Yanki/bosozoku/gangs

[BeautifulDirt]

Recently, I've thought of an idea for a story where a yanki falls in love with a boy from his school (yes, gay love). And since, one of my characters is a yanki, I've been trying to find information on, well, yanki.
One specific thing I'd like to know: what kind of music do yanki usually listen to? I think that listening to music would help inspire me.
Also, what kind of things do they do, how do they talk, how do they dress etc?
I already have some information on bosozoku, but, I'd like to know more.

[stsparky]

Fantasy is dandy, but writing about what you know is advised. And while hot Gay sex sounds attractive - no one has done it better than the author of THE FRONT RUNNER. Patricia Nell Warren is the landmark author of some of the most popular gay novels of all time. Each of her books has been a milestone in America’s understanding and acceptance of GBLT themes. Her most beloved work, The Front Runner, has sold an estimated ten million copies in ten languages. The first modern story about gay love to become an international bestseller, Warren’s celebrated saga of an ex-Marine track coach and his Olympics-bound athlete has engaged and inspired both gay and mainstream readers for over a quarter of a century.

First published in 1974, The Front Runner raced to international acclaim - the first novel about gay love to become popular with mainstream.

In 1975, coach Harlan Brown is hiding from his past at an obscure New York college, after he was fired from Penn State University on suspicion of being gay. A tough, lonely ex-Marine of 39, Harlan has never allowed himself to love another man.

Then Billy Sive, a brilliant young runner, shows up on his doorstep. He and his two comrades, Vince Matti and Jacques LaFont, were just thrown off a major team for admitting they are gay. Harlan knows that, with proper training, Billy could go to the '76 Olympics in Montreal. He agrees to coach the three boys under strict conditions that thwart Billy's growing attraction for his mature but compelling mentor. The lean, graceful frontrunner with gold-rim glasses sees directly into Harlan's heart. Billy's gentle and open acceptance of his sexuality makes Harlan afraid to confront either the pain of his past, or the challenges which lay in wait if their intimacy is exposed.

But when Coach Brown finds himself falling in love with his most gifted athlete, he must combat his true feelings for Billy or risk the outrage of the entire sports world - and their only chance at Olympic gold.

So - as you're 30 odd years late to the party - why don't you try and write about what you know first.

[BeautifulDirt]

What's this have to do with what I asked?

It's not like this is my first story. I've written stories about gay love before, but, I wanted to do some extra research for my character. And, who said anything about sex?

Seriously, you say that like I think I'm the first person to ever write about gay men.

[Sohym]

I agree with BeautifulDirt. Come on, stsparky, the question was if any one could help her (I suppose you're a "she", BeautifulDirt) get informations for her story. She never said she wanted to make a BL revolution or anything. Sheesh..

Anyway. As Wikipedia's my friend, here's a link about Bôsôzoku.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C5%8Ds%C5%8Dzoku
I hope it helps.
Ah, and I would love to read your story/stories, too!

[BeautifulDirt]

Thank you! ^_^
I'll let you read it once the ideas start flowing.

It'll probably be hard to read any of my old ones...I threw alot of them away because my stepdad doesn't like me writing about it and I got rid of them before I got in any trouble. But, what else would I write about? I definately don't want to write about girls falling in love with boys.

[Sohym]

My pleasure ~

[ミュー]

You came to the wrong forum to "learn" about bosokoku gangs. Lots of us live in areas where those little dicked loud muffler having assholes tear down the street at 150+kph at 3am. Do you have any idea how long it's been since "brrrrrrummmmm" wasn't my 02:53 wake up call!? They're ignorant little punks who don't shower, hang out other dumbasses with similarly hideous bikes sporting fartcannons, listen to girly Avex trax at max volume on their blown-out bike speakers, and generally piss people off. To glorify such idiocy and annoyance in any sort of medium is a dishonor to all people in Japan who must put up with them.

So, let's recap:
- dirty 20s-30s Japanese guys
- outcasts because they drive loud, annoying bikes at stupid speed
- wear leatherwear all the time and never clean it
- listen to girly Avex produced music at loud volume
- Tend to race through the streets between Tokyo and Yokohama, Chiba, etc
- Did I mention that nobody likes them... at all!?

[BeautifulDirt]

I think it's pretty good to get someone's opinion on them.
Note: noise, noone likes them.
I'll be sure to make that clear.

[stsparky]

... who said anything about sex? ...
Please I have no agenda. I was an acquisitions editor for non-Japanese people who wanted to do Japanese comics. And what do you think 98% of the submissions were? I think it is a mistake to write about what you don't know about at a young age. Worse, I think you have an idealistic misconception about Gay love and when young people have sex. And unrequited gay love? That's likely. It reminds me of what is called "/" fiction (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slash_fiction). Would this be interesting or uplifting in anyway? ミュー isn't talking about beautiful outcasts when he tells you these characters are unredeemable assholes. Yankī (ヤンキー, Yankī ) is used to describe delinquent Japanese youths who are not going to be open and/or "out."

You could write about teen-aged single moms or life with a step-father if boy and girl tales are boring. Or if you want to scare your parents - you could write about being a lesbian in High School. So why don't you email your fiction to Sohym as he seems willing to be a fan sight unseen? Maybe he'll do research for you?

[Sohym]

Stsparky, darling, I'm a girl ;)

And there's nothing wrong with writing fics, or slash fiction or anything. Not everybody wants to make money out of their story. Some just like to do it for fun.

Plus, as long as people know the difference between reality and fiction, it's alright..

[Plekto]

There's no problem at all with writing about something that you don't really know about. The thing is, that this is a hot button topic that wil get you eviscerated in the press and online if you get it even the tiniest bit wrong.

I'd start with something much simpler and/or closer to home.

[Hikoku-Y]

stsparky, I see where you're coming from, and I agree that writing fiction about a topic with which you do not have at least passing familiarity is a nearly guaranteed recipe for crap. But BeautifulDirt didn't ask for advice on how to write well, or what kind of focus would be helpful; she asked specifically about ヤンキー attributes. I doubt she thinks she's going to write the Great Japanese Short Story, and until she asks for criticism or advice I don't see any need to give her attitude.

And don't get me wrong—there are few storylines less appealing to me than a gang member falling in love with one of his high school classmates (especially if the author conceptualized the story without knowing even the basics about the gang member's lifestyle), but that has nothing to do with the question here. I can remember all kinds of garbage I wrote when I was in middle and high school, and I doubt that a sober explanation of what makes good writing would have done me much good because I simply didn't care about the quality of my writing.

BeautifulDirt, if you don't really care about accuracy and want to see a campy rendition of ヤンキー, watch 下妻物語 (released as "Kamikaze Girls" in America). It's not like you'd get any real understanding of bosozoku lifestyle absent extensive interviews or personal experience anyway.

[hanacker]

I think it is a mistake to write about what you don't know about at a young age. Worse, I think you have an idealistic misconception about Gay love and when young people have sex.

A mistake? So she ends up writing one crappy story. As long as she has fun writing it, what's the big deal? I'm going to write a children's story about a boy who can transform into a car. And it's going to suck. But it should be fun for a bit.

[Hikoku-Y]

A mistake? So she ends up writing one crappy story. As long as she has fun writing it, what's the big deal? I'm going to write a children's story about a boy who can transform into a car. And it's going to suck. But it should be fun for a bit.

Write it about a midget who can transform into an ice cream truck and drive into people's dreams, and it'll read just like a Haruki Murakami masterpiece. (For Murakami fans, I realize that I'm retreading the familiar territory of 踊る小人 here.)

[BeautifulDirt]

THIS IS NOT MY FIRST STORY. I've done this before. I've been writing about gay men for years. Since then, I've gotten alot better.

Oh, I've seen Shimotsuma Monogatari. I love that movie. I also recently saw the Cromartie High school movie. Would those guys be good to base the yanki characters off of?
I also heard about a documentary on the life of a bosozoku, so I'm going to try to see if I can find it. I'd really like my yanki info to be accurate.

And I know some things about how yanki act. I never said they were "beautiful" in any way. I knwo that they are a bunch of loud, badass jerks. I never said he'd be an out gay teenager. I never said that he would outright say to this boy the first time they meet, "I LOVE YOU!" Even when a relationship starts he would most likely keep it a secret.
I'm tired of people on this forum treating me like I'm some stupid otaku kid who doesn't know anything about Japanese culture and is living in an anime pocky fantasy world in which everything about Japan is just fine. No corrupition. No murder. No gangs. But, with some porn, but, it's not a big deal. And everyone is so nice!
(I like your ideas about what I could write about. They're interesting and all, but, I don't like to write about women at all.)

[wtf.pirate]

Have you tried wiki-ing it?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C5%8Ds%C5%8Dzoku

there's quite a bit of detail and I presume the article is created by someone with first hand knowledge. The only thing with wiki's is that they can't really be biased so I can get you going for people opinions on the matter.

Research research research <3

[Ivor's Tinfoil Bandana]

Have you tried wiki-ing it?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C5%8Ds%C5%8Dzoku

there's quite a bit of detail and I presume the article is created by someone with first hand knowledge. The only thing with wiki's is that they can't really be biased so I can get you going for people opinions on the matter.

Research research research <3
From this article :
Unlike street gangs from other countries and despite their anti-social nature, bōsōzoku members are known to show consideration to residents of rural areas by performing their runs at around 8pm when most people are still awake.
Poor ミュー must be dreaming of Bosozoku :meh:

[japanat]

"consideration to residents of rural areas"... Because everyone knows who they are!

I used to meet the bosozoku when riding my Yamaha at night, and they were usually pretty nice (probably because they didn't meet many foreigners at the Nagasawa in this area, and because they were usually drunk or stoned). That said, however, they were also the biggest bunch of macho posturers I've seen in a long time. I honestly think that any gay bosozoku or yanki would have to keep it secret, or get the shit pounded out of them by their pals (so to speak).

[ミュー]

Note about Wiki: Wiki tends to inaccurate on Japanese things. Entries on Japanese things are vast, but many of them are written by users with insufficient knowledge of the subject. For instance, if one were to read the entry on Yoyogi (before I edited it) they would think it is only a park and a train station. I am quite positive that nobody that lives there has bothered to fix the entry before based on its utter incompleteness. Shit, Sendagaya has a full entry even though Yoyogi is just as important.

[mawande]

Recently, I've thought of an idea for a story where a yanki falls in love with a boy from his school (yes, gay love). And since, one of my characters is a yanki, I've been trying to find information on, well, yanki.
One specific thing I'd like to know: what kind of music do yanki usually listen to? I think that listening to music would help inspire me.
Also, what kind of things do they do, how do they talk, how do they dress etc?
I already have some information on bosozoku, but, I'd like to know more.

My son, 19 years old and spent most of his last 10 years here in Japan, blinked at me and said "A bousouzoku is a yanki." "It's just how you look, how you talk and how you act, is what a yanki is."

"You get pissed off easily at anyone and start punching people," "How they speak sounds like a yakuza or an old... yanki is yanki, it's not like anything. Almost all yakuza used to be yanki."

So, he knows these things. There are clothes specific to the yanki style. They wear Nikka/pokka, working clothes like construction people or tobishokunin (people who work in high areas?). And Tokkoufuku, which is a traditional bousouzoku clothing showing the gang's name and has all sorts of letters written on it. You see a lot of them at festivals.

There you go, mostly quoted from someone who really knows.

[wtf.pirate]

Wiki is wrong? ;__; Damn I guess that's what you get for user edited articles.

[BeautifulDirt]

My son, 19 years old and spent most of his last 10 years here in Japan, blinked at me and said "A bousouzoku is a yanki." "It's just how you look, how you talk and how you act, is what a yanki is."

"You get pissed off easily at anyone and start punching people," "How they speak sounds like a yakuza or an old... yanki is yanki, it's not like anything. Almost all yakuza used to be yanki."

So, he knows these things. There are clothes specific to the yanki style. They wear Nikka/pokka, working clothes like construction people or tobishokunin (people who work in high areas?). And Tokkoufuku, which is a traditional bousouzoku clothing showing the gang's name and has all sorts of letters written on it. You see a lot of them at festivals.

There you go, mostly quoted from someone who really knows.

Thanks. This is really good info. I really appreciate it! ^_^

Could someone tell me any specific areas in Japan where there are commonly bosozoku?

[Pierrot le Fou]

BeautifulDirt is trying to write 'Brokeback Mountain' only the Japanophile version.

How fucking drole.

[Masa the Masta]

Hiro mounted the bike, as he wrapped his arms tightly around Kouta's back.

"Let's go..beyond the mountains." He whispered in his ear, his lips moved under the surgical mask. Kouta accelerated, as the motorcycle took off into the winding tarmac road...

:) Hee hee.

[Ceirnian]

My dream since middle has been to move to Japan permanently (more specifically, in the city. I'm a suburban child! I yearn for the city life!). You know, start off in an apartment, get a job, get married, have a family, all in a foreign country.

Recently, I've thought of an idea for a story where a yanki falls in love with a boy from his school (yes, gay love).


I'm tired of people on this forum treating me like I'm some stupid otaku kid who doesn't know anything about Japanese culture and is living in an anime pocky fantasy world

The way you present yourself on the forum just screams 'otaku' in self denial. That's probably why people are treated as such.

[Pierrot le Fou]

Edited for clarity

[erbiumfiber]

Umm, I think he was making it up- not a real excerpt- a joke.

[EIJI]

I think she is a ......
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujoshi

[Pierrot le Fou]

I think she is a ......
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujoshi
Agreed, though it disturbs me that you know that word EIJI! And now I know it!

Some things are better left unlearned.

[stsparky]

"Slush pile" doesn't do what I used to have to wade through justice. So why limit it to b/b romance without sex? How about an elephant in love with her zookeeper? You could try for a parody of the 'women in prison' motif ...

So BD? Go ahead. Write. Post real excepts in the Creativity Forum. Vicious criticism can only make you stronger when you know we do it out of love.

[erbiumfiber]

I want Masa to keep going with his story...

[Masa the Masta]

I've shown some female friends my work which is purely satirical. They keep asking for more.

I don't know if I want to anymore. :knockout:

[japanat]

Very droll... ;)

Check for any film or video on the Himeji Yukata Matsuri, ゆかた祭り, June 22-23. It's been pretty much shut down by the bosozoku for the last several years. This year they were estimated at anywhere from 1-5000, depending on the newspaper, marching down the middle of Otemai Street, punching people at random, fighting with the cops.

Ruined a beautiful festival, they did.

edit: here's part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MYIK-DH2u0&mode=related&search=
here's part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXljr0PnhtQ

[ミュー]

Sometimes I wish "Great Ole Western Justice" could be summoned to control unredeemable assholes like bosozoku. If some would-be macho man starts beating down a cop where I come from, they shoot the fucker 'till he can't move. Even better, I wish their bikes could be automatically impounded for having illegal modifications. Every time I see one of those goddamn mufflers it sickens me that police know that they're illegal and do NOTHING.

EDIT: 10:57PM and I just heard a couple of loud ass fartcannons ripping past... I will kill one of them someday.

[BeautifulDirt]

Forget it. I'll just find this stuff myself.
I know I won't be back here to ask any questions.

[Masa the Masta]

:( Aww, don't be mad. I can feel you wiping your tears in front of that computer screen of yours, it's only fun and games kiddo.

[Sohym]

Sometimes you should know when to stop. Beautiful Dirt asked for help and half of you came to mock her.

Congratulations. That was free and useless.

[Masa the Masta]

You're welcome.

[BeautifulDirt]

:( Aww, don't be mad. I can feel you wiping your tears in front of that computer screen of yours, it's only fun and games kiddo.

Trust me. I'm not crying.
I originally came to this forum becuase I saw that there were alot of foreigners living in Japan, so I wanted to ask them a question (One day I want to live in Japan. Out of curiosity, I wanted to ask them how someone would go about doing that and if I would be able to be a teacher.) and then everyone comes to criticize me and call me a Japanophile. They treated me like I was wrong for planning ahead.
I'm just a person who's been interested Japan but has never been able to go so I thought hearing from people doing what I wanted to do would be good for me.
Is it just because I'm only in high school people treat me like this?

[Kezurimasu]

I think Ceirnian did a good job on explaining why people are treating you like an Otaku.

[BeautifulDirt]

So wanting to live in Japan and writing a story that takes place in Japan makes you in otaku?
I don't need this.
I don't need to be here. I'm tired of it.
I need to see if there's a way to get rid of my account/cancel it.

[Masa the Masta]

Gaiaonline is that way ---> www.gaiaonline.com


You could try www.anime-expo.org, I grace those boards with my presence.


These are REAL alternatives, next to of course, www.bigdaikon.com, but people like Pierrot Le Fou are there, so I can't guarantee nice treatment there.


Enjoy your story.

[erbiumfiber]

Very droll... ;)

Check for any film or video on the Himeji Yukata Matsuri, ゆかた祭り, June 22-23. It's been pretty much shut down by the bosozoku for the last several years. This year they were estimated at anywhere from 1-5000, depending on the newspaper, marching down the middle of Otemai Street, punching people at random, fighting with the cops.

Ruined a beautiful festival, they did.

edit: here's part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MYIK-DH2u0&mode=related&search=
here's part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXljr0PnhtQ


WOW! That totally sucks. I knew they were assholes but I thought they were mostly just noisy traffic assholes and hung out amongst themselves and maybe some arcades. To actually go and spoil a matsuri and the police can't even get it under control? I guess they know they're juveniles and will just get a slap on the wrist. Maybe Japan needs to overhaul its juvenile justice code (in fact, I believe they are in the process of doing this in view of the rash of school kids killing parents or other kids).

[erbiumfiber]

Forget it. I'll just find this stuff myself.
I know I won't be back here to ask any questions.


What? Japanat just posted pictures of THE REAL THING in action. These guys are not nice. They are punks who don't give a shit about anyone but themselves. You can see how they dress, see how they act, etc.

And whoever gave you Kamikaze girls is on the money for the chick version (although they've been made "nicer" for mass market consumption but their dress, nasty attitude, etc. Saw it on the plane a few times).

[Kezurimasu]

So wanting to live in Japan and writing a story that takes place in Japan makes you in otaku?
I don't need this.
I don't need to be here. I'm tired of it.
I need to see if there's a way to get rid of my account/cancel it.
Yes, I started watching anime, but I've seen other things and thought, "Wow! This is a place I want to go to!"
I never said they were good reasons, things like this might of helped establish the thought of you being an Otaku.
Where ever you go on the internet you're bound to hear things that are offensive, things that you do not like, and because of that I do not think you should let these comments get to you, especially considering that you are already getting some really informative replies in this topic.

[Fred]

So wanting to live in Japan and writing a story that takes place in Japan makes you in otaku?
I don't need this.
I don't need to be here. I'm tired of it.
I need to see if there's a way to get rid of my account/cancel it.

You whine more than my 4-month old baby. I can understand a 4-month old baby whining, but it is not so acceptable in a 200-month old baby.

[Pierrot le Fou]

There are good ways to ask for things, and bad ways.

You picked the bad way.

If you ask a simple, "Does anyone have any good (English language) sites on bosozoku or yanki in Japan? I'm doing some research on them, but most of the information is in Japanese!" and then people will likely be helpful. When you say, "I am writing about gay yanki/bosozoku who fall in love" then we laugh at you, because you're NOT asking for honest information/advice, just for people to tell you what you want to hear.

Which is utter and complete crap.

[ミュー]

So wanting to live in Japan and writing a story that takes place in Japan makes you in otaku?
I don't need this.
I don't need to be here. I'm tired of it.
I need to see if there's a way to get rid of my account/cancel it.
Asking us to promote a positive image of a huge nuisance to our personal lives is not the correct way to do business on this forum. There are already enough dumb, clueless bosozoku-admiring otaku out there and it's sickening.

I, for one, think you don't need to be in this forum if you're going to be ignorant and deny reality. We've got a diverse forum full of people from all walks of life in both Japan and elsewhere. This forum can be very helpful and supportive, but not if you're going to repeatedly aggrivate us.

[Hikoku-Y]

Even though you clowns have turned this thread into an ad hominem orgy, I'm going to get back to basics and carry the nascent literary mantle born a few tender posts prior:


Hiro mounted the bike, as he wrapped his arms tightly around Kouta's back.

"Let's go..beyond the mountains." He whispered in his ear, his lips moved under the surgical mask. Kouta accelerated, as the motorcycle took off into the winding tarmac road...

"I know this is wrong," said Takeshi, closing his eyes in anticipation. "But maybe it's right, too. Is that possible?"

"Anything's possible when we're together." Kouta's voice was barely a whisper.

Beside them, the motor purred in the darkness, a sensual invitation to freedom.

"Yatto," said Takeshi.

"Yatto," said Kouta.

[stsparky]

We were honest. I -personally- tried to point you in a better direction and tried to inform you what pitfalls to avoid. What we did was well meant I suspect. I guess none of us find Yanki culture worthwhile. I hope that does mean something to you. You are still welcome here as far as I am concerned. Lastly, I think you have made a connection with Sohym. So please don't run off in a snit.

[erbiumfiber]

Hiro mounted the bike, as he wrapped his arms tightly around Kouta's back.

"Let's go..beyond the mountains." He whispered in his ear, his lips moved under the surgical mask. Kouta accelerated, as the motorcycle took off into the winding tarmac road...

"I know this is wrong," said Hiro, closing his eyes in anticipation. "But maybe it's right, too. Is that possible?"

"Anything's possible when we're together." Kouta's voice was barely a whisper.

Underneath them, the motor purred in the darkness, a sensual invitation to freedom.

"Yatto," said Hiro

"Yatto," said Kouta.

For a while, they rode in silence as the wind rushed past. Hiro's nostrils inhaled the pleasant odor of leather intermingled with sweat as his arms held Kouta.

Suddenly, Hiro was gripped by fear. Fear that the others would not understand, could not understand, what Hiro and Kouta felt together. It was as if they two were one, gliding through the night on Kouta's Kawasaki.

Hiro didn't ask where they were going. He trusted in Kouta completely. Kouta would know a place- their place- where no prying eyes could see their secret passion.

[Masa the Masta]

That could be the prologue?

We need a good beginning, damnit.

[Hikoku-Y]

For a while, they rode in silence as the wind rushed past. Hiro's nostrils inhaled the pleasant odor of leather intermingled with sweat as his arms held Kouta.

Suddenly, Hiro was gripped by fear. Fear that the others would not understand, could not understand, what Hiro and Kouta felt together. It was as if they two were one, gliding through the night on Kouta's Kawasaki.

Hiro didn't ask where they were going. He trusted in Kouta completely. Kouta would know a place- their place- where no prying eyes could see their secret passion.

As you can tell, I didn't actually intend for my "writing" to be continuous with the original quote, but your version is much better.

[Hikoku-Y]

That could be the prologue?

We need a good beginning, damnit.

"Kouta, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Ko-u-ta. He was Ko, plain Ko, in the morning, standing five foot eight in one sock. He was Kouta-kun in slacks. He was Kouta-san at his baito. He was Nakamura on his hanko. But in my arms, he was always Ko-chan."

[erbiumfiber]

The great thing about this kind of writing is that it all goes together. No matter what you write, if it's in that style, it will fit.

My daughter went to an arts high school where she "majored" in creative writing. Her stuff is pretty awesome (proud parent) but I sat through enough readings that I can turn out the other stuff pretty quickly.

How do you think those romance novelists churn out 700-page blockbusters every year?

Come on people, I know we've got some closet writers out there!

[Hikoku-Y]

The great thing about this kind of writing is that it all goes together. No matter what you write, if it's in that style, it will fit.

My daughter went to an arts high school where she "majored" in creative writing. Her stuff is pretty awesome (proud parent) but I sat through enough readings that I can turn out the other stuff pretty quickly.

How do you think those romance novelists churn out 700-page blockbusters every year?

Come on people, I know we've got some closet writers out there!

Yikes, I can't imagine going to a reading for high school student-writers. The creative writing I did in college was bad enough; the writing I did in high school is now cringe-inducing. Listening to 20 17-year-olds read their stories of adolescent ennui sounds spectacularly unpleasant, though I'm sure if it were my kid I'd suffer through it all to hear her read.

[erbiumfiber]

She specialized in really dark comedy. The kind of stuff most 17-year-olds don't write about. Most of the kids never wrote a single (intentionally) funny line in their lives. One girl did serious poetry about child soldiers and other third-world horrors. She became a national scholar in the arts. My daughter won some national award but didn't go on to the "national scholar" level. Comedy is going to lose out every time to politically correct writing.

[Hikoku-Y]

Comedy is going to lose out every time to politically correct writing.

At the high school level, definitely. I feel like the trend actually goes the other way during college, though, as long as the comedy is not purely jokey but has some greater significance (I'm thinking of Jonathan Saffran Foer or George Saunders).

[Pierrot le Fou]

I had a kid in my creative writing course in high school who wrote a charming story about Robin Williams bashing a giraffe's head in with a tack hammer, and other chucklish things.

It was so absurdist it was wonderful, and half of the class was in stitches. The guy reading it was this goofy white guy who had a way with words but tried to speak like he had grown up in the inner city. And the combination of the way he talked, the way he wrote, and the way he looked just magnified his story 20 times.

Our teacher, who put up with a fair amount of shennanigans most of the time was upset by the amount of laughter.

She said to us, "Why are you laughing? That isn't funny! It'd be like laughing at a story about a quadripelegic getting tossed into a pool!"

I laughed so hard I nearly urinated in me trousers.

[erbiumfiber]

Robin Williams' kid goes to this school (Interlochen Arts Academy). For creative writing. He didn't like it so he probably won't go back. Damn, there goes the endowment!

Yeah, Az had some choice examples from his creative writing classes in college that he shared in some thread.

My daughter wrote a really funny story about two high school kids trying to stop a third high school kid's melodramatic attempt at suicide. NOT P.C. Not supposed to joke about suicide. She tried to stick to subjects she knew something about (at her secondary (grade 7-12) school, every other junior tried committing suicide in ways guaranteed not to work). Her writing is really authentic.

Back to the thread. Damn, now we have to do some yanki research to get this story started for real.
______________________________________
Finally, after several hours, they reached their destination. A small broken-down ryokan off the beaten track. The proprietor, a tiny obasan clad in kimono, gave them the quick once-over. They could tell she didn't approve but with no other patrons, gave them a room for the night.
"Breakfast is at 7," she croaked as she showed them to a 6-jo room off the long corridor.
There was an ancient TV in the corner, a small table and zabuton(?- those cushion things). Shoji screens covered the window. The tatami mats were ancient and scarred in places and the whole place smelled damp and musty. Still it was paradise to Hiro and Kouta.

____________________________________

Umm, despite the fact that my brother is gay and I have a gay couple staying essentially for free in my house in the US (long story), I don't think I'm quite up for writing the sex scene. Hmm, maybe I can get away with spooning (a term I just learned on Outpost Nine)? Maybe it's their first time and they don't know what to do either...

[Pierrot le Fou]

The key to a good* sex scene is to add as much euphemism with as little realism as possible.

(* By 'good' I mean 'really really bad')

[Hikoku-Y]

The key to a good* sex scene is to add as much euphemism with as little realism as possible.

(* By 'good' I mean 'really really bad')

I think you're on the money, but I'd replace "euphemism" with "excruciating metaphor."

[Pierrot le Fou]

I think you're on the money, but I'd replace "euphemism" with "excruciating metaphor."
You're right -- Hiro did find Kouta's turgid manhood to be excruciating. But not as excruciating as the longing that Hiro felt for the squeeze of Kouta's inviting love-sleeve.

(sorry, romance novels don't tend to discuss what the dickens to call someone's chocolate starfish, so I winged it)

[Ceirnian]

I smell a rhino sex scene.

[phenyl]

I think you're on the money, but I'd replace "euphemism" with "excruciating metaphor."

So totally not what B1ll 0'R31lly (http://blogs.salon.com/0002874/2005/08/31.html) did?
:eek:
sorry, no :puke: - smily, this :fever: will have to do...

[ミュー]

Hiro did find Kouta's turgid manhood to be excruciating. But not as excruciating as the longing that Hiro felt for the squeeze of Kouta's inviting love-sleeve.

They were both young and unseasoned in the dou of sensual love. Both had been pressured into heterosexual intercourse by their virile peers in their adolescence, but neither had realized their homoerotic fantasies before this fateful night. They sat cross-legged in the dimly lit wa-shitsu, each gazing deeply into his lover's eyes. Only inexperience seperated Kouta and Hiro from consummating a carnal connection. After several minutes of silence at arm's distance, Kouta could no longer stand to continually contemplate his raging insecurities. He raised from the floor and Hiro looked with wide eyes as Kouta's faded black leather riding pants thudded on the battered tatami mat. Hiro's eyes were filled with amazement as he stared at his lover's fully-erect shaft, gleaming in the dim fluorescent light as if it were a black-market chrome muffler.
It was time.

[erbiumfiber]

Perfect! Maybe when I get home, I can work on some beautiful metaphoric hana-bi for the actual sex act itself.

I'm excited about Chapter 2: The Gang Finds Out

[Lea]

Hiro felt for the squeeze of Kouta's inviting love-sleeve.

My god, this thread has been a load of fun to read from start to finish. :D

[PopCulturePooka]

This thread is absolutely sensational.

It should be pinned.

[Beowulf]

This thread is absolutely sensational.

It should be pinned.
Seconded.

I'm just reading this thread imagining some sort of jazz fusion porno synth going in the background.

Awesome.

[erbiumfiber]

They were both young and unseasoned in the dou of sensual love. Both had been pressured into heterosexual intercourse by their virile peers in their adolescence, but neither had realized their homoerotic fantasies before this fateful night. They sat cross-legged in the dimly lit wa-shitsu, each gazing deeply into his lover's eyes. Only inexperience seperated Kouta and Hiro from consummating a carnal connection. After several minutes of silence at arm's distance, Kouta could no longer stand to continually contemplate his raging insecurities. He raised from the floor and Hiro looked with wide eyes as Kouta's faded black leather riding pants thudded on the battered tatami mat. Hiro's eyes were filled with amazement as he stared at his lover's fully-erect shaft, gleaming in the dim fluorescent light as if it were a black-market chrome muffler.
It was time.

Hiro was consumed by passion and fear. He longed for Ko-chan, to feel him inside him, to become as one. And yet he sat, frozen as the mountains of Hokkaido in the dead of winter. Kouta pulled him forward; suddenly Hiro instinctively knew what to do. His mouth sought out Kouta's manhood. His tongue caressed the steely shaft, seeking out every undulation and ridge in slow motion. Kouta dropped to the floor, taking Hiro with him. Hiro felt as if electric sparks were running up and down his spine. The supple yet firm rod glided in and out of his mouth as refreshingly as an ice-cold popsicle on a hot summer's day.
Kouta let out a crying moan. He exploded like the brilliant hana-bi at the Sumida-gawa festival. Hiro felt the quiet satisfaction of having pleasured his lover.
Suddenly the door slid open. Hiro and Kouta were face to face with Kazuo and Masaru, leaders of the bosozoku clan. They had been discovered!!!

[BeautifulDirt]

I just came back here to post this. After that, I'm not coming back.
First of all: I appreaciate the people the helped. That was really good information and I'll be sure to use it. Thank you.

It seems nobody reads my posts.
I never said anything about making bosozoku look good. I never said anyting about promoting a positive image of them. I just said I had a story in which one of the characters was a bosozoku. I didn't say that he would be a great man. He'll be just as bad as any yanki.
God, you guys act like I think Japan is a GREAT country where nothing bad happens. I know bad things happen there! I know it's not all good! I know there's noisy gangs! I know there's murder! Low crime rate but not crime-less.
Unlike other people I know, I pay attention to the bad things as well as the good. But nobody here seems to want to care.
I came to this site because there were people who live in Japan so I thought that it would be good to hear from you guys since you were doing what I wanted to do.
Before you go to Japan, I would think you would have to WANT to go there first. But apparently, it's bad to actually WANT it. To consider early. To you, it's bad to plan ahead. Personally, I see no problem with having dreams. I think it's good to plan ahead.
I never said "I want to move to Japan and it will be great! Everybody's happy! Everybody's so nice!". You acted like I would just hop on a plane with all my stuff without having gone for a while before and try to move there. Trust me, I know it won't be great. I know there'll be trouble. I'm not expecting everything to go right. I had said many times "I want to go on foreign exchange during high school before I make any big decisions." But, as I said before, nobody reads my posts.
I guess most people here assume that if you've never been to Japan, you think it's great.

[ミュー]

I just came back here to post this. After that, I'm not coming back.
First of all: I appreaciate the people the helped. That was really good information and I'll be sure to use it. Thank you.

It seems nobody reads my posts.
I never said anything about making bosozoku look good. I never said anyting about promoting a positive image of them. I just said I had a story in which one of the characters was a bosozoku. I didn't say that he would be a great man. He'll be just as bad as any yanki.
God, you guys act like I think Japan is a GREAT country where nothing bad happens. I know bad things happen there! I know it's not all good! I know there's noisy gangs! I know there's murder! Low crime rate but not crime-less.
Unlike other people I know, I pay attention to the bad things as well as the good. But nobody here seems to want to care.
I came to this site because there were people who live in Japan so I thought that it would be good to hear from you guys since you were doing what I wanted to do.
Before you go to Japan, I would think you would have to WANT to go there first. But apparently, it's bad to actually WANT it. To consider early. To you, it's bad to plan ahead. Personally, I see no problem with having dreams. I think it's good to plan ahead.
I never said "I want to move to Japan and it will be great! Everybody's happy! Everybody's so nice!". You acted like I would just hop on a plane with all my stuff without having gone for a while before and try to move there. Trust me, I know it won't be great. I know there'll be trouble. I'm not expecting everything to go right. I had said many times "I want to go on foreign exchange during high school before I make any big decisions." But, as I said before, nobody reads my posts.
I guess most people here assume that if you've never been to Japan, you think it's great.
Bye.

"Omae!!" shouted the enraged Kazuo, who looked as if he had descended upon his own woman pleasuring another man. Unfortunately for Kouta and Hiro, no more verbalization would occur. All that Hiro could see other than Kouta's pubis region was a vague outline of his leaders in the doorway. Kazuo and Masaru, katanas unsheathed, were not planning to talk over things. He knew that any sign of weakness, let alone homosexuality, among the Sapporo-saishi Clan was punishable by death. Katanas unsheathed, their leaders had followed them and somehow knew of their mutual lust. In a last-stitch effort of desparation, Hiro leaped up and spat, his mouth still wet with Kouta's salty secretions, into the faces of his enraged senpais. Then, in their moment of hesitation, he ripped the chain link belt from his waist and swung it with full force. His adrenaline-packed swing slashed across both of them and sent them hurtling toward the floor. The inturrupted lovers, still in shock from the shocking encounter, proceeded to dash out of the ryokan towards their bike, the only avenue of escape. However, the chase had just begun.

[gentlemanandscholar]

words

I'm going to miss you

[Beowulf]

Yadda yadda yadda
:'(

[Hatsumomo]

Oooh, a flounce post! This thread is complete!

[japanat]

Bye.Man, I actually giggled after reading this!

"Omae!!" shouted the enraged Kazuo, ... ...he ripped the chain link belt from his waist and swung it with full force. His adrenaline-packed swing slashed across both of them and sent them hurtling toward the floor. The inturrupted lovers, still in shock from the shocking encounter, proceeded to dash out of the ryokan towards their bike, the only avenue of escape. However, the chase had just begun.Aren't their pants still on the tatami?

[Fred]

Kazuo and Masaru, katanas unsheathed, were not planning to talk over things.

I thought the "katana" were a reference to penises.

[Kezurimasu]

Suddenly the door slid open. Hiro and Kouta were face to face with Kazuo and Masaru, leaders of the bosozoku clan. They had been discovered!!!
Oh my god I love these forums. :clap:

[ミュー]

Aren't their pants still on the tatami?
You know you're spending too much time writing a satirical story about gay bosozoku when you include little unmentioned parts where it's implied that they're being chased through the highways of Kita-Tohoku with no pants on D:

I thought the "katana" were a reference to penises.
...and sometimes people read deeper into my stories than I write them. Fair enough! :P

[Fred]

However, the chase had just begun…

Kouta leaped onto his Kawasaki as the pale moonlight caressed his naked, hairless, somewhat effeminate, bow-shaped legs.

“Quick, mount me” Kouta yelled to Hiro.

Still clutching his chain, Hiro rapidly got astride Kouta’s burly bike.

Off they went, and none too soon.

Kazuo and Masaru, glistening Katanas in hand, burst outside with intensity of raging bulls.

They got on their bikes, the seats still hot from being hard-ridden, and took off after the doomed lovers.

“Damn You! You ruined my shirt!” yelled Kazuo.

“You Fool! You messed up my hair!” ejaculated Masaru.

“Oh Drats! I forgot my pants. And where is my Bratz doll?” moaned Kouta.

“I didn't know sperm tasted so salty. I’m never going to brush my teeth again”, thought Hiro. And later, as they raced through the damp, musty night, while Hiro desperately clung to Kouta's back and his thighs tightly squeezed Kouta's hotrod, he thought to himself, "I am somewhat concerned about Kouta's flaccid manhood. I wonder how long it will take for him to revive."

[stsparky]

... It'll probably be hard to read any of my old ones ... I threw alot of them away because my stepdad doesn't like me writing about it and I got rid of them before I got in any trouble. But, what else would I write about? I definately don't want to write about girls falling in love with boys. ... I just came back here to post this. After that, I'm not coming back. First of all: I appreaciate the people the helped. That was really good information and I'll be sure to use it. Thank you.
It seems nobody reads my posts. I never said anything about making bosozoku look good. I never said anyting about promoting a positive image of them. I just said I had a story in which one of the characters was a bosozoku. I didn't say that he would be a great man. He'll be just as bad as any yanki....
Don't go. You'll miss us. What is the point of scribing a tale about Gay Love between unredeemable assholes no one cares about? Well? Are you doing it to piss off your step-dad? Do you really think we're all shallow nihongophiles who can not read between the lines?

At 18:00 PST this goes to CREATIVITY. Is everyone cool with that?

[SoulPlay]

I'm cool with it. It's about a story regardless of its content.

[erbiumfiber]

NOOOOO!! It belongs in All Things Japan as it's very, very Japanese. And we want Beautiful Dirt to come back- she'll never find it there. Come on, we've filled it with gratuitous Japanese references and people are still posting about bosozoku.

Please leave it here. It will whither away and die in Creativity, like Kouta's flaccid manhood after his passion with Hiro....

[Fred]

Don't worry - I am sure Kouta's flaccid manhood will revive in just a few minutes. In fact, I will edit my part of the story to help address this concern.

[stsparky]

Should the stray threads be merged into this one then?

Aside to Sohym - will you PM Beautiful Dirt and suggest she stick it out like an adult? Seriously, I wasn't aiming for 'mean' but meaningful. I don't think she is happy with me at the moment.

[Sohym]

I don't know. I mean, she probably needs time to think over this.. and I don't think it would do any good to harass her with it. I barely know her too - even tho' she seems nice and all.

I don't even know what to say about this anyway... I'm kind of sad to see so many people ready to jump on her just because "it's fun to make fun of this kind of people". Feels like High School. People picking on others 'just because' (aka because it feels 'good' to be 'superior' to someone).

I mean, she could have acted retarded like a lot of of people on the internet who likes Japan for stupid reasons, not really knowing what it's really about. I feel that people who are like "I are KaWaIi-NeKo-ChAn-DeSuuuu! I lik teh cute bishies and I love Japan-desuuuuuuu!" may deserve some harsh critiques... but Beautiful Dirt was merely someone trying to know more about Japan and it's culture. And even tho' boy's love with a yanki is really weird.. I mean, come on, it's fiction! If it was MPreg, maybe you could have claimed it was the most stupid idea in the world or something but.. it could have been a lot worst. Anyway.

Live and let people live.
(I feel I'm going to get flamed.)

(BTW : Sorry about my English. It's not my first language, and I know I still need a lot of practice. Thanks to Jay I'm getting better. I did my best and hope you will understand.)

[stsparky]

I appreciate it that you're willing to give it a shot. Do it when you think she's had time to heal ...

[koku]

lol this is a thread yet....

why does it seem like some counseling event? I don't know. It's weird.

[erbiumfiber]

See? This thread is much, much more than a story of secret passion between bosozoku. Leave it here, onegaishimasu!!

[koku]

It's like a soap opera on paper.

[erbiumfiber]

Aren't their pants still on the tatami?


Hiro never had to take his pants off!!

[Pierrot le Fou]

Yeah, because Kouta was wearing arse-less riding chaps. Like all gay bosozoku do.

[erbiumfiber]

This is like one of those "plays within a play." We have "real life" with people interacting with Beautiful Dirt, and then the subplot of gay bosozoku.

To BeautifulDirt:

I'm sorry we're making fun of the gay bosozoku, but like Mew said, when you've been awakened by these assholes nearly every night (as was the case in one of my apartments) you just can't imagine that they have any sympathy or compassion for other human beings. Hence, the story.

I was very supportive of your ambition to come to Japan and live and work, I only counselled that, if your goal is to live and work in a foreign country, you should be flexible. Job availability, international politics, etc. are all out of your control and may affect where it's possible to work and live.

Everyone gets dumped on a few times in just about any thread. The original poster usually takes most of the heat, having started the thread. That's why I usually am pretty careful before I start a thread and choose my words very carefully.

Don't go- I think you will learn a lot from this forum- but if you react too strongly, people will only want to tease you more for the fun of it. I always overreacted as a kid and was definitely the most interesting person around to tease.

You obviously are trying to learn more about Japan, and that's a good thing. Coming over here as an exchange student is an even better idea. If you want to learn about something, ask straight out for the facts (better not to discuss what you're planning to do with the facts if it's controversial or potentially the butt of jokes).

Anyway, whether you go or stay, good luck to you and hold on to your ambitions but remain flexible.

Margaret

___________
Sent as e-mail and PM to BeautifulDirt

[koku]

Not all gay men are pussies. You guys are stereotyping. I'm sure there are scruffy and tough gay dudes. You horrible bullies!

[erbiumfiber]

Yeah, because Kouta was wearing arse-less riding chaps. Like all gay bosozoku do.


Kouta's pants are off, Hiro was just giving him a blow-job. He (Hiro) didn't have time to disrobe...

So, to recap:

Hiro: Pants on
Kouta: Pants left in ryokan, willie waving in the breeze.

See, when the got interrupted, Hiro didn't have time to offer his love-sleeve to Kouta...

[mawande]

"He was Ko, plain Ko, in the morning, standing five foot eight in one sock. "

No, no, no. You have to do that in centimeters! *smile*

[stsparky]

Aside - 5'8" is 172.72


Hiro sings throatily a little ditty:
Koo Koo Koo
One Seven Two and seventy two
Tall and long
One Seven Two and seventy two
Centimeters and millimeters
Is my happy song ...

He lovingly ties a string of firecrackers to Kouta's shoelaces ...

[gentlemanandscholar]

Not all gay men are pussies. You guys are stereotyping. I'm sure there are scruffy and tough gay dudes. You horrible bullies!

Lots of bikers are gay actually. Hence the term "Bears".

[ミュー]

Lots of bikers are gay actually. Hence the term "Bears".
Uh, what do large, four-legged woodland creatures have to do with gay bikers? Wait, maybe I don't want to know...

[koku]

HAIRY AND BIG.

I think.

[Televisions_Nick]

Uh, what do large, four-legged woodland creatures have to do with gay bikers? Wait, maybe I don't want to know...

You don't.

Or do you?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_community

[gentlemanandscholar]

HAIRY AND BIG.

I think.

And super masculine. Bingo!

edit: Nick I just noticed your subtitle under your username and started laughing hard.

[Fred]

Let's hear a continuation of the story. Someone needs to grab the torch and run with it.

[Televisions_Nick]

And super masculine. Bingo!

edit: Nick I just noticed your subtitle under your username and started laughing hard.

Kuma wa kikken da yo ne!

[Masa the Masta]

Let's hear a continuation of the story. Someone needs to grab the torch and run with it.


http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/3804/1184890031811pj3.jpg

[羽之助]

HAIRY AND BIG.

I think.

Someone call me?

[gentlemanandscholar]

Someone call me?

You misheard the second part. It was "hairy and big", not "hairy and disappointingly small"

[Chuckles]

Your words say no, but your intentional use of a bear says "YES YES, PLEASE GOD GIVE ME MORE!"

[羽之助]

You misheard the second part. It was "hairy and big", not "hairy and disappointingly small"

Leave your mother's breasts out of this!

[gentlemanandscholar]

Leave your mother's breasts out of this!

touche(ay)

[mawande]

I see this thread is dying out.

For me, I really only stumbled over two things the OP said.


But, what else would I write about? I definately don't want to write about girls falling in love with boys.

(I like your ideas about what I could write about. They're interesting and all, but, I don't like to write about women at all.)

I often wonder about how far slash leaves women out. In fact, there's some hilarity to this one slash series wherein the primary characters are from X-Files, and a plague targets women until the only ones left are the ones with no ovaries for one reason or another and THEN, THEN it turns out that the plague has made some men able to get pregnant by others. I think the belly-button became an entry point. It was... well, they did bear daughters. Winged daughters.

[gentlemanandscholar]

I see this thread is dying out.

For me, I really only stumbled over two things the OP said.



I often wonder about how far slash leaves women out. In fact, there's some hilarity to this one slash series wherein the primary characters are from X-Files, and a plague targets women until the only ones left are the ones with no ovaries for one reason or another and THEN, THEN it turns out that the plague has made some men able to get pregnant by others. I think the belly-button became an entry point. It was... well, they did bear daughters. Winged daughters.

I'm surprised you read that far, honestly.

[h2orowe]

I just read all of this in one go. Jesus Christ, I haven't done that for a 5-page thread in a while. Good job, OP9. Good job. You make me proud.

Earlier, people were talking about creative writing in general. I'm a "young writer" and I know most of my stuff, if not all, is probably utter crap but I'm wondering if anyone has any tips. I know the part about the writing journal, and just practicepracticepractice, but any other tips? How much do writing workshops usually cost?

[mawande]

I'm surprised you read that far, honestly.

It was actually well-written.

[mawande]

Earlier, people were talking about creative writing in general. I'm a "young writer" and I know most of my stuff, if not all, is probably utter crap but I'm wondering if anyone has any tips. I know the part about the writing journal, and just practicepracticepractice, but any other tips? How much do writing workshops usually cost?

I know nothing about writing workshops. Tips, however, I can do. A story blooms in your head and you write. You write whatever it is that comes through there, and eventually you can get to the nitty gritty wherein you fact-check, and also go over what you've written to make sure you haven't written the same scene three different places (which can happen because you may decide "Oh, here's where that should happen!" and have forgotten that you've done it before.

As someone else mentioned earlier, it's good to write about what you know. And darnit, if you don't know it well, research! But even when you'll have to research, write anyway. Before you publish or put it up online, you can try to work out the realities of the situation.

Several years ago, my niece was in a creative writing class with an assignment, and my sister told her she should ask me for advice on it. At that time, my sister was in cancer treatment. Breast cancer. So, when my niece asked me for my opinion I told her, "You could write about someone with cancer. You know all about how you feel, and you can ask your mother for details." And she did. And her teacher entered the tale in a writing contest. She won.

Now she's fourteen and always harks back to that advice. She told me recently that the story itself, quality-wise, was about what you'd expect from a ten year old. However, it was better than all the others in her class.

A story needs to be emotional. It needs to by lyrical. It needs to have a beginning, a middle and an end. And all this doesn't have to be in the same book, heheh.

People don't want a story to wander without some kind of target in sight, because that's like most people's lives and they would end feeling all the more like they do every day. That's the unfortunate truth of things. That why Lost may end in Season 4. That's why Heroes has Sylar, a nuke detonating in New York (or rather, a man), and a mysterious someone out there who scares little Miss Walker and is worse than Sylar. Star Wars had the Empire. Anakin's mother was essentially ignored except when she needed to be used to give him another reason to go Sith. Because otherwise her story would be boring to people. "She's a slave. She's actually decently treated, including able to marry and have kids. And, oh yes, she had a son with no father and why the HECK would it be a boy? Because the Jesus-card is a friggin' stupid idea, George!!"

Er... sorry. But you know that if it hadn't been Star Wars, people would have laughed it out of the theater. You should see me about that particular Star Trek: Next Generation story. That series usually annoyed me.

[Ceirnian]

Er... sorry. But you know that if it hadn't been Star Wars, people would have laughed it out of the theater.

People make fun of Episode 1 all the time. Same with 2 and 3.

[h2orowe]

-snip-
Thank you. I'll have to remember some of those tips. The things I usually write is somewhat depressing >.>; I actually have a notepad of just brainstorms (and basically a whole novel planned out that I think would be pretty damned good) it's just not written yet, unfortunately.

I tend to write about either depression itself for some reason, dream-related items, or someone going insane. However, my novel, I wanted to write about a somewhat depressing topic (absence of a father in a child's life) yet make it a happy novel. Maybe I can send you what I have scribbled on my notepad sometime.

[ミュー]

Why do people write these stories? I can only write autobiographical things because I cannot ever know enough about another subject to properly represent it. To me, making some sort of faux-fantasy would be a complete dishonor to the topic considering that I wouldn't write about anything I didn't really appreciate in the first place. Furthermore, I would be giving away private, embarrassing, and incriminating things galore if I ever posted anything of my own personal writing anywhere. This might just be the reason why I don't keep a diary!! Can anyone shed some light on the irrefutable greatnesses of writing stuff for no financial or educational gain? Seriously, this isn't an "answer and I shall mock thee for thy weakness" sort of quip.

[mawande]

Why do people write these stories? I can only write autobiographical things because I cannot ever know enough about another subject to properly represent it. To me, making some sort of faux-fantasy would be a complete dishonor to the topic considering that I wouldn't write about anything I didn't really appreciate in the first place. Furthermore, I would be giving away private, embarrassing, and incriminating things galore if I ever posted anything of my own personal writing anywhere. This might just be the reason why I don't keep a diary!! Can anyone shed some light on the irrefutable greatnesses of writing stuff for no financial or educational gain? Seriously, this isn't an "answer and I shall mock thee for thy weakness" sort of quip.

That's not all one question, Mew. First of all, nearly all of these people are writing either Mary or Marty Sue. For details, here is an entertaining site: Mary Sue: An Explanation (http://www.subreality.com/marysue/explain.htm) Some people work quite hard to disguise their Mary Sues. Some people don't bother, and actually write interesting stories. But the additional point you want to know: about writing stuff for no financial or educational gain....

I can give some reasons right off. Many people write very badly. But they want feedback. Mostly they want attention and to be told what clever ideas they have. Sadly for them, sometimes they encounter people who will either be honest, or be honest and cruel for the fun of it. Why write when they know they aren't getting paid? The attention, again.

Every once in a while, a person comes along who actually CAN write. I've told more than one writer "Oh for GOD'S SAKE! Stop naming all your original characters after people on 'name-that-show', give them their own names and try and get your original fiction PUBLISHED." Because, I have to tell you, quite a lot of what actually has been published out there isn't all that good, either. This leads to many people going "I could do better than that, why aren't I getting paid?" Well, the answer is most of them could write better than that if only they'd take the time. And then they'd have to find a publisher and publicity so that they can get paid.

But your private, personal Hell is no one's business except yours and possibly your psychiatrist's. Distance does not protect your feelings from people who will gladly tell you what they think of your writing.

[stsparky]

As to why - I gather practice.

[Televisions_Nick]

Straight women write gay male fiction because there is nothing more gay male than straight girls.

Case in point: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJLzDXOFGws