MSPA Fanfiction V: We're Going to Need More Wands

[Altum]

Andrew says he doesn't read fanfiction because he thinks bad writing is contagious.

Sorry to be a downer, but that's what he said on the old Formspring.

[X15lm204]

If they are anything like me, the fanboys will be producing the loudest and sharpest of fangirl screeches. XD

EDIT: Well if this thread is any indication, good writing is also contagious. XP

[Author]

Man I wish bad writing was contagious. Do you know hard it is to write ironically and purposely make it bad when you use ridiculously long and convoluted adjectives?

Really hard.

[SkaianRedeemer]

@Hazel: Did I call you "Hazer" in my last post? My long line of screenname fail grows ever broader, I apologize.

@Altum: I'm always fond of when Andrew says something about him ruining a questioners "fanfictions" but this thread just seems to take absolutely everything in stride/stride and also the horn pile.

@X15: I just wanted to say that I'm glad you have a link for Shipping Wall in your sig because I was looking for it the other day but it wasn't on your A03!

[Aerodactylus]

@BlastYoBoots: That would be pretty amazing, however unlikely. In any case, it's a pretty moot point since I decided not to finish that one. XD

@X15: Yes, I concur. Fanboys unite! Someone bring the corn chips and mountain dew!

[Kassiopeia]

I am honestly uncomfortable with the idea of Andrew ever seeing anything I have ever written, my god. If only because I suspect sarcastic comments would be made. OH NOE.

[Decay]

I tend to have a low opinion of my own writing, so sarcastic comments don't bother me, but... yeah, it's probably best for all concerned for Andrew to give this thread a wide berth.

[anonymousComrade]

Man I already I know I'm a hack

Hussie coming here and telling me that wouldn't exactly be a revelation

[morpheoMancer]

I am honestly uncomfortable with the idea of Andrew ever seeing anything I have ever written, my god. If only because I suspect sarcastic comments would be made. OH NOE.

"He might even go past sarcasm. He might use... irony."

[ceruleanTresses]

I am honestly uncomfortable with the idea of Andrew ever seeing anything I have ever written, my god. If only because I suspect sarcastic comments would be made. OH NOE.

Agreed. I think I would probably literally die of embarrassment if he read any of Karkat's Diary, ever. He would probably slowly raise an eyebrow at me, and then walk away, shaking his head sadly.

[-Benedict]

let me tell you guys
let me tell you

if andrew hussie ever took any one of several possible looks at my fanfics
he would have an aneurysm

from all the AMAZING

(because i am great and my writing is great)

this is just straight up the goddam TRUTH guys
not gonna lie
just gonna act like a massive douchebag thanks

[Decay]

let me tell you guys
let me tell you

if andrew hussie ever took any one of several possible looks at my fanfics
he would have an aneurysm

from all the AMAZING

(because i am great and my writing is great)

this is just straight up the goddam TRUTH guys
not gonna lie
just gonna act like a massive douchebag thanks

k dave

[draconicAlgorithm]

Honestly, I don't particularly take Andrew's comments on fanfiction seriously. He's probably either just being an ass about it or he really doesn't look, because about 95% of the fanfiction on this forum is well written. And the other 5% is purposely written badly. Fanfiction.net, however...

If he ever did happen to show up here, I'd probably laugh. A lot.

[sebastian]

I said I wouldn't update this for a while, but I am a lying liar who lies.

Kcutsemoh - Chapter 3
In which pale relationships push all others out of the way.

COLOR TAAAAAAAAGS!!!!!!!!
seriously AO3 ate them like four times
also dave is haaard

Because I had some more unexpected free time, here's another implication of the first chapter that I'm surprised no one commented on:

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And by extension: Tink Noir. This is a thing that will happen.
Ahahahahahahahahahaha

I knew that irradiated grain comment was weird.

does this mean that in this universe there is not a doc scratch? I wonder what will be the repercussions.

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So, Karkat is mute (and by Terezi's hand to boot) Tavros is the one that is already awake and Equius is a robot?

Amazing, I can't wait for the next chapter.

[Douhneill]

Honestly, I don't particularly take Andrew's comments on fanfiction seriously. He's probably either just being an ass about it or he really doesn't look, because about 95% of the fanfiction on this forum is well written. And the other 5% is purposely written badly.

You just gave me a +50 morale boost. Thankx.

[Katrika]

Pathetic

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Vriska looked up, replacing her bookmark as she shut and capchalogued the journal. Where was he? Was he going to back out? He’d better not. She had spent far too long planning this. Her lips curled into something between a sneer and a grimace as she debated what she’d do if he didn’t come? Cry? Probably, if nobody was there looking. Break things? Certainly, although so many things were broken already. Break HIM? She’d be delighted to.

But for now, she curled up for a nap.

And then he was there. Hanging almost upside down, pale, shakey. He was so cute when he was sca-

She is fearful and it makes her prettier.

-red. So helpless. There was something almost endearing about the quality of his. It almost made her want to ease up on the stupid sack of shit, even though she knew he was helping her. He’d been doing a lot better these days. He deserved this. He deserved some happy thoughts.

She tried to ignore his fear as she ki-

I imagine I cannot feel her conviction that it's not merely a matter of whether she will 8e put to the irons, 8ut how hot they will 8e if she fails to please.

-ssed him. But it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t right! He wasn’t react-

Her fingers, which I have lost track of, to my surprise have come 8etween the petticoat and my skin.

-ing right! It was supposed to be passion and power, not chapped lips and this overwhelming feeling of WRONGNESS. What was she doing wrong?

Of course she wasn’t doing something wrong. That was out of the question. She just hadn’t gone far enough. That was it right? That would fix it, right?

She man-

If it is to 8e, she will never understand how thoroughly she was manipul8ted, her 8ody, her mind, her devotion.

-ipul8ted, and he responded eagerly, clawing at her for kisses, pathetic.

Doubt entered. Who was really being pathetic here? He was reflecting her desires. This wasn’t him. It was her.

She was no Marquise Mindfang. She was simply pathetic.

[anonymousComrade]

In which I finally stop ignoring that Kanaya's apparent vampirism is a thing:

Crossing Over: Chapter 8

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Karkat mulled over the possibility of going with the humans' plan in his head for the hundred time. On one hand, their mistakes had lead to Sollux's death, something he saw as an easily preventable accident. On the other, the humans were pulling out all the stops to ensure their plan could not possibly fail. They had likely prepared for every scenario imaginable, regardless of how likely.

But the idea of killing Terezi, then himself, did not sit well with him.

Though it was unspoken between them and Karkat would deny it up and down to any outside party, their relationship was obvious, and had any trolls other than Vriska survived long enough to say so, Karkat and Terezi would be described as textbook matespritship. If they both had to die for the plan to succeed, of course he would offer to do the job himself. It was the noblest thing he could do for her, given this set of very morbid circumstances.

And yet, when he imagined the act of running her through with the Regisickle, or cutting her throat, or even decapitation (*especially* decapitation), which was supposedly relatively painless, just the thought of going through with it made him want to vomit.

Rose had informed them of the suicide's status as a key component of the mission nearly twenty minutes ago. Terezi was furious, initially ("WH3N YOU S41D TH1S PL4N W4S GO1NG TO BLOW OUR M1NDS 1 THOUGHT YOU M34NT 1N 4N 4W3SOM3 COOLK1D W4Y, NOT 1N A HORR1BL3 SH1TTY W4Y!" she had told Dave) but was beginning to calm down. Vriska had agreed to scout the dream bubbles for the dead alongside Dave and Aradia, and strangely enough didn't need much coaxing to do so.

Karkat was circling the complex for the dozenth time or so when he noticed something out of place... green footprints? He followed them through a network of hallways and laboratories until the trail led into a dark room with no exits.

"IS THERE SOMEONE IN HERE? SHOW YOURSELF, FUCKASS!"

Audible footsteps came closer to the open doorway. Karkat stepped back and gripped the Regisickle. He didn't know who this intruder was, but he would not let them ruin things any further.

When she stepped into the light of the hallway, the sickle clattered to the floor, as did Karkat's jaw, figuratively.

"Hello Karkat. Sorry To Have Alarmed You. Please Forgive Me."

-----

To say her return to the world of the living shocked Karkat would be a gross understatement. Her wound still dripped jade-colored blood, but otherwise, Kanaya Maryam stood before him, alive and well.

She explained her condition; she believed that tasting the blood of her lusus, a virgin mother grub (she left out the part where she did so intentionally; as far as she was concerned, they could go on believing her mouth had accidently been hit with blood spatter when she opened up the mother grub to retrieve the matriorb), had caused her transformation upon death into a rainbow drinker.

Immediately Karkat was worried. He should have been happy that his moirail had survived after all, but a question nagged at the back of his mind. He did not know much about rainbow drinker lore, but the tales varied wildly. Some stories told of rainbow drinkers who were completely normal, distinguishable from normal trolls only by their tolerance of sunlight and their need to consume blood. Others spoke in hushed tones of brutal fanged monters that only superficially resembled the creatures they were in life. Kanaya seemed to be the former, but he had to confirm his suspicions.

After talking with her for a while, she resumed her brooding in the darkness. Karkat went for his husktop.

-- carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling gardenGnostic [GG] --

CG: JADE, ARE YOU THERE?
GG: password ASSHOLE!!!
CG: WHAT
CG: NO, THIS DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE INSANE PLAN TO GET RID OF ME ONCE AND FOR ALL.
CG: THIS IS SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY.
GG: :/
CG: ROSE MENTIONED YOU TRAVELED TO THE DREAM BUBBLE IN YOUR SLEEP AND SAW THE DEAD TROLLS.
CG: WHO EXACTLY DID YOU SEE?
GG: well there was feferi, i talked with her mostly because i had already met her in the dream world once
GG: and there was the kid with big goofy horns, isnt that tavros?
CG: YEAH, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE MOST BASIC WAY TO DESCRIBE HIM.
GG: lets see, who else???
GG: the one who looks like a kittycat, and i guess the musclehead guy is her best friend???
CG: OH GOOD, NEPETA AND EQUIUS CONTINUE TO BE NAUSEATING EVEN IN THE GREAT BEYOND.
CG: ANYONE ELSE?
GG: there was one with messed up hair, and i think he had paint on his face!!! but he seemed really nice, even if he swears even more than you do
CG: OH GOD, GAMZEE IS THERE? FUCK
GG: i thought you said he was a bad guy now? but he seemed really nice!
CG: I AM NOT DISCUSSING THIS. JESUS FUCK YOU'RE GIVING ME FLASHBACKS
CG: OH GOD I'M FUCKING SHAKING
CG: CAN WE TALK ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE? ANYTHING ELSE AT ALL. LITERALLY ANY OTHER TOPIC.

His heart rate shot up with the memory of Gamzee stalking him through the corridors of the meteor complex. This did not go unnoticed.

GG: okay sorry
GG: i had forgotten what you went through
GG: *hug*
CG: IT'S... IT'S OKAY. IT'S OVER NOW.
CG: WAS THERE ANYONE ELSE YOU SAW IN THE DREAMSCAPE?
GG: i didnt see sollux or eridan there, i remember that much
GG: feferi said she had been looking for sollux, but couldn't find him anywhere!
GG: and she couldnt find eridan either but she admitted she wasnt looking very hard for him
CG: HAHA, I'M NOT SURPRISED.
CG: I WOULDN'T WANT TO SPEND ALL OF ETERNITY WITH A MURDEROUS, DESPERATE TOOL EITHER.
GG: oh!!! i almost forgot!
GG: kanaya was there too
GG: shes very nice!!! she speaks in a really proper sort of way too

Karkat's expression turned to a puzzled one as footsteps in the dark approached.

GG: she didnt seem as coherent as the others though
GG: and thats saying something!!!
GG: i think the horrorterrors have somehow made the afterlife awful
GG: kanaya seemed to fade in and out and she wasnt entirely there

He realized the implications of what Jade had told him and readied his sickle. This undead creature had her mannerisms, but she was Kanaya no longer.

GG: ...karkat? are you still there???
CG: YEAH. THANKS FOR THE INFO. I HAVE TO GO NOW.

-- carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased trolling gardenGnostic [GG] --

Karkat closed and captchalogued his husktop just in time to avoid Kanaya's lunge for his throat.

"Oh God Karkat, I Am So Sorry."
"KANAYA?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
"I Can't Help Myself. I Don't..."

She stumbled forward in another attempt to grab Karkat, which he sidestepped.

"The Hunger, Karkat. It Drives Me And Yet I Find It Utterly Deplorable."
"FIGHT IT! YOU'RE FUCKING STRONGER THAN THIS! DON'T LET IT RULE YOU, GODDAMNIT!"

Another lunge had proven that Kanaya was not, in fact, stronger than this.

"Karkat Listen. While I Am Still Lucid Enough To Talk. I Have Not Fed Since I Drained Feferi And I Fear My Control Over Myself Is Slipping. I Need You To Do Something For Me."
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"
"I Cannot Control My Urges Without A Constant Supply Of Blood. This Means I Am A Danger To Everyone. Therefore I Ask That You End My Life."
"GODDAMNIT, NO! THERE HAS TO BE ANOTHER WAY!"
"I Am Afraid This Is How It Must Be. I Apologize."

Another attempt to drain Karkat's throat, and it was all over. Karkat barely even registered what happened; he had done it purely by accident. Horrified at what he had done to his moirail, he stepped back.

"Thank You, Karkat. You Have Relieved Me Of Terror Like You Could Not Imagine."

The Regisickle remained jammed in Kanaya's chest as she fell to the ground, lifeless. Karkat reclaimed the weapon, placed it back in the specibus, and slumped against the far wall of the hallway, wondering how he had let things get so bad.

WHAT'S EVEN THE POINT ANYMORE, he wondered to himself. MIGHT AS WELL GET IT OVER WITH.

But he could not face the end alone.

-----

Meanwhile, in the outer rim, two souls took stock of their situation. The one wielding the wand spoke first.

"wwell this is a fine mess wwe got ourselves into, eh sol?"

The one with red and blue eyes replied. "ii'll 2ay. we mu2t be pii22iing them off 2omethiing fiierce for them two be coming at u2 thii2 hard."

A bolt of white lightning impaled an approaching horrorterror as a red and blue optic blast disintegrated another.

"yeah wwell they didn't expect anyone to fight back."

Notes:

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Fuck the police, I'm too lazy for color codes at the moment

(insert my usual lack of confidence at writing a character I haven't written before here)

So yeah I wrote this to cover for the fact that Kanaya completely escaped my mind in the first chapter, and then again in all subsequent chapters. I actually meant to write a scene like this earlier but it kept being forgotten until now, when I could no longer ignore it because the critical hour of happy double suicide funtimes is upon us.

Speaking of, that's next! So enjoy that, you weirdos
>implying I am not a weirdo for writing it

[Kassiopeia]

hahaha, oh man, I came off as a delicate flower in my last post, WHOOPS

OH NO NOT IRONY, MY ONE WEAKNESS

[Domoz]

Guys so, I've been thinking about this update, and reading some fanfics (most notably some of Decay's pesterlogs) and I started typing. To put it bluntly I have 2 pages worth of outlines for this Fic I want to do, but the premise is based off of Dualscar getting captured, which is what Decay is already doing.
(Hold on let me just ramble on really pointlessly)

So Decay, would to mind terribly if I used your fic idea?

[Decker]

I am honestly uncomfortable with the idea of Andrew ever seeing anything I have ever written, my god. If only because I suspect sarcastic comments would be made. OH NOE.

"He might even go past sarcasm. He might use... irony."

"He's probably going to be satirical, even,"

Yeah. I don't think I'd be okay with him reading any of my stuff either.

[Kassiopeia]

IDK, I don't have a high opinion of my writing, but I put a lot of effort into the stuff I post here and it would be kind of saddening to be hated upon from on high. OH WELL IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN ANYWAY.

[Decay]

Guys so, I've been thinking about this update, and reading some fanfics (most notably some of Decay's pesterlogs) and I started typing. To put it bluntly I have 2 pages worth of outlines for this Fic I want to do, but the premise is based off of Dualscar getting captured, which is what Decay is already doing.
(Hold on let me just ramble on really pointlessly)

So Decay, would to mind terribly if I used your fic idea?

Rock on! I've been doing more world-sketches than a real storyline (although... I guess one is forming?) about what ancient Alternia could be like. I would be totally jazzed if you could turn that into a coherent story.

[Katrika]

I think I'm exactly like Kass with that.

[Decker]

IDK, I don't have a high opinion of my writing, but I put a lot of effort into the stuff I post here and it would be kind of saddening to be hated upon from on high. OH WELL IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN ANYWAY.

I agree it will probably never happen. I kind of agree with Hussie on a certain level, not that bad writing is contagious, but that reading fan-ANYTHING runs the risk of corrupting a work in progress.

And your writing is fine.

[lucidSeraph]

*puts on semi-professional writer hat*

There is actually also a practical reason that writers cannot and should not read fan fiction. And that is legal.

Basically, let's say some internet dude writes a fic. It's pretty damn good. It has a bunch of original ideas on how the plot should go and some really interesting insights into the characters.

AuthorOfTheCanon reads this fic. AOTC goes 'oh man! I totally never thought of that character THAT way! And these are some interesting plot ideas.' They try to forget about it, but the ideas wiggle their way into their new work (And believe me, this DOES happen; shit from whatever I'm reading at the time ALWAYS winds its way into my shit, even my nonfiction, if only in the form of certain turns of phrase and ways of speaking. EX: the word 'fuckass' and 'Bluh'. Gdit, Hussie :| ) They might not even mean to, but the subconscious is a terrible and capricious thing.

Fic writer reads this. Fic writer goes "!!!" and, being a douchebag, goes "HOPY SHIT, AOTC STOLE MY IDEA >O " They go and get a lawyer, and, in the hopes of fame and fortune, sue the pants off the poor AOTC. Because of the nature of copywright law, it is entirely possible that Douchefan could win this case. And even if AOTC did, there's still the cost of defense, which for artists especially is not an insignificant fee!

Now, I'm not saying that you guys are douchefans, and you may be going "B-but I'd LOVE it if Author used my work!" but believe me, crazies like that DO exist in fandom, and some of them would do it JUST for the attention.

This is why so many authors don't read fanfic, or, at least, the most reasonable explanation I've seen for why they don't. I know that in the intensely unlikely event that I ever publish fiction (ha ha ha yeah fucking right!) I'll be INCREDIBLY SAD because I will WANT to read all the fanfic, all of it, even if it is just one very determined guy on Livejournal writing self-insert idiocy with furries, but I can't, because this risk exists. Boo.


Granted, Andrew doesn't run this risk as readily as other people because his comic is specifically stated (somewhere) to be an interactive fiction and ergo by its very nature takes reader suggestions, so written into a sort of invisible contract (at least, in my totally not a law student eyes) is that 'if you make fanworks of this comic/speculate wildly on the fora/elsewhere, there is a chance your ideas will end up in it somehow'. I mean people used to actually write suggestions for it, and in the wildly unlikely event of a Douchefan trying such a thing that'd be one of the things used as a defense (ie, "this comic is specifically stated to draw from the fans as inspiration, idiot")


*E* And for clarification so you guys don't just go YOU HAVE PULLED THIS OUT OF YOUR ASS, I read this on Charles Stross' website, and he is kind of a big deal sci fi author, so I think his word is pretty legit. He cites other sci fi and fantasy authors and their lawyers/agents on the matter as well.






Also it's entirely possible that some authors still read fanfic, they just deny it vehemently, again for the above reasons.


*E2* Basically, "What Decker said, only there's possible legal consequences to go with this."