Yamaku Book Club (20220124 Dish Washing)

[Hoitash]

Maybe the reason Miki routes never get completed is because she doesn't seem to have any kind of really complex anxieties or issues and it never feels organic to try and give her any. She seems more like an "action" love interest, the kind of girl Hisao would fall in love with as they were both hiding from a psychotic jewel thief, than anybody he could have some kind of long, subtle relationship with.

This would be an interesting angle to approach the Miki problem from. Sure, she seems like such a natural choice for a love interest, what with being pretty, athletic, and charming, but all the canon love interests have deeper-set issues that become the main points of conflict around which their stories center. I suppose Lilly's route is probably the least like this (the conflict is more external, yet exacerbated by Lilly's need to keep everything close to the chest). With Miki, some kind of internal conflict must shoehorned in if it is to play to those themes. What would be more interesting is to turn a story like that on it's head, i.e. making the central conflict the fact that there's really nothing wrong with the relationship, but Miki as a person doesn't really fulfill any deeper companionship needs. In such a story, a "good" ending would probably involve a breakup, with both characters realizing that they don't really do anything for the other romantically.

I dunno; it's kinda hinted in the little interaction Hisao has with Miki that she hasn't gotten used to her lost hand yet. Something could be made of that, though, on the other hand (heh) several of the fics that attempted her route went with that angle and ended up dying, so maybe not.

I guess I'm saying that there might be something to it, it'd just take some work. Maybe more work then people have been willing/able to put into it.

Hoitash deserves more press for being one of the few who really takes AU fiction and crossovers seriously - well, semi-seriously.

Thanks . I'd take it completely seriously, but I can't do that with anything .

[Comrade]

Yesterday i've read "five drabbles, post hisao" by themocaw. It is quite amazing that so few words can produce so many feels. I recommend you guys check it out.

[Leaty]

I dunno; it's kinda hinted in the little interaction Hisao has with Miki that she hasn't gotten used to her lost hand yet. Something could be made of that, though, on the other hand (heh) several of the fics that attempted her route went with that angle and ended up dying, so maybe not.

I guess I'm saying that there might be something to it, it'd just take some work. Maybe more work then people have been willing/able to put into it.

If she lost the hand in an encounter with Jason Voorhees, maybe. The honest truth is that, at a school where people are paraplegic or mere years away from death, losing a hand isn't really a huge deal. Hell, we now have a cure.

A really good Miki story would have to be a long, quirky misadventure. With Hisao playing the role of Michael Cera.

Edit: Actually, a fic about Miki getting selected to test a new prosthetic hand and dating Hisao while getting overwhelmed by having to travel to, say, Switzerland for surgeries and experimentation, in addition to still trying to do track, could be pretty interesting.

[Steinherz]

A really good Miki story would have to be a long, quirky misadventure. With Hisao playing the role of Michael Cera.

So a pathetic lump of a person who tries too hard to be funny?

Edit: Actually, a fic about Miki getting selected to test a new prosthetic hand and dating Hisao while getting overwhelmed by having to travel to, say, Switzerland for surgeries and experimentation, in addition to still trying to do track, could be pretty interesting.

And I agree, it could be interesting.

[Leaty]

A really good Miki story would have to be a long, quirky misadventure. With Hisao playing the role of Michael Cera.

So a pathetic lump of a person who tries too hard to be funny?

Correct.

[Mahorfeus]

I've never liked the prospect of forcing a traditional "route" with Miki. It's not so much that a relationship with Hisao couldn't work, but that it'd be hard to develop any feasible conflict and resolution that would make it interesting. The whole point being to entertain the readership, after all.

A missing hand isn't exactly a huge deal compared to some of these other disabilities, but it's what that disability means to her that ultimately matters. The routes never do revolve around the girl's disability, but that still leaves the aforementioned problem, that she lacks that certain... pathos? I'm not sure if I'm mincing words here.

I think that the most natural segue into any kind of story involving her would stem from the only route she actually made any real appearance in.

[Comrade]

I don't think your discussion is really on topic, after all theres already a thread about writing fan fiction in the fan works sub forum.
This is a thread for discussing reading fan fiction.

[Umber]

I've never liked the prospect of forcing a traditional "route" with Miki. It's not so much that a relationship with Hisao couldn't work, but that it'd be hard to develop any feasible conflict and resolution that would make it interesting. The whole point being to entertain the readership, after all.

I think the relationship's conflict would stem from Miki's internal issues (whatever they may be), and so route would have to be presented from her perspective. Maybe, loving Hisao and the emotions the relationship brings (satisfaction), but fearing the possibility of not being able to sustain it (doubt)? I'm imagining that she would have difficulty in opening up to Hisao (in conflicts) the 'proper way', and wanting to do it but creating problems by trying to tackle said conflicts by herself.

A missing hand isn't exactly a huge deal compared to some of these other disabilities, but it's what that disability means to her that ultimately matters. The routes never do revolve around the girl's disability, but that still leaves the aforementioned problem, that she lacks that certain... pathos? I'm not sure if I'm mincing words here.

So, even if she's lost a hand, it's more of a mental grasp of that conflict she'd have to deal with, more than a psychological one. That works.

And in lacking pathos, I suppose that's true. But that would have to be created by way of the writer.

I think that the most natural segue into any kind of story involving her would stem from the only route she actually made any real appearance in.

From the Hanako route? I'm interested.

[Leaty]

I don't think your discussion is really on topic, after all theres already a thread about writing fan fiction in the fan works sub forum.
This is a thread for discussing reading fan fiction.

Well, I brought it up because I was explaining why Meadows' fic disappointed me.

[Helbereth]

I think that the most natural segue into any kind of story involving her would stem from the only route she actually made any real appearance in.

From the Hanako route? I'm interested.

These two started in that vein, but it was abandoned before it got anywhere:

Touchdown Breakdown – epilogue by Total Destruction (abandoned, 12019 words)
PoV: Miki; Pairings: none; Begins: post Hanako bad end
Remarks: strong language

Turn to Stone – prologue by Total Destruction (completed, 3191 words)
PoV: Miki; Pairings: none; Begins: during 2nd year
Remarks: strong language

[Mirage_GSM]

I don't think your discussion is really on topic, after all theres already a thread about writing fan fiction in the fan works sub forum.
This is a thread for discussing reading fan fiction.

...

Here is the place to discuss all things fanfiction in an effort to stop cluttering up all the fanfic threads with all our excess words. Note this isn't the place to rant about which fanfic is the best or worst, but where everybody can get all their repressed fanfic feels off their collective chests. You may recommend some stuff, but if you're looking for a complete collection, head over to the library.

General Rules:
1) No external links, we're here to discuss the forum's fics exclusively
2) Once agian, no 'This is the bestest fic ever' or 'that fic sucks' Constructive discussion only please
...

I'm still not quite sure what the purpose of this thread is going to be. If it is about giving feedback to the author, or discussing strengths and weaknesses of the story I'd rather continue to do that in the indiviual threads, thank you.
If it is about story recommendations I fear posts like Helbereth's will soon be lost among pages of posts that talk about "feels"...

Edit: Just found this post by Helbereth:

The way I'd probably work it out would be to reserve a few posts at the front of the page, then invite people to write posts inviting people to read whatever stories they want to recommend. It would then be the archivist's responsibility to create an archive link in those reserved posts leading to each individual recommendation.

Sounds like a lot of work...

Yes, that's how it couldhave worked...
Probably too late for that now.

[Comrade]

Maybe we can do this in an organized way and have sea choose a subject for every "meeting"

[Silentcook]

Coordination and organization? Around HERE?

LOTSA luck.

[Sea]

Maybe we can do this in an organized way and have sea choose a subject for every "meeting"

I'm game with this, let me think, I'll choose some fic I read of a acceptable level of awesomeness, and I'll take suggestions, and give everybody a day to read or if it's something longer like the Suzu pseudo-route for instance maybe a couple days, and the current book will be on the main post, then we can come together and talk about it and such, but normal discussion would be permitted. Does this sound permissible to everyone?

[Helbereth]

Maybe we can do this in an organized way and have sea choose a subject for every "meeting"

I'm game with this, let me think, I'll choose some fic I read of a acceptable level of awesomeness, and I'll take suggestions, and give everybody a day to read or if it's something longer like the Suzu pseudo-route for instance maybe a couple days, and the current book will be on the main post, then we can come together and talk about it and such, but normal discussion would be permitted. Does this sound permissible to everyone?

No, because there's absolutely no way anyone could ever possibly finish Tomorrow's Doom in three days, at least not without completely cutting themselves off from life. I might be biased in that regard...