Keeping Up

Update week is always stressful, especially when I'm writing from behind. I was forced to do something unsavory, and that's sever the chapter in half. I'm getting flashbacks to my past because I did that a lot. It normally wouldn't be a problem but I'm determined to end the story on chapter 50. I don't have a lot of leeway when it comes to pushing things back. We might be headed towards another mega-chapter for the next update. Lucky for you guys but it's more work for me.

I was behind thanks to Battlefield 4. I played way too much, which led me to sleep late, which meant I napped instead of write during my lunch break. I put myself in a bad position. I stopped playing BF4, so I should be back on track.

Now that I'm past 1000, I'm in "no fucks given" territory. I thought I'd clear it easily but with the sluggish pace of reviews, I barely dragged myself over the finish line. My reception is declining with each update. I'm no longer propelled by reader enthusiasm. I'm in "get it done" mode. It's still an impressive achievement to hit 1000 since we're in the dark ages, and it'll stay dark until KH3 comes out. Seems like I'll never hit the heights of my contemporaries.

For that, you guys deserve the worst troll ending possible.

JomattoStyle: A Market Approach

In It for the Glory

Alright, let's push aside all that fancy fluff about improving your writing. At this point, you know whether or not you've got it. You're not looking to transcend your limits or some other new-age bullshit, you just want one thing: the glory.

Fortunately, the marketplace determines success not by quality, but by popularity. You don't have to be the best; you just have to be good enough. If you're looking for a shortcut to the top, I present to you: A Market Approach to Writing.

I'd imagine most writers these days try their hands at fanfiction before blossoming into original authors. I can hardly think of any site broader and more inclusive, which makes it an ideal representation of the marketplace.

FF.net's low barrier to entry, large readership, and feedback system form a somewhat competitive environment for writers. There are winners and there are losers. Money may not be involved, but time is—which is equally as valuable. The promise of validation, praise, and reviews is reward enough to lure in aspiring writers. For them, there's nothing more important than finding an audience.

Unfortunately, without the pressures of the market to weed out the trash, a lot of garbage remains on the shelf. That's why competition breeds quality. If there's an incentive to be better, then everybody would step up their game.

Keep in mind that what I say are assumptions derived from personal experience. Take it all with a grain of salt.

Measures of Success

What makes an activity worth doing? Recognition, and on FF.net, recognition comes in reviews. The goal is to get as many reviews as possible. It feels good to have dozens of people tell you how great your story is, but you’d be remiss to see that as the sole determinant of success. It’s the total feedback that counts, the combination of reviews, favorites, and follows, against the amount of effort you put in, the total number of words or chapters you publish. A 1000 chapter story with 1000 reviews is an embarrassment compared to a 10 chapter story with 100 reviews. You want legitimate glory, not fake glory. So forget about those inflationary tactics, writing “drabbles” so you can update with paltry word counts, holding chapters ransom, or threatening readers unless they “pay up.”

But you’re better than that. You know you got the stuff; it’s just a matter of luck, skill, and strategy.

Identifying Your Market

You have to determine your target audience. FF.net has broad categories and it falls on you, the writer, to narrow it down as much as you can. The natural choice is to choose the property you're most familiar with. Alternatively, you can choose one with the most potential, based on the number of total stories and how successful the top ones are.

I wanted to write character-based and relationship-driven stories aimed at teenagers and young adults, so I chose Kingdom Hearts because it was the best match for my material, and it was the most popular section under Games. My goals and target demographic were a solid match.

Popularity is not without its perils though. KH is crowded. A newly posted story will stay on the front page for an hour at most. Further division is necessary. I needed to target a specific niche. In non-yaoi, the most popular pairing was Sora and Kairi. Thus, my two principal characters were selected.

Try not to gauge your success against the entirety of a fandom, but against competitors within your niche. The next step is to examine market conditions: the size of the market, the competition, and the pace.

Size of the Market

Each category is limited by the size of its readership. One category might max out at 100 reviews while another can go as high as 1000. You want to know just how high you could go. Having identified Sora-Kairi as my main segment, the ceiling I was looking at was well past the 1k mark.

Competition

Before I wrote a single word, I had determined the best category and pairing for my stories and how much success was achievable given the limits of my segment's readership. It was time for a little research.

Since reviews are the golden commodity, I looked at many of them, analyzed their contents, and the writers who wrote them. Reviewers ranged from 12 to 20 years old, and gender was skewed depending on the genre. The two most popular genres are adventure and romance. Male authors tend to read and write adventure, while females do the same for romance. The market had been neatly divided into two distinct categories: adventure and romance.

There are two options here: do something different from the norm or execute the norm better than anyone else.

Once you've started your story, I'd suggest using the competition as benchmarks for your own success. It might put your success (or lack thereof) in better context.

Market Pace

Kingdom Hearts has dozens of stories being published and updated daily. Front page status does not last very long, and for most stories, it may be their only source of exposure. Depending on how rapid a fandom moves, you must adjust your pace accordingly. Speed, perhaps second to quality, is one of the most crucial determinants of success. You'll want to keep feeding the fire until it's able to sustain itself. Writers who can regularly publish updates with little to no loss in quality inspire confidence in readers who want a regular drip-feed of content. This is how a following is created. You'll make fans, and these are the people who, more than anyone, will validate your ventures as an author.

The Cool Kid's Corner

Although not necessary, a little networking never hurt anyone. Try to become friends with authors who are already successful, listen to their advice, and ride off their coattails. If you write something good enough, they'll give you an endorsement, and that could mean all the difference in the world. Never throw away free marketing. But networking requires effort. It's not just a simple "pls read my story and review, thnx," You need to show genuine eagerness and a desire to improve. You gotta put in that work and impress the ones you look up to. Everything is earned and rarely given.

Know When to Give Up

If this is truly a market approach, then you must know when to exit as well. Sometimes, the best laid plans get laid to waste. Nothing you can do about it. Either the market has changed beyond expectations or the competition is just too tough. There's no shame in admitting defeat. The important thing is that you recognize this and bail out while you still have your dignity. Don't continue to invest more time into a project with no return. You're better off allocating your resources elsewhere. If you're really that adamant about it, you can always try again later, but with a newer strategy. Cut your losses and start over. Hopefully, you'll be more experienced and wiser this time.

JomattoStyle: Express Yourself

Once upon a time, in one of my writing workshops, the professor asked me, "Who's your favorite journalist?" I said "Joseph Mitchell," a safe choice. Then she asked me again, "Who's really your favorite journalist?" Considering my style was a far cry from Mitchell's measured and methodical approach, she didn't believe me. I shrugged my shoulders as the class echoed her sentiment. It seemed I had established myself as a "stylistic writer."

I've always tried for an absolute objective voice. When you hear "journalism," that's what you think: a sort of dry, well-researched and authoritative tone on the subject matter. But it was only when I let myself loose did I finally earn recognition. It's been a running theme throughout my life. The moment I "be myself" is when things turn out great. Not only was this true in the classroom, but this was true online as well.

I point to Exhibit A: Love Sick. I've had modest successes before, but Love Sick was when I truly took off and entered the upper strata where kings feasted. I credit my success to the unique and refreshing first-person narrative. Here's the secret: the main character is modeled after me.

That's not to say that girls make me throw up or anything. Those unique character quirks are a result of my research and journalistic ability. It's my job to capture the lives of others. I draw on my own experiences and imagination to imbue the narrative with a sense of realism.

The point I'm trying to get at here is that your writing should be comprised entirely of YOU, of your experiences, of the people you know, of your beliefs, of what you find funny, of what you find offensive, of what scares you, and of all the unique characteristics that constitute YOU.

Of course, this is contingent on your mastery of the basics. Once you've gone as far as you can in the standard first-person past-tense template, that's when you should let it all out. Go wild. Set free all your bad habits, peculiar idiosyncrasies, and questionable preferences. If you like sentence fragments. Put them in. If you like to digress, then digress from the rooftops to the moon and to the stars! If you favor colorful metaphors and similes, then choke your readers with them, shove it down their throats every chance you get. Fancy big words? Type first and look them up later. Repetition? Repeat, repeat, and repeat as many times as necessary. It's only through excess can you find moderation.

Soon, you'll begin to see when too much is too much. You'll realize that your metaphors and similes make no sense, that the objects for comparison bear little relation to each other, that your repetition is really repetitive, that you've been using that word the wrong way this entire time, that your dialogue is super unnatural and stilted, that every character you create talks the same way, that you use the same words over and over, that your description is lacking, that your characterization leaves a lot to be desired, and that you pretty much suck at writing in general.

It's only after you've built up and broken down, can you truly begin to define your own style.

JomattoStyle: Perspective

Perspective isn't a consideration, it's a foundation you must abide by. It determines how the events are organized and how the action flows. Now before you start getting crazy ideas, I have but one rule for you to follow: stay consistent.

You're only gonna be worrying about two perspectives: first-person and third-person. It's the difference between "I hate you" and "he hates you." Which perspective you adopt hinges on your story idea. Is it going to be an epic with scenes happening in different places at the same time? Go third. Is it going to be about one person and how they grow as an individual? Go first. Once you've selected a perspective, stick to it like Wolverine on a bullet train.

Packaged with perspective is also the issue of verb tenses. Far too often do I read stories where the narrator slips into the future, past, and present all at the same time. It's not just wrong, it's stupid, and ignorant, and an insult to the English language. Okay, it's not that offensive, but it's so pervasive, there should be a Surgeon General's Warning slapped onto every word processor to keep this epidemic from spreading.

I go to school and entered class.

The untrained eye cannot catch this. If you can't see it, then please slap yourself with a dictionary a hundred times until the past and present tense forms of all verbs are seared into your brain. All verbs in a sentence must conform to one tense. There are exceptions (English has many), but this holds fast for 90% of your cases.

For beginners, my advice is to start in first-person, because that's our most familiar reference point. We are always thinking in terms of "I." If you're going to be writing as a character, I strongly urge you to stick with your own gender, not only because of the familiarity, but because you can easily expose yourself if you don't. There's a reason why Victor Frankenstein is an overdramatic, wailing, male lead--he was written by a woman.

For tenses, use the past form. It's the traditional mode of narrative and imposes a level of control necessary for grasping the basics. You don't wanna go fast when you start out, you wanna be slow and methodical. Slow and steady may not win the race, but at least you're not going to screw it up.

JomattoStyle: Descriptions

Most stories I read are driven primarily by dialogue -- but that's probably the case for most modern works. My memories are colored by school-assigned literature that's seemingly dominated by pages upon pages of description.

For fanfiction though, most writers have settled on a dialogue-heavy formula. I consider it a byproduct of the more popular forms of media: TV, movies, etc. We grew up watching this stuff, so it only makes sense that we borrow from it when we imagine our own stories. This has led many fanfic authors to write something akin to scripts rather than novels. Remove all the keyframe action and all you have is talk. It's not necessarily a bad thing. We all watch TV, so it's a familiar format for us. The problem is that it doesn't take advantage of the writing medium.

JomattoStyle: Introductions

It's called an introduction. It's an opportunity to make a great first impression--perhaps the only opportunity. There's really no excuse to flounder on such a fundamental aspect of writing a story. How many times do our English teachers have to throw out the word "hook" until our mouths got the gashes to prove it? I see far too many writers go for the most boring introductions ever. Every time I see it happen, it's a lost opportunity.

Chapter Previews

All Chapter Previews are Organized Under Here.

Love Sick
Chapter 19  

Hotel Hearts
Initial Concept
Chapter 10
Chapter 11

Sora's Epic Journey
Initial Concept

Artwork
Sora (Love Sick)

JomattoStyle: Starting Out

Starting Out

This is a royalty free image. Don't feel bad about using somebody else's work!

So you got yourself all the tools you need in order to start writing, but now you're faced with a new problem: how do I start?

The answer to that?

Hell if I know.

I'm not you.

But what I can do, is tell you what I do.

JomattoStyle: Tools of the Trade

Tools of the Trade

Writing is a unique task that can be accomplished through a variety of different tools. We've gone a long way from the pen and paper, but the funny thing is, the pen and paper is a still a viable method. I used to draft out my ideas in a notebook , but in the interest of avoiding carpal tunnel, I decided to go for a more progressive and multi-faceted approach.

JomattoStyle

I'm not arrogant enough to think that I'm an authoritative voice on writing, even on the level of fanfiction. I have too many biases to be objective. What I can do, however, is offer insight to those who wonder about how I do what I do. This is just a starting point, and as time goes on, there will be more added to this guide.

Click on the links below to jump to a category:

1. Tools of the Trade
2. Starting Out 
3. Introductions 
4. Descriptions
5. Perspective
6. Express Yourself

Sora's Epic Journey: The God Quill

This is the first concept for Sora's Epic Journey Through Fanfiction.  The story was originally called "The God Quill," but as you now know, I decided to go for a more eye-catching title. While this and the current story are not the same, it does give hints as to the kind of person Sora was before he started going nuts with the god quill.

Artwork: Sora (Love Sick)

 

 For this drawing project, I decided to draw Sora from my story, Love Sick. In it, he suffers a serious condition where close proximity with girls activates his gag reflex. Simply put, girls make him sick. Due to story details, I made him wear a generic white tee. The hand over his mouth is to keep himself from throwing up. I tried to make him look "cool," and at the same time, have him troubled. I think I succeeded on some level.

Hotel Hearts Chapter 11 Preview

 Listening to Selphie's advice, Kairi decided to give it a shot. She already agreed to the date, but now she won't approach it as an unwelcome and miserable method of passing time. She owed Riku that much. Despite how charming and gentlemanly he might be, she had no expectations of love. She had priorities, and a boyfriend was the lowest item on that list.

Hotel Hearts: Initial Concept

I was digging into old files when I found this interesting piece. I actually approached the concept of Hotel Hearts from different angles. The premise in this one is kind of mysterious. 

Bent over the kitchen floor, the boy furiously scrubbed until the surface started to shine with a silver sheen. With a heavy sigh, he picked up his dirty rag and tossed it over the kitchen counter; he threw off his rubber gloves and pulled the bandanna that was holding his hair in place loose. His hair sprung to life, gasping for air previously denied by the cloth, and the boy stretched, letting his joints crack freely. After ironing out the kinks, he proceeded upstairs to his room to get ready for work.

Love Sick Chapter 19 Preview

A dramatic moment.

It's something that, in movies, is usually accompanied by excessive amounts of slow motion, agonizing music, and a lot of suspense.

Unfortunately, life doesn't slow down to give us room to breathe. Blink once and you're already six-inch deep, with one foot out the door and the other trying desperately to stay inbounds. When something bad comes, it hits hard and fast.

Which is why, by the time I see her, it's already too late.

Damn.

What the hell is Xion doing here?

If she finds out that I'm here with Roxas, she'll definitely tell Kairi about it. My first thought is to hide, but that's when my dramatic moment comes. As my mind probes for possible solutions, it dawns on me that I'm here with Roxas.

It's a crippling realization.

Roxas could never read a situation well. His capacity for subtlety is nonexistent. At the slightest prod, he'd fold and spill out his guts. He's the kind of guy that would tell you far more than you ever wanted to know. I just hope he keeps his mouth shut.

I use the moving bodies on Starwalk as cover until I make my way to a wall. I back up against it and peek over the edge to see them talking. Time to just wait it out. I pull myself back, lean against the wall, and slide down until I'm squatting. Staying low should minimize my presence.

Hopefully, Roxas just hit on her and got rejected, and that would be the end of that. Worse case scenario, she recognizes him. With recognition comes curiosity, and with curiosity comes attention, and with attention comes a retch session with a toilet bowl.

What are the odds that she just happened to be here? I'm inclined to believe in coincidences as substitute for fate, but when things are this convenient, I believe in volition. Could she have followed us from school? Why would she? Maybe she's spying on us for Kairi?

I don't know what scares me more: that I'm this paranoid, or that it might actually be justified -- schizophrenia be vindicated.

Hotel Hearts Chapter 10 Preview

The cellphone sprang to life, spitting out the catchy chorus of the latest pop song that lit up the sales charts. Xion's hand poked out from under the covers and doused it immediately. She hated the song now. It probably wasn't a smart move to make her favorite song her alarm ringtone. It seemed like a good idea at first, but every time she heard the song, it brought back horrible memories of trying to wake up. After squelching the phone, she rolled off the bed and hit the ground. She pushed herself up and groggily searched for the bathroom. She stumbled inside and rinsed her mouth. She squeezed the tube and a column of paste topped the bristles of her toothbrush. She started scrubbing her teeth vigorously when she heard noises from downstairs. It was six in the morning, what was Sora doing up? She descended downstairs while brushing and looked into the living room.

She almost spit out her toothbrush.

"Are my eyes fooling me?" she mumbled, froth threatening to spill out from her mouth. "Are you actually studying?"

Sora looked up from his notebook and grimaced. "Spit it out before it gets on your shirt."

She went to the sink and followed his instruction. She turned the faucet to wash the bubbles away. "What's gotten into you?" she asked clearly, the brush no longer stuck in her mouth.

"There's a quiz today. If I don't get a decent grade, heads will roll--mine specifically."

"Oooh," she drawled tantalizingly. "Kairi's got you in a vice-grip?"

"No," he answered. His job was in jeopardy, Kairi had nothing--actually, it was all Kairi's fault!

Xion sat down on the sofa and watched as he examined his notes. "You know, I've been wondering...what do you do all night?"

Sora stopped his review and sat up. He thought she would've ignored his absences but it was kind of weird when he was coming home at four every night. "I got a midnight job," he answered truthfully.

"Really? Hmmm..."

He sighed. She always did that for further prompting. "What is it?"

"I just thought that you were staying out all night with Kairi."

He almost choked on his spit. She was closer with that assessment than she thought. "Nah, just work."

"Why are you working anyways? Do we need money that much?"

He wouldn't say it was for her medical bills. "With mom on vacation, somebody's gotta pick up the slack." Their mom actually found a donor and called to tell him about it yesterday. She told him to keep it quiet to Xion since she was still in the process of "negotiation." He didn't know what there was to negotiate. Most "donors" are actually dead, since people can't live without a heart. It was apparently a complicated situation.

"Well, don't run yourself to the ground. School's important!" She was starting to sound like Kairi.

Learning that there was a potential donor was a load off his chest. Once these days of working stopped, he could focus on school. With the free time, he could start thinking about his future. Kairi repeated the word "future" like it was the be-all end-all of everything. He never gave it much consideration since he lived day to day."Do you have a dream, Xion?"

The dark haired girl flipped her feet on the coffee table. "Of course!"

She surprised him sometimes. Even when she stuck in a hospital bed, she dared to dream. He envied her. "What is it?"

"I want to be a nurse," she replied. There was no hesitation. She knew exactly how to answer the question.

"A nurse..." It made a lot of sense. She spent a lot of time in the hospital. The nurses were probably the only company she had most of the day.

"Nurses are amazing people. They do all the dirty work to make sure the patients are comfortable and smiling. I want to be just like them," she admitted enthusiastically.

Sora was warmed by her words. This girl, despite her difficulties, looked forward to the future with no uncertainty. The question of death didn't even exist. It was as is she knew she'd be alive to see her wish come to fruition. "I'll support you the best way I can."

"What about you?" she asked back.

"I'm not sure," he confessed. "I haven't really thought about it."

Xion got up and gave him a pat on the back. "You'll find it eventually. Just study hard!"

He smiled. "That's the plan."