I absolutely adore Trunks and Pan as a couple. If you haven't figured that out yet, then this is probably your first time here at my site.  One of my other loves is Fanfiction.net. There, you can read stories by other authors, as well as receive numerous comments about your own works, if you wish to post them. 

Lately, it has come to my attention, as well as the attention of several other authors/ readers, that there has been a sudden boom in the amount of Trunks and Pan fan fictions posted there. What do I say to that? Coolness! Awesome! Wonderful! As I mentioned before, I love Trunks and Pan stories, and will probably be reading them well after I lose interest in Dragon Ball all together!

However, there are bad side effects to this recent increase. Along with the rise in popularity, there has come a "war of words" that has risen up between T&P (Trunks and Pan) authors and T&M (Trunks and Marron) authors. Personally, I see this war as completely useless, and stupid. Therefore, this will be the last time it's mentioned in this article. 

There is another side affect that I must speak of though. You see, if you increase the amount of fics (fan fictions) written about a certain subject, or certain characters, you're also going to increase the number of repeated themes and plot lines. A lot more people are getting into the idea of these two demi-Saiyans getting together romantically, proving that many people are ignoring their obvious age gap. This is not only happening with fans of Trunks and Pan, but with fans of Goten and Bra as well.  

So what's so bad about more authors who support T&P and G&B? As I said, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, provided those authors contribute fan fiction that represent creativity and originality. There are a very large number of fics being written that have the same story line. Readers and authors alike are becoming seriously bored and drained of the idea of Trunks and Pan getting together in certain ways now. This week alone, (being the week of December 10, 2000) more than five fan fictions were posted that all had the same plot. 

The plot goes as follows: Pan likes Trunks. Pan tells Bra. Bra tells Pan that she likes Goten, but in most cases, they are already going out together. Trunks likes Pan and tells Goten, who also reveals that he likes Bra. Bra takes Pan shopping for a dress. Pan, of course, picks a dress that looks like it was designed around her body. Pan and Bra go to the club and meet Trunks and Goten. Pan sees Trunks dancing with another girl and gets jealous, OR Trunks sees Pan dancing with another guy and gets jealous. They end up dancing together VERY provocatively, and then go back to Trunks' place where... well, you get the picture.    

Here's another commonly used plot line for shorter fics: Pan reflects her feelings for Trunks. Pan sees Trunks kissing another girl (usually the overly picked-on Marron) and flies away crying. There are two ways the plot line is divided among writers from here on out. For the longer version, after Trunks tells Pan to get real, future Trunks comes back and picks up the broken pieces of Pan's heart. For the shorter version, Trunks desperately follows Pan in hopes that they will straighten things out. He finds her, and tells her that he always loved her, and that he was only kissing Marron (or whatever girl) due to some kind of misunderstanding. Pan ends up confessing her love while tears fall down her face, then they kiss. End of story.

Don't get me wrong, I love the above plot lines. If I said I didn't, I would sound like a hypocrite because my story "Waiting" contains elements of said plot lines. I just think they're being over done. Another problem, is that the authors sometimes end up losing interest in the story. So, there are many, many unfinished stories floating around that all look the same. There are very few stories like these that have actually been finished.    

  A little while back, before the days of the "word war", (that you didn't just read me mention again) Vegeta and Bulma fan fictions were the majority being posted. Somehow, V&B authors overcame the drain on original plot lines, and have continued writing excellent fan fiction. I was even surprised at how very few have Vegeta out of character. There must be thousands of V&B fics out there floating around the net somewhere, and most of them are very original and creative. However, the relatively few T&P fan fictions, all sound very similar in plot and body. 

If you're interested in writing a Dragon Ball Z fan fiction, but you don't know what to write about, contact some of the more well known authors. You'd be surprised at how many different ideas can be floating around in one head. I'm certain you can get an idea from someone nice who is willing to share, given that you actually put effort into your work. Good authors have great ideas for new work every day, but only a selected few actually get written and finished, due to time restraints and interest of the subject.

    A few days ago, I sent emails to a few selected authors asking them two questions. I selected them myself based on what kind of response they had gotten from readers, and on how original their stories were. If you were not contacted, take no offense. Most of these authors are T&P writers. There are many more excellent writers out there that I did not contact due to time restraints. I'm using survey data from the ones who responded within 24 hours. At the bottom of this page, there is a list of those authors and ways you can contact them yourselves. 

The first question I asked them was on plot structure. I asked, "When you write a fan fiction (any kind whatsoever) which of the following best describes how you write it?"

A: You write it completely on a whim, and usually in one sitting. You don't plan, you just go with whatever sounds best.

B: You plan the basic plot line, never really considering the end until it comes along. You write chapter by chapter on a whim, only making it loosely follow what's been preplanned. 

C: You plan the entire plot line, all the way to the end. You try only to fill the spaces in-between with whatever comes to your mind.

D: You go so far as to write an outline, or a rough draft, working off of that when you type the story that will eventually be posted.  

I have to say, I was surprised by their responses. Only one author answered 'A'. The rest of them answered mostly 'B'.  Here's how their answers panned out:

A: 12.5%

B: 62.5%

C: 25%

D: 0% (Although some authors said they would answer 'D' for some of their works, it was only on occasion. Their main answers for the rest of their stories differed.)

  As I said, these are authors that have been commended on more than several occasions for being original and unique. They will be known for their works for a long while into the future, I'm sure. 

So what can be done to improve on some of today's plot lines? I read stories everyday (big time fan fiction fanatic here) that have wonderful potential. Most of the time, the authors of these stories seem rushed. True, DBZ is not going to be popular forever, and I'm sure that school gets in the way of writing time too, but being a little patient and posting tomorrow as opposed to today, isn't going to hurt anything. 

Here's a common occurrence, that I'm sure fic readers are familiar with: someone writes a story that starts out wonderfully. It captivates and draws in its audience, even before they're done reading the top half of the first chapter. All goes well for a while, until the author decides to change their direction on where they want the story to go. This happens a lot, not only in the fanfic realm, but with published works too. It can be pulled off tremendously well, but most of the time, it only adds confusion. That's when plot holes develop and story errors occur.    

Most people would agree, simply slowing things down when you're writing, will result in great improvement. Just because you have an idea of where you want your story to go, doesn't mean that you're ready to post. Do you think Akira Toriyama drew volume by volume of the manga on a whim? I don't really know, but given the complexity of the Trunks, Cell and Buu sagas, I highly doubt it. Chances are, he had at least some idea of how the rest of the saga was supposed to go. 

There are several simple steps a person can take to avoid writing an over-done plot. Read fan fiction forums. I hate forums myself, but they are a good way to find out what's been done and what hasn't. They're also a good way to find out what kind of stories people want to read. For instance, if you went into the Dragon Ball forum on fanfiction.net right now, you'd see why so many people are feeling burnt out with T&P fics.  

Another good way to prevent writing something that has been done, is to research previously written fics. There are a ton of T&P fics out there. It's not plagiarism to base your story off of someone else's. I use the word "base" loosely. There are very many ways to take a simple element from one story and turn it into something original and uniquely yours.  

So what can be done to improve some of today's plot lines? It's rather simple actually. Research what you want to write on. Make sure it hasn't been done 50 times in the last month. But don't just go in there and grab someone else's story then put your name on it. Readers appreciate originality, and so will other authors. It's not a very good feeling to experience when you find out someone has redone your story almost completely, and then posted it as their own.     

What else makes a good fan fiction? I hate to say it, but grammar is also pretty high on the list. I hate to say it because, well, English is not one of my favorite subjects, as you can see by reading the first four or five chapters of "Waiting". When you're on a roll with a story, the last thing you want to do is make sure your punctuation is correct, but a simple period on the end of a sentence can be very important.  

Excellent grammar is not essential though. There are authors out there that have horrible times typing everything correctly, (myself included). Some of those authors, however, have stories that are so captivating, and interesting, that it could be partly written in Spanish, and you would still be glued to the screen. I don't mind bad grammar, but if you combine it with an over-used plot, it just doesn't work. 

I think (yes, my opinion, that's what makes this an editorial) that readers want to know that the writer put work into their story. If you work hard enough at something, you begin to put your heart into it. If you put your heart into your work, then your work is going to show it. That's why I love reviews and comments, along with every other writer out there. It's proof that you didn't just pour your heart into those simple words on your computer screen for nothing. You know you've entertained someone, maybe even touched them. When you reach into someone's brain and heart with something you've written, chances are, that person's going to remember you for a while. So in a sense, writing is a way of immortalizing yourself. There's a little bit of every author in their stories, no matter how short or ridiculous they are. 

Now, take the perspective of the reader. You've just read a fic where the author was so lazy, they didn't even capitalize their "I's". Their grammar is so bad, you could barely understand it. Fact is, you're probably not going to be very interested in reading the rest of the story. Sure, you might say something nice about it, but you feel kind of gypped. The story itself was good, so was the characterization. If they would have tried a little harder, it could've been one of the best. 

Sad thing is, that a lot of those mistakes could have been easily corrected. Some of the more common mistakes in word usage are simple, and can be caught easily by an editor. For instance, the very popular than/then mistake. I was a Junior in High School before I could remember which word meant what. "Than" is in the comparative sense. "Tom is better than Rick at skateboarding." "Then" is in the sense of time, or order. "First, we'll set up the stage, then we'll practice the song set."

Some of the mistakes are even more simple than that. Take the word "there", which can mean several different things, just by changing the letters behind the "th". "I bought their latest album." "I'm going out there, where it's cooler." "They're annoying me, take them away." There are several different meanings to that one little word. 

I've read several reviews to stories that were in "script format." Not many people are big fans of reading stories that are in this format. First of all, again, it looks lazy. It's not that hard to change "The cookie monster: 'C' is for cookie, that's good enough for me." to "''C' is for cookie, that's good enough for me.' The cookie monster sang." Authors should stay away from script format unless they are actually writing a screenplay. It gets confusing to read, and it interrupts the fluidic motion of a fic very easily. 

I asked the same authors I mentioned above another question about their proof reading. These results were not surprising. In fact, I was rather relieved. See, everyone's going to make mistakes when writing something, (I've probably made a ton of them just writing this little editorial) that's what they have editors for when you publish something professionally. But it was nice to hear that some authors actually did check their work. Maybe that's part of the reason why these authors are so popular. 

In my second question to this group of successful writers, I asked, "When you check over something you've written, what best describes what you do?" They were given five choices.

A: You don't check it at all, you just post it and hold your breath.

B: You check your story to make sure the picture of what it's supposed to communicate is clear, and fluidic.

C: You check your story for the reason above and also scan the work lightly for any visible errors.  

D: You check the story for reason "B" as well as for spelling, and grammatical errors. 

E: You check the story for all the reasons above, and then have some one check and edit it for you.

As I said above, their responses were not surprising.

A: 0%

B: 0%

C: 25%

D: 50%

E: 25%

Finding an editor is something that not many people care to do, especially if you know it's going to take a couple of days to get the piece back and corrected. Most of the authors said that they take their work to someone who can edit it for them, given that they know the editor can get it back to them quickly. 

There are not very many computer programs out there that don't have spell checks. Use them. If you have "Microsoft Word", you should not be making as many errors as I've been seeing in the average fic. "Word" provides a very easy way to check over not only your spelling, but your grammar as well. If you don't know how to use these tools, and you have a program that has them, find out. Despite what the school system says, spell check can be educational. Pay attention to your errors and how the program fixes them. Don't listen to the government, spell check is a blessing from God Himself! It checks over your entire document in mere milliseconds, and in most cases, catches your mistakes as you type. It's like having an experienced editor available 24 hours a day, watching over your shoulder. 

Don't blindly follow spell check though, for it too is imperfect. Pay attention to what spell check is catching, don't just automatically push "change". Check over your story and make sure that you didn't inadvertently correct something that shouldn't have been corrected. Remember, spell check by itself doesn't correct misusages of words, only if they're misspelled.

Don't be afraid to ask some one else to check your story for you. Ask an internet friend, or maybe even a well known author on the subject. If your story is on fanfiction.net, contact a beta reader and have them check over your story for you. Beta readers are screened before they're brought on as volunteers, and they are more than willing to correct your story for you. 

Last, but not least, don't be apprehensive about reposting a corrected story, (says little Ms. Hypocrite who hasn't replaced her corrected chapters). Most web hosts who have your stories up on their page, albeit more work, would be willing to replace an edited fic. If your on fanfiction.net, it's simply a matter of going to your "author's account" and clicking on "replace."      

So, god gramer a beter athor dos mak? If it took you longer than normal to process the previous question, then yes, good grammar makes a better author. It will increase the smoothness of your story, and it will help you appear your age too. Who wants to be 20 years old and have people thinking you're 5? Not me! Of course... I'm not 20 yet..., but still... you get the point.  

Finally, a note for the readers too. If you see a fic out there that you don't like, due to a sorry plot line, or ridiculous spelling, don't be afraid to say so. BE FRIENDLY about it, but be firm too. You're not flaming someone just because you're telling them that they need to work on something. Flames are unintelligent ramblings made by people with too much time on their hands and a self esteem problem. 

There is a difference between constructive criticism and a flame. Constructive criticism is mostly likely given by a fan of the story, who simply wants to see a talented writer get even better. I love getting constructive criticism. It's criticism, true, but it proves that people are intently reading my story. If they wanted to see you fall on your butt, then they wouldn't tell you anything at all. If you had a giant, dried piece of snot on your nose, would you want someone to quietly tell you, or would you rather walk around with it just hanging there? I know your answer, don't try to lie. 

Authors, don't attack a person if they correct an error or two. They're just pointing out an error you didn't notice. Asking people to be nice about giving feedback is one thing, but requesting no flames is another. Don't ask people not to flame you when you post, for it might end up scaring away people who simply want to help you improve your work. Just ignore flames, or laugh at them. No one who is a true fan of fan fiction will ever take them seriously. 

I have a feeling that a lot of authors like serious input as much as I do. Don't be afraid to tell them...err...us what you don't like about the stories you're reading. It'll only make us better and stronger authors. Although a lot of bad criticism can seriously put an author down, it's almost essential for improvement. We can only learn from our mistakes, but how is that possible if we don't know that they're there? 

I feel the need to encourage new T&P authors. There are some real gems out there. Eventually, myself and every author below, along with the ones I didn't mention below, are going to run out of ideas or lose interest in the net and DBZ; it's a given. 

I started getting into the idea of Trunks and Pan as a couple after I read "Automatic Flowers" by Rayne. As far as I know, after that little series she wrote, she stopped with DBZ and T&P. So in a sense, all of us who are here now are the 2nd generation of T&P authors. Eventually, there is going to come a 3rd generation, who will need to keep the idea of T&P and DBZ alive with fresh, new ideas. 

I really hope that whoever reads this, takes it lightly. To lighten your mood and snap you out of your boredom, I have a challenge for those who have been reading this little post. Go through this document, and find EVERY ERROR that I've made, with the exception of the obviously intentional sentence above. I will not correct this post, but I will post the corrections with your name and a link to any site, excluding hentai, that you desire on my page. That's just a way of saying that everybody makes mistakes, and even though I've THOROUGHLY checked this document, I'm sure I've made a ton of them here too. 

Now excuse me, I've got to go correct a paper.

WAIT! DON'T GO YET! I have to say thanks to a few people. First off, thanks to my "mystery writers" who graciously answered my annoying questions. As I said, if I didn't' contact you, do not be offended.

 Christina                            

Ice Queen          

Katie                              

Lost Angel                      

Noseless Wonder           

(Yes, I included my own info too.)

   Trinity Blue            

Saiyan Scholar   

Finally, my mom, for checking this over. Feels like the old days, huh Mom?

(No, I am not putting up her email address!)

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