and this attitude is one which is annoying the crap out of me--the writers dump their stories at GameStory and take NO MORE interest, don't try to advertise it themselves or help US in advertising the stories.

Write a novel these days and WITHOUT walking for miles, sending hunreds of emails, hundreds of letters and a few dozen printed COPIES, you won't even get NOTICED.

Help us help you--so that people COME to read your stuff!

I do pretty much nothing for Christmas eve except wrap up presants all day long and place them neatly arranged under a tree Then on x'mas day they all just seem to disappear!

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and this attitude is one which is annoying the crap out of me--the writers dump their stories at GameStory and take NO MORE interest, don't try to advertise it themselves or help US in advertising the stories.

Make the Writers responsibilities, Section 4 plainer. It implies that self-pimping is not permitted.

Also check the section that says Gamestory will promote the writers work to the widest possible audience. Nowhere does it say the writers have got to run around doing it. If that was the case you'd be better off sticking your stuff on your own webby and then doing the legwork to get the readers visiting.

Anise.

Like I do! It would also help if the php code didn't keep breaking - tried to upload to GS myself a day or so back and it wouldn't work. Getting a little bored of stuff breaking - it's happening way too often. If it's extra coders needed then advertise for some - I remember my m8 Arty (A'hrisss) offering and being turned down.

Writers - when you have uploaded stuff, submit a newsie so I can post it up and pimp for all the world to see. I don't have time to check to see what new stuff's been added, so get pimping people!

I got some more time now, having slaved 4 months in new workplace, so I'm gonna look at the various arrangements.

Primary issue foir me is the ability to promote GS content at OTHERR websites--for that we need to know which ones and how [maybe a genre-specific mailing list?????].

Ideas??

All very interesting points. I just have one thing to point out, which is that everything follows patterns of crests and troughs. Fanfiction in general picks up momentum following events in the original stories (when applied to TV or comics, etc) when a lot of new fans have just been exposed and old fans had their interest rekindled.
In the case of Aliens vs Predator... well it's pretty damn amazing when you think of all the things that had to occur just for the game to even exist. First, the two licenses for the movies were luckily both owned by the same company. Then Dark Horse got publishing rights to both of them (having been scooping up a lot of movie related titles), and someone came up with the idea of a crossover - pretty common in comics, but a unusual thing to seriously suggest doing with someone else's licensed properties. And it got approved!
It's not very surprising that the comics did so well (I mean, come ON...). But it is surprising that so many years after the comics came out, and the idea of making an AVP movie had been brought up and dropped at least twice, that they went ahead and developed the first game.
(Given the success of the first game, AVP2 and its expansion pack were, of course, inevitable.)

Sorry if that was a little long winded, but it's a long history (all that just being the legal side of things!), and an easy one to forget when you're happily munching on heads or zooming the 3 little dots on your target. The point of all this being, Aliens fighting Predators really sounds like a lot more like something from fan fiction than something that could ever really be officially endorsed by 20th Century Fox, ya know?

But I'm actually pretty new around here, and I'm thrilled with the amount of excellent stories people have written. I'm even encouraged by the stories that aren't as good, because 1) everyone has to start somewhere, and 2) being a community like this, someone else may be inspired to write something great from the kernel of an idea found in a story that never quite made it.

Speaking of being inspired by other stories, I finally got the momentum to write, from a story that very much HAS made it (AlienSlof's DoX). It's not for everyone but when it's ready to go up I will be sure to pimp it, as so strenuously urged by Slog and Anise.

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S'liithsss burst out while I was in the bath

Hmm, having an alien pop out while you're in the tub is actually good timing. Prevents a perfectly good shirt from getting ruined

-M'klithsss (Um, hi everyone, it's my first post )

Yep you're right--the community DOES suport the writers, but mainly the writers support EACH OTHER.

GameStory's history and roots are as twisted as the entire AvP genre's.

Good to have you onboard AlienMalk

ERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR, I can't think up anything for my second chapter of my story. I have the ideas in my head, but I can't put them in any kind of order.

AAAAhh I somtimes have that problem ren. I got my first chapter on my AvP story done. My UT story is on my computer thats broke (it's in the shop) and I'm trying to come up with a good Aliens vs Predator vs Skaarj story. Wow I'm a busy little dude. I write my stories so I can share my imagination my thoughts and my excitement with others.
Slaughter on Baby

I've been kicking around a few ideas for a Doom related story, but I might hang on until Doom 3. It needs something more than just 'shoot the demon, oh quick, there's another one - waaaa an arch-vile!' etc!

Maybe take the arch-vile's viewpoint...! Or even the cyberdemon!

i am not a very good writer, and i know it. but i like to bash out the idea or two onto paper, and see how it comes out. one time i spent nearly 1/2 a year on one story, just a short story. i had the idea as i was going to bed, wrote it down before i could forget it. the idea kept me up for 5 hours before i zonked. then i started it the next day. i finished a week later. 1/2 a year later, i was adding little bits, expanding ideas, cutting out parts i didnt like. then i read the story one last time. it was very good, if i do say so myself. i showed it to some people. i had a lot of support from my family, but everyone else said it was crap.

i write because i like to write. i write what i like to read. i write what i feel and what i think. unfortunately, a lot of people dont like to be told they are wrong, and at a very young age i stopped writing. i am just getting back into it now, but i find it very difficult because i am very shy with my work because of it.

i am not trying to get pity. this is not meant to be a sob story. i just wat to say that if you want to write about something, DO IT. dont let anyone else get in your way. if they dont like it, they dont have to read it. if nobody likes it, keep it to yourself. BUT KEEP WRITING.

if you think youre stories suck, show them to people, ask whats wrong. keep writing and youll get better at it. think of a library. how many different authors would there be if you tallied them all up from those shelves? think about the fact that those authors probably started off just like you - the occasional short story. they practiced until they thought they were good enough, sent their stuff to a publisher, and were accepted. im not saying you should be an author, or send anything to a publisher (but if you think youre good enough, go ahead). just that you will get better with practice.

jeez, this is gotta be the most serious ive been on any of these forums.

YAY!!! Im almost done with my second chapter, I just need to give it an end and then i can start on Chapter 3.

The key to becoming a good writer is the ability to take constructive criticism - by this I don't mean people telling you 'that's crap'. By constructive, I mean offering advice to make it even better. Just telling a writer his/her work is crap helps no-one.

Remember too, that most of you peeps are a lot younger than Anise, AlienQueen and myself - I think we are probably the three oldest writers on here. I'm nearly 40 years old, by the time you've experienced this much life, your perception becomes much deeper and fills in a lot of details that are often missing in a younger person's work.

The place to concentrate first and foremost is getting the English right. By this I mean spelling, grammar and all the other rules of written English - or indeed the same in other languages. A good dictionary, thesaurus and a book on puntuation are a good start. There are also night school courses offering creative writing if you look around - these can often fill in the gaps left over from school.

The main thing is - don't let people put you off. if you want to write, then write. It's probably more than they are doing! Feel free to ask advice off writers whose works you enjoy reading, most will be more than happy to help as long as their advice is heeded and not falling onto deaf ears.

I developed extensive self-analysis techniques [in terms of writing--all else is left for my shrink ], so I'm able to read and re-read my stuff and NOTICE all the defects in the material.

BUT..friendly proof-readers and just readers are very helpful too by providing initial external feedback on the stuff that for you will ALWAYS be subjective

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i showed it to some people. i had a lot of support from my family, but everyone else said it was crap.

That sucks Have you posted that story if so what is it, if not you should, We here are not likely to tell you it's crap. As for me I'm still waiting for my writer's profile
Slaughter on Baby

Night stalker You never answered my question.
http://www.absolutegamerz.com/images/forum/avatar/aliens3-40.jpg
Dont worry You have MY support !!!

WHats there dude? you kno i would go and look for my sellf but i am to lazy!

i still havent got a writers profile - i havent had time.

and what was the question?

In a similar way to Demi, I am my own worst critic and regularly tear my own stuff apart then reassemble it better! No matter how good something is, there's always room for improvement - I've never been 100% happy with my stuff - always feel it could be better!

Hmm I'm not like you people when I write a story I write it how I thought of it just like that. If I don't like it later then I will go write a new story, as you can see I am not my biggest critic. (Thats why I need you pepplz!)
Doom on a defective keyboard