YChao- So what are we doing here?
Chao- Today marks being a member on FF.net for ten years!
Agent Daisy- *blows party noise maker*
Chao- Chao has been planning this special entry for a while. After looking at the "since" section of people's profiles, it's kinda like, wow. Some people stop using their accounts after a few months while others just open new ones. Since Chao managed to keep up this commitment for this amount time, here's a special entry!
YChao- A special entry containing what? Do you have anything "special" planned?
Chao- Um.... We could just answer some questions from no particular source. Hence the title QnC, Questions and Chao. Those are always fun!
(Note: This is not a meme)
Q: Why did you decide to write fan fics?
Chao- They seemed like fun.
Q: How did you come across FF.net?
Chao- Some fan websites carried a fan fiction section, and some had links to this site. After reading some fan fics and learning how this website worked, Chao signed up for an account.
Q: What was your first category?
Chao- Yu-Gi-Oh!!
Q: What was your first crossover?
Chao- Between Sonic the Hedgehog and Yu-Gi-Oh!!. Chao pulled it down after two or three chapters of nothingness. It was random and funny, but couldn't think of much for progressing the story.
Q: What are your main goals for any fan fic?
Chao- Sometimes just entertainment while other times to give readers something meaningful. But namely Chao likes to give fans of that universe something fun to read.
Q: What are your favorite reviews to receive?
Chao- Some of them involve with how well written a story was or how well Chao managed to write canon characters. But, all and all, Chao likes receiving those reviews that say how much a reader had enjoyed reading them. Those ones are always nice.
Q: Where did your screen name originate?
Chao- The whole name started off as an email address. (It's even older than this FF.net account!) Sonic Adventure 2 Battle was one of the coolest games ever, especially since so many features were added to the chao world. The creature kinda became a nickname of what family members called Chao. The numbers were just suggested since the name was so gosh darn popular.
Q: Since your screen name was a nickname, would you respond to it in real life?
Chao- Yep, even if someone was actually referring to chow mien.
Q: Why choose the picture for your profile?
Chao- This is for anyone who did not know what a dark chao looked like. There are ways to customize them, but this one is a bit of a default. Aren't they awesome?!
Q: When did the whole talking in third person begin?
Chao- About the time the email account started. Again, it went along with having fun between family members.
Q: Have you ever thought about changing your screen name?
Chao- Sometimes, but then that would break character. It's nice, though, that FF.net allows users to do so without having to pay for plus accounts like other sites.
Q: Has this screen name been used for anything else?
Chao- For a Gaiaonline account and possibly Yahoo. Haven't been there in years, so they've probably been deactivated or frozen.
Q: Where do your partners in fan fics come along?
Chao- A lot of fans within the Yu-Gi-Oh!! community had yamis. Years ago, the trend was that users would only place the word "yami" in front of their screen name. It would fit into the theme like Yami Yugi or Yami Bakura.
YChao- Yep, I'm actually YamiDarkChao1663.
Chao- It's just something Chao never bothered to correct people, and it was easier to just type what you see now. Now it seems the trend has shifted to where these yamis have their own unique names. But they still keep their jobs of insulting authors and pointing out our flaws in the stories.
YChao- I don't speak in third person because one user doing that is already too much. Plus, it's just weird.
Agent Daisy- (points to self)
Chao- And then Daisy came along for Phineas and Ferb fan fics. It's just more fun to have a partner around for author notes.
Agent Daisy- (rolls eyes)
Chao- To be fair, some people actually like you.
Q: Does it ever get annoying to write in third person in your notes?
Chao- Actually, it does. And not everyone reading these author notes like it either (even if no one has ever said it). Plus, it seems that there can be too much passion in doing so. So, it's sometimes easier to write in passive voice, or find other ways to talk with others in PMs or beta readings.
YChao- So why not just stop? Can't be that hard.
Chao- Because, again, that would break character. This screen name has been apart of FF.net since 2003, and a lot of reviews contain this style of reviewing.
Q: Where do you draw your inspiration from for fan fics?
Chao- Music, daydreaming while sitting in a large room where old adults write strange squiggles on a large board, long rides in moving vehicles, reading other fan fics, browsing through pictures of screen caps and fan art, and, most importantly, reading/watching the original thing. We like the show/book/movie so much, what better place to start getting ideas from? Sometimes it only takes a scene or a line from one character for inspiration to start flowing.
Q: What do you do for writer's block?
Chao- Mainly procrastinate. But sometimes Chao will go back in past chapters and see what was already written in case an important minor detail was actually there for some foreshadowing purposes. Also, it's always good to read other people's fan fics; there's so much passion in them!
Q: What's your typical writing style?
Chao- Chao likes to write a few lines of character and setting details. Don't care much for stories that don't describe where the heck a story takes place. And it is easier to separate dialogue lines from narration. Chao also likes third person omniscient since it allows readers to know all details.
Q: Do you have a favorite step in the writing process?
Chao- Editing. It's fun to just add or delete little lines and punctuation marks rather than write or brainstorm ideas.
Q: Do you have a favorite fan fic that you've written?
Chao- Yep, the Yu-Gi-Oh!! fan fic "Dreaming of You". Chao placed a lot of work into it the first time it came out. It was a lot of work but fun getting out and completing a story ten chapters long. It may have been a typical plot of Yugi-getting-kidnapped-and-Yami-has-to-save-him, but Chao was pretty satisfied with the meanings of moving on, dealing with grief, friendship, and, obviously, the Yugi torture. It kinda coincided with one of Chao's favorite things to read. Also, the Yu-Gi-Oh!! fan fic "Enjoying the Present" gets a special mention since it really pushed Chao to write and write while handling such a deep plot. Plus, a lot of people were moved by it, so Chao is pretty happy with that.
Q: Do you have a favorite fan fic written by someone else?
Chao- Of course! "The Darkest Light" by Trikki. It was published and completed in 2006. It's a Yu-Gi-Oh!! fan fic where Yami mysteriously gets his own body, and Yugi becomes possessed by an ancient spirit wanting revenge. Each chapter is named after a card, and the beginning of each chapter begins with saying what the card does, matching the theme of the chapter. It was such an awesome story that was written so nicely that Chao simply had to give two final reviews! Chao never gets bored of the plot where Yugi becomes possessed!
Q: Do you have a favorite online author?
Chao- Well, there are some pretty awesome users that have pretty admirable writing skills, like Scribbler, CF-fanfiction (formerly known as Chaos Flower), and Cactus Bob. These guys are truly amazing in what they write and how they write!
Q: Do you have a favorite category to read and/or write in?
Chao- Despite the Sonic the Hedgehog name and a dark chao pic, Chao actually prefers to read and write in the Yu-Gi-Oh!! category. It was one of Chao's favorite shows while airing on TV, and it's how Chao came upon this site, by looking up Yu-Gi-Oh!! fan fics to read. And, Chao isn't going to lie, it's fun to torture Yugi and to see him get tortured.
Q: Do you have a favorite genre?
Chao- At first it was Angst and Tragedy, but now it's Family and Friendship. Why read drama when there's already plenty served in a lifetime? Let's get something with true meaning and hope!
Q: Do you have a least favorite genre?
Chao- Romance, when it comes to fan fics. More than half of them aren't even about love. Of course Drama is also up there.
Q: Why no pairings in what your read or write?
Chao- BORING!
Q: What are your guidelines for reviewing?
Chao- If Chao has read every word within a chapter or one shot, then Chao leaves a review. (So if anyone stumbles upon a fan fic with pairings with a review from this user, please understand it was because the author did not say anything about pairings until later in the story or placed a sign in the summary at a later time.) Chao likes to say what was liked and offer advice for improvement. If the story becomes uninteresting or becomes establish to have pairings or to have OCs that aren't villains but play a major role, then Chao at least wishes the author luck.
Q: Why don't you favor OCs?
Chao- They tend to steal the spotlight from canon characters. Some characters leave readers confused since the author does not know how to write them to allow readers to become familiar with them like with the canon characters. Plus, many of them have dumb roles, like being related to the main character or having a character fall in love with them. Sometimes the OC is just the writer using a different name.
Q: How many pages/words do you write for a typical chapter?
Chao- By Microsoft Works standards of default margins, it was at first only two pages. Then it expanded to four. Then Chao expanded the margins and change the type font to Times 12. That got to six pages. Now Chao is on average for eight to ten while using Microsoft Word. No idea how many words that averages!
Q: Have you ever done a request?
Chao- Well, for anyone requesting a story, most fan fics Chao writes are already in motion when anyone asks for something. But sometimes Chao will add little things in stories by reviewers.
Q: Do you have a favorite punctuation mark?
Chao- The semi-colon. It was the first punctuation mark outside the typical period, question mark, and exclamation point that Chao had actually mastered!
Q: Do you have a least favorite punctuation mark?
Chao- The comma. People use them as a pause in speech when really they should be used to separate clauses and phrases. Dialogue and narration are one thing, but a lot of users write the way they speak, technically using the commas incorrectly and without an explanation. And sometimes these rules and knowing when to break them can get pretty overwhelming. These guys are tricky to work with!
Q: Do you prefer to read/write one shots or chapters?
Chao- Dunno!
Q: Do you prefer canon or alternative universes?
Chao- Canon. It's a lot of fun reading more adventures these guys encounter.
Q: Have you ever used fan fics for school related work?
Chao- Yep. One incident involved reading The Giver and changing all the characters to Yu-Gi-Oh!! characters with Yugi being the protagonist. Another one was to write a mystery story, and again Chao used Yu-Gi-Oh!! characters and changed the names. Recently Chao had to write a short story and did the same thing.
Q: Do you have any hobbies outside of writing fan fics?
Chao- Does sleeping count? Eh, probably reading comments in YouTube videos. Some people sure do like to argue with trollers.
Q: Have you ever had a hand at writing something original?
Chao- Yeah, and it is HARD! This is why DarkChao1663 sticks to fan fics.
Q: Any family members know about you writing fan fics?
Chao- Two sisters. It can get pretty embarrassing.
Q: Any friends know about you writing fan fics?
Chao- Only two. But the subject doesn't get brought up a lot.
Q: Have you ever had anything removed by FF.net?
Chao- Yep. It was a Yu-Gi-Oh!! fan fic, and it got the readers involved into the story. It was called "What Are You Thankful For?" It was up in November several years back, and it was one where readers got to say what they were thankful for and got a chance to torture a Yu-Gi-Oh!! character. It actually lasted a few chapters before it was removed.
Q: Why did you remove any fan fics from your own free will?
Chao- It's not easy, but if a story really isn't going anywhere, why keep it up? Other times it was just too big of a challenge.
Q: When did you start your Beta profile?
Chao- Maybe a little after FF.net started offering it?
Q: Do you often beta for other people?
Chao- A few times. It's fun working with people when they have asked for help.
Q: Have you had other people beta your work?
Chao- Yes, and Chao is glad to have done so; some people can offer good perspectives.
Q: Have you ever collaborated with other authors?
Chao- No, namely because Chao has always been pretty busy with current fan fics. It wouldn't be fair to the other authors if Chao has been lazy. More power to those users who do, though.
Q: Why did you start this blog?
Chao- After seeing a few users having one, it seemed like it would be a great convenience. Chao doesn't care much for using the FF.net profile to give constant updates. Plus, Chao thought it would a good way to talk about stories and help others improve them. Chao really enjoys writing these entries!
Q: Have you ever regretted an entry or retyped an entry?
Chao- Regretted? No. Retyped? Yes. And those entries will have a note at the beginning of them to let new and returning readers know that such adjustments have been made.
Q: Have you ever borrowed ideas of what to write about?
Chao- All entries are ideas that Chao believes need to be addressed, unless they're meme-related. But Chao would like to ask some authors if they would like to be featured in an entry or have their idea talked about.
Q: What are your favorite type of cookies?
Chao- Chocolate chip, peanut butter, and oatmeal raisin.
Q: Do you have a universe you would want to live in?
Chao- Not really, but Dragon Ball Z seems pretty cool. You got capsules for homes and vehicles, and if the world is in danger, it will be saved by the Z Warriors! They die? Bring 'em back with the Dragon Balls! Yep, definitely better than living a world where the balance of the world depends on punk teens playing a children's card game.
Q: How long do you plan to write fan fics?
Chao- Until Chao gets a professional job, then Chao will retire. This author plans to graduate from college in Spring 2014, so we'll see how it goes.
Q: What do you plan to do after retirement?
Chao- Retire this character. The FF.net account won't be taken down in case people still want to read these fan fics. Anyone who wants to, though, can keep Chao's email. Chao plans to keep that email active so long as
Q: Anything else?
Chao- It's been a big pleasure being on FF.net. It's nice having a place to post up stories and have people enjoy them. It's also nice reading good stories that people have placed heart into. And, in recent years, it was nice meeting new people and having returning authors liking Chao's stories and vice versa.
xxx
Chao- And there we go! Hope anyone who had stopped by and read any/all of this had fun doing so!
YChao- Wow, thank you for wasting my time with this entry and knowing you wasted ten years of your life doing this.
Agent Daisy- *nods in agreement*
Chao- Hey! If it wasn't for fan fics, then neither of you two would exist!
YChao- Oh, yes, we would have. And we'll always be here even when you stop writing fan fics. We'll be the voices in your head that questions every move you make. Every. Move.
Agent Daisy- *holds flashlight under chin*
Chao- That's ok. It's nice to have an opportunity to write in a universe that you enjoy while meeting new people. All and all, it's fun to write fan fics; they have helped Chao learn how to write and how to write good stories. *raises a box of apple juice* Here's to ten years with another one in progress!
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