It has come to my attention that there isn't anything like enough fanfiction for the Super Mario Bros. Movie. Therefore, I propose a challenge to kickstart the writing section of this already-awesome fandom!
Basically, each writer signs up for either a one-shot or long-term challenge. One-shotters challenge themselves to finish, well, a one-shot within a certain amount of time (a month, a week, a day, an hour if you're feeling really masochistic); long-termers challenge themselves to update with a chapter or one-shot consistently within the time limit they set for themselves (again, month, week, etc.). If you need a prompt, there'll be at least one new one from me every week, and participants can feel free to post more. You can use any prompt, not just the most recent one, and I'll put up a list in the first post. If you volunteer one, try not to make it too specific; make it challenging, but give the challenge-takers room to be creative.
Rules:
1. No graphic violence, extreme swearing, or on-screen sex, please. Some swearing is allowed, as long as it isn't constant, gratuitous, and truly awful, and the same goes for violence; hugging and kissing are allowed, but keep it PG-13. If the story requires sex, torture, or other extreme violence, please fade out (you'd be amazed how much more chilling/sexy/etc. the power of implication can make a scene). If someone, as part of their character, just swears a lot, you'd be amazed at the power of the Narrative Censor ('he swore,' 'she cursed,' 'a stream of profanities told Luigi that they'd been cheated out of another job,' etc.).
2. If someone asks for criticism, be honest and tactful. Few things disgust me more than someone squashing a developing writer for kicks, and you will be reported to the mods and banned from this project if I catch you doing it. If someone specifically requests not to be given criticism, even of the constructive variety, please honor their wishes.
3. There's no penalty for not holding strictly to the time limit. People have lives, and we all understand that; this project exists to challenge you to push yourself to write, not to make you feel guilty for taking the time to do necessary things like chores, socializing, and feeding yourself.
4. Whether it has its own thread or is hosted on a different site, please link your story/stories. It takes up a loooooot of space and makes it hard to keep up with the thread goings-on when we have to scroll past entire chapters.
5. Have fun! That, and growing as a writer and filling out the fandom, is what this thread is for. Enjoy yourself, trade stories and techniques, and get to know your fellow writers; I can promise, you'll be glad you did.
~Carnie~
Writing Tips:
This section is for techniques, tips and tricks shared by us writers to help out with aspects of plot, characters, worldbuilding, and stuff like that.
(by 1upmushroom) Always pick the right tone for your story. Basically, say I write a tale about a boy who plays at an amusement park. Well, does that story sound like it should Dark and Edgy? No, of course not!
(by 1upmushroom) Never stop writing a story mid-chapter and then go back to it after a long period of time. Usually whenever you get writer's block you no idea how to continue a story, and sometimes that writer's block begins mid-chapter. Well, after a long time when you've got that urge to continue the story with a new idea in mind, at least re-read the chapter, because most of the time when you just continue a story that's in mid chapter with a new idea the newly written material would often contradict the already written material! It's happened to me before.
(by Carnivorous M.) People tend to act a bit differently-- sometimes a great deal differently-- depending on who they're around. Even if it's mainly in your own head, put together different combinations of the characters likely to interact with each other. Tough Guy, for example, might be a total jerk to everyone most of the time, be mostly friendly around Morality Pet, and bearable-if-awkward in a room with a group that includes Morality Pet, if only because he doesn't want to upset M.P. Alternately, Tough Guy might be a close-mouthed stoic to most people, and much more open with Morality Pet; and yet when he's in a group that includes Morality Pet, he's much nastier and harder to be around because he talks more easily without having learned how to actually deal with people. Play around with the different scenarios and groups! Character dynamics are fun, useful, and invaluable to any story, especially one with an ensemble cast.
(by 1upmushroom) Don't be afraid to make a creative answer to unanswered questions.For example, one of the main gambles I'm taking in my latest story is taking questions the SMBMOVIE didn't answer (like what was life before Koopa's rule and such) and basically creating my own answers, instead of using the unused scripts and other fan fics as a guide. Why? Mostly to surprise the reader, but also to make something different.
(by 1upmushroom) When writing a begining to a story I always find it best to make a prologue, something that sets up the mood and story itself while also being set in a different location or such. This is especially useful when said story is otherwise set in one location.
(by 1upmushroom) Usually write stories in a good length with beginning, middle, and end. Why am I giving this advice? Well, sometimes you have chapters that are either too short, or stop completely when it shouldn't, or even stop mid-sentence! While this can work, as evidenced by works such as American Pyscho, this kind of writing will usually confuse and bewilder the reader, maybe enough to make them stop reading the story entirely.
(by 1upmushroom)It's heavily advised that you make a schedule to write your stories. Readers often crave more after they read a story, even if they've read 34 chapters. If you just post chapters willy nilly you'll alienate your readers. I luckily don't have a large number of viewers so I haven't yet run into this problem but the same will not be for everyone.
Stories:
This section is for the stories that have been submitted to the Mariofiction Project. They're linked by author name, in alphabetical order. Enjoy!
1upmushroom:
The First Rebel
Carnivorous M.:
The First Year
Redstar:
Mother Rita's Vow
Prompts:
This section is for prompts to get that stubborn mind a-working when you just can't seem to decide where to start.
(by lalalei2001) So how did Koopa and Lena meet, anyway? What started their rise to power?
(by 1upmushroom) How bout showing the movie from the perspective of the dinohatten citizens? How would they feel during all this ruckus? How would they react?
(by Carnivorous M.) What are some of the ways that Daisy is 'uncomfortable in the human world,' to quote Koopa? What's an incident or reoccurrence from her life that might have clued her in that she's not quite human?
(by 1upmushroom) What about a story centered around the desert? I mean, what is out there? This desert almost consumes the entire alternate planet for god's sake! There must be some kind of hidden civilization out there!
Anyways here's another prompt:
