things can later cool. It isn't personal. It's just the nature of writing. As a writer, I can change a story element a dozen times or more. When I write for my character or muse, I really don't consider too much what anyone else is doing. Why should I? My creative outlet has absolutely nothing to do with anyone other than my character(s) and their story. Does that mean that they are less valuable, especially as an OC (original character) or should be taken less seriously? Well, if that were true, there sure as hell would be very little available in the bookstores. There would be pretty abysmal offerings in the fiction sections of the world if that were true. Frankly, again, my characters are mine and no one but me is going to decide what is canon. Period. Point. End of discussion.
Bottom line, I am a writer. I will write my character and their storylines as I see fit. I won't be taking polls, I won't be belabouring the point with anyone about what I choose to do with my storylines or my characters. I don't goddamn care and there isn't a writer on the planet who is serious about writing that says that I have to. I won't pay the slighest bit of attention to any of that, unless of course, I have a writing partner or partners, and we have sort of gone back in forth in email, for example, about what we might like to do with our characters in a shared storyline. If one or the others of us disagrees on how to handle something, we usually speak up and then negotiations continue. It isn't rocket science, it isn't an exercise in intense international negotiations - although some of the writers I write with are in other countries, btw. Sometimes misunderstandings can be as much cultural as they are anything else. The key, again is communication.
Hey, sometimes I screw up. I fully confess that. Sometimes I am Captain Oblivious and what I do might offend or squick or just make someone uneasy. When that happens it needs I need to be told. I would like to thank especially some people who have been absolutely wonderful in the RP department. First of all Dan Rice, my business partner over at Pan Historia. He writes a very wonderful King Nuada over there, along with Red King and Wyatt Earp, and we have been having a lot of fun as of late with Midnight People and Tombstone. :) That particular bit of fun has been going on literally for years. I would also like to thankjessierarr, the writer of allfor_one (Athos) and ursa_mater who writes for all_forme (Rochefort). bella_louve's and captainbarbossa's amasing mun, wiccabuffy who writes for immortalmcleod and Milady deWinter, nicolaskokoris, and of course, civ_barbarian (Hsu Danmei). You all have helped me push the envelope about what good writing is, and I haven't a single complaint about anything, other than we never get enough time to write together it seems like. :)
Anyway, that is my rant and I am sticking to it. /rant mode off.
Many of you know that I have been writing and roleplaying for many years. I cut my teeth on the now-defuct site, Ancient Sites, which has evolved into Ancient Worlds. Now, before Ancient Worlds came into being, all those people who were without a home needed a place to be. This led my writing partners, Dan Rice, Sydney Longfellow, Ki Longfellow and I start Pan Historia. Pan Historia has a sister site, Pan Erotica. The latter is not a porn site. And, like it's elder-sister site, Pan Historia, it is focused mainly on writing and roleplay.PE is just more writing and roleplay that goes in a more mature direction. It is writing focused, RP is just part of what happens because in either of them, the format is toward "novels". Communication is absolutely key. And you have to have alot of good communication to make that sort of thing work. If you don't you're screwed. Suffice it to say I've been doing all of this stuff for a very long time.
Many of you also know that I am the mun (writer) for
fannyfae, who has been in the LJ community theatrical_muse, amongst others. Fanny has been a character of mine since back at the very inception of Pan Historia - since 1999. That is a long time to be writing any character. Over time she has evolved. No character, unless they are a Sue or are incredibly boring can go through their literary life and not change some. I will be rewriting and reformatting a great deal of material for Fanny for NaNoWriMo. This muse wants to be a book and by God, she is going to be! She has roleplayed with many. She isnt the only character I do roleplay by any stretch of the imagination. I think last count over on the Pan sites, I have in excess of about 28 characters which are all active in about a dozen novels. Unfortunately, due to real life events this past month has seen me get behind not only on the groups on LJ, but also on Pan Historia. That just isn't a way to run a business. I know that. I also have a straight gig (job) and a son, a priesthood in a temple that I am very dedicated to, herbal clients that I serve and a home. In short, I have a life outside of writing and roleplay. Sometimes those things will take precedence. It isn't an excuse, it's a fact.
Re: Roleplay
Unless you are actively roleplaying with another person, I fail to see the need to ask other people how they roleplay. There are no needs for polls, or lengthy discussions about it. Who gives a flying goddamn what anyone else's opinion is if you have worked it out with your writing partners? And if you have not worked it out with your writing partners, and you don't communicate with them you have got absolutely NO ONE to blame but yourself for any issues that arise. Before you even write one joint-post, storyline, RP or etc. with that person, talk about whether they are plot-centric or character-centric in their writing. Ask them if they do use AIM or any other chat client such as IRC, or email, etc what their preferences are about description, action, whether or not they are comfortable with writing smut together and how they feel about story elements. Is plot open ended? Or is even what is discussed in AIM chat, for example, which most people will consider "meta" or OOC (Out of Character) and not set in stone as an absolute. If you think it is an absolute and get your panties in a twist, then talk to your writing partner. If you don't, again, it is *your stuff* so you are just gonna have to deal. If you are slow with threads, for crying out loud, tell your writing partner. Don't let them find out later that you have life issues going on or they may think you have the attention span of a gnat. Who needs that on either side of the equation?
Muses and their writers are free to change their minds. We have all had characters go silent or extremely noisy on us, or freak out about things that would't have made we the writer ever think twice. Those characters (and writers) who were once just passing friends, can develop very intense and prolific friendships where the muses just go nuts over each other and then those things can later cool. It isn't personal. It's just the nature of writing. As a writer, I can change a story element a dozen times or more. When I write for my character or muse, I really don't consider too much what anyone else is doing. Why should I? My creative outlet has absolutely nothing to do with anyone other than my character(s) and their story. Does that mean that they are less valuable, especially as an OC (original character) or should be taken less seriously? Well, if that were true, there sure as hell would be very little available in the bookstores. There would be pretty abysmal offerings in the fiction sections of the world if that were true. Frankly, again, my characters are mine and no one but me is going to decide what is canon. Period. Point. End of discussion.
Bottom line, I am a writer. I will write my character and their storylines as I see fit. I won't be taking polls, I won't be belabouring the point with anyone about what I choose to do with my storylines or my characters. I don't goddamn care and there isn't a writer on the planet who is serious about writing that says that I have to. I won't pay the slighest bit of attention to any of that, unless of course, I have a writing partner or partners, and we have sort of gone back in forth in email, for example, about what we might like to do with our characters in a shared storyline. If one or the others of us disagrees on how to handle something, we usually speak up and then negotiations continue. It isn't rocket science, it isn't an exercise in intense international negotiations - although some of the writers I write with are in other countries, btw. Sometimes misunderstandings can be as much cultural as they are anything else. The key, again is communication.
Hey, sometimes I screw up. I fully confess that. Sometimes I am Captain Oblivious and what I do might offend or squick or just make someone uneasy. When that happens it needs I need to be told. I would like to thank especially some people who have been absolutely wonderful in the RP department. First of all Dan Rice, my business partner over at Pan Historia. He writes a very wonderful King Nuada over there, along with Red King and Wyatt Earp, and we have been having a lot of fun as of late with Midnight People and Tombstone. :) That particular bit of fun has been going on literally for years. I would also like to thank
jessierarr, the writer of allfor_one (Athos) and ursa_mater who writes for all_forme (Rochefort). bella_louve's and captainbarbossa's amasing mun, wiccabuffy who writes for immortalmcleod and Milady deWinter, nicolaskokoris, and of course, civ_barbarian (Hsu Danmei). You all have helped me push the envelope about what good writing is, and I haven't a single complaint about anything, other than we never get enough time to write together it seems like. :) Anyway, that is my rant and I am sticking to it. /rant mode off.
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no subject
Date: 2006-11-01 01:58 am (UTC)I agree that fun is at the centre of what we are trying to do. If it isn't fun, why then are you doing it? When your Athos came on the scene, Fanny just clicked with him. Who could have forseen that they would be so intense with each other? Who could have later forseen the storyline where they would be split apart by people and events and it would be so incredibly angsty? She wasn't a muse slut by any stretch of the imagination, so that they felt so much for each other so soon was a surprise for both of us. We followed it where it went and neither of us could have predicted. But it is the angst and the tragedy that makes it so much fun!
I fully admit, I am plot-centric when I write. If there is no plot, my muse and I both get rather bored. She can't stay stagnant. Fanny just isnt a muse that does that well, which is why I made her half-Fae and effectively Immortal in her own right. No, that doesn't make her invincible, but it sure does make for some challenges. I like her in the Musketeer fandom because she fits so very well. You and Lee and Jo and Dan have been my reality check, especially since TM tends to be so damned nitpicky and cliquish. They are especially cliquish against OC's, for whatever reason. I do know that if I do something Sue-ish, or out of character for who Fanny is, you guys or your respective muses are the first to say so. A couple of nights ago between Fanny and Athos was a perfect example of that...poisoned blades and all! *g*
no subject
Date: 2006-11-01 02:17 am (UTC)I honestly never expected Athos to click so well with her. Dan did apparently, but not me. The fact that Fanny was adamant with talking to him despite his rejection and wariness towards her gender definitely made a great difference. I never thought the events that did happen would happen. It was my bad for believing Athos had finally found his happily ever after. I should've known that man's heart is cursed from the very start! ROFL. But I agree! The angst does make it fun and interesting. I love writing it and I'm sadistic that way. :D Look at the Milady situation. HEE.
Well, it's a shame that people are against OCs because you really have a wonderful one. :) I love writing with you and Fanny. The other night still makes me go "OMFG". It definitely showed me a more 'won't take crap' side of Athos (even with those who are close to him). They had their little feud while we munched on our popcorn.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-01 02:22 am (UTC)Yes, when Athos pissed her off and she drew a poisoned Sidhe trident on him I just went, "Guh!What in the HELL!?" I think that she doesn't take his crap either, and it took him not taking her self indulgent whining and saying something jolting to give her her spine back! I thank you for that, btw. It was definitely needed! *g*
no subject
Date: 2006-11-01 02:28 am (UTC)<.< He also want's popcorn and some pixie stix...
*laughing*
no subject
Date: 2006-11-01 02:37 am (UTC)Pixie stix, huh? ;) Athos says he's not sharing his popcorn with the Roach. He's stubborn and selfish like that.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-01 02:42 am (UTC)And he's heading off to round up the last of the helium balloons. *and in a high, mickey,mouse voice* So there!
no subject
Date: 2006-11-01 02:45 am (UTC)Athos wants to know if he's going to dress up in his Drew Barrymore riding a camel costume.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-01 02:51 am (UTC)And Roch doesn't know who this Drew chap is, but he says sure, as long as Athos dressed up as Helga the Wisewoman. With the snake.
And Roch gets to keep Athos' arm that he gave to the cause! *wink*
no subject
Date: 2006-11-01 02:57 am (UTC)Athos says he will because there is nothing more horrifying than dressing up as a woman named Helga. He also likes that snake, THANKYOUVERYMUCH.
LOL. Roch has claiming rights to his arm. ;D Anything for a good cause.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-01 02:48 am (UTC)The Cliff's Notes version: Fanny was whining about feeling neglected, which is completely not her. Athos was tired of hearing it, accused her of being emo, she got pissed, drew one Sidhe trident on him pointed at his throat. He made another smart assed comment, she drew the second one and pointed it at the "family jewels". She didn't bother to tell him that both blades were poisoned until after she resheathed them that said that it was a good thing she wasn't truly pissed off or he didn't move the wrong way. He would probably not have been killed, but it would have made him pretty sick. I do believe she inadvently ended up tearing the fabric with the point near the groin area. OOops! ;)
Pixie stix, eh? Cool I will send out Fanny to buy a bunch at the after-Halloween sale just for him! I have popcorn, too. You do like butter, don't you?! ;)
still ooc, still not changing lj's and going off the computer NOW darnit!!
Date: 2006-11-01 02:54 am (UTC)And ultimatums SUCK by the way. I like my pretty sharp pointies.
And can you just SEE Rochefort on a sugar high? Oh man, that would be hilarious!
Roch: *bursts out laughing, kills a man.* So sorry, I actually meant to hit this one! *stabs another one and bursts out laughing again* You could at least have made it easy for me! Stab, stabbity stab even"
Re: still ooc, still not changing lj's and going off the computer NOW darnit!!
Date: 2006-11-01 03:03 am (UTC)I could so see Rochefort on a sugar high! I could see him being all wide and hyper! Maybe we could play that. What say you? Are you and your muse and say the other Three Musketeers muses up for some mayhem of that level? LOL God! What fun!!
ROFL!I could so see Faelyn just staring at him shaking her head with the stabity stab!
Re: still ooc, still not changing lj's and going off the computer NOW darnit!!
Date: 2006-11-01 03:08 am (UTC)Roch: Come on, Porthos, stop hoggin' the pipe there man. Pass it around. Oh, and who took my flint? Everyone always steels the flint. Aaaathhooooos, got the munchies again. Your turn to ride to the tavern. I can't do it man, I'll get caught. No no, I buy, you ride. *starts laughing* Aramis? Shutthefukup* *much more laughter* Who has the pipe this time? And where is my flint?
Re: still ooc, still not changing lj's and going off the computer NOW darnit!!
Date: 2006-11-01 03:11 am (UTC)Re: still ooc, still not changing lj's and going off the computer NOW darnit!!
Date: 2006-11-01 03:23 am (UTC)RP because it was funny the way it fell out! ;)
Date: 2006-11-02 01:50 am (UTC)"My heart is full of sadness, aching with the pangs of a thousand needles stabbing into my fullsome breasts," the Comte de Rochefort begins, "The rage bites me, snarling at my loins and driving me onward, onward to that dark mist of ... " he stops abruptly and gives quite a cheeky grin.
"Sebastien, I think you are very giddy right now, " Faelyn says quietly, trying to keep herself from bursting out laughing hysterically and failing miserably.
Suddenly, Rochefort got a look on his face as if he suddenly remembered something vital that he had forgotten, " Hey! do we have any hummus? Faelyn! Where is that cheese we lit on fire last time?!" Sebastien turned to Athos who was going for his coat, nearly ready to go out the door, "Ooh< Athos! You have to check it out! It is so cool! Porthos, watch your eyebrows."
Faelyn was filled with trepidation as Sebastien ran into the kitchen and got a large slab of feta cheese on a desert plate. Thank goodness, she thought, it was not one of her lovely new plates from Pier 1. He was busying himself looking frantically around for something, "What did we use to light it last time? Petrol? No wait...brandy, yes, that's it! Yeah...Fire... fireee check it out ..HEY! Where's my flint!?"
Sheepishly, Faelyn reached into the pocket of her skirt and pulled out the precious prize, "Gods, I know I am going to regret this....."
Not losing a single beat, Rochefort knocked the flint against steel. With a *Whoooooosh! * rather than lighting the brandy on the feta cheese to make saganaki. he saw a flash out of the corner of his eye, "Hey, Faelyn! Now that's a fire!!" He was about to beam proudly at he had done when he noticed that his hat was smoldering. He batted at his hat, sparks flying off the top of it.
"Looks like the haberdashery in Paris will be getting repeat business soon," Faelyn quipped, "Sebastien, wasn't the idea to light the cheese?"
"Getting there.. I'm gettting there! he said, pulling flaming feather out of his hat and touching it to the cheese., " See?"
"And of course, you do have a lemon handy in order to put OUT the fire, dont you?" Faelyn asked.
"Uhhh.. lemon?" Rochefort looked genuinely surprised,"Can't we just blow on it or something?"
"Sure," Faelyn said grinning,"if you want to singe your eyebrows again!" She was about to go to the kitchen to fetch a lemon when she realized that the lower part of Rochefort's face was now smoldering, "Now look what youve done! You've lit your goatee on fire!"
"Argh!! Rochefort was slappig at his face, "Not the goatee! NOT the goatee!!!"
Faelyn takes a damp bar towel and puts out Rochefort's face fighting desperately not to burst out laughing along with the other Musketeers and guests who have all been unable to contain their cannibis-enhanced amusement. "Your Grace is less than graceful when he's had a bit of the herb, aye?" she said shaking her head with a slight smirk, fighting hard not to lose all semblence of control and laugh out loud, but failing miserably.
"Yeeesh," came a muffled voice from beneath the wet towel, "Hoping thish wears off soon..." Suddenly the voice beneath the towel turned to something that was akin to a plaintive wail, " Faelyn? I think I burned off my goatee! What will I do without my goatee?"
Faelyn found herself at last laughing softly, "I donnae know. You certainly won't be nearly as intimidating to be sure...that is until you can grow a new one. That is IF you can!"
That gets a towel pulled off the face and up on top of his head, over the hat, " What do you mean, if I can? Of course I can WOMAN! I'm a .. I ahh.. *towel - whap - is around face again* "I have to grow my goatee back!!"
no subject
Date: 2006-11-01 02:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-01 02:42 am (UTC)ooc because I'm too lazy to change accounts
Date: 2006-11-01 02:44 am (UTC)Gotta go get ready for work now... later hon! *hugs*
Re: ooc because I'm too lazy to change accounts
Date: 2006-11-01 02:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-01 02:22 am (UTC)When we began writing together it was during a time when I was going through some pretty rough times. I can't begin to tell you how much it meant to have someone who was willing to listen when I needed to talk and who was just willing to play when that was all I was able to handle.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the development of the relationship between Joanna and Nic. I think part of makes it work for us though is that we seem to think alike without even communicating it before hand. That said, I can't wait to see what is yet to come with them both in the future and with their backstory as we continue to explore it.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-01 02:56 am (UTC)If you need something, please don't hesitate to ask. I mean beyond what our muses do, I am here to listen, too. Sometimes it does help to vent, and yes the RP can be a great escape when things get really crappy in life, too.