The nature of many fanfictions

Stitch · **Reply #20 on:** December 07, 2005, 09:59:36 PM

It might just be me, but it seems that this topic, the way its going, should be moved to the After Midnight section. Do you guys agree?

Malte279 · **Reply #21 on:** December 08, 2005, 04:07:24 AM

Actually I think that it should stay where it is. It deals mainly with fanfictions and their content. If that content is what people post in the fanfiction board I don't think that debating it there would be less appropriate.

Littlefoot1616 · **Reply #22 on:** December 08, 2005, 07:57:06 AM

At the end of the day, it's all down to the author. As a reader, you can either look at it or ignore it. I'l admit that my fanfic's by no means has the right kind of content to be a LBT movie plot but it's all about being given the freedom to do as you want. There's no way I'd approach a LBT worker with my story, I'd just get it flung back in my face and get laughed at. It's all down to the imagination of the writer. I'm sure everyone who writes a story has some means of inspiration from something else that's already out there. My story will never become a plausible plot for a LBT coz I've included so many other seemingly incompatable features to it but I've still centred it around the LBT cast and their world.

I can understand why Malte's having a moan, but just because it doesnt perfectly model what's already been established as the norm for the LBT world doesnt mean it's crap! Slight variations make it more interesting. I mean why does everyone naturally assume that Littlefoot and Ali will fall in love with each other?! Coz he's a boy, she's a girl and they're the same type of dinosaurs?! It's that simple is it?

Dont get me wrong, I'm not have a go at anyone, but I dont think it's fair to judge a story just because it's not a clone of movies. The writer can be very good at what they do but being shunted for the content is an injustice I reckon...

Nick22 · **Reply #23 on:** December 08, 2005, 10:17:36 AM

I see your reasoning littlefoot. I would go even further. Not not are they are thry of the same species, they're about the same age as well. However, we must remember any relationship between them is only in the very early stages .As much as we'd like to see what happens , we can only guess at this point.

Malte279 · **Reply #24 on:** December 08, 2005, 10:18:47 AM

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I dont think it's fair to judge a story just because it's not a clone of movies.

I have to agree on that, with your own story being a proof of the fact. I am not flattering you, nor do I deny that personally I by all means prefer land before time story without humans and zombies and all that.
However, having read a great part of your story ("Battle of the Sacret Essences") I must say it would be very unfair to even think of putting it on the same level as other stories from which I gave examples before. There is a great deal of emotion in your story and exciting storys too. The way you describe the friendship between Jason and Littlefoot is very, very moving indeed. I sent you long reviews about your story.
Still the great majority of the stories written without care for what could and what could not appear in a land before time movie also show an extreme lack of such elements as those I appreciate about your story. Many a story resembles a mere repitition of other movies with LBT characters in the roles of people who are mainly busy killing, killing more, and killing even more. Some of those storys resemble almost lists of atrocities rather than stories.
To come back to the quote which introduces this message, again I do agree with it. Yet I never ever demanded clones from the movies. There is nothing more pointless as mere repetitions of storys that have already been told. You will find that I clearly excluded them from the kind of land before time storys I'm speaking up for:

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There is so much potential left for land before time stories that do not contain elements that don't belong into LBT. And I'm talking of long, good stories here, which are full of new ideas rather than being mere repetitions of what we have seen in the movies already. Why is it that nobody tries to write such stories?

It is really quite sad for me that virtually no one seems to feel like giving an original land before time story a try.
The newest idea from the N54 forum is a North American P51 D Mustang appearing in the Great Valley. I am interested in WW2 planes (as sure enough you remember from our visit to the science museum, don't you Littlefoot-1616

) But what business do they have in LBT. Another message their told about a dream in which littlefoot lost his lower left leg beneath the knee. I would not be surprised to read this as part of a fanfiction soon.

Nick22 · **Reply #25 on:** December 08, 2005, 10:24:55 AM

those parts have no place in LBT. Yet, i too have added elements that are not native to LBT, and unfortunately, my imagination being quite expansive, the RPs have not worked due to my imagination putting the LBT characters (and the characters I've added in situations that are not native to LBT.

Malte279 · **Reply #26 on:** December 08, 2005, 10:35:27 AM

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Yet, i too have added elements that are not native to LBT, and unfortunately, my imagination being quite expansive, the RPs have not worked due to my imagination putting the LBT characters (and the characters I've added in situations that are not native to LBT.

I mean no offense to anyone, but what you wrote stirs up a rather provoking question.

Does having an expansive imagination require people to go beyond the set borders in this case (by including non LBT elements into the stories)?
In that case the reverse would say that I lack imagination.
Or else should not an expansive imagination enable people to make good stories of the limited rescources (possibilities) they have in case of LBT rather than taking the easy way and just include whatever they like?
In that case the reverse would say that all those unable to write an LBT story within these borders lack imagination.

Nick22 · **Reply #27 on:** December 08, 2005, 10:43:46 AM

In that case I lack imagination

: to be honest, I find it difficult to stay within the relatively limited range of LBT stories. I am used to reading stories of great expanse, where characters are very complex and diverse. However LBT is relatively simple, the characters have no desire or need to leave a location that is safe and provides them with enough food anf water. Of course as the films have shown, other elements that are not part of LBT have been added(the Rainbowfaces come to mind IMO) and the stories themselves have been simplified(take the 'harmless' Sharpteeth for example.).

Littlefoot1616 · **Reply #28 on:** December 08, 2005, 01:06:00 PM

No...that's not true Malte! You don't lack imagination and in actual fact, you are very brave to sit down and try and keep utmost control over your thought and imagination process and NOT to go overboard. You've take on the challenge of constricting yourself to the barriers laid out by the LBT world and work between them. That's no lack of imagination my friend

That is a very noble and if not, difficult task to try and fulfil. It's very easy to want to include absolutely everything you like into a story but it's much harder to work to strict guidelines that are already in place!

A very commendable effort Malte! One that should not be frowned upon just coz it doesnt include bit of modern technology

Nick22 · **Reply #29 on:** December 08, 2005, 03:00:42 PM

littlefoot has a point. Having the ability to work with guidelines when writing a story is a good thing...

Petrie. · **Reply #30 on:** December 08, 2005, 05:22:23 PM

Quote from: Littlefoot1616,Dec 8 2005 on 12:06 PM

No...that's not true Malte! You don't lack imagination and in actual fact, you are very brave to sit down and try and keep utmost control over your thought and imagination process and NOT to go overboard. You've take on the challenge of constricting yourself to the barriers laid out by the LBT world and work between them. That's no lack of imagination my friend That is a very noble and if not, difficult task to try and fulfil. It's very easy to want to include absolutely everything you like into a story but it's much harder to work to strict guidelines that are already in place! A very commendable effort Malte! One that should not be frowned upon just coz it doesnt include bit of modern technology

Where's the champagne when I need it? That right there is worth a toast!

Malte279 · **Reply #31 on:** December 08, 2005, 05:31:49 PM

Thank you all very much.

But I wasn't fishing for compliments. Much rather would I have a toast on the efforts of somebody else to write a land before time story trying to stay within the limits the movies set.
Gee, I am pesky, am I not?

Littlefoot1616 · **Reply #32 on:** December 08, 2005, 06:31:05 PM

wouldnt say it if it weren't true!

Malte279 · **Reply #33 on:** December 10, 2005, 03:24:50 PM

RRROOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!
People who know me that I'm quite peaceful a character, but today the newest idea of a writer of so called fanfiction made me hit the roof and crash right through it! Because of the many recent suggestions about fanfictions of the kind which I find got nothing to do with LBT I thought what might be the worst of all ideas. The most loathsome idea possible for an LBT story. I thought that involving the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima would be the most hideous of all ideas and having thought of this, I was confident that nothing people might off about LBT could upset me anymore.
I was wrong!
Today a so called fan in the N54 forum drew a line between the land before time and... Auschwitz!
I think it is the first time I ever used nothing but capital letters in a response to a message. How sick can people get! Is there no decency left in those people?

Littlefoot1616 · **Reply #34 on:** December 10, 2005, 08:50:12 PM

OK...cant defend that one! There can't be any ground for reasoning on that one! That's just beyond idioicy :angry:

Petrie. · **Reply #35 on:** December 10, 2005, 10:51:42 PM

At least the post is now gone so nobody else has to read that crap. I can tolerate Star Wars, since that's fiction....but not that. :angry:

pokeplayer984 · **Reply #36 on:** June 11, 2006, 03:37:28 PM

Well, I must admit that I've come up with some idiotic ideas for LBT fanfiction myself.

:

I had one idea, back when there was only LBT1-5, that the gang travel into the future to fight off an evil alien, and gain superpowers. At the end, I had the gang end up back at their own time with no memory of it, and dying because THE METOR hit right where they were. -_-

These days, I look back and ask, where did I come up with that STUPID idea?

The newest ideas I've come up with will probably be the closest I'll ever get to making a LBT story that works with the movies.

EDIT: (And why does my Avatar keep showing as a big red X? :angry:)

DarkHououmon · **Reply #37 on:** June 11, 2006, 05:28:00 PM

There are a few days when I wish I could write a fanfic that stayed within the limits of LBT, but truth be told, I cannot do this. I have tried before to write G and failed miserably, and only sucessfully made a few PG rated fanfics. If I cannot even stay within G, then I don't see how I can make a "true" LBT fanfic.

I do believe that violence can be despicable if used in the wrong way. With my fanfics, I am very careful not to overflow the fanfic with too much descriptive violence, otherwise the plot would seem to disappear. My fanfics are normally PG-13, but sometimes they have risen to R, and always due to increased violence.

But to be honest, another reason why I would have trouble writing a "true" LBT story is because staying within the boundaries would be too difficult for me.

I'd love to post an LBT fanfic here sometime, but due to how I write my fanfics, I have my doubts I'll be able to, sadly.

And about the big red X, I'm not sure. Maybe the link is broken.

action9000 · **Reply #38 on:** June 11, 2006, 05:43:07 PM

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There are a few days when I wish I could write a fanfic that stayed within the limits of LBT, but truth be told, I cannot do this. I have tried before to write G and failed miserably, and only sucessfully made a few PG rated fanfics.

Do you ever wonder why you have trouble writing G- or even PG-rated fanfics? I agree that this does indeed place limits on the freedom available, but this goes back to something my music teacher taught me in high school:

I tended to go overboard with the variety of themes in my music compositions in high school. My music teacher talked to me about this and taught me the importance of theme, and staying within the boundaries of my own work.

I believe this applies to any form of art, even a fanfic. The atmosphere of the original piece can be related to more directly if similar themes are used, either in a similar style, or in variation. To me, the LBT universe has certain 'themes' that should probably be adhered to, in order to preserve the LBT feeling of the fanfic. Drifting too far from the basic theme results in a situation simiar to what my music teacher was talking to me about; something along the lines of:
"Goldilocks is wandering through the mountains and runs into 3 bears who get chased away by the three little pigs who get shot by the 7 dwarfs who are then killed by malificent throwing apples at them."

It gets so out-of-context that the original idea of Goldilocks is lost. This holds true for fanfics as well. If the LBT atmosphere is desired, the story must stay withint the 'theme' boundaries. This includes keeping it more-or-less family-oriented, as that is a major part of the LBT universe.

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But to be honest, another reason why I would have trouble writing a "true" LBT story is because staying within the boundaries would be too difficult for me.

Perhaps you simply need more practice. Writing doesn't come easy to me, but if you honestly wanted to learn to write a G or even PG-rated LBT fanfic, I'm sure you could with some effort. Just give it an honest shot. If you get stuck, think about Why you get stuck. There must be some reason that keeping it G-rated is so hard for you. Consider this and solve the problem at the source.

Just a thought. B)

DarkHououmon · **Reply #39 on:** June 11, 2006, 05:46:09 PM

I guess the best way for me to explain why G is so hard for me is because I quickly lose interest in the idea. While there are times when I wish I could write within the boundaries, I also know it wouldn't be a good idea for me to do so, as I am no longer fond of some elements of the movie series.