April 11, 2008 - Author's Note Update
Hey all! First, I'll like to thank everyone for the support they've shown. I've received many responses and PMs and I'll like to throw in a quick note right now that I'm not ignoring you - I haven't gotten back to anyone yet at all. The reason I've disappeared isn't entirely due to the plagiarism thing - I've been busy getting my butt kicked by biochem. Studying's pretty much taken me hostage these past few weeks and I'm still negotiating the terms for my release.
As a general response though, I've pretty much sorted out the PMs into three categories:
A) I support you! Please keep writing!
Thank you. I never expected the huge encouragement I've received and your messages were incredibly touching. My heart just melted. Into baby applesauce. Or something.
Anyway, thanks for the messages. I haven't given up on writing. I've always been working on pieces privately, things I haven't and probably won't post on fictionpress. However, I do have ideas for more FP stories and there's still Through Me and Unfinished Business. I'm just comatose from studying and that high you get - "Holy shit! Why are there only 24 hours in a day and 24908352664 pages to memorize?!" Yeah. Fun. No worries. I'm not quite dead yet. And I'm still your insanely slow updater.
B) Where can I kick the butt of that person who stole your story! No, seriously. Where?
Haha, it's over and done with. Hopefully. Finally. As for that matter, I'll like to especially thank a certain claraly. I noticed that not only did she bring up the issue on Winglin on my behalf, she also did extensive research into False Facades' background, providing links to this site, to fans' responses, and even to the SKOW award that it had won back in the day. Enough said. I love you, claraly.
And of course, to all those diligent fans who donned their flamer suits to fight the plagiarist ... whoa. You guys even scared me. Thanks for supporting False Facades so readily.
C) Can you please send me a copy of False Facades through email? or WTH happened to the chapters? It broke! Fix it soon and let me read the rest, kthanks.
I'm so glad that there are actually so many readers interested in the story to want to continue reading it or to reread it. Unfortunately, I am not too interested in emailing copies to individuals right now. It's not that I don't trust you - please don't be offended - it's actually more due to the fact that I'm incredibly busy at the mo' and any free time I get, I'd probably want to spend on writing new chapters. However, I am considering certain plans for False Facades and I will announce them soon once I've sorted things out.
Whew, this is gonna be a long note after all. I really have to get one of those blogging thingiemajingies. If this keeps up, I just might get the award for having the longest profile on FP to date.
Or ... I should probably create a website. If not to keep a blogging thing, then to host my writings up there and maybe figure out how to nix the whole copy+paste thing. Right. And as soon as I learn how to create a website in the first place, I'll get right around to that haha.
OH! Speaking of websites, I've been meaning to speak about this ... but yeah, things tend to get away from me, as you see. My homepage currently lists the link to freerice - I know, I know, Maeven can't make her own website so she throws in a fake "homepage" to direct us to, how incredibly pathetic - haha, anyway, the reason I have freerice up there is because I love the whole concept about it. You learn new vocab, someone out there gets free rice. Win, win situation. And for the authors and readers who troll this site, it's perfect. How cool is it to be able to learn new vocabulary that you can use while helping others out?
Random things aside, I still should learn how to make an actual real website for myself anyway. It's a useful skill in this information age of ours, isn't it? Yes, yes.
But I'm lazy so I'll probably end up enlisting someone's help anyway - most likely, my cousins who got all the technical, computer genes. Especially my insanely smart, lovely, endearing, vivacious lawyer cousin. When she reads this. Or when I ask her, after she tries to pretend she didn't read this.
Or maybe my brother, who'd probably end up posting pics of anime girls with huge boobs for decoration.
Hard choice.
This isn't a quick note, after all. I'm sorry. Tired brain tends to spew nonsense.
All in all, thanks for the support. Please have a bit more patience and I'll try to keep you guys updated on what's the deal with False Facades and if and when there'll be new chappies for other stories. And I'll try not to write an essay again.
Yours,
Maeven
March 28, 2008
Plagiarism Scene Take Three:
So apparently, the Winglin incident isn't completely over. I don't know how Winglin dates its stories or maybe it's been around for a while and I just learned about it, but another author (or perhaps it's the same person as before) has posted my story again here, www.winglin.net/fanfic/maeven/, claiming that's she me and that's she "re-casting" the crew with Hong Kong stars this time. As opposed to the person last time who posted with Korean stars, this person didn't even do a good job in replacing the names. She merely just slapped on a character list in front of the chapter.
I've just about had it. And unlike last time, I wasn't nearly as polite in leaving the person a note.
All this plagiarism has really bothered me and I'm sorely tempted to just take the story off this site, if not for the fact that keeping this would somehow provide proof that I was and still am the original author. Can you just see the wry smile on my face?
Honestly. Honestly, I don't understand this. If people are so interested in reading this, then just come over to this site. I've left this here on this site for your perusal for how many years? And people are still plagiarizing? What's the damn point? Are they even making any profit from this? Are the few reviews they receive that satisfying to their small egos?
I'm really ... I can't believe I'm so shocked. And surprisingly so hurt by this. I've taken this news even worse than before for some strange reason. Perhaps it's because I just emailed a reader back asserting my faith in all my readers, perhaps it's because I suddenly feel so helpless. Just a month after my announcement to the readers about the last incident and already there's another plagiarizer popping up, it's made me realized just how insecure I really am. This isn't just a one time thing that I'm letting get to me. This has happened, to my knowledge, three times before and it doesn't stop, does it?
It's even brought me to thinking about going to one of those self-publishing places and just edit and publish this damn story once and for all. At least then, I'll be able to retain my rights completely. At least then, even if I miss all the feedback I've received from so many readers, I won't have plagiarizers lurking around as well.
But on a second thought though, I probably won't, simply because I've seen the prices on those books and whoa, some of them tend to be whythehellareyousoexpensivelittleteenybook which doesn't make much sense to me. It doesn't make sense why I would even try to sell something to you guys when, despite it being in its rough draft, it's been offered freely to all of you on this site for all these years.
I write for fun. I post to get feedback. It's been a good relationship. A chapter for the time you take to read and review and to leave me supportive comments and constructive criticism.
It's been great.
But unfortunately, right now, I can't do this anymore. I know I'm probably being really drastic, but ... please understand.
I've regretfully decided to remove most of the chapters from False Facades except for the very first one to leave some indication that I am still the original writer just in case there are those crazy people who've taken the time to copy and paste my chapters and stored or printed them and would be ever so happy to continue plagiarizing on another site.
Please. To readers - I'll like to say that I've only posted my original works on Fictionpress and Writing.com before so if you see any of my works floating around out there, just know that it's some imposter. In addition, to those who've taken to reposting my stories even with an indication that it was originally written by me (I've seen some do so on soompi.net, I believe), please. Just don't. Not that I don't appreciate your efforts, but I'd rather you had just directed readers to my profile in the first place. I don't much like to see my work reposted with the cast replaced by your favorite stars. I don't see the point and you're just undermining my original idea for the characters.
Uncle Frank's passion for Samantha's red hair and Marco Ngai pining for Gillian Chung's black hair don't quite work the same to me.
So I guess that's it. Thank you all for reading and for all the support. With time, I'll consider reposting the chapters and updating again. Maybe I'll even edit them first haha?
Just ... not now. I'm sorry.
Yours,
Maeven
I've been meaning to compile notes here about my writing style and the pieces I've posted and I think it's been way overdue now so I've decided to finally get this up here once and for all.
About Me
I write for fun. For relief from reality. For something productive to do beside going blind from textbook worship. I adore thinking up crazy plots and dialogue. I'm an English minor and an insane fictionpress writer by night and an equally insane, but panda eyed comatose med student by day.
What I've been driving myself nuts over is working on getting out of med school. So at times, the workload can get incredibly overbearing and I can be insanely slow with updates. (Most readers know this about me - I'm so sorry!) Yeah, just wait until I hit Gross Anatomy next year. You'll never be hearing from me again.
Writing style wise, I love humor and bantering in my chapters. Weak points wise, I'm not big on descriptions. I'm not saying I don't love descriptions, but I tend to find myself short on time and so, in my rush, I usually just put down two lines rather than two paragraphs if I could, if I deem it not particularly necessary to the story right now. Descriptions, to me, are aesthetic embellishments, and I would so love to be able to work more on them, and I probably would in a second draft or so, but just for now, please please please take it as you will because I do have an exam to study for, probably right after I post up an update. When I have more time, I'll be sure to spend more time on all my weak points accordingly. Thank you for your suggestions.
Understand that my writing style for short pieces in English classes differ highly from my fictionpress writings. I've somehow been honored to receive awards and scholarships for short stories I've penned and one of them has been shockingly published (hah, you're probably wondering how the hell did that happen? bribery all the way, baby ... I'm joking. please ignore me.), but those pieces all went through massive drafting and rewriting. I feel that right now, my stories here on fictionpress are still in their first drafts and will definitely need to be tweaked. This is why I appreciate and adore all your constructive criticism, but at the same time, if I don't immediately get to correcting something (like False Facades, still in its full awkward glory), please understand that I did read your comments and I did take them into consideration and that once I get the time, when I remember, I would immediately jump on it. I'm not ignoring you, especially not you right there, sitting in front of your computer with a mug of hot cocoa or Lipton tea. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding!
Now about my posted writings ...
False Facades
This is probably the story that I'm fondest of ... and yet, it's also the piece I'm perhaps the most embarrassed of.Honestly, I'm honored and humbled by the huge positive response I've received for this work and I think I was incredibly lucky to have so much support and encouragement as a new author back then because your feedback allowed me to work harder in attempts to improve my writing and, not to mention, to keep up with constant updates. (Until then, I had the tendency to lose stamina halfway and never complete long works so thank you all.)
That being said, long after the story had been completed, I've received some emails or reviews saying either A) It was an unoriginal story or B) I didn't deserve so many reviews and that frankly, they were surprised that I had managed to get so many reviews in the first place because they didn't like the story at all and that there were other stories (maybe their own, they meant?) that deserved more attention, etc. etc. Okay, fair enough, I, myself, admit that when I look back at the story, I cringe sometimes, wondering what the heck was I thinking haha. (And for those who sent message A - please read the Author's Note in Chapter 22 first.)
So here, more like a warning rather than a defense, I'll like to inform any future readers that False Facades was first written when I was a high school freshman, back when I was fourteen and was kinda big on anime fanfic. Hence, and ouch, you'll see multiple exclamation marks, poor grammar, characters that run amok in wild antics (well, I haven't quite lost my taste for those crazy scenes haha), lightning speed character development, and ... okay, I'll throw this one in as well - thoughts in brackets - even though it wasn't my intention. Fictionpress, back in the days, had some weird format thing so instead of italics, I had to put the thoughts in brackets and scene dividers as stars.
However, I do promise, that if you stick with the story, probably past Chapter Twenty or so, you'll see my writing mature. The format suddenly changes. And this is why I'm so glad I posted False Facades up here, because with you guys as reviewers, as witnesses, as fans, and as critics, I was able to shape the story - and my writing skills - into what they are today.
Good points to False Facades: it was simple. It was simple, and sweet. There's a quality of innocence and reckless style in it that reminds me of my younger days, back when I typed simply for the heck of it. I thought nothing about what would come next and wrote that scene in that moment. Over the top, but it's endearing sometimes and it still brings a smile to my face when I'm not grimacing.
That being said, I'm still quite surprised how there are people who've plagiarized this work, even with all the craptastic writing in the beginning, so many times (The Winglin incident has finally died down. I believe the person or the site admins have finally taken down the story. Thank you all for your support.) and it's unnerved me. I would like to revise this story in the future just to make it less cringe-worthy, but I might not post it. I don't understand the liberties some people have taken with posted fiction online. Just because authors here have chosen to share their writings and their stories online with the community doesn't mean we still don't wish to retain our rights. Please be courteous and have respect. Be kind, rewind.
And that ... had nothing to do with anything, but I thought I might as well throw in something else in my preaching.
Long note, eh? If you stuck through it, more power to you. Thank you for reading.
(March 28: Last 29 chapters removed.)
Unfinished Business
The title says it all. Sorry! I'm thinking about finishing up Through Me first to see how it goes. I might or might not continue with this. It's been left alone for quite some time already (understatement of the year) and I feel any readers following it might have already gotten fed up and dropped this story.
Update: Thank you for those who suddenly reviewed or sent me Private Messages demanding for another chapter. Haha, I'm so sorry about the wait, but at least, you've refreshed my interest in the story and I'm contemplating about reworking this piece now. We'll see how it goes.
Through Me
Still in progress. Hopefully, the writing's improved. The characters are running me up and down a hill though haha.
Update as of March 10: Through Me Chapter 15 has been posted.
Update as of March 16: Through Me Chapter 16 has been posted.
FictionPress.com - let the words flow
