Is it me or are the best FF fics usually FF8 fics? It’s just dawned on me that all my favourite fics are all FF8ers, eg No Mercy, Castles In The Sky, How Ironic, So I Pulled, To Appease The Gods etc.
I think it isn’t just you. I’ve read a lot of good FF8 fics… Some I can’t remember the title, been so long since i last read a fanfic… ^^;
I think it’s just how they made the characters. Comapred to past Final Fanatasy games, where the characters were medieval knights or clones, the FF8 characters were highschool aged and just graduating from a learning institution. Thus targeting the highest demographic of kids who can relate to them.
Most of the fics I read are FF8 fics, mainly because FF8 was the first Final Fantasy game I ever played.
On the other hand, there’s also a hellava lot of BAD FF8 fanfics, 90% of which are bad yaoi fics. (And 90% of those involve Squall buggering either Irvine or Seifer.)
Zelda fics are helluva loaded with yaoi
I hate all fanfics equally 
I commend you for reading and liking FF fics. I never ever ever read them. They just totally try to influence my interpretation which I don’t like. I sometimes read the odd CT-CC fan, but FF? No way. Too risky. Most are full of bullshit and aren’t as memorable as people like to think.
It all depends on how well they’re written, and people like Erstaz can write.
Personally I don’t think they (the writers) try to force anything upon the reader, it’s up to us to interpret what we are given and obviously some people are going to think differently.
Which is exactly why I hate fanfics, I don’t like another interpretation when I’m reading. I like my stuff, and the way I think, not anyone else’s. I’ve certainly glanced at fanfics before, especially FF when I used to read them, and good writers or not, i’ve yet to stumble upon something SPECTACULAR. Being a good writer isn’t good enough for me. They’ve got to have their own style, something in their writings that allows me to acknowledge the person as an individual author, not someone trying to be the best in a trend.
I think a part of it comes from FF8 being one of the most popular games to write a fanfic about. Since there are so many more stories, there is a larger chance that there will be extraordinarily good stories among the vast quantity of rubbish that is also written about that title.
There are several good reasons why FF VIII could be considered the best for fanfic purposes. Mostly due to the lack of competition.
VII? Almost killed under the glut of Aeris-revival and return of Sephy fics.
I? Who in their right mind writes FF I fics? :thud:
IX? Not enough interest.
FF VIII also has the advantage of the world being closer to ours than any other FF. One of the cardinal rules of writing is to write what you know.
I write FF 1 fics. Oh, you asked who in their right mind.
Actually, since there is no real character development, but you do have a frame for a plot… FF1 is probably one of the better games to write fantasy fanfics.
I like fanfiction because it’s essentially a way to “cut my teeth” into actual writing. We all have to start somewhere, and trying to go professional straight out can be rather disheartening. Even if you don’t have an aim to be a professional, it’s a nice way to start out. But a rather tough one: people have serious expectations from the original works, and if you deviate from them too greatly without a DAMN good reason, and don’t take care of it wisely…
Well you have Sorc, Steve, Evangelion, and GAFF. Have fun!
Fanart and Fanmusic are the same way. It’s a great way to start out, with an established framework: You can still be creative, but you have the framework outlined for you as is. What’s most interesting is what you do with it. That’s my argument for fan… anything really.
Many can’t execute it properly however.
Yeah but those that do, do it well. Do it very well.
Another good reason why you see so many good fanfics for FF8 (AND loads of crap ones too) is that the characters are just really stepping out into their world. Leaving their future wide open to speculation, which spawns many story ideas. While in other FF games the characters ‘destinies’ seem pretty much set at the end of the game one way or another, leaving fewer ideas for fanfics.
IX’s my favourite to fic for 
Trouble is that VIII has been rather done to death by now. There are TONNES of original outlets and ideas hidden within IX, if you only want a challenge!
VIII is so popular because of all the above reasons- most of the people writing the fics are almost exactly the same age as the characters and, most importantly, the same social standing- students, just like them, as opposed to princesses, vagabonds or amphibious David Beckhams. It’s also got a really intricate story that people like to pick apart and piece back together their own way.
Of course, a large part is simply due to the sheer amount of FF8 fanfiction (can’t remember the exact totals, but on FF.net it’s something along the lines of being as much as all the other FFs put together). Admittedly, 85% (at best) of it is unreadable, 800-word tales of unspeakable sodomy involving Squall/Seifer/irvine/Zell/Angelo/all of the above, but amongst all that shite, you’re bound to have the odd diamond.
Like Crimson Lies!
I originally started writing fanfics as a way to (plzdon’tlaugh) improve my essay composition. It seems to have worked, as I look at what I wrote last year and what I write now, and I’m all '“Why the FUCK did I ever let me write that?”.
So GO fanfiction! It’ll save your failing academic grades!
Mmm yaoi…
More fic writers need to turn to creative writing >.>; it is a cheap and easy ploy just to ‘borrow’ characters intead of making your own.
:kissy:
It’s cheap and easy to ‘borrow’ anyting than make your own ; )
Like the Griever Chronicles or Revelation