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More Editorials

Establishing a Process for Better Art

`Rahll:iconRahll: reports, 1d 11h ago
In this article I'll talk about establishing a process of working on art that will help you turn out much better work without as much struggling or confusion.
58 comments   Editorials  Last +fav: ~WH2007

¿Porqué desaparece una Daily Deviation?

=noticias:iconnoticias: reports, 1d 13h ago
¿Porqué desaparece una Daily Deviation?

Suicide Survivors Day - 22nd November

~shadowlight-oak:iconshadowlight-oak: reports, November 21
For every person who dies from suicide 20 more attempt but survive
4 comments   Editorials  Last +fav: =Ice-Nile

Project Comment: Around dA Issue 5

*ProjectComment:iconProjectComment: reports, 2d 21h ago
Project Comment is all about the community, so instead of just sticking to one thing and effectively closing all our walls and doors, we’re issuing a weekly Around dA, Project Comment style.

This news article includes things you can take part of (Groups, Features, Projects and More!), FAQs and Tuts, Guides and Resources. Each category is limited to only five things so that you have time to visit each individually.

Have something to suggest? Note us! :D
3 comments   Editorials  Last +fav: ~faircoco

Challenging Yourself to Become a Better Artist

`Rahll:iconRahll: reports, November 21
Becoming a better artist means knowing how to challenge yourself, and maintaining a positive attitude even when nothing seems to be working out the way you want it to.

This article explores how to push yourself to do things you never thought you could do.

Wabi Sabi: "Beautiful Imperfection"

`johnpaulthornton:iconjohnpaulthornton: reports, November 21
The ancient secret of creating "mood" in art.
84 comments   Editorials  Last +fav: ~TheRC

Photographers Rights and Law

=Kaz-D:iconKaz-D: reports, November 18
Do you know the legalities of the photographs you are taking? This is an article to refresh your brain on the rights and wrongs of photography, primarily focusing on UK law, but also providing links to international law aswell. Fav and pass it on if you like it!
61 comments   Editorials  Last +fav: ~UkyoRa

How to Commission an Artist

*ArynChris:iconArynChris: reports, November 16
A comprehensive guide to commissioning, based on my personal experiences and observations. This guide does not address hosting contests, nor does it specifically address the unique challenges of commissioning through specific websites, though some typical scenarios are mentioned in passing. Topics include choosing the artist, why it's important to make sure you can afford it, how to contact the artist, payment, what WIPs are and why you might want to see them, and legal rights of both parties. Legal rights are discussed at the beginner level and are NOT in depth here.

Purism Vrs Creativity

=morbidthegrim:iconmorbidthegrim: reports, November 18
Does it matter?
166 comments   Editorials  Last +fav: =Abfc

Remembrance - Nobody is Alone

*YourChameleon:iconYourChameleon: reports, November 16
This article explores the issues of war and how it affects us. Depending on who we are and where we live, war and disaster will strike us, but in many different ways.

Editorials This Week

Challenging Yourself to Become a Better Artist

`Rahll:iconRahll: reports, November 21
Becoming a better artist means knowing how to challenge yourself, and maintaining a positive attitude even when nothing seems to be working out the way you want it to.

This article explores how to push yourself to do things you never thought you could do.

Establishing a Process for Better Art

`Rahll:iconRahll: reports, 1d 11h ago
In this article I'll talk about establishing a process of working on art that will help you turn out much better work without as much struggling or confusion.
58 comments   Editorials  Last +fav: ~WH2007

Wabi Sabi: "Beautiful Imperfection"

`johnpaulthornton:iconjohnpaulthornton: reports, November 21
The ancient secret of creating "mood" in art.
84 comments   Editorials  Last +fav: ~TheRC

Project Comment: Around dA Issue 5

*ProjectComment:iconProjectComment: reports, 2d 21h ago
Project Comment is all about the community, so instead of just sticking to one thing and effectively closing all our walls and doors, we’re issuing a weekly Around dA, Project Comment style.

This news article includes things you can take part of (Groups, Features, Projects and More!), FAQs and Tuts, Guides and Resources. Each category is limited to only five things so that you have time to visit each individually.

Have something to suggest? Note us! :D
3 comments   Editorials  Last +fav: ~faircoco

¿Porqué desaparece una Daily Deviation?

=noticias:iconnoticias: reports, 1d 13h ago
¿Porqué desaparece una Daily Deviation?

Suicide Survivors Day - 22nd November

~shadowlight-oak:iconshadowlight-oak: reports, November 21
For every person who dies from suicide 20 more attempt but survive
4 comments   Editorials  Last +fav: =Ice-Nile

The Who, The How and The Why of Thanksgiving

*owasephi69:iconowasephi69: reports, 2d 10h ago
Ever wondered the full history of the holiday Thanksgiving? What began this special turkey day? Then here's an article for you:
8 comments   Editorials  Last +fav: ~fsu65

Filmmaker and Writer, Tariq Ali, on Afghanistan

=reddartfrog:iconreddartfrog: reports, November 19
While President Barack Obama continues to deliberate his strategy for Afghanistan, the answer for British-Pakistani writer, journalist, and filmmaker Tariq Ali is clear - prepare an exit strategy and execute it.
2 comments   Editorials  Last +fav: =nolakha

The Twilight Syndrome

~Hell-butterfly45:iconHell-butterfly45: reports, November 18
My opinion on modern fiction

Dear Deviantart

~ComingHomeSoon:iconComingHomeSoon: reports, November 21
Like so many other artist tired of shenanigans

Who loved it?

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~eyez409
@catboyry

x 2 devious rejections

Editorials


The Overlooked Art: Fanfiction

`youthculture:iconyouthculture: reports, November 30, 2007

Fanfic!?



Most people look at the word fanfiction with a sneer and a scoff, complaining that it's hardly an art form and certainly not literature. However, fanfiction is a useful and highly effective tool for creative writing if approached correctly. After all, everyone can understand the in's and out's of their own characters -- but how difficult is it to step into the head of another author and try to understand a character from their point of view? This article explores how fanfiction can be beneficial to writers as well as featuring some excellent fanfic here from dA. ;)


:library:

Fanfiction Tips & Tricks




Now, there's no use denying it. There is some really, really bad fanfic out there. The fanfiction community on the internet as a whole is one heavy with bad plot ideas, poor character development, and a lot of face palming from readers. ;p However, this is not to say that good fanfiction does not exist.


If you're a writer of fanfiction, there are a few things you can do to help improve yourself and your writing to save yourself from being stuck with what is ignored as bad fic:


:star: Know the character. Now, that doesn't mean think you know the character -- that means really understand how they work! If the character's original creator doesn't give a clear cut vision of how the character might react to a situation, it's up to you to use your knowledge of the character and a little bit of logic to figure out the right course of action.

Fanfiction writers have the extra challenge of having an entire fan basis who also knows the character, perhaps just as well as them, compared to a writer who is creating their own character. Because of that, it's important to reflect upon the character's actions: would the character do this? If you think he would, make sure you provide valid character actions and thoughts in your writing to support that conclusion. :nod: Logic is your friend in these circumstances. If you provide a clear look into the way your character is thinking and how it connects to the aspects of that character that everyone understands, you're headed in the right direction. :thumbsup:


:star: Fanfiction is writing too. By that I mean that you can't ignore the basics of writing when you're writing something, whether it is a poem, an essay, or even fanfic. ;) You can have all the most wonderful character development, plot, and ideas in the world, but if it's not founded by a support from good writing habits, it won't do you any good!


There are a few things you can do to improve your fanfic in this area. First and foremost, don't be afraid to use your resources! The internet is a wonderful thing. :lol: For instance, Writer's Block offers guides to some terribly useful things from matters of using the correct tense and word usage to things like punctuation and abbreviations. Also be sure to never, ever underestimate the power of reading! When you read something, take note of how it is written; after all, reading promotes good writing habits too. :nod:


Also remember the importance of spell check and proofreading! Since programs like Microsoft Word don't catch many of our basic writing errors, it's always a great idea to have a friend who you can share writing with -- someone who can proofread your work, and hopefully, you can do the same with them too.


:star: Step into their world. A big problem in fanfiction is seeing the repetition of situations or conflicts. Don't be afraid to step into the creator's world and see what you can find! The character's world is not a place with ultimate boundaries -- using a bit of logic and creativity, you can mold your own part of their world for them to step into.


This is important to keep the writing fresh and alive as well as keeping your readers engaged. Your readers will know all the bad guys your character has dealt with, will know all the places they have seen or been to; the trick is attempting to step into the creator's world and think of something new for them to experience while still fitting in that world. It's no easy task, but don't be afraid of it! It's what helps you and your readers discover new parts of that character that you might not have even seen yet. :)


Fanfiction on dA



And of course, I can't finish this article without presenting a few examples of fanfiction. You can thank =FreakishLemon, your local avid fanfic reader, for helping me scout out this talent!



Crash and Burn: Inspector Iroh by ~Invadrk

Of course, began the Avatar nerd that I am, I couldn't help but start off by featuring this piece. ~Invadrk takes the characters we know and love from Avatar and transfers them into a whole different take on the Avatar universe: the gritty life of Inspector Iroh.



A Borrow Podium by ~dark-amethyst

This extremely touching Full Metal Alchemist piece takes a look at the relationship between the Elric brothers. After Alphonse's death, Ed is forcing to take the podium at his funeral amongst other friends and family and deliver a eulogy to his departed brother. An excellent read, even if you've never seen FMA. :happycry:



homecoming -- gurren lagann by ~Stupid-Aelita

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is relatively new on the scene on Anime, having only aired in April of 2007 for one season, but that didn't stop people from writing some awesome fic about it. ~Stupid-Aelita is a writer who's helping eliminate the stereotype that fanfic is bad writing; one read will allow you insight on character development that most writers would be envious of.



Remembrance by ~KittyBlues

And finally, what fanfiction article can escape without a little Pirates of the Caribbean? However, ~KittyBlues brings a new twist to a movie that's heavily written about. Step into the life of Jimmylegs, the Bo’sun from Davey Jones's deadly ship. It provides an insightful and interesting look at a character most people wouldn't consider to be more than background.


:typerhappy:

Still curious?




Still curious about fanfiction? Don't be afraid to write some of your own! Fanfiction is a fantastic tool for writers to develop the skills on how to understand and use a character in ways that reflect their actions. It may not be the most highly regarded form of writing, but this doesn't it can't be just as good as literature in some cases. So get out there and keep your favorite characters alive and kicking.



:salute:


-@youthculture

Devious Comments

love 1 1 joy 2 2 wow 1 1 mad 0 0 sad 0 0 fear 0 0 neutral 0 0
:iconlivana-deathrose:
Great article! Fanfiction definatley deserves more then it gets. Writing as another character from another authors head can most certainly be as tricky as creating a character.

--
I HAVE MOVED TO =Talei! I WILL NO LONGER BE USING THIS ACCOUNT. IF YOU WANT MY RESOURCES, VISIT *Talei-stock IF YOU NEED TO CONTACT ME VISIT =Talei PLEASE!
:iconstarlit-dark:
I find writing fanfiction very fun :nod:

Thank you for writing this article; you brought up some very good points :)
:iconavatarofd00m:
it's actually a lot harder to do well than totally original stories. it's like the card game bridge, only writing. really freakin' hard, but fun once you figure it out.

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Your honor student can suck my kneecaps.
:iconbright-as-a-button:
creating fanfics are fun, but thinking of characters is quite hard
i prefer to do an illustrative fanfic, not the writing part i'm afraid :)

--
Want to commision me? [link]

I'm Giro in boAEXE's dA Mega Man crew ^o^

Please enter my contest! ^o^ check ouy my journal for details :)
:iconpliio8:
I used to write fanfiction when I went on the Nintendo website. Of course, I took the characters and gave them my own little twist, but i still kept the same characters people love. I think that this article can really shed light onto the world of fanfiction.

--
"If there is an exception to every rule, then every rule must have at least one exception, excepting this one" ...is there an exception to the rule that states that there is an exception to every rule?
:iconskufti:
i love the little emoticons spread throughout the article to keep my short-attention span happy :bucktooth:

--
sincerely,

an extraordinary machine.

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

<mediatedballe> did it work
<TheKingofFall> I'll put it back in for a while
<mediatedballe> i've never done this before
:iconparliamentfunk:
One of my favorite movies is a work of fanfiction; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.

--
DISCLAIMER: Above statements may be entirely false.

Big boobs are just a distraction from the floor show.
:iconthedramaticmonarch:
Can I give a big "HELL YEAH!" for this article?

I also view fan fiction as a way to practice the foundations of writing while having fun working with your beloved characters. There's also the element of challenge (like you stated in the article, the logics, "what would this character do" and stepping into the creator's head) that can definitely help strengthen a writer's ability to create their own original characters for future works of fiction.

While I definitely do agree that there is a ton of crap out there, I'm also a firm believer that there are diamonds in the rough, you just have to sift through mounds of crap in order to find it. And when you do find those absolute fanfic gems, it's worth it (only one story I've ever read has managed to make me cry...and it was a piece of fan fiction, this is coming from someone who normally needs a hell of something in order to elicit a tear from me).

Anyways, great job on a brilliant, well-written article and it's definitely going to be faved (and referred back to) by me! :D :thumbsup:

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:rzero: I've always been queening it up! :rzero:
:iconyouthculture:
omg ME TOOOOOOOO.

you are now my favorite person ever. :heart: :heart: :heart:

--
<lolly> i'd walk through a perfectly good whorehouse to get me a piece of penguin ass

#youthculture (killed your dog)
:iconparliamentfunk:
:boogie:

:flirty:

--
DISCLAIMER: Above statements may be entirely false.

Big boobs are just a distraction from the floor show.
 

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