Are you on this site to read only, write only, or both?

[CadmarLegend]

Well, in my case it's more that webnovels lost part of their charm to me... I dunno, I just like mangas better I guess~

Though at the same time, I certainly don't have the same amount of free time as I used to have in the past... I miss being able to laze around all day every day... T.T

Can't speak unlaziness, sorry, so can't understand your problem....

 

[namio]

Write only. Even then, I mostly just write for myself, close friends or people who knew me from my fanfics and decided to follow my original stories along, and SH just has the ability to add footnotes... (please stop beating me up, AO3 manual footnoting )

As for why I don't read... honestly, one is that I already have far too many things on my reading list, webnovels and not, and with actual friends to popcorn with at that. Another, more personal reason is... even now I question if it's even right for me to write my stories LOL. I'm Asian but not Chinese; I just really like the genre, setting, and history. I try to do my research and run by things with my Chinese friends to make sure I don't screw things up too bad, but that sense of guilt is still there yeah? None of my friends said anything bad about me writing it, and a large majority of them are the danmei translation community-- but just because my friends don't take offense to it, it doesn't mean I'm not stepping on toes. I've always had a problem with guilt, though. Who knows.

 

[AliceShiki]

As for why I don't read... honestly, one is that I already have far too many things on my reading list, webnovels and not, and with actual friends to popcorn with at that. Another, more personal reason is... even now I question if it's even right for me to write my stories LOL. I'm Asian but not Chinese; I just really like the genre, setting, and history. I try to do my research and run by things with my Chinese friends to make sure I don't screw things up too bad, but that sense of guilt is still there yeah? None of my friends said anything bad about me writing it, and a large majority of them are the danmei translation community-- but just because my friends don't take offense to it, it doesn't mean I'm not stepping on toes. I've always had a problem with guilt, though. Who knows.

You can just write whatever story is in your mind. If anyone tries complaining you can just say: "This story is not on China, it's in my own fictional world, so my rules are the ones that matter."

You don't need to care too much about the real world cultures that you base yourself on and whatnot, it's just a loose thing you're using as inspiration after all. The story is yours, you can do whatever you want.

 

[Deleted member 45782]

Honest suggestions:

• The moment I saw you, I thought you were one of those accounts that get paid to advertise some fishy product in hundreds of different sites... Which doesn't make for a good first impression at the very minimum.

Don't feel he is a paid advertisement bot. but somewhat borders on troll...on the interesting side, our troll pool is multiplying! XD
only way to defeat a troll is to troll them back. satisfaction when they struggle to swallow their own words thrown right back at them :P

Another, more personal reason is... even now I question if it's even right for me to write my stories LOL. I'm Asian but not Chinese; I just really like the genre, setting, and history. I try to do my research and run by things with my Chinese friends to make sure I don't screw things up too bad, but that sense of guilt is still there yeah? None of my friends said anything bad about me writing it, and a large majority of them are the danmei translation community-- but just because my friends don't take offense to it, it doesn't mean I'm not stepping on toes. I've always had a problem with guilt, though. Who knows.

I think as long as you did some research and ask others from feedback who are from that aspect is pretty good already. Haven't read your stories yet though, I feel like they're probably good. One shouldn't be restricted to what they write, part of writing is imagination and letting that run freely to write. If its different cultures, than as long as they do some research and don't grotesquely exaggerate to some unhealthy typecasts, i think its okay and alright to write it out. :)

Tbh that still better than me haha. Kinda find it relatable in a different way though. I can try googling up things but, limited. It feels weird wanting to write a bit of your culture but knowing you don't know it well enough, so it sorta feels like one is misappropriating one's own culture oddly enough. probably why im hesitant to write some stories ideas with some myths. Probably ideas that will stay in for now, unless I can find more research on it. ?

 

[namio]

You can just write whatever story is in your mind. If anyone tries complaining you can just say: "This story is not on China, it's in my own fictional world, so my rules are the ones that matter."

You don't need to care too much about the real world cultures that you base yourself on and whatnot, it's just a loose thing you're using as inspiration after all. The story is yours, you can do whatever you want.

It is fictional, but the genre cannot be removed from the cultural context it lives in, if only because it has not yet reached the level of reworked and spread that it becomes an entity of its own in literature like western fantasy tropes. As it is, I am also personally very interested in the culture in terms of writing it and would like to respect it anyway. As someone from a rarely looked at region myself, I'd prefer it if what I'm doing is in the realm of "this kid tried" rather than Disney's "ice blue dragon Elsa's fursona in Southeast Asia".

That said, I'd keep your words in mind as well if anyone ever harasses me over my 2-readers wuxia LMAO

I think as long as you did some research and ask others from feedback who are from that aspect is pretty good already. Haven't read your stories yet though, I feel like they're probably good. One shouldn't be restricted to what they write, part of writing is imagination and letting that run freely to write. If its different cultures, than as long as they do some research and don't grotesquely exaggerate to some unhealthy typecasts, i think its okay and alright to write it out. :)

Tbh that still better than me haha. Kinda find it relatable in a different way though. I can try googling up things but, limited. It feels weird wanting to write a bit of your culture but knowing you don't know it well enough, so it sorta feels like one is misappropriating one's own culture oddly enough. probably why im hesitant to write some stories ideas with some myths. Probably ideas that will stay in for now, unless I can find more research on it. ?

Amen to that ? I do read up and have an updating bibliography and reading list, but I think most of all I'll take the fact that my friends hadn't slapped me with an encyclopedia to be a sign I'm not committing grave faux-pas LOL

I actually relate to you on that last bit. On the account of my country's literature being grossly overlooked because Asians Love STEM So Much Guys, it's hard for me to track down my own culture's details... It doesn't help that there's just not as much online documentation. One of these days I'll do it. I'll do proper research Wish you the best of luck with your endeavors!

 

[Deleted member 45782]

As someone from a rarely looked at region myself, I'd prefer it if what I'm doing is in the realm of "this kid tried" rather than Disney's "ice blue dragon Elsa's fursona in Southeast Asia".

Ah, Raya. I wonder looking at the reactions about the movie. Some say its good finally get represented, some equate it to a totally different country and hate the movie bc of it, some say its like avatar, and others say its a mash-up of several different cultures. It looks really interesting to watch, althu I do see how people do not like Elsa dragon XD.

Amen to that ? I do read up and have an updating bibliography and reading list, but I think most of all I'll take the fact that my friends hadn't slapped me with an encyclopedia to be a sign I'm not committing grave faux-pas LOL

I actually relate to you on that last bit. On the account of my country's literature being grossly overlooked because Asians Love STEM So Much Guys, it's hard for me to track down my own culture's details... It doesn't help that there's just not as much online documentation. One of these days I'll do it. I'll do proper research Wish you the best of luck with your endeavors!

Yup. Can't read or write chinese. Clueless to lot of idoms my prts speak haha :P. Most things I know is through Wikipedia page, even history stuff about it. Plus, im not too sure on some of the translations, because translations can be very off, especially depending on who the translator is and what time they were in.

 

[AliceShiki]

Don't feel he is a paid advertisement bot. but somewhat borders on troll...on the interesting side, our troll pool is multiplying! XD
only way to defeat a troll is to troll them back. satisfaction when they struggle to swallow their own words thrown right back at them :P

Oh, I was just talking about my first impression of him. He is definitely a real user.

If he was an ad bot, he'd have been banned before he got 10 messages. I'm good at spotting those types, and reporting those always results in a ban.

Tbh that still better than me haha. Kinda find it relatable in a different way though. I can try googling up things but, limited. It feels weird wanting to write a bit of your culture but knowing you don't know it well enough, so it sorta feels like one is misappropriating one's own culture oddly enough. probably why im hesitant to write some stories ideas with some myths. Probably ideas that will stay in for now, unless I can find more research on it.

Ah, I can relate to that. I only write medi-fantasy myself, and I like trying to be as realistic as I can while still being within the constraints of medi-fantasy.

I remember one time spending over an hour searching about how people used to care for their hair back in medieval days just to know what kind of words I could use for hair products for one... >.>

But uhn... Honestly, most of those details that you spend dozens of minutes or even hours researching will probably not even be noticed by most readers. So... IMHO, I think you should write whatever you want without worrying too much about it. If you wanna do research, do it not because of being afraid of misappropriating something, but do it instead because you just like being as accurate as you can.

At least that's my view on it. I do my research on whatever small detail I want because I wanna have an accurate description of the thingy I want... But I don't particularly care if my medi-fantasy story uses a setting that looks nothing like actual medieval settings and that has a nobility hierarchy that looks nothing like how a normal nobility would look like... I don't care about depicting those things differently, I just do them my own way. I just do my research on the small details I particularly care for~

Just my two cents on the topic at least~

 

[Deleted member 45782]

Ah, I can relate to that. I only write medi-fantasy myself, and I like trying to be as realistic as I can while still being within the constraints of medi-fantasy.

I remember one time spending over an hour searching about how people used to care for their hair back in medieval days just to know what kind of words I could use for hair products for one... >.>

But uhn... Honestly, most of those details that you spend dozens of minutes or even hours researching will probably not even be noticed by most readers. So... IMHO, I think you should write whatever you want without worrying too much about it. If you wanna do research, do it not because of being afraid of misappropriating something, but do it instead because you just like being as accurate as you can.

At least that's my view on it. I do my research on whatever small detail I want because I wanna have an accurate description of the thingy I want... But I don't particularly care if my medi-fantasy story uses a setting that looks nothing like actual medieval settings and that has a nobility hierarchy that looks nothing like how a normal nobility would look like... I don't care about depicting those things differently, I just do them my own way. I just do my research on the small details I particularly care for~

Just my two cents on the topic at least~

That's cool. Yeah ik. I think there's lot of medieval fantasy with many diversions from what its actually like. i like to write myths and don't want to get into a tight spot bc found out those aren't actual myths, esp since im focusing on a culture and mythology, and its not wide known as like say maybe greek myths, or possibly norse and don't want to inaccurately portray it either. a far fetch dream, but kinda want take these story ideas beyond and published someday. althu that is like a fairytale, and likely unrealistic :P

But yeah, its hard knowing how much research is enough. I like to get some research done too. I feel like its sort of a brush if one thinks about it, to get a more accurate and more realistic shade of things for writing, one goes research a bit for the details and grits. Each detail slapped on through some research helps make the writing more realistic and brought to life. Like making hair not as one giant blob, but shown it has actual hair strands here and there i guess.

Also does research just count googling sources? Cause that's pretty much all i did and idk if that's enough. i dont think my local library has the most deep sources on it, too one time i tried looking up for a historical event to get more facts and details. XD

 

[namio]

Ah, Raya. I wonder looking at the reactions about the movie. Some say its good finally get represented, some equate it to a totally different country and hate the movie bc of it, some say its like avatar, and others say its a mash-up of several different cultures. It looks really interesting to watch, althu I do see how people do not like Elsa dragon XD.

Yup. Can't read or write chinese. Clueless to lot of idoms my prts speak haha :P. Most things I know is through Wikipedia page, even history stuff about it. Plus, im not too sure on some of the translations, because translations can be very off, especially depending on who the translator is and what time they were in.

We're regionlocked out of the movie, so I can't really tell the quality really ?. I just specifically am still perplexed by the colors of that dragon and those of the clans (?). It's... Just on palette choice alone I already can't understand where the designs come from. We're a culture like any other, beliefs and values are expressed or reflected in these kinds of visual media. Ice blue or magenta have never been something I see in traditional cultures of my corner of SEA, at least. It has the same sense of jarring as watching something Arthurian legends inspired but the dragon flying by is Qinglong LOL

You're not alone... As for translations, I usually try to compare or ask a friend... Some translations truly are hellish LOL In terms of books of translations, as best as I can I do try to find ones written by Chinese people, but it's admittedly a rarity when it comes to the classics. The good ones do try to explain context and reasons for particular translations though, which is the source of my faith. That being said, maybe join a community? My danmei reading community has a lot of Chinese people getting back to the culture through shared crying over historical fantasy novels

Also does research just count googling sources? Cause that's pretty much all i did and idk if that's enough. i dont think my local library has the most deep sources on it, too one time i tried looking up for a historical event to get more facts and details. XD

It works, especially if the places you find also leads you to PDFs Actually if you're ever looking for anything on like... a wide breadth of random topics involving Songs of Chu, Shang dynasty bronzes, Huangdi neijing, and Shanhaijing, something about court music, hit me up ah. I have some personal piles on that...

 

[Deleted member 45782]

We're regionlocked out of the movie, so I can't really tell the quality really ?. I just specifically am still perplexed by the colors of that dragon and those of the clans (?). It's... Just on palette choice alone I already can't understand where the designs come from. We're a culture like any other, beliefs and values are expressed or reflected in these kinds of visual media. Ice blue or magenta have never been something I see in traditional cultures of my corner of SEA, at least. It has the same sense of jarring as watching something Arthurian legends inspired but the dragon flying by is Qinglong LOL

Ah i see, yeah. Some funny movies and films and they use something that looks like some other completely different myth...

You're not alone... As for translations, I usually try to compare or ask a friend... Some translations truly are hellish LOL In terms of books of translations, as best as I can I do try to find ones written by Chinese people, but it's admittedly a rarity when it comes to the classics. The good ones do try to explain context and reasons for particular translations though, which is the source of my faith. That being said, maybe join a community? My danmei reading community has a lot of Chinese people getting back to the culture through shared crying over historical fantasy novels

Hmm...i don't know any chinese friend or person very close that knows a lot of these myths. closest is me asking my mom on certain myths, but we also not really depth knowledge about it. my dad probably knows more, but he likes history and would say bah waste of time into myths.

Danmei? what does it mean? im curious. maybe i should join a community like you said, but idk where to start though XD

It works, especially if the places you find also leads you to PDFs Actually if you're ever looking for anything on like... a wide breadth of random topics involving Songs of Chu, Shang dynasty bronzes, Huangdi neijing, and Shanhaijing, something about court music, hit me up ah. I have some personal piles on that...

So far I have only found website articles to myths that no one even knows about really. :/
Haven't come across a PDF file yet. Yay! Free research advisor :D. Will do when I dive deeper into exploring those story ideas. They are just of mind for now.

 

[AliceShiki]

That's cool. Yeah ik. I think there's lot of medieval fantasy with many diversions from what its actually like. i like to write myths and don't want to get into a tight spot bc found out those aren't actual myths, esp since im focusing on a culture and mythology, and its not wide known as like say maybe greek myths, or possibly norse and don't want to inaccurately portray it either. a far fetch dream, but kinda want take these story ideas beyond and published someday. althu that is like a fairytale, and likely unrealistic :P

I don't think it's too unrealistic to get published tbh.

Like... Keep publishing online as a webnovel, try gaining more followers and stuff, see if your story has potential by measuring how much attention it gets in the webnovel scene and stuff... If you become a popular webnovel author, I think you have pretty decent chances of being a successful published author.

Granted, you probably won't become the next Brandon Sanderson, but you can probably get a contract with a publisher or trying to self-publish and sell your own story as an e-book.
You also need to learn how to properly publish and/or market your own book, but uhn... Well, that's just part of the game I guess.

And like uhn... AFAIK, the majority of the profits from webnovel authors don't come from patreon supporters, but from e-book sales. So it seems to totally reasonable to me to try getting your story published one of these days if it gets popular enough~

Also does research just count googling sources? Cause that's pretty much all i did and idk if that's enough. i dont think my local library has the most deep sources on it, too one time i tried looking up for a historical event to get more facts and details. XD

It totally does!

I mean, libraries are basically non-existent where I live, so if I couldn't google for my sources, I'd basically be totally lost in whatever it is I wanna do~

And uhn... I even used googling as my main source of research back when I was in history uni tbh. And it worked just fine~

 

[Deleted member 45782]

I don't think it's too unrealistic to get published tbh.

Like... Keep publishing online as a webnovel, try gaining more followers and stuff, see if your story has potential by measuring how much attention it gets in the webnovel scene and stuff... If you become a popular webnovel author, I think you have pretty decent chances of being a successful published author.

Granted, you probably won't become the next Brandon Sanderson, but you can probably get a contract with a publisher or trying to self-publish and sell your own story as an e-book.
You also need to learn how to properly publish and/or market your own book, but uhn... Well, that's just part of the game I guess.

And like uhn... AFAIK, the majority of the profits from webnovel authors don't come from patreon supporters, but from e-book sales. So it seems to totally reasonable to me to try getting your story published one of these days if it gets popular enough~

It totally does!

I mean, libraries are basically non-existent where I live, so if I couldn't google for my sources, I'd basically be totally lost in whatever it is I wanna do~

And uhn... I even used googling as my main source of research back when I was in history uni tbh. And it worked just fine~

Thanks for the feedback! I always felt bit insecure that my googling for websites and info does not equate to research in others eyes since maybe by research they mean consulting with more accurate sources or books. Yay, i'll keep on researching. Maybe i shouldn't be too hesitant in writing these ideas out. And thanks for the encouragement about publishing. Haha I gotta walk the baby steps first though - i haven't really finished any regular story length (excluding short stories).

 

[ForestDweller]

I only write since I don't have time to read.

 

[CadmarLegend]

I only write since I don't have time to read.

Why?

 

[ForestDweller]

Why?

Because I'd rather use my free time to play video games.

 

[TheTrinary]

Mostly write. But I really do enjoying picking up random pieces from newly released. You always hope to find something great and unrecognized.

 

[Razmatazz]

I only write. If I started reading here, I'd never get to write anything because I get distracted easily. So I need to be careful

 

[Localforeigner]

I'm just here to look at the pretty story covers!

J/K
Seriously, I am here mostly to write and read. Socialize a bit. I wouldn't mind more socializing.

 

[LinXueLian]

but just because my friends don't take offense to it, it doesn't mean I'm not stepping on toes.

Eh.... Don't pay too much attention to that sort of people. Some people are just snobbish. These even actively mock other Chinese people who can't speak, read or write Mandarin well. On the flip side, they themselves can't speak, read or write other languages well nor are they able to accept other people's cultural norms and get pissy when people laugh at them or criticize them for being small-minded. They themselves cannot speak their own inherited dialect and can only speak Mandarin, causing their own true heritage vanish.

These sorts get into trouble too, once they reach higher education and try to get jobs. Same people who made fun of "bananas" go to them in tears to help them out because they can't keep up with the English used in classes or multinational communications. I even scragged one of my mother's church friends who tried to give my little brother a hard time for having more westernized values and not being able to speak Mandarin. I asked her, "Oh, so Adam and Eve are Chinese??? GOD CREATED THE BIBLE IN MANDARIN??? Last I checked Christianity came from the Middle East, so why can't you speak Arabic?? HMMM???" and she went as quiet as a chicken after that. Yeah, nobody fucks with my brothers in front of me.

Ironically, my parents told me I could speak and read and sing in Arabic when I was little, although I can't remember having ever done it. It was something I did when I was around 5 or 6... and I can also speak both my parents' dialects, which is probably better than what this preachy religious, racial supremacist and self-righteous lady could do. She even embraced a religion that's not Chinese, and I'm Buddhist, so what right does she have to criticize other Chinese people simply for their own way of life?

It's hypocrisy at its best, and for every snobby person who's like that, there's one open-minded, non-hypocritical/judgemental person who enjoys that someone's trying to love their culture. It's the latter sort of people that I feel should be more important in our lives than the sour, unhappy ones.

Also, I personally feel that cultures and writing really transcends trivial things like race and region. It's 2021 - people have got a chance to easily learn and explore different things, so why not be given a chance embrace it and love it? Who on earth is so free to gate-keep? Or so selfish to do so?

As for Disney's Raya.... it's an SE Asian-inspired film written by American diaspora for and about American diaspora. I don't think the bunch of us living in Asia are really their target audience, LOL! It's a bit like how that cartoon with Baymax isn't very Japanese culturally, but has influences from it, at least visually. Hiro acts and thinks like an American kid.

Still entertaining though! Yeah, I'm easily swayed around.... guys, when do you think Disney will make a handsome Wuxia hero? Seriously lacking heroes as handsome as I am... I can't relate....

 

[Deleted member 45782]

I only write. If I started reading here, I'd never get to write anything because I get distracted easily. So I need to be careful

me too hehe XD

Eh.... Don't pay too much attention to that sort of people. Some people are just snobbish.

Yeah, nobody fucks with my brothers in front of me.

Lol yeah. Only us can prank our siblings. Everyone else

It's hypocrisy at its best, and for every snobby person who's like that, there's one open-minded, non-hypocritical/judgemental person who enjoys that someone's trying to love their culture. It's the latter sort of people that I feel should be more important in our lives than the sour, unhappy ones.

Also, I personally feel that cultures and writing really transcends trivial things like race and region. It's 2021 - people have got a chance to easily learn and explore different things, so why not be given a chance embrace it and love it?

Agree.

Who on earth is so free to gate-keep? Or so selfish to do so?

I don't like those who gatekeep when it doesn't seem like it appropriating anyone's culture (sometimes I think people take it too far). Then again, I've also seen ones where they got "inspired" and it comes off really "cringe-y" to downright .........ish.

I think overall, its great to be a little bit mindful and do some research, so you get a better understanding of what you're trying to do and portray, but you don't have to imitate and get it down exactly a 100% cause there are many variations and some things change, and many other factors. Cultural exchange is great for others to learn and see what other cultures are like.

That being said, I'm also hesitant on some stuff too, cause I want to try for something that's a bit more accurate to some of the lore's. Perfectionism XD.

As for Disney's Raya.... it's an SE Asian-inspired film written by American diaspora for and about American diaspora. I don't think the bunch of us living in Asia are really their target audience, LOL! It's a bit like how that cartoon with Baymax isn't very Japanese culturally, but has influences from it, at least visually. Hiro acts and thinks like an American kid.

Yeah. A lot of things get Americanized here so what it may look like from its original culture may contrast quite a bit. Some parts of different cultures we take inspiration from, and then we blend it and make our own variation of it that is pretty interesting..

Still entertaining though! Yeah, I'm easily swayed around.... guys, when do you think Disney will make a handsome Wuxia hero? Seriously lacking heroes as handsome as I am... I can't relate....

Nah. Too many handsome people all the time in movies and media. How about some of us non-handsome ones too? XD