Absence Post (Calliopes alive)

Despite the fact that my readership is virtually non existent, this is good for my blogging skills. So this blog has been going through a bit of a state of hibernation, no posts for ages and no excuses to boot. Not much to say except that Calliope here is a broke student with limited access to Internet and a crushing laziness that overwhelms any semblance of productivity.

However, that will all change soon, I promise. I'll soon be getting a laptop of my own, so I'll be able to pre- write posts for y'all and post them when I get wifi. 

Expect the following!

• More fanfiction compilations: I've noticed that my most well received posts include the Spencer Reid Whump List as well as the Destiel Whump List, so I'll happily provide part twos and threes to those.
• Nanowrimo posts: I'll be embarking on my yearly quest for 50k once again, and I'd like to share the journey with the rest of you on the Internet.
• More Creepy Posts: Creepypastas give a quick hit for me, both in providing a fast post (*coughs*) and in indulging my inner critic. 

Anyhow, happy reading.

Creepy Wednesday: The Russian Sleep Experiment Creepypasta Rant

Apologies for the unannounced hiatus...posts will be getting a little irregular now and then due to my unfortunate April schedule.

This week I'll be going over one of my favorite creepypastas, The Russian Sleep Experiment. Its a classic, one thats stood the test of time. The creepypasta describes an experiment carried out by Russian researchers in the 1940s (post WW2 time period), which involved keeping five test subjects using a gas.

Lets get straight to the point. This creepypasta doesn't mince words at all, beginning with a forward introduction of the topic: The experiment. It tracks the course of the experiment by mentioning observations after one day, three days, ten days...etc (the full course of the experiment was intended to span a month; It instead lasted fifteen days). As always, the horror element kicks in pretty quickly in these "experiment/urban legend" pastas. In this case, it begins around the fourth paragraph, and after that point, is blatantly horrific.

On that subject, allow me to cover the author's execution of the aforementioned "horror aspect". As is widely known, there are two main areas of horror, one being the "gross-out, splatter film", and the other being the more creepy, spooky feels. This pasta incorporates both, with interesting degrees of success, The blunt description of wounds (as well as the overall direct tone) eliminates any flamboyance that would detract from the gross-out factor, without making the mental imagery any less graphic (Example: "All the blood vessels and organs remained intact, they had just been taken out and laid on the floor, fanning out around the eviscerated but still living bodies of the subjects."). The creepy aspect of this pasta occurs much closer to the end of the fic, with the subject's behavior and words. 

You probably don't need me to tell you again that realism is the most crucial point in creepypasta, but I'd like to stress that this is critical to more realistically based pastas (Think Russian Sleep as opposed to Slenderman). As the fic itself provides little explanation as to very technical, specific points of the experiment (such as the name of the gas, scientific justifications...), it loses a bit of credibility. On the other hand, this provides a catalyst for the mystery and "creepy factor" I discussed earlier. But on more of a preference note, I would have appreciated more scientific backup (or bullshit, whichever you prefer). 

Have you read The Russian Sleep Experiment? Tell me what you think of it in the comments. Which creepypasta should I review next? I'm thinking of just working my way through the classic ones first, then the most highly rated ones.

Fanfic Friday: Mistakes Fanfiction Writers Make

I've read more than my fair share of awful fanfiction...

Not acknowledging canon.

I've covered this before. Fanfiction is exactly what it sounds like, with emphasis on the fan part. AU is a wonderful thing, but even then theres a limit as to how far you can go. For example, having Dean from Supernatural drive a red Honda civic? Definitely too far. Having a healthy respect (or reverence) for canon ensures that you keep your readers happy, and also avoid appearing ignorant.

Basic spelling and grammar.
I consider being coherent to be a sort of courtesy to one's readers. If your readers are taking the time to read your fic, you should at least have the decency to make yourself intelligible. It seems that one particular trend among bad fanfic writers is to completely ignore the existence of punctuation. Come on, guys, thats common sense. Everyone has their occasional typos, but some fanfics out there are just ridiculous.

Unforgivably horrible lemon.
I'm not going to go out and bash fics that are all porn and no plot. However, I do feel as if certain people should be banned from writing erotica (*cough, cough* E.L. James!). Facepalm- worthy lemon is not good lemon.

Blatantly cliche lime.

"But Calliope!", you cry in shock and indignation. "The whole point of lime is to avoid writing lemon!"

Okay, okay, I hear you. But (especially in the case of fluff) theres got to be a slightly more graceful way to put it than to state that your two main characters fucked, right? Also, the black and white movie style "the door closed" is dreadfully overused and, frankly, irritating.

Referring to a character's eyes as "orbs".

Who hasn't seen this in use and instantly felt the urge to roll your eyes? I rest my case.

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Quick post, yes, I know. Happy Easter, everyone, and remember to keep any religious or controversial opinions to yourself :)

JK.

Creepy Wednesday: Top Junji Ito Mangas (Off Topic)

Welcome back to another installment of Creepy Wednesday, where I will be running a little off topic. As today is also the first day of April...its the first day of Camp Nanowrimo as well. That should explain my need for some fresh air.

Junji Ito is like the Stephen King of the manga world...well, I'm not really in a position to say that, but he just might as well be. Anyone familiar with the horror manga genre is undoubtedly familiar with his works, which are by turns creepy. horrifying, disturbing, and sometimes all three. Most of the time, he focuses on paranormal horror and somewhat less realistic situations (though this is not at all comforting when one is trying to fall asleep).  

Today I'll be listing "the best"  mangas by Junji Ito. Rest assured that these are the cream of the crop- some of these put me thoroughly off my lunch. Most are oneshots, some are longer works. Enjoy, and be sure to check them out. I'll try not to spoil these too much.

(Note: For safety reasons there will be significantly fewer pictures in this post.)

 Tomie

I'll be honest here: Tomie isn't really my favorite. But its three volumes strong and has a few movies going for it, and its a definitely a classic (as well as one of Junji Ito's more well known works). There is some pretty grotesque imagery, but I find the storyline is somewhat repetitive once you get the idea. 

Black Paradox

Although this manga is somewhat less realistic than, say Tomie, it holds up well. Despite a few uncertainties in the construction of the story, it retains the plausibility that is crucial to good horror fiction. It begins with an (attempted) group suicide, then gets more and more bizarre.

Library of Illusions (New Voices in the Dark)

I love stories that bring in books as a theme or feature them in any way. See also: Libraries. Naturally, I enjoyed this oneshot, which is one of his less graphic works.

Uzumaki

One of his longer works, which gets off to a slow start but soon spirals into heaps of needless gore. This is one of his more gory/gore-centric works, and there are a number of choice (Read: graphic) tidbits that will show up on Google Images if you type in "Uzumaki Movie" (despite Google Safe Search being fully active).

Falling

Not at all meant to be realistic, but a bit graphic and horror-inspiring. This may also have inspired my new fear of falling.

Hanging Balloons

Not really believable, but horrific in the sense that one can easily imagine the same happening in one's town. Well, thats the thing with most horror manga anyway.

The Human Chair

Some of Junji Ito's works remind me of creepypasta, due to their storytelling style and how realistic some of them are. This one feels like a lot like a good creepypasta, which, if you've read any of my creepypasta posts, means that its very realistic and convincing.

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Perhaps my next Creepy Wednesday will list my favorite Kago Shintaro mangas. And if you thought that your Google Image search this week yielded some pretty interesting results, just wait.

Oh, you just wait.

Fanfic Friday: Tips for First Time Fanfiction Readers and Writers

As one might tell from my previous posts, I consider myself an authority on fanfiction. I've searched up and down the internet for quality fanfics and have mastered the language of fanfiction readers/writers (I'd also like to put forward my suggestion for a name: Fanspeak).

These tips are for readers and writers alike who plan to dip their toes into the abysmal cesspool of online fanfiction.

Start Small. 
Readers: I wouldn't recommend reading outside of your otp/acceptable ships at first, nor would I try anything that you are even remotely sensitive towards. There is a fuckload, and I must repeat, a fuckload of poor quality, horribly written fics that have the power to put you off the genre indefinitely, possibly even permanently. Common tags to avoid would include character death, mpreg, or extreme OOC.

Writers: I'm not gonna be a dick and say that you should always start with some degree of caution, but in my experience its always easier to begin start gentle. Maybe start off by publishing a oneshot or a drabble and get a feel for posting fanfiction or gauge reader response.

Learn the Language.
Become familiar with what I call "fanspeak", the common terms and abbreviations that fanfic writers and readers use. Of course, you probably know the basics by now, but read up on the many translation guides available on the internet (I may even assemble one someday, but for now just Google "fanfiction terms"). Knowing the common terms used may save you a lot of agony later on, which brings me to my next point...

Read the Tags.
Readers: Seriously. As a general rule, if you don't like the tags, don't read the fic. This way no one gets butthurt over bullshit, which I have seen happen numerous times during my travels over the fanfic corner of the interwebs. This also minimizes the possibility of you flaming other people's work, which, if thats something you've done, is just plain dickfaced. Authors take the time to meticulously tag their work (have you seen the tags on AO3? incredible..), so you should respect that effort and use that to filter out anything unwanted. Warnings are often included as tags, so this is incredibly useful.

Writers: Just tag well, and don't cut any corners. Cover your ass- after all, this isn't Instagram.

Know your canon.
Readers: This is just to make sure you don't mix anything up in your head, and is of far greater importance to writers.

Writers: Here I go. At the risk of sounding like a total jerk, I'll just leave my quick opinion. Its my firm belief that although AU is a fine, dandy thing, writers should be familiar with the many corners and pitfalls of their fandom. Understanding the rules of canon not only saves you from looking like a total noob, it also makes you better at breaking them. As we all know, skillfully bending/breaking the laws of canon can make an outstanding fic.

Use the Forums.
Readers: Most/all fanfiction sites have forums, and these are terrific places to find recommendations or give them. Even without posting, you can lurk in the threads devoted to your otp/pairings and find a lot of good work.

Writers: Forums are great places to plug your fanfics, and also search for recommended works similar to what you want to write. This makes for good inspiration, and may help you avoid plagiarizing someone else's existing work. Also, check for prompts, as these can be incredibly fun and helpful for when you're experiencing writers block.

Reviews.
Readers: Words can not describe how appreciative writers are of reviews, even if its just a simple "Can't wait for the next chapter!". If you enjoyed a story, leave an encouraging comment and brighten someone's day. That having been said, please do not flame the stories you dislike. Thats just plain dickish, no matter how gut-wrenching their grammatical skills were.

Writers: I don't think I need to tell you writers to read the reviews...however, I'd like to get in a few words on the subject. Don't let rude comments disappoint you. In the words of a wise fanfiction writer whose works I've enjoyed greatly, use any flames to roast marshmallows.

Don't just stick to one site.
Readers: Certain sites have more of one/other fandoms on them, for example AO3 has the most Supernatural fanfiction, and Wattpad has its infamous 1D following.

Writers: Posting across several sites will give you a bigger audience. Always link your profiles/list the sites you're on through your profile, or make a small author's note of them for your readers.

Here is my previous post on the seven best fanfiction sites on the internet, in case you're interested.



Thats about all I have to say on the topic. If there are any tips you'd like to suggest, leave them in the comments and I just might add them in.

Until next week, enjoy your fanfiction!

Creepy Wednesday: Samaritan Road Rant

Welcome back to Creepy Wednesday...yes I did take a March Break away from posting last week, but I'm back with a review/ramble.

First things first, check out the creepypasta here. Its rated 7.4/10 and not too long, just what I'd consider a quick read.

This most definitely is a traditional urban legend pasta, and is told in just that fashion with an unnamed narrator addressing the reader directly. The plot, simply told, concerns a certain stretch of "haunted" road. The narrator then informs the reader of two decisions that can be made, one which will save the reader's life and the other, which will take it. As I''m attempting to refrain from retelling the story in this post I'll stop right here.

If this sounds like a typical, overused story line, remember that even the simplest of story formulas can create great novels.

Though some might find the tone a bit bland, familiar, or typical to the type of story, I found it very appropriate. The author doesn't mince words, nor does he take on a flowery tone. The text itself contains a few stilted/awkward phrases, and some errors that were most likely typos. Still, it isn't distracting and the overall feel of the story is believable and genuine.

The pasta definitely goes for more of a subtly "creepy" feel than the outright, splatter style horror fics. The description of the "woman" in one of the later paragraphs does indeed border on disturbing, it isn't outright horrific, which makes this fic a bit friendlier to the *pussies* who are just starting out with creepypasta.

The final touch on the pasta is the ending, which often makes or breaks a pasta. Personally, its my theory that the success of the Jeff the Killer creepypasta was largely due to its strong ending, which, if you really do need a refresher, would be the words "go to sleep". Again, I'm trying not to ruin the pasta for you, so I'll just say that the ending of Samaritan Road is very, very, well played.

Final thoughts on this pasta? Quick warning, I'm going to go straight into spoilers from here on out. The deciding point in this urban legend is the reader's choice, and in this case the correct choice involves freeing yourself from blame rather than doing a good deed. Its an idea that seems blasphemous at first- compare the Biblical Samaritan saving the man on the side of the road with the image of Pontius Pilate washing the guilt off his hands. The pasta states (rather explicitly) that the haunted road preys on the goodness in a human's natural instinct, while saving yourself involves detaching yourself from the situation. I wont digress, no matter how tempted I am to go on a moral tangent. This pasta is a solid 9/10 in my book, and I highly recommend it to anyone starting out with creepypasta.

Have you read Samaritan Road? If you have, what are your thoughts? Also, consider the unusually long post a penance for my absence. Check in next Wednesday for more creepy posts.

Fanfiction Friday: Rant on the Seven Best Fanfiction Sites on the Internet

This week I'll be listing my seven favorite sites to find fanfiction on. I've focused on sites with a broad range of fandoms as opposed to sites focused on one fandom.

1. Fanfiction.net

This is by far the best place to find full-length, completed fanfictions, especially those with multiple chapters. Theres a definite shortage of imagines or preferences works, but there are many novel-length fics on the site for those who enjoy longer works. The search system is organized but not very detailed, so its often a bit more difficult to find fics. Manga/Anime has a a strong base on this website, especially the Naruto fandom. I was also pleased to find that there are numerous Criminal Minds fanfictions.

2. Archive of our Own

I suspect that there are fewer users on this site compared to Fanfictin.net, but the content is more diverse as there are notably more imagines as well as a healthy amount of full-length works. The organization system/tag system is very user friendly, more so than the one over at Fanfiction.net, which does not allow for much tagging. Archive of our own has an enormous, sometimes overwhelming tagging/descripton system, which is a bit of a hassle for posters but a godsend for readers. I found that the Supernatural fandom is quite strong on this site.

3. Wattpad

I know, only third place?? I'm going to go out on a limb here and declare that while Wattpad definitely has many works, those works are concentrated into two categories: One Direction and Original Works. Those who hate that boy band's British guts will inevitably roll their eyes every time a 1D fic shows up on their homepage, which is every freaking time. Its a great place for original poetry and stories, but I found the fanfiction content limited and unsatisfying. Also, can we talk about the site design for a moment? Some people like the perky design, but I find it...a bit too juvenile for my taste.

4. Livejournal

Yes, believe it or not, Livejournal has good fanfiction. Its difficult to find the individual fics as Idon't (yet?) have an account, so I pretty much rely solely on Google for help in that area.

5. Fictionpad

A newer site with less fandoms, probably due to its relative youth on the Internet. The tag system isn't as dilapidated as Archive of our own's, and the organization of the site reminds me of Wattpad. Still worth checking out, though the quality of many of the fics is questionable.

6. Quotev

Features quizzes and the like, as well as original work. I like that the original work is more fresh than Wattpad's, as they have original imagines as well, but I digress. Quotev might be annoying if you're used to more serious, fiction-focused sites like fanfiction.net, but there are still a couple decent ficworks on that site.

7. Tumblr

Great source of imagines or ship-focused oneshots. Its a bit difficult to do multi-chapter works on this site so this site mainly has short-length works. Theres an epic amount of oneshots/imagines for an incredibly diverse range of fandoms.

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Any sites I should have added? Anyone else still not over the death of Quizilla?

I'll be doing a post on original fiction sites next.