The Writer's Family {3} ~ The Grimoire

~Writer's Family~
{The Grimoire}

Welcome to the Grimoire. This is the place for writers to exercise their talents and share their stories, as well as receive critique and feedback from the community. If you subscribe to the power of the Muse, or even if you're just getting into writing and you'd like some help, this is the family for you.


1. The name of the game is "constructive criticism;" I'm sure you've heard of it. When someone asks you for critique on their work and you have something to say, give a structured and critical opinion, and suggestions on how to fix what's wrong or keep doing what's good. People can't improve their work if you don't tell them why it was bad, and they won't know what they're doing right unless you make it clear to them.
2. Given the site rating, please be courteous to younger members when exhibiting works of a graphic or vulgar nature. If you're linking to something more adult, provide ample warning; if you're posting it directly, try to censor it if you can. (Censor yourself in casual conversation as well.)
3. I hardly expect anyone to behave like a robot, but do watch the spam. If there's not much going on and you'd like to chat, that's fine; but if someone posts a story or a family-wide event is taking place, try to spare it some attention.
4. All requests to join the family go through me unless otherwise noted. Please PM me or post in the thread if you want to be a member.


The current member list can be found below.

Spoiler

Nouveau Nova (Leader)
Random Angel
I<3Sephiroth4eva
Aura
The Orchid
Darkcloud
The Other Side
BaseSebastion
Chevalier
Midnight Star
The Joker
Guardian_Soul
Destined
Jiku Neon
Ophelia
What?
Plums Vi Brittania

The list of retired Writer's Family leaders may be found below.

Spoiler

Dmaster
Near-to-Tears

The following is the complete member list from the last Writer's Family incarnation. If you are on this list and would like to rejoin, feel free to post in the thread and I will move your name to the active members list. (Since I'm rather new, I'm not acquainted with any name changes that have taken place between the last Writer's Family update and now, so please make a note of that and watch for one of your old names on this list.)

Spoiler

Heaven's Angel
Cupcake
tummer
Saintlikesgirls
KHHottie30
amythest
Braveheart
DiveIntoTheHeart
Skittles
Fearless
Mexony
K.H.Nut13
DeathSight44
美咲 四季
Ansem59
Pistol Schoolboy
Paladin12345678
Pure Beats
Abrigd Negesis
danny865
Vexen_Is_God
AkitoTsubaki
Kairimagic
Ruon
Akua WaterDragonKing
Ravenyuki
program

WRITING EXERCISES

Dissidia Taunts

Spoiler

For those who don't know, Dissidia: Final Fantasy is a fighting game that borrows characters from Final Fantasy 1-12. Unlike most fighting games, the taunts that the characters deliver to each other before a fight are specialized for each character, saying something about their relationship or how they interact.

For this exercise, choose a character from one of your original works (or a character from existing fiction, if you've written fanfiction about them) and write taunts for each Dissidia character. You can post your results for various characters, if you like. You can respond to as many or as few characters as you please, but since the goal is to further your understanding of your character and test how he/she would react to certain challenges or personalities, it helps to respond to the whole cast. The challenge is to think of why your character and a Dissidia character would meet in battle, how their personalities clash and how they are similar, and finally what your character would have to say about it. Also, be sure to specify whether your character would be a servant of Cosmos (good) or Chaos (evil).

For the convenience of those unfamiliar with the Dissidia cast in the context of the game, a rough outline of each is provided below. If you have prior experience with the character, feel free to interpret them however you wish; the following are just guidelines to allow the less knowledgeable to form detailed responses to the entire cast.

COSMOS WARRIORS
Warrior of Light (FFI) - A somewhat new character created from one of the character templates of the original Final Fantasy. WoL is straight-laced, resolute, and a dedicated servant to Cosmos and the power of Light. He often espouses Light as the source of hope, truth, and many other virtues he holds dear.
Firion (FFII) - A wielder of a wide array of weaponry. He fights to make his dream a reality, even if it is a childish one, and it is difficult to dissuade him from this path. He is more relaxed than WoL, but otherwise shares some similarities.
Onion Knight (FFIII) - A child genius and overall versatile warrior. He relies on his wits and agility to keep him out of danger, but he is not afraid to fight when he has something to protect.
Cecil (FFIV) - A multi-class knight who uses the powers of Light and Darkness in tandem. Cecil is similar to Firion in that he is serious yet able to relax, but he is often troubled by the fact that his brother, Golbez, is a servant of Chaos.
Bartz (FFV) - A mimic and trickster who seemingly hasn't a care in the world. He can copy a variety of his allies' powers and weapons and use them in unique ways. He is childish and sometimes naive, but like all Cosmos warriors, he has a good heart.
Terra (FFVI) - A powerful half-Esper and sorceress. She is pure of heart, but often troubled by her lack of control over her Esper form. She is tortured by Kefka, who once enslaved her and forced her to commit horrible deeds.
Cloud (FFVII) - A jack-of-all-trades who may have once belonged to an elite military unit, now he is haunted by shadows from his past and a lingering darkness in his heart. His depression can be off-putting, but if he can pull it together, he is a good-natured person and a powerful ally.
Squall (FFVIII) - An elite mercenary with a cold stare and a calculating mind. He can be single-minded when he has a mission to complete, and his callousness is difficult to endure, but underneath it all he has a genuine care for his friends and will fight to the death to defend them.
Zidane (FFIX) - A fun-loving rogue with a steadfast heart and a good sense of humor. He is not immature or naive, so to speak; rather, he knows how to let loose and have fun, and he takes in stride any setbacks he may suffer. He's a bit of a womanizer, though some may find him genuinely charming.
Tidus (FFX) - An upbeat, athletic warrior hailed as an ace in his hometown. Much like Zidane, he is easygoing but can easily get serious if the need arises. He tries to spread his cheer to others, but sometimes he just comes off as obnoxious. The only thing that really gets him angry is talk of his father, Jecht, with whom he has a bad relationship. Due to his sports history, he can be somewhat competitive.
Shantotto (FFXI) - A haughty, vindictive Tarutaru mage. It is questionable how she gets away with being as scathing and spiteful as she is, but her loyalty to Cosmos seems solid enough. Do not let her whimsical manner and rhyming lull you into a false sense of security; you should never cross her unless you are well prepared.

CHAOS WARRIORS
Garland (FFI) - A large and powerful servant of Chaos. He is consumed by battle, believing it is destiny for Light and Darkness to always be in conflict. He has a lot of clout among the servants of Chaos, and may be hiding something important.
Emperor (FFII) - Emperor Mateus Palamecia, a tyrannical ruler of the highest order. His goal is to ascend to the throne of the heavens and reshape the world in his image. He is haughty and condescending, but do not expect him to hold back out of some misplaced superiority complex.
Cloud of Darkness (FFIII) - A mysterious specter with awe-inspiring powers. She falls into the second of two major camps among the Chaos warriors, one dedicated to destroying the world and returning everything to oblivion. She is fascinated by the Void, a null space which can consume all life if given the means.
Golbez (FFIV) - A troubled sorcerer of questionable loyalty. He seems to firmly believe he belongs on the side of Chaos, but may be seen as working towards the benefit of Cosmos. He often gives advice to struggling warriors of both sides, though he will cut the chatter when he must defend himself.
Exdeath (FFV) - The spirit of a powerful and ancient tree of life, yet also a servant of the Void. He is well-spoken, but mostly keeps to himself and his devices. His counter-attacks are swift and deadly; be on your guard when approaching him.
Kefka (FFVI) - A psychotic, misanthropic clown-like magician. His mind was broken by experimentation with powerful magicks; as a result, his attacks are unorthodox, to say the least, and his manner is equally so. He is totally committed to destroying everything and everyone, believing all finite existence to be meaningless.
Sephiroth (FFVII) - A legendary warrior formerly hailed as a champion in his home, he was driven mad by a horrifying discovery about his past. His intentions are shrouded in mystery, but the other Chaos warriors are wary of his strength and try to stay away from him.
Ultimecia (FFVIII) - A powerful witch with control over time. She seeks to dominate past, present, and future, ruling for eternity. Though her power is great, she is for the most part subservient to the more prominent Chaos warriors.
Kuja (FFIX) - A manipulative, soul-reaping mage. He is much like Kefka, but he is more unstable and a less formidable threat, as he is quick to anger and makes many mistakes. He also tends to submit to the will of the other servants of Chaos, or shy away from them entirely.
Jecht (FFX) - A wayward warrior with a blazing-hot spirit that keeps him fighting until the end. He has a firm belief in his own invincibility, and will jump at the chance to spar with friend and foe alike. Despite his outward appearance, he sometimes has a lot on his mind, and he can lose his confidence momentarily, but he will always pridefully shrug off any help offered.
Gabranth (FFXII) - A grizzled veteran who has seen countless battles. He had consigned himself to exist in a null space, but with provocation has been convinced to return to battle. He believes that all of the warriors are trapped in an endless cycle.

WRITING TOOLS

Names
Seventh Sanctum Name Generators

CURRENT EVENTS

Writing Collab - "Cadavre Exquis"
A collection of chapters written by various members of the family, stringing together a story to showcase the many talents in play on the forum.
Style: 3rd-person narrative prose
Theme: A dying man meets a series of hallucinations that force him to examine himself and his choices in life. Who knows what will become of him at the end...
Status: Recruiting. You may register for the collab either by making a post here expressing your interest, or speaking to me via PMs/VMs. NOTICE: Recruitment deadline has been extended to June 10th because I realized trying to do this in the middle of finals week is stupid.
Participants: Nouveau Nova, What?, BaseSebastian, Midnight Star, Luna Lovegood​

 

Nice. I'm glad it's back. Hopefully more people join and hopefully it's more active too.​

 

Yeah, I hope everyone's still interested in this. >_> It didn't draw much of a crowd in the last thread when I talked about reviving it.

 

OOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHMAHGOODNESS Can I haz joinage? :=D:
I don't know why I didn't join before... <<>>

 

Sorry I haven't been on much. I'll try harder.

 

Added ye both. Welcome back. :]

I have a fun idea for a contest to generate a little publicity, but we need some more members. If y'all could help with recruitment, I'd really appreciate it.

 

Yes sir. :=D:

 

Good to have ya. And yeah, you better not. 'Cause I'm the sheriff around here, and my innate spirit of chivalry don't take too kindly to manhandlin' the filles, savvy?

 

I'd like my name to be moved from the inactive members list, please. Also, I'd like to announce that since I have a new laptop all to myself, along with a good writing program, I'm going to start writing again. I'm working on at least two projects at the moment, and I'd like to get some crtique once I get the first chapters up.

I'll announce when I bring the first chapters to the forum, so be on the look out, and I am and avid reader so, I will very likely do the same for anyone else requesting Critque, when I am available to do so of course.

Glad to be back on the forum!

 

I need to post something... Good or not, I write loads, but it's been ages since I've posted anything. D:

 

Homebodies: Sunam City Tales

http://www.kh-vids.net/showthread.php?p=3073864#post3073864

The above was typed in Microsoft Word Office with Spell check and has at least 4 thousand words in the first chapter. Second Chapter coming soon.

Basic synopis:

Told through the eyes of Axel, Number VIII of the Organization, him and four other members are sent to a strange new world called Sunam City to Collect Hearts. It is planned the stay will be for over a year and takes place during 358/2 Days sometime after the Castle Oblivion disaster.
*****

This is likely one the best Fanfictions I've written so far and in my own opinion, is written at least moderately well. Spell check, paragraphs, sectioning, action words, and Drop Caps all used.

Please read and give me some feedback.

 

I left a comment. To summarize, I think you have some nice ideas and I want to see where you take this, but your execution could use a little polish. Typical writing problems, nothing big; all in all I liked it. Hope to see more soon.

Also, I'd like to share a little something with you all. Luc Court is a writer I've been picking up on a little more lately; he writes a wide array of fanfictions, many from Square Enix and Disney series. His writing is absolutely phenomenal, and I think we could all learn a lot from him. His writing style tends to morph to suit the mood of the work, which I really enjoy and wish I could do. I'd recommend "A Sorrow of Magpies," "Suicide King," "Waiting," and "Rules of Water."

 

I especially liked the story that started with Vexen. Nice take on how the apprentices lost their hearts to darkness.

Also, the next chapter of Homebodies is up now. I'll be working on Chapters 3-6 over the weekend, so it'll be rapid updates for at least that long. Not sure of much I'll be able to write next week.

 

Oh, so you finally did it...Yeah, I was checking to see if you'd do something to revive it now and then. But, I still must say that I pass by this place rather scarcely because it is so lost inside the thread. Most of the time there was nothing to do.

I wish to be a member. Please remove Forgotten Hymn out of the list, and add me as a current member. I'll try harder to keep visiting. Since you're new at this, then I've no trouble helping you if you have any inquiries, or need help elaborating something. In fact, I'd like this to be more active too. If you're really serious about this, I could share my ideas with you, so that you can at least think on them, and who knows? Maybe you'll cook up something good.

 

Hey everybody, I added a new section called Writing Exercises. I'll be periodically posting some things I either find on the internet or do in my spare time that help get your creative juices a-flowin'. If you have any suggestions for other exercises, please feel free to post them here or PM them to me and I'll ad them.

The exercise I added, Dissidia Taunts, is pretty simple: To summarize, you take one of your characters and design short taunts from them corresponding to each Dissidia: Final Fantasy character. You can post your results here, and feel free to post as many as you come up with, or ask questions about it if you're confused. The following spoiler contains an example using my character, Diederich Algenstedt.

Spoiler

SERVANT OF CHAOS: Diederich Algenstedt
~ Diederich is a vampiric revenant and a distinguished war veteran of the mid-eastern vampire tribes. He is also known as the Vermillion King, likely for his blazing red hair. He proudly espouses the core revenant beliefs: Defiance and steadfast determination to continue living in spite of God or love. Anyone who goes against these most basic of virtues will earn his instant disgust.
Warrior of Light: "I will snuff out your pitiful light."
Garland: "Hahaha! To war, then!"
Firion: "There is no place for dreamers in battle."
Emperor: "You are no ruler."
Onion Knight: "Run and hide, before the monster gets you..."
Cloud of Darkness: "Oh my... To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Cecil: "You know nothing of Darkness."
Golbez: "Nobility seeks not the counsel of peasants."
Barts: "You're in over your head, boy."
Exdeath: "I reject... your oblivion."
Terra: "You should let yourself go..."
Kefka: "You want to run with the big dogs, pup!?"
Cloud: "You should fear the dark... Hehehehe..."
Sephiroth: "My my, aren't we full of ourselves..."
Squall: "Your eyes... I can see you're serious."
Ultimecia: "Ohhh, you want to be like me?"
Zidane: "Hahahaha, at least you have some spunk!"
Kuja: "Sniveling rat. Begone."
Tidus: "Soon, this fantasy of yours will end."
Jecht: "A ghost? Or... are you like me?"
Shantotto: "Oh-hohoho, you are DARK!"
Gabranth: "Wither and die, pale phantom."

I'm also plugging Cariad's short story contest, 'cause... well, it only makes sense for there to be some correspondence between our family and that section in general. Keep an eye out for my entry, if I get around to making it. <3

 

I'd like to join please.

 

Welcome, Midnight Star. Glad to have you.

& thanks for the entry, Arch. If enough people get into this, I might start adding entries to the OP for people to check out. And feel free to try it again with another character.

 

I'll join if I may.